Wrong wrong and wrong. It has been proven time and time again, that covering the bed of a truck or letting the tailgate stay open does not improve gas mileage one iota. NADA, nil, zilch. zero. not an ounce saved. period done.
You have any cites for that information or where did you get this opinions from? I would be really interested to see it or know what your statement is based on, at least, just for interest sake.
I have been told this by pickup owners for a long time and it makes sense to some degree but not some of the radical numbers I have been told.
I only drive mine with a cover on, unless loaded to the top, and have never cared about economy. It was a Chevy POS bought to do a job and sits idle now. I never drove it over the speed of sound so I know the tail shape becomes important to wind resistance.
---------- > Gas economy. I have been told without a cover and with the economy goes
To keep prying (thieving) eyes off what you've got whilst still retaining the usefulness of an open back for when you need it?
That certainly depends on the truck, and the speed it is driven, And what's in the bed.The toneau on my '57 Fargo gained me almost 2MPG on the highway when I had boxes of stuff in the bed. And a full cap, with the proper shaped roof, CAN do better than that. (as can a properly shaped "spoiler lip" on the top edge of the tailgate).
However, for me, the BIGGEST reason to have a cover on a pickup is so I don't need to shovel a ton of snow out of the box, and I can cary stuff in the back with some level of security - without it getting wet when it rains, dirty on a dirt road, blown out on the highway, or pinched when I park the truck.
---------------------------------- Cause like me, they want a bigger hatch back.
Lew
Never, in fact. ;-) Garages make terrible wood shops, though. :-(
In your dreams. A couple of percent, tops.
It matters, but my little truck only gets 15MPG, on a good day )4WD kills gas mileage).
Get an SUV.
Why not? It is moving relative to the body (springs, shocks, axles, transfer case, drive shaft,...).
I'd thought about it, but was wondering about the suspension, since it *is* moving around down there.
Oh, good grief!
...and no 4WD.
FullTime 4wd has no disconnect - and the extra weight of 4wd affects mileage even when disengaged.
Full time 4WD used to have disconnects at the wheel hubs.
---------- wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com... FullTime 4wd has no disconnect - and the extra weight of 4wd affects mileage even when disengaged.
No, PART TIME 4wd had locking hubs.You could not engage 4wd on the run. There were "manual" and "autromatic" locking hubs. Warn was the major manufacturer. The automatics released if you backed up with the transfer case disengaged. Automatic 4wd today uses a differential disconnect (really just disconnects one drive axle) and full-time 4wd drives all 4 wheels all the time. (Also known as AllWheel drive)
My Chevy Silverado Duramax 8' bed gets 22mpg on the highway, 14mpg towing 10k lbs 5th wheel.
You could disconnect the wheels from the old Jeep 4WD if you hung under the chassis while "on the run".
I don't remember names for any types of 4WD back then. These appear to be some new advertising hype.
------------ >Full time 4WD used to have disconnects at the wheel hubs.
in which case it wasn't a "full time" four wheel drive. the real full time 4x4's did not have lockouts (manual or automatic) on the hubs.
If you are responding to my post you can't read. And if not, you are agreeing with my post.
Lazy editing rules!
--------- wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com... If you are responding to my post you can't read. And if not, you are agreeing with my post.
That is *not* "full time 4WD". There is a reason it's called "full time" or usually AWD ("all wheel drive"). Yes, you can disconnect the hubs (a switch on the dash does it in mine) but you're still dragging the transfer case around (both weight and gear friction).
AWD means just that.
But the suspension bits are still moving relative to the body.
...or springs, or axle, or...
4WD trucks (off-road) trucks tend to have a bit more clearance than a Miata. ;-)HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.