Tonneau covers

Now going back to a truck and mostly highway driving I seemed to notice the feel of occasional drag especially with wind blowing. Makes me consider getting a soft cover to help the 2.7 in power and fuel economy.
Has anyone added a cover on the tacoma and noticed a difference in ride or fuel ?
I assume adding a hard cover if anything the extra weight would negate any difference but maybe feel more smooth.
I read where mythbusters did a test and said that having the open bed with the tailgate closed was better than having the tailgate open something about the airflow being better that way. I would think it was the other way around myself.
I would think slow city type driving would not make a difference either.
Had a hard cover on a truck i had with a 5.7 engine I don’t think that made a real difference as well.
Maybe its also a figment of my imagination lol and wondering if anyone experienced any differences

 

no measurable difference to be had, don't overthink it

 

Soft covers are a waste of money on multiple levels. If you want to save money on gas, ease up on the skinny pedal.

 

Trucks and vans are just generally terrible for wind resistance. Has not much to do with tailgate.

 

Get a cover for the convenience and slightly added security. No measurable difference in MPG.

I love having a cover.

 

I don’t know its so much the gas as is the performance which in turn effects the gas. Seems like that 2.7 has to really fight the drag more sometimes causing you to mash down on the gas more which in turn burns more gas.
No different than riding behind a 18 wheeler or nascar drivers drifting. Excess drag i would think is like added weight and a smaller engine has to work harder to move that weight.
If mythbusters also did apiece on how drag effects a truck and people rode with tailgates down or off im sure its on alot of people’s minds and alot of us are probably overthinking it lol.
Again i don’t think it effects the bigger 3.5 engine like a TRD has and maybe its just how it is either way but if there is something that can help an engine thats already working at max as some on here have said on the highway vs it’s bigger 3.5 option then why not I was just seeing if anyone did notice after putting one on.
As for being a waste of money vs a hard cover that can be subjective.
If all you need is something to help with drag and occasionally keep some groceries dry from the store to home spending $200-$300 vs $700-$1300 seems like a better option unless there is something im not aware of and open to that information.

 

Love my soft cover, but it does nothing for security, MPG or ride quality.

Myth busters had pretty accurate work

 

Sounds like you have your heart set on a soft cover. Enjoy!

 

covers might actually reduce gas mileage by a tiny amount...

 

Just get used to the 2.7 engine ..,,//

 

Probably the best advice so far lol

 

Like i said im open to to the idea of a hard cover if its justified

 

I had a 2009 with an Extang soft cover with the 3 bows that gave tension and raised it in the center a bit. The soft cover vibrates up and down with the wind on the highway and can pummel any delicate cargo. It was a 4cyl access cab 2wd and the gas mileage was never that great for a 4cyl. Never got the rated 19 city/ 25 highway. Got a Leer 180 (4in rise) cap and the mileage did not noticeably change. The 2023 that replaced it was a 6cyl 4WD Auto Trans with the factory hard cover. Sold the cover after a few months and then ordered a new Leer 180. The hard cover got 1.5-2 mpg better on the highway than with no cover, and exceeded the highway EPA rating calculated by doing the math after fillups. With the cap the mileage is not much worse than with an open bed.

I think the hard cover is best for fuel economy. The factory one is heavy though and used notched rail cap trim and latch pins that have no adjustment if it leaks. Mine leaked near the folds at first and got better with time. The Extang and others use an adjustable lever to secure each section so they can be tightened if they leak.

 

Have had my Tacoma with the 2.7L for six years plus, and it's been a great truck.
You need to stop fretting over your truck and just drive it.

 

A hard cover can offer better security and be more weatherproof.

It's much harder to remove if you ever need to carry larger items.

My truck came with a nice Leer hardcover which I quickly sold and replaced with an Extang trifold.

I can remove the Extang quickly when I need full bed access. Which happens enough that it matters.

 

I use my tri-fold soft top mainly in the winter to keep the snow out of the box. Don't notice any difference, with or without it.

P.S. I can throw it in my back seat if need be!

 

I put a hard cover on mine a few years ago, i haven't noticed a difference in MPG or drag.

 

I guess they all have advantages and disadvantages it seems. Since the bed is shorter than a regular bed i suppose the soft can be opened all the way or as just posted put in the backseat which is a good idea and have more open bed space for cargo. hard cover obviously more secure.
Good to know the soft cover pummels while driving and can effect cargo.
I thought it was the hard covers prone to leaking and not the soft unless torn obviously.
I imagine it all depends on the quality of each. The hard cover i had on a previous truck was a heavy duty trifold. It was pretty heavy and a bit of a pain but again with a 5.7 liter never seem to effect performance.
I really like my Tacoma even with the 2.7 probably just need getting used to but just debating which type of cover will help or not help with what.

 

My Extang trifold buffets but does not affect cargo.

It also will not fit in the back of my access cab as the bed rail over rail is wider than inside the cab

My Leer hardcover wrapped over all edges of the bed and was one piece of fiberglass. So no water got in. At all.

Happy shopping

 

One thing I can tell you about the roll up soft covers like the Extang i had is that they are very stiff in the cold weather. Even when using the lower position with the bows it was a major pain trying to stretch the jhook along the edges into the aluminum lip often requiring a helper to stretch. They do only take up a little space when rolled though and I used to use strips of velcro strap to secure it at the front of the bed. An easily removable hard tri-fold would be the best all around.

I never removed the soft cover for carrying things since it was flexible. I did remove it for the frame replacement which means taking off all three rails with the 6 mounting points.

The factory tri-fold hard cover my truck came with had no problems with buffeting as it was a fairly hard plastic. Also very heavy. There is a sticker on the door edge stating it increased weight by 40 or so pounds.