Tonneau Covers and Fuel mileage

[pastor edjara]

I noticed a slight improvement around town and decent increase on the highway especially with a cross wind. I have a extang solid tri-fold cover.

 

[pastor edjara]

Where did you get your trifolds?
I have 2019 1500 Limited and defenitly need them.

 

[Addicted2fishing]

When I have snow on the cover and I’m driving at highway speeds it basically swirls upwards and towards the front of that makes sense. The air circulating off the back I don’t think effects fuel mileage all that much. At least not something we would notice without precise equipment. Where I think aerodynamics come into play is the way it encounters the wind or force against it. They are big heavy vehicles and I don’t think a tonneau cover would make much a difference. I think it falls in the same category as air intakes and exhausts.

My two cents. Not a scientist by any means


Tiped on ifone using Tapatalk and auto correct. Can’t you tell?

 

[Jeffrey Strichart]

2013 Hemi crew cab 6'4" bed 4x4 gets 20 mpg all day long cruising 70-80 mph on the highway and running in 2 wheel drive. I love the Hemi and 16 city 20 highway is fine with me.

 

[Ramcharger84]

 

[shackman]

Since we're on the topic...I've been looking at them lately. I've had open bed trucks since 1980, and I like the rails I have on the bed. But I'm starting to look at the "high-dollar" metal rolling type that lock. Since I have a 2500 I'm not expecting any fuel savings, but if anyone has any experience with that type of cover I would appreciate your thoughts.

 

[shackman]

I have had the Bak Industries alum roll up on my 14' since new and love it . It's almost watertight and it will hold 450 lbs spread out over it. I had my wife of 130 lb stand on it with no problems. I think it's worth the money. I got a $100.00 off with a coupon .

 

[1stindoor]

Those things are the BOMB! I've had hard folding covers on every truck I've owned since 2011 and if I had to do it over again or next time it will be the collapsible folding type like you speak of. My buddy had one on his last truck and it was so nice how it would collapse almost completely up against the cab. You can carry a lot of things in the bed with that setup that you can't with a hard folding cover. Of course the con is that they do leak some whereas the hard folding models do not. personally I could deal with a small amt of water getting it to have the other convenience. They are also more expensive too.

Thanks. I'm starting to look at the different types and prices. Looks like I'm looking anywhere in the neighborhood of $1,800 to $2,300.

 

[1stindoor]

I have had the Bak Industries alum roll up on my 14' since new and love it . It's almost watertight and it will hold 450 lbs spread out over it. I had my wife of 130 lb stand on it with no problems. I think it's worth the money. I got a $100.00 off with a coupon .

Thanks. I looked at those too. I'm leaning towards the rolling hard retractable type, like the Gator or American Roll. Still doing my research.

 

[Iron Outlaw]

My camper shell took between 1 and two mpg from me

 

[1stindoor]

FYI....after many phone calls to different manufacturers. It seems like only the Retrax brand has the option for a stake pocket cut out built into their product. I'm looking at the retraxpro mx and the retrax powertraxpro. Both are expensive, but both have what I'm looking for...the ability to keep my bed rails. Time to sell a kidney.

 

[Ashton]

Where did you get your trifolds?
I have 2019 1500 Limited and defenitly need them.

I ended buying mine used because i couldn't justify spending over a grand on a tonneau cover.

 

[Ramcharger84]

I ended buying mine used because i couldn't justify spending over a grand on a tonneau cover.

I picked up a Truxedo LoPro (soft cover) at Auto Anything for $399 on sale. It looks great. If you go there, be sure to chat or call them and they'll give you a discount, even on top of a sale.

 

[kurek]

View attachment 188306

Keep in mind this is one data point. Actually it provides more information than most of these pretty aero advertising photos provide because you can see in the background it's reading 32kph/20mph. I'd be more interested in seeing highway speeds and a plan view with the visual smoke source in more than one location before I'd call the photo more than just pretty to look at.

 

[Ramcharger84]

Keep in mind this is one data point. Actually it provides more information than most of these pretty aero advertising photos provide because you can see in the background it's reading 32kph/20mph. I'd be more interested in seeing highway speeds and a plan view with the visual smoke source in more than one location before I'd call the photo more than just pretty to look at.

True. I have a new soft cover and at 35mph I can see the air pushing down on the rear of the cover. Really hard at highway speeds. That's on a short bed too.

 

[NikNak]

Good article. Found this interesting in that article:

“We discovered that in the computational analysis we perform,” said Bloch. “The most harmful air between the cab and bed was coming over the cab and down through the gap, so we paid the most attention to that specific area.”

So that little gap between the cab and bed wreaks more havoc than I would imagine.......Hmmm Bring out the duct tape

Of course based on my findings. How do I explain this:

"A long-disputed topic among truck owners is whether a tailgate raised or lowered is better for aerodynamics, but Bloch says a tailgate in the up position is more aerodynamically efficient. As air flows over the truck, it falls over the cab and pushes forward on the rear of the truck. With the tailgate down, the benefits of that airflow are diminished."

Hmmmmm

I saw on this forum that someone puts home water heater pipe foam in the gap to keep dust out & it might do the same for wind turbulence. I noticed 10% mpg highway reduction AFTER I added the camper topper. I’m still glad I added it as I tend to use it every day.

in June, loaded bed with camping gear & 8hr drive... 22.5MPG

In Nov with camper topper & similar weight load, 3 hr highway drive... 19.7mpg

It could be the CA winter fuel as well, but I always use 91Octane. (Usually Shell so similar fuel).

 

[juniors828]

In my opinion the main features which should has every tonneau cover is reliability and easiness in use. Of course you always should balance and look for a good ratio between these two options. Model called Tyger Auto TG-BC1F9030 ( one of these: https://truckcoverexpert.com/best-roll-up-tonneau-covers/ ) was the best choice for me, the last time I've bought a cover for my truck.

 

[BWL]

The biggest thing I noticed about having a tonneau is that random people no longer use the back of my truck as a garbage bin.

 

[slim chance]

True. I have a new soft cover and at 35mph I can see the air pushing down on the rear of the cover. Really hard at highway speeds. That's on a short bed too.

i also have seen the air pushing down on the rear 1/3 of the cover at hi-way speeds ...

 

[madtrucker2016]

I think it helps but so small amount . You would not see it in the pocket with the savings . But Ram trucks look better with the bed covered. Also when it snows its so much faster to remove the snow.