Tailgate spoiler

[Johnkn]

Look at the tailgate lip of every late model, higher end, full size truck you see. There is a spoiler built right into the sheet metal in the same shape as the add on Mav unit.

Ahh, ok, you must be talking about ...higher end... trucks than my TRX and Raptor R. They don't have anything approaching your add-on spoiler.

But it's all good...... Enjoy your Maverick.....



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[MaverickDragon]

If an OEM tailgate spoiler netted an additional 5 mpg every single Maverick Ford ever produced would have been equipped with one from the factory.

Along with every other manufactured vehicle...

Design Dept: Hey, here's our new design! Looks great, right?
Board Chairman: You idiots are fired. Where's the damn spoiler!!

Considering automakers go to extreme lengths to eek out a single mpg, getting 5 mpg's for installing a small plastic part would have probably received just a little notice.

A minor change in driving behavior, along with more favorable ambient conditions can change the mpg result considerably.

 

[Dad]

On that subject, I wonder how close that spoiler design will get to a trailer tongue, if you drop the tailgate while hitched-up?

HRG

Good point. It extends pretty far away from the truck. Looks like something one would bump into if not careful.

 

[MaverickDragon]

My test results included 3, 100 mile, round trips, no cruise control, with the same route, wind speed, (none), air temperature, and traffic patterns, with and without the spoiler.
It was a serious controlled test, the best I could do.

The variable that is very difficult to control is you.
It's called "observer bias" and it is unconscious, which is why controlled experiments typically require a "blind" observer - One who doesn't know whether the feature being tested is enabled or not, as even slight changes in behavior can make a discernable difference in outcome.
This effects professionals, and they can't control unconscious behavior either.

Just accelerating slightly more gently, stopping more slowly etc. can account for an improvement in the result. You noted that you were expecting some improvement, and you saw that.
Although conditions may appear to be the same, in the real world there are variables that cannot be controlled, like stop lights, slowing for traffic and the myriad of other variables that together can dwarf the effect you are trying to measure.

If the spoiler truly accounts for the mpg improvement, you should see a consistent and ongoing improvement in mpg's when you are no longer "testing" the difference made by the spoiler.

 

[K5Blazer]

Your “blind observer” argument is nonsense.

What if they decided to go 90 mph on parts of the route?
What if they drove with the windows down?
What if they used cruise control part of the time?

Those variables, and any others, would eclipse any “Observer bias” test results. I mitigated as many variables as I could.

After two years I continue to see the higher mpg at highway speeds than I did before the spoiler addition.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

Even if you don’t see any MPG improvement, and hopefully no negative results, the appearance will still be worth it.

Let us know how it goes!

After the first 2 days, and 950 miles, I'm not seeing any improvement in mpg. Granted, it's been into a 20 mph headwind most of the time, and a gain of 3500' in elevation, but at 74/75 mph, it's struggling to stay above 24 mpg. Usually see high 20's on a road trip. Maybe the trip home, downhill and with a tail wind, will be a lot better.

HRG

 

[Johnkn]

After the first 2 days, and 950 miles, I'm not seeing any improvement in mpg. Granted, it's been into a 20 mph headwind most of the time, and a gain of 3500' in elevation, but at 74/75 mph, it's struggling to stay above 24 mpg. Usually see high 20's on a road trip. Maybe the trip home, downhill and with a tail wind, will be a lot better.

HRG

Thank you for the follow up.........



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[MaverickDragon]

Your “blind observer” argument is nonsense.

What if they decided to go 90 mph on parts of the route?
What if they drove with the windows down?
What if they used cruise control part of the time?

Those variables, and any others, would eclipse any “Observer bias” test results. I mitigated as many variables as I could.

After two years I continue to see the higher mpg at highway speeds than I did before the spoiler addition.

Apparently you entirely missed the point.
Look up observer bias if you are interested, as it's a thing.

It's not that the person is blind to the conditions being conducted in a CONTROLLED test, it's that under the same controlled conditions they are "blind" to whether or not they have the item installed (like your spoiler) that is being attempted to be isolated in the test result.
That is intended to remove bias and eliminate unconscious changes.

I got 55 mpgs on a round trip including 75-80 in the Interstate today, which is better than usual. Maybe it's because I was wearing a new shirt, because I don't have a spoiler installed.

 

[KO Stradivarius]

Mavericks are budget trucks. Fleet MPG numbers vary with every vehicle a manufacturer makes. They only care about meeting the fleet EPA demand for that year.
Ford meets, or exceeds, the EPA demand on every Maverick model, without the extra spoiler, that’s all they care about.

