Which is more aerodynamic Hard tonneau or equal cab height topper ?

Was wondering if there are any benefits with wind resistance one way or the other using
these two different options.
Comments ?

 

Best option is a custom one that is angled. Goes from cab height down to tailgate. Unless you do tons of highway driving aero won't matter as much as the weight

 

Thanks I will keep that in mind. Will be setup to tow a 2 bike trailer about 5 x 8 or 6 x 10. Would be just 2 of us ( me and my son) in the truck so plenty of room inside for storage and in the bed. So a topper might be a bit of over kill. But it does have it's advantages like doubling as a tent with an air matress inside.

 

In my experience having both there's not a lot of difference. The weight of the shell is slightly noticeable in the trucks handling but I don't notice a hit in mpg.

On the other hand cargo trailers have terrible aerodynamics. They're like towing a sail. Contrary to what some believe I haven't noticed that a cap helps reduce wind resistance with a trailer either.

 

Thanks mike, I did not even consider when pulling the trailer it upsets the airflow as well.

Good point.

 

To add another variable: What about cross winds? A tonneau cover may be the better option.

 

Crosswinds most noticeable with small cargo trailer. Never had a problem with multiple trucks with canopies + RTTs or boats. Definitely more noticeable with stuff above cab height but only with 30mph+ gusts. And more than manageable.

 

I like the combo of tonneau cover and tube rack, that way i can carry long stuff on it with easy.

 

That setup would work great for kayaks

 

Works great for lots of things. One time i put a 22' 6x10 fir beam up there. The problem with a canopy is that, its difficult to reach the top of it to adequately tie things down. Whereas with a rack, you can stand in the bed or on the bedsides or even climb on top in order to secure cargo.

I used a rolling style tonneau cover and modified it to work with an aluminum rack that i bent and cut and my buddy welded. Had a rack against the cab window for a marine cooler, and my rtt and a removable wind dam at the front. Miss that combo.

 

If you have any photos of that rig I would like to see them.

 

That is awesome, Excellent. I can see tons of options with this in place.

 

Yeah i made a jig out of 1/4 plywood for the outside edge shape of the pipes then i bent my pipes to shape of the jig. I used 2" aluminum pipe i think.... 1 3/4" ID. IIRC...

Used aluminum cause you can cut it with a carbide blade on a mitre saw. That way i could make jt all with the tools i have. Then i got my buddy to weld it all up. With my help we probably had 4 hours of weld time on it. I prepped all the welds so all he had to do was run beads. If I had paid him i would have been into the main rack for less than 500$. Had it powder coated black for 120$.

Pro tip the closing weld on the pipes needs to have a place for the heated it inside the pipe to escape or it blows out the welds. Drill a hole on it anywhere.

Oh yeah in CAD so im guessing cheaper in the states...