Bed covers and MPG

[Jon54]

As I stated in a previous post, I know nothing about bed covers. But in my research, most every manufacturer claims that mpg improves with the addition of a bed cover. I recall a Myth Buster episode where they tested whether or not leaving the tailgate down improved mileage. Their conclusion was that this had zero effect.

One site I read claimed that you’d recover the cost of the bed cover in the first year alone. If their claim of a 10% improvement in mileage is true, I’d have to drive about 45,000 miles in one year. So my question to folks with prior knowledge of bed covers, do they indeed improve gas mileage?

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[Neil S]

It may save some $’s but it’s hard to tell. It can’t hurt your MPG. My main reason is to secure my goodies in the bed from roving eyes and weather. I’m going with a Roll’nLock bed cover.

 

[t4thfavor]

I'm getting a Truxedo Truxport. it's 319$ shipped from their site, and even if I gain 1% mpg, It will still pay for it's self in drier gear, and less people looking at what I have. It will also make sure I don't lose any groceries to sudden wind gusts, and evasive maneuvers.

 

[Jon54]

Here’s an interesting article which refutes the claim of improved mileage.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/08/pickup-truck-tailgates-and-fuel-economy/index.htm

 

[kieefer]

"We found that adding a tonneau cover or lowering the tailgate hurt fuel economy, rather than helped it.

With the tailgate up and no tonneau, we got 22.3 mpg. Dropping the tailgate decreased efficiency to 21.5 mpg. That 4-percent difference means that driving the Ram all year exclusively on the highway could cost the owner an extra 20 gallons of gasoline. (In reality, this big workhorse is likely to see a mix of driving and a variety of chores, limiting the potential penalty.)

We found that covering the bed with a soft tonneau cover was even more detrimental, dropping fuel economy to 21.4 mpg."

That surprises me, I thought sure I was saving fuel running with my tailgate down.
Maybe I'll just opt for a rubber matt.

 

[DHare]

Probably 30 years ago, one of the magazines such as Mechanix Illustrated or Popular Science did a mpg
test of a truck comparing it: stock, with a topper shell (the kind that sits flush with roof), and tailgate net. They found no significant difference in mpg.

 

[beetlespin]

I have the Extang Trifecta Signature 2.0 and I am seeing a steady 24.5 MPG being light on the gas pedal.

 

[SubVet]

No difference before and after. Still getting 22 around town and 27 on the highway @60MPH on CC
But I drive it with an egg under my right foot and a glass of wine on the dashboard LOL

 

[RedlandRanger]

No difference before and after. Still getting 22 around town and 27 on the highway @60MPH on CC
But I drive it with an egg under my right foot and a glass of wine on the dashboard LOL

How many miles do you have on it thus far? It has been reported mileage gets better after 1000 miles.

 

[t4thfavor]

I have 5800 miles, and even in Michigan summer traffic with construction I'm still averaging over 22MPG hand calculated. Getting a cover in the next month or so, so I'll see how it goes.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I spent $20,000 at the Lockeed Wiindtunnel back in the late 1980's. The only thing we found that reduced Aero horsepower was a 6" wide piece of aluminum across the bed at the tailgate....Tonneau covers and nets in place of the tailgate showed an increase in Aero horsepower. We were at wind speeds of over 100 mph trying to get more speed out of off road race trucks when running across a dry lake... We did learn how to increase speed and it was well worth the $20k spent.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. - Retired

 

[VAMike]

I spent $20,000 at the Lockeed Wiindtunnel back in the late 1980's. The only thing we found that reduced Aero horsepower was a 6" wide piece of aluminum across the bed at the tailgate....Tonneau covers and nets in place of the tailgate showed an increase in Aero horsepower. We were at wind speeds of over 100 mph trying to get more speed out of off road race trucks when running across a dry lake... We did learn how to increase speed and it was well worth the $20k spent.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. - Retired

Had you already added the tailgate lip?

 

[P. A. Schilke]

For my Ranger, I elected to go with a Bakflip rollup tonneau cover.... The raceteams that raced for me did in fact add the tailgate plate as well as other mods. We knew we had made progress when a couple of the teams had drivers complaining of helmet lift off their heads due to the increased speed...somewhere around 140mph...Something they had never experienced before...

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. - Retired

 

[VAMike]

I'm just not convinced that the aerodynamics of an 80s pickup translate to a new ranger

 

[kieefer]

I spent $20,000 at the Lockeed Wiindtunnel back in the late 1980's. The only thing we found that reduced Aero horsepower was a 6" wide piece of aluminum across the bed at the tailgate....Tonneau covers and nets in place of the tailgate showed an increase in Aero horsepower. We were at wind speeds of over 100 mph trying to get more speed out of off road race trucks when running across a dry lake... We did learn how to increase speed and it was well worth the $20k spent.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. - Retired

You mean like a spoiler? Mannn, that would be awesome!
Someone needs to market that!

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