Re: Travel trailer towing MPG?

From: Korey Atterberry (korey99@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Feb 08 2006 - 23:14:10 EST


jldenning@earthlink.net wrote:
>>something that attaches to the back of the van/truck and to the front of
>>the trailer, making one big streamlined unit. Sometimes guys put a
>>spandex panel between the front fairing and rear tailbox on a
>>fully-faired bicycle, so I've often wondered if that would help the
>>towability of a full height travel trailer!
>
>
> Probably not silly one bit. I'd guess a slightly less goofy and similarly
> effective approach would be a lateral fin on the back of a hard tonneau (or
> stiff soft tonneau). I believe the airstream comes over our cabs AND over an
> eddy just at the rear window, then smooths out as it drops toward the level of
> our bed rails, then down over the tailgate. I think the trick would be to
> catch the flow rear of the eddy with a fin and direct it up over the gap 'tween
> truck and trailer. I think a box trailer and finned cap would get the same
> thing.

I wondered about that too. Afterall, it's similar to what the tractor
trailers do essentially. I have seen a few 1-ton trucks pulling 5th
wheels that had a big wing mounted on top of the cab. It'd be
interesting to know what kind of difference that sort of thing would
make in the real world.

Korey
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