Camper top killed my gas mileage

Geeze!

If a 200lb cap causes this much of a difference…how much would a 135-150lb DB Tonneau cover do to my mileage?

I guess I’ll find out when I buy it and start a thread about gas mileage.

Heck, I still need to install my Total Chaos Bed Stiffeners!!! Lol

 

I bet that rear diff oil is ripe, too

 

The thing I’ve noticed with camper shells and MPGs on several different trucks over the years is, on the flat highway, they can actually help you gain some MPGs (or at least not make much of a difference). I think that’s because the aerodynamics of the truck with the shell on the highway overcomes the extra weight of the shell. But going uphill, that extra 200# makes for about a loss of 1-2 MPGs. I’ve found overall, a camper always ends up costing me about 1 MPG average on every truck I’ve ever had one on.

 

I had a leer 100xl on for a year and a half and saw almost no change. Even fully loaded full of gear for a week I saw a small difference.

 

I got an ARE shell in 2022 and didn't experience any significant changes in MPG when driving in town or on the highway. I usually get 17 to 18 mpg driving around town. On the highway I can get up to 21 MPG if I keep my speeds under 75 mph and stay out of the mountains of North Georgia. I have a three crossbar rack system for hauling my whitewater boats. With two boats on the rack I get around 18 mpg on the highway. Those two boats weigh a total of 130 lbs. I carry no heavy loads in the bed. Just paddles, PFDs, gear and a beer cooler which doesn't weigh too much. It's usually much lighter after a day on the river

My truck has had all the scheduled maintenance performed. Filters are changed every 15,000 miles because I drive a lot of dirt roads in a National forest. I have 60,200 miles on this truck and will be getting the spark plugs replaced in the next couple of weeks. I have Toyo ATIII tires that are the stock tire size. I keep them at 30 psi. This truck has neither been lifted nor had any suspension modifications. It sits perfectly level with no sag in the rear.

I guess I'm just lucky with the gas mileage!

 

Am I missing something? A loss of .2 gallons?? Thats normal when u add a couple hundred pounds.

 

I have a shell on mine and mpg isn't bad.

You aren't carry anything heavy in the bed, are you? If you are, then heavy payload is going to affect mpg.

 

Yeah, you missed post number 5.

 

I agree with this, especially after having my ARE shell for a little over 20K miles. I always think of this diagram when I picture bed caps on trucks:



Just based on that, you would think the MPGs would almost certainly increase after adding a shell, if everything else about the truck remains the same.

disclaimer: I’m not a scientist and overall not that bright lol

 

That thing isn’t that accurate. And way too short a distance. Doubt you’re averaging better than what Toyota tested. Although it would be nice.

 

I'm getting 16-17mpg, 20-21 hey with my topper.

200lb leer shell.

 

Oh thank you. Yup doesn’t add up at all.

 

I was expecting a mpg hit when I got my shell. Surprisingly it went up about 1 mpg. So no complaints over here.... Other than having to constantly clean the rear glass.

 

They probably disconnected the battery to wire in the shell light and the computer is recalibrating.

 

80 miles aint a test........also i got great mpg going from mountains to the ocean trip

 

when i drive in town my avg mpg is 15.5
on a highway trip the avg mpg goes to 18.5 at 70mph plus

the tank average is not a real test for the braggers because its just a 280 mile test
if i drove between 60-65 all the time my average would go way up
just get in and drive or get a mavrick

 

Like I said, it was just an example of how different my results are from the OP. I never said it was a test. In the post before that I said what my average MPGs are.

 

I'm currently driving to Utah. Have a aluminium cap that ways around 125lb or so. I've got most likely another 100lb or so in the bed with all my stuff maybe more. Empty bed I would get 22-23 hwy 19-20 city right now with my scan gauge showing just under 19 from today and I was going into the wind. My rear is sagging quite a bit. Hoping to weight the truck on my trip to see where a sit weightwise.

 

Camper shell did not touch the MPG on my stock DCLB, which is not surprising since its cab height and basically the weight of an average size male. In fact, a shell should give you better MPG than an open bed.

 

Most likely what this guy said.