Does your tail gate make a difference? I know with aero dynamics it has too but I have tried it all sorts of ways and have never seen a measurable increase. Most of my efforts with this yield a 1-2 mpg difference have also heard and read the toneau (SP) covers have an effect on this. True or urban legends?

 

Tonneau covers and camper shells will give you an increase in gas mileage....not no whopping 15mpg, but it will add 3-5mpg possibly.

This is a simple aerodynamics issue. The wind flows over the truck and down into the bed.....where as if you had a cover it would just flow off the back of the truck.

I had an 01 Dakota that averaged about 18mpg on highway and about 15 in city....without the top on it....fiberglass bed cover.....i got like 15 on the highway and about 14 in city. It really only helps on highway miles...as your doing alot of stop n go in the city.

1 last note, use your cruise control as much as possible on the highway, that helps ALOT

 

I hate to keep pushing stacey david, (no, im not in love with him) but he discussed this on one episode of TRUCKS! a while back. The idea that removing the tailgate for better aerodynamincs is a common one, and it makes sense (take off the big flat thing for air to push against, right?). but they put a pickup in a wind tunnel and discovered that because of the large void (inside of the bed), a natural flow of wind occours in front of and behind of the tailgate, and when the tailgate is removed, that flow is disturbed and actually harms aero and gas mileage. the conclusions was ultimately that to improve gas mileage, the best thing to do was get a tonneau cover. uh, NOT an option for me, and most other guys who actually use their truck for what it was intended for, hauling ****. they also found however that rather than leaving it up, or taking it off, if you buy a kit that has a pneumatic arm (i think its called the tail-gater or something), leaving the tailgate halfway u/down creates a spoiler type efffect and helps gas mileage, and air flows properly.

 

I love watching the show TRUCKS! I also watch that show they do where they take 2 identical vehicles and race em on the 1/4 mile, with the winners takin both cars home...Love that show...

There are all kinds of tonneau covers out there.....from the hardtop fiberglass to the lowly leather roll up cover. There are others that are a hard plastic/fiberglass that you can fold up so that you can still use your bed and haul stuff without having to unbutton, roll it up, or take it off to use it.

http://www.autotrucktoys.com/ram/Lun...7338C1040.aspx

http://store1.yimg.com/I/performancedodge_1859_16578188

 

I have read similar articles about leaving the tailgate up can actually be better for mpg then down. Also, there are some places where you can get a ticket for driving around with your tailgate down. It is dangerous if someone rearends you I guess. Good thing they are easy to take off.
Here is some interesting stuff about aerodynamics and trucks, etc...
http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/show...4&postcount=22

 

Thanks Silver....Very interesting....Good stuff....Dont know if i want foil on my truck but hay if gas gets any higher i just might.