tailgate myth
All Star
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 820
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From: Jax Fl.
RE: tailgate myth
Maybe if you had a long bed. The size of the bed and the way the air flows over the truck causes a sort of vortex. Which creates a dead air space causing the air to slide on past the end of the truck. Science my friends science
ORIGINAL: 954x4SLT
I do get better gas milage now that i put on the Toneau cover. but 1 thing I did feel Befoe the Toneau Cover was the way the truck goes down the road with the tailgate up or down. I feel more drag and less throttle response with the gate up. Enough of a difference that when I would be on the interstate I could actually tell without looking if my gate was up or down just by the way I could get up to speed to pass someone. So Yes with that in mind I know I used more gas with the gate up. But like they said get a toneau cover, no more issues.
I do get better gas milage now that i put on the Toneau cover. but 1 thing I did feel Befoe the Toneau Cover was the way the truck goes down the road with the tailgate up or down. I feel more drag and less throttle response with the gate up. Enough of a difference that when I would be on the interstate I could actually tell without looking if my gate was up or down just by the way I could get up to speed to pass someone. So Yes with that in mind I know I used more gas with the gate up. But like they said get a toneau cover, no more issues.
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
RE: tailgate myth
I'm just stating what I have experienced with my own regular cab, short bed, 5 spd. on long trips like to Mississippi and back it was almost a 1/2 tank difference going down w/out the toneau and when I came back after installing the soft toneau. now I really don't think going north vs. south is a gas changer and I didn't change the way I drove and there was no change in the weight I had. But with the cover the truck felt easier to drive more responsive and I saw a difference in gas milage. Like I said a little more then a 1/2 tank better coming back. Just my .02
All Star
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 820
Likes: 0
From: Jax Fl.
RE: tailgate myth
Actually going one direction opposed the the other will effect your gas mileage. I always get better mileage returning from my moms, thats a three hundred mile trip. I normally have a head wind going there and pushes me home. Something to look at.
Grand Champion
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,099
Likes: 6
From: Colorado
RE: tailgate myth
ORIGINAL: WD40
I think there has been enough said on the tailgate. On a long trip I will increase the tire pressure, giving me better fuel eco.
I think there has been enough said on the tailgate. On a long trip I will increase the tire pressure, giving me better fuel eco.
Record Breaker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,893
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From:
RE: tailgate myth
ORIGINAL: greenmachine
Actually going one direction opposed the the other will effect your gas mileage. I always get better mileage returning from my moms, thats a three hundred mile trip. I normally have a head wind going there and pushes me home. Something to look at.
Actually going one direction opposed the the other will effect your gas mileage. I always get better mileage returning from my moms, thats a three hundred mile trip. I normally have a head wind going there and pushes me home. Something to look at.
yes it can make a big diffrence if you have a head wind like you sed or in my cace i live in the mountans so wen i go to my parrents place i do better going there than coming back because im at a much higher elevation so esentally in going down hill there and up hill comming back
Professional
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
From: United States
RE: tailgate myth
Honestly, gate up gate down really shouldn't matter on a fullsize truck. I mean lets get real here. We are talking about a fullsize truck most of them with 4x4 drivetrains and V8 engines. Lets not forget that even the dodge trucks have the aerodynamic effiency of a shoebox. With that said alittle drag from the tailgate wouldn't hurt anything if in fact it does cause drag(yes I saw the mythbusters show also). Like the mythbusters show documented though I highly suspect that the newer trucks are designed in such a way that the tailgate is part of the aerodynamic profile so they can milk all the mileage out the trucks as they can reasonably. Honestly, what's cheaper a steel tailgate or a nylon net? The Mopar engineers, Ford engineers, and GM engineers not to mention a few others are doing it the way they are doing it for a reason aren't they?
Champion
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,313
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Record Breaker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,893
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From:
RE: tailgate myth
can we just let this one die obvusaly some will thing it works some dont and nither side are ever gonna budge. if you wanna know if its gonna work for you go out and try it then youll know it it helps or not, obvsually every one is diffrent