It's more complicated, and interesting.

"Corporate Average Fuel Economy" (CAFE) is the way fuel economy works for OEMs and their various fleets. It's very complicated. The fuel economy ratings for all units/models sold by that company based on production volumes is aggregated and there is a US gov't dictated requirement fuel economy number that every OEM company must meet. If they don't meet, they must pay fines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy


So it is simply easier to meet the requirement if you sell more fuel efficient vehicles. They don't just look at the average of each model itself, they average the fuel economy based on the production quantities of all units/models and actually sold to customers.

For this reason there is little doubt that if a spoiler like this would make such a drastic impact, they would not only have one on every Maverick, but they would certainly be trying them on every pickup model. It enables Ford to sell more big trucks and still meet CAFE. If any spoiler could save even 0.1 mpg on every F150 it would be gold because the volume is so high.

It is more challenging for Ford to meet CAFE since they don't have many small vehicle models (i.e., no Fiesta or Focus anymore), and they sell a lot of big trucks. I always wondered if this was the main reason why they made the Maverick hybrid standard & lowest cost for the first model year - to sell more and help lower Ford's overall CAFE numbers.

 

[MaverickDragon]

I'm sure that CAFE was a hybrid consideration... I'm glad they did.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

It's more complicated, and interesting.

"Corporate Average Fuel Economy" (CAFE) is the way fuel economy works for OEMs and their various fleets. It's very complicated. The fuel economy ratings for all units/models sold by that company based on production volumes is aggregated and there is a US gov't dictated requirement fuel economy number that every OEM company must meet. If they don't meet, they must pay fines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy


So it is simply easier to meet the requirement if you sell more fuel efficient vehicles. They don't just look at the average of each model itself, they average the fuel economy based on the production quantities of all units/models and actually sold to customers.

For this reason there is little doubt that if a spoiler like this would make such a drastic impact, they would not only have one on every Maverick, but they would certainly be trying them on every pickup model. It enables Ford to sell more big trucks and still meet CAFE. If any spoiler could save even 0.1 mpg on every F150 it would be gold because the volume is so high.

It is more challenging for Ford to meet CAFE since they don't have many small vehicle models (i.e., no Fiesta or Focus anymore), and they sell a lot of big trucks. I always wondered if this was the main reason why they made the Maverick hybrid standard & lowest cost for the first model year - to sell more and help lower Ford's overall CAFE numbers.

Note the design of the roof with the raise portion ending at the beginning of the flat slope (haven't measured but about 5"). A straight edge laid on this 5" flT aea extended to the tailgate aligns with a point about 2" above the 1/2-9/16" high OEM SPOILER on top of the tailgate. Most likely a design to most efficiently handle airflow at 70-80 mph (or whatever the highway cafe speed test is).

 

[KO Stradivarius]

Note the design of the roof with the raise portion ending at the beginning of the flat slope (haven't measured but about 5"). A straight edge laid on this 5" flT aea extended to the tailgate aligns with a point about 2" above the 1/2-9/16" high OEM SPOILER on top of the tailgate. Most likely a design to most efficiently handle airflow at 70-80 mph (or whatever the highway cafe speed test is).

So, based on this assessment do you mean that the airflow may not be affected much by the spoiler, because most of it flows 2" above it?

 

[dochawk]

Congrats, you just made my Ignore list.

oh, no!

Are you going to follow up by throwing him in the briar patch?

Your “blind observer” argument is nonsense.

We don't need no steenkin' scientific method!




Anyway, one can always supplement the spoiler by putting a 5.0 on the front fenders for extra power!

 

[MakinDoForNow]

So, based on this assessment do you mean that the airflow may not be affected much by the spoiler, because most of it flows 2" above it?

Have to have wind tunnel analysis. I suspect the 2" above tailgate aim is to allow the expansion of the airflow from the slipstream partial vacuum effect from the vertical rear of the cab to optimize the higher speed air to mostly miss the vertical tailgate but be optimized at top edge of tailgate. The short curving of the OEM spoiler will cause turbulence (maybe like the trailing edge of golf ball dimple) which possibly affects the slipstream vacuum created by trailing vertical tailgate. (Will this be noticeable (+/-?) by increase/decrease of dust deposits on trailing edge of tailgate?). May not be actual best design but adjusted to increase design appeal also. Note also that some vehicles have active air dams on front bumper to adjust airflow based on vehicle speed, etc. The manufacturer of the after market spoiler has most likely optimized his design to look and work "like he wants"

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