OK, I went you to the mountains last week. Truck ran great and was getting around 10mpg with a 5th wheel. Now is there any mileage increase with a vented tailgate, roof air defletor and so on? I think this was talked about once but I cant find it. Also my lie-ometer stopped working no lights nothing. any ideas?
Mileage towing
- Thread starter Dogman
- Start date
DaveBen
SDD Senior Member
The Mythbusters dispelled the tailgate venting. NO. Actually got slightly better mileage with the tailgate up, vs down.
Dave
Dave
Well Here's my personal observation with my truck, and it weights 9000lbs empty. I used to use a vented tail gate, I found no increase in fuel mileage, I use the stock one now. I've only used the roof deflector once in my life but it was too butt ugly to stay on to do any long term fuel mileage tests. So you say......You want to know my fuel mileage figures
Nah!!!!! OK.....
I'll tell ya.... Here in Florida, all flat mind ya, pull'in the 6 ton coach 12.5 to 13.0mpg at 2000rpm. and that's the truck in my sig...
I had to put the stock tail gate back on because I put a Warn winch on the front and the vented tail gate was to lite. I needed the extra weight the stock one offers towards the back of the truck.
Nah!!!!! OK..... I'll tell ya.... Here in Florida, all flat mind ya, pull'in the 6 ton coach 12.5 to 13.0mpg at 2000rpm. and that's the truck in my sig...
I had to put the stock tail gate back on because I put a Warn winch on the front and the vented tail gate was to lite. I needed the extra weight the stock one offers towards the back of the truck.
orion_134
Full Access Member
The tailgate up creates a deadspace inthe back of the truck (have you ever scraped off bugs from the inside of your tailgate?) and the air passes over the top of the truck and right over that deadspace to the top of the tailgate. With the tailgate open it actually creates a vacuum of sorts behind the rear window pulling the truck back and increasing drag. Of course none of this involves a fifth wheel..just sharing.
Jesse
Jesse
BJS
Full Access Member
honestly slow down to increase your mileage while towing that's the only thing that is going to help your mileage at all. You're towing a brick wall it has no relevance to the weight that is behind the brick wall the vast majority of the work is being done by moving the air out of the way not in moving the mass.
I can say that when I borrow my friends dump trailer, (4k empty) I get the same mileage on the highway towing it empty as I do when loaded to 12-14k simply because he has large sidewalls on the thing that stick up to to a total height of 13'6" since he is usually hauling lighter weight stuff.
I can say that when I borrow my friends dump trailer, (4k empty) I get the same mileage on the highway towing it empty as I do when loaded to 12-14k simply because he has large sidewalls on the thing that stick up to to a total height of 13'6" since he is usually hauling lighter weight stuff.
95_stroker
Jefe
Theres mountains in Fla?
