Bed cover research: drag / aerodynamics

[zingaro]

I'd really like to see some hard research showing how, for example, a wing/spoiler on the back of the cab roof would help or not help. Same with the tailgate. It stands to reason that there is some value to it, especially the tailgate wing, since we see most trucks have some modest "built in" spoiler shape on the tailgate, and most SUVs have some sort of wing-like surface on the back of the roofline.

I'd also be interested in seeing if something like that can help when towing a travel trailer - improving aerodynamics would be a big help in mileage and maybe handling.

I got that pic off another site "ecomodders" Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com
there you got some hardcore mpg`er removing mirrors. fenderskirts, shutting off the altenator, shutting off the injectors etc.. someone there was an engineer and was involved in an aerodynamic study of the exact thing. actually a few studies have been made in reguards to the aero mods on PU`s. the real problem with aero is it doesnt sell card. noone want ther vehicle to look like the front of a nascar racer. I realize alot of the bends in sheetmetal isnt always for looks but for stiffness. ive not got a real good look at the front of my mav because of the small garage but there alot of pockets.
heres a pic of one of my rides with corraplats trying to smooth out the airflow.
best mpg was 35 over 250 miles and i figured i was pullin 300 hp. I also used blockoff plates to up the inlet air temp (leans out the mix) run a scangage to keep the H2O temp around 230, 50 psi in the tires, k&n airfilter, straight pipe n vortex generator over the rear hatch.. (bonneville speed week)

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[zingaro]

This was after driving through some rain. The main areas water got in are the bed rail gaps on the left and right sides. If you look at your truck and follow the plastic on the sides of the bed you will see what I am talking about. This bed cover has a foam strip that sits on top of the rail/side/plastic and compresses downward to seal. Works great for typical truck bed design. I still need to fill that gap with some black silicone on my truck.

Here is the vendor page for the product.

Truxedo TruXport Soft Roll Up Tonneau Cover 294701 | RealTruck

looks like a nice setup .. i may have got my wires crossed as i thought you were refering to somekinda roof wing. for now im gonna try and fab a small box for the rear.

 

[ejouie]

This is an F150 wing from EGR 360. It has the correct aero shape.

Here is the Maverick Aero Design one:

The flat one is a simple wing.

The upward sloping one is designed to increase downforce at the cost of drag. That works for racing as then you can put more power down from the engine to more than make up for the drag. Not so good for fuel economy.

The flat one extends the laminar flow of the air before it becomes turbulent. Turbulent air does not flow well. Laminar air does. The better the air flows, the more it can move along the shape and get out of the way of the incoming air behind it.

 

[jewc75]

There's a whole thread on this with videos and graphs showing everything youd want to know and more. Id have to search for it

This is an F150 wing from EGR 360. It has the correct aero shape.

Here is the Maverick Aero Design one:

The flat one is a simple wing.

The upward sloping one is designed to increase downforce at the cost of drag. That works for racing as then you can put more power down from the engine to more than make up for the drag. Not so good for fuel economy.

The flat one extends the laminar flow of the air before it becomes turbulent. Turbulent air does not flow well. Laminar air does. The better the air flows, the more it can move along the shape and get out of the way of the incoming air behind it.

There are companies that make flat roof spoilers for the F150 but nothing for the Maverick yet. I reached out in 22 when i got my Mav and no one had plans to make us one.

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