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box covers and truck canopy's for mileage.

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by fire_ems_male, Aug 21, 2008.

  1. Aug 21, 2008 at 2:10 AM
    #1
    fire_ems_male

    fire_ems_male [OP] Member

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    Black Aries Bull Bar, Sirius Sat radio, trailer hitch and wire harness installed. Bridgestone Dueler revo 265/70R16 tires. K&N air filter. Bug deflector. Vent visors. PIAA fog lights. Nurf bars.
    hey there everyone. thinking of getting a canopy or box cover for my double cab 5 foot box. (haha, i said box). anyway, just wondering if gas mileage is effected in anyway, good or bad. i prefer the soft cover that rolls up so i can still carry cargo if i wanted. just wanting input on gas mileage for both box cover and canopy's. thanx ppl.
     
  2. Aug 21, 2008 at 4:50 AM
    #2
    Greenblazer

    Greenblazer Thread Killer

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    Home Made Tonneau, The Baba Booey Mod... Sirius Satellite Radio
    I have not tested the theory with a Scanguage II, but I have read that tonneau covers are good for a 10% improvement in fuel milage, but if you want to have a 40+ % improvement in fuel economy you might want to check out ecomodder.com. I learned some driving techniques that have helped me get a 44.7% improvement over the EPA rating. I do have a custom made(by me) tonneau cover. The cap style are probably less aerodynamic, and more expensive.

    Click this link to see my fuel log: http://ecomodder.com/forum/em-fuel-log.php?vehicleid=519 I am currently at a lifetime average of 24.26 MPG this includes the first tank that was before I found out how to save fuel. My best tank was 26.66 MPG with a V6 Double Cab PreRunner.
     
  3. Aug 21, 2008 at 6:23 AM
    #3
    Brunes

    Brunes abides.

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    Inside: Tint, Wet Okole 1/2 Piped Red/Black Covers, Black Weathertech Digital Fit Mats, URD Short Throw w/ TWM Weighted Knob, USA Spec iPod adapter. Outside: 4300K Retro w/ Angel Eyes and Red Shrouds, 5000K Blazer Fog Light Retrofit, Debadge, Bed Locking Handle, Satin Black Rims Performance: TRD/Steigmeier Blower w/ 2.7 Pulley. 668 Injectors and 320 LPH AEM Fuel pump. URD UCON and 7th Injector. DTLT Headers, URD Y-Pipe, Wicked Flow Muffler. Suspension: Both: OME Shocks Front: 886X's and TC UCAs Rear: Dakars Armor: Relentless Front Bumper Relentless High Clearance Rear w/ Tire/Rotopax Swing Out Relentless Front, Mid, and TCase skids BAMF Diff Skid Recovery and Spares: Fullsize Spare Tire 2x2 gal Rotopax 1x1 gal Rotopax 1x1 gal Water Rotopax Warn 9.5XP-S Winch Hi-Lift Extreme 60" Ironman Off-Road Recovery Kit
    Yeah...You'll see some debate about covers helping mpgs. The trucks are designed with natural pressure differences considered- I don't have any hard data to say one way or the other.

    Props to Greenblazer on his suggestion. Get a scanguage to see how your right foot affects your mpgs and check out that site to see some new ideas on saving gas and tracking your numbers...
     
  4. Aug 21, 2008 at 8:42 AM
    #4
    Evil Monkey

    Evil Monkey There's an evil monkey in my truck

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    My flat cover didn't noticably improve gas mileage. Most of the gains stated are from the manufacturers. I believe Mythbusters busted the tonnaeu cover/gas mileage myth. With box covers, the weight of the cover would probably offset any gains in mileage.
     
  5. Aug 21, 2008 at 8:50 AM
    #5
    longbow

    longbow I see you now..................

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    Their was a show on Myth Busters about this, and also w/tailgate or without.
    As for me I have not noticed any gain, but then again I have not put anything on paper.
     
  6. Aug 28, 2008 at 9:33 AM
    #6
    fire_ems_male

    fire_ems_male [OP] Member

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    Black Aries Bull Bar, Sirius Sat radio, trailer hitch and wire harness installed. Bridgestone Dueler revo 265/70R16 tires. K&N air filter. Bug deflector. Vent visors. PIAA fog lights. Nurf bars.
    thanx for all the input. i saw the mythbusters episode where they were testing theories of gas mileage. i think the one that saved the most gas is the mesh style tailgate, but not by much. thanx for the link greenblazer, i'll surely check out the website. does anyone have any input about truck canopy's? i want to know if they save any fuel mileage?
     
  7. Jun 22, 2010 at 6:49 PM
    #7
    Trap

    Trap Well-Known Member

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    The Mythbusters thing in misleading. Really they should have tested it more but it was there second show on the subject and they did say try it yourself if you want.

    The part they never tried. Cross winds. or even high winds. that is where your cover will make a huge difference over no cover at all.

    As for a full cap you'll get less mileage savings than a cover but still better than nothing I figure. I don't really care what that damn dodge on the show got. From personal experience I got not bad gas mileage with a full cap on my last truck so I kept it on.

    Yes I know the theory but you also have to know how to drive. Like how do those guys drive? Was it auto, standard, they don't say. Was the gear ratio changed from stock or was it just a stock truck ? Far from a scientific test and for that show it was maybe misleading. Usually they do that ( a proper scientific test ).

    I'm sure I can put a lid on any truck and drive like everyone else and I would not see any savings. I drive to get mileage so I personally think it makes a bigger difference than the show found.

    This truck I put a BackFlip HD on it for handling and not for gas mileage per say. I found that cross winds tend to blow the truck around on the highway at speed so I stuck on the lid and that problem was solved.

    If the lid makes that much difference to handling it has to make a bigger difference on mileage than the show found. Also if I was to have stuck a lid on my dads Ford I know for a fact that it would not make a single mile per gallon difference. That truck was set up wrong so don't matter what you did a lid would never fix it.
     
  8. Jun 22, 2010 at 7:22 PM
    #8
    scottri

    scottri Well-Known Member

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    Cover King Seat Covers, WeatherTech Liners, PopNLock, storage bin locks, N-Fab Step bars, and G4 Elite Tonneau cover.
    I've had a hard cover on my truck for about a month and no real change in mileage. I have the Fold A Cover G4 Elite and I love it. It folds up out of the way when I want to use the entire bed. Bought it from TruckAlterations (Vendor list on this site) he was great to deal with and I love the G4.
     
  9. Jun 22, 2010 at 7:43 PM
    #9
    Trap

    Trap Well-Known Member

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    Like in a way you know there test was BS cause if you look at the golf ball cover test they did and how much it improved the gas mileage then how the hell can a cover with a similar laminar flow pattern make no difference ? To bad the scaled the dimples I would have like to see that test done with no dimple scaling too. Anyway there test they used a painted smooth cover.
    I never put it on for that anyway. I did for handling, I can lock it and I don't have to shovel the snow out of the back any more when I want to use the box.

    I got better gas mileage with the cap on my older truck then without. This one not a clue if it makes a difference. I'm not sure what mileage I get now. I'm just starting to track it now and taking the lid off to test it the other way is not going to happen.
     

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