Camper top killed my gas mileage

fiberglass is the heaviest shell material

 

Does just disconnecting the battery wipe the memory? If so, this could possibly explain it.

 

Dragging brake?

 

Not sure but I thought that was a thing.

 

2nd gen 2.7 AC but with a shell since 2017 (bought used w/35k miles) I’ve never had less than 21 mpg and been as high as 27. Usually had a few hundred more pounds than that inside not including me.

 

Yes mine to give me like 15 mpg with just a leveling kit

 

Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps someone that knows for sure can chime in.

 

No way. I added an ARE topper a year ago with zero change in MPG's and even with winter blend, I'm still at 19-24.

 

Topper on my truck since day one. Nothing noticeable in terms of mileage change. My brother has the identical truck but without camper We both end to do he same trips periodically Denver to Flagstaff for family visits and generally we are within a few tenths of each other MPG wise. Biggest differences are weather induced such as wind. Sometimes I get better, sometimes he gets better. If you do want to kill your MPG stick a box or rooftop tent on top of that shell

 

no change in MPG for me after i installed an ARE CX. i carry another ~ 200 pounds of tools and gear in the bed and cab, in addition to me and the canopy.

besides winter blend effecting fuel mileage about 2 MPG, cold temperatures really have an effect on my fuel mileage. about 30 degrees F it starts to drop and when below 20 degrees and colder, it drops another 2 MPG.

i find this to be very strange, and do not recall ever having a vehicle where the fuel mileage was so affected by outside temperature.

 

I doubt the shell is the problem. I've had an ARE on mine for over 3 years and the mileage is the same as when there was no shell.

 

50 miles is not enough to prove any thing, in all actually it should improve the millage slightly will a little less wind drag. Winter millage all ways is lower waste fuel just warming the engine up.

 

I bet you could drive at least 5 miles on the extra fuel it takes to get an engine started and warmed up when it's frigid. Just a guess.

 

All I know from my own experience is the shell isn’t the problem but something certainly is.

 

Did the OP mention how fast he was driving or if he had headwinds or tailwinds or how much uphill was involved, and especially, was he using cruise control, as well as the aforementioned tire pressures and even the type of tires.

My '18 OR DCLB with a Snugtop Hi-liner which does weigh in at around 200 lbs. consistently gets between 15 and 20 on short trips around town and just as consistently gets between 20 and 28 on the highway with speed, hills and headwinds being the big killers of fuel economy. It ain't the camper shell, it's the driving habits, and cc will never help because it's always trying to maintain a steady speed rather than a steady throttle.

 

Imagine if you put it on your Prius????

 

I just added a cap also. Was hoping for an improvement but I don't think I noticed a difference. Hard to say with the cold weather and warming it up with the remote start. My MPG always varied by as much as 3-4mpg between fill ups anyway.

 

Over time you’ll notice whether the range changes but what I see is that the weight isn’t much of a factor nearly as much as hills or speed. Throw a rack on it and you might as well hang out an anchor.

 

compared to what?

it's significantly lighter than 1/8" plate steel for a shell...

 

there’s a lot of toppers out there.
-Softopper
-Bestop
-ARE DCU aluminum commercial type
-non commercial aluminum RSI etc

fiberglass being the heaviest