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How much does leaving your truck gate down help fuel economy?

NuclearNed

NuclearNed

Raconteur
It would have to reduce drag and improve fuel economy, wouldn't it? Has anyone ever read actual statistics about how much (if any) it helps?
 
I'd say just like a MPG or two - depends on the truck. The new F150's gate is fvcking huge, you'd probably gain LIFT by putting it down - lol. 😕
 
Myth busters did a thing on it if I recall correctly. I didn't get to watch it, but they found it didn't actually help fuel economy.

The idea behind it though would be that there would be no wind in the bed of the truck hitting the tailgate, thusly producing drag.
 
actually, its decreases fuel economy. I forget the reason why it hurts. I always thought it helped till I worked for a Ford Dealership last year and found out otherwise.
 
here in wa state, its illegal to drive with the tail gate down unless something it sticking out with a red flag on it. and in my experience, running with a "gator" gate or no tailgate didn't improve my MPG at all
 
I thought I remember reading somewhere that it actually creates more drag. Something about increasing air turbulence (sp?) directly behind the cab. IIRC, the truck bed, with the tailgate closed, creates a flat "bed" of air that acts like a tonneau cover.

But I could be full of $hit. 😀

I'd be interested in this as well, as I'm currently commuting in a '84 Chevy 3/4 ton longbed that get around 5 gallons to the mile.

Found it, It's a Locked Vortex Flow! 😛

According to design experts, the truck tailgate is designed to create a cushion of air in the bed that aerodynamic engineers called a "seperated bubble" (the real nerdy ones refer to it as "Locked Vortex Flow.") Jargon aside, this invisible bubble of air actually helps deflect the faster moving wind coming over the cab so it passes over the truck's raised tailgate, keeping drag behind the truck minimized.
Click to expand...
 
Basically, IIRC, with the gate up, there is a pocket of air that forms behind the cab that the rest of the air flows over, so, it's not causing any problems leaving it up. I think that's been proven even before Mythbusters, but, hasn't stopped the sales of those cargo nets and prevented folks from trying to disprove otherwise. I'm not sure how the cargo-covers help/hurt that, I imagine those are negligible as well.

I suppose actually removing the back hatch might lower weight enough to make a difference in mpg, but, I doubt that too.





 
Why not just get a tonneau cover, doesn't add much more weigh to a truck and they look good too
 
Originally posted by: Ktulu
Why not just get a tonneau cover, doesn't add much more weigh to a truck and they look good too
Click to expand...

got one on mine, its a pleather one with bars across it to keep it from sagging, they do look good
 
Originally posted by: Ktulu
Originally posted by: scorpmatt
Originally posted by: jamautosound
Originally posted by: Ktulu
Why not just get a tonneau cover, doesn't add much more weigh to a truck and they look good too
Click to expand...

Article on Tonneau Covers.
Click to expand...

:beer::beer::beer:
:beer::beer::beer:

a six pack for you for that!
Click to expand...




I'll take one
Click to expand...

Put that back. 🙂

Anyhow, does using a tonneau cover really help fuel mileage? I don't know if I should believe a website in the tonneau cover business.
 
Originally posted by: KK
Originally posted by: Ktulu
Originally posted by: scorpmatt
Originally posted by: jamautosound
Originally posted by: Ktulu
Why not just get a tonneau cover, doesn't add much more weigh to a truck and they look good too
Click to expand...

Article on Tonneau Covers.
Click to expand...

:beer::beer::beer:
:beer::beer::beer:

a six pack for you for that!
Click to expand...




I'll take one
Click to expand...

Put that back. 🙂

Anyhow, does using a tonneau cover really help fuel mileage? I don't know if I should believe a website in the tonneau cover business.
Click to expand...

the cover creates the air bubble that leaving the tail gate up creates, but with less weight. hence the better MPG
 
I remember sitting in the back of a truck at high speeds, not much air goes below the sides of the bed... i remember tossing bottle caps up because they would hit a certain point and float around before they finally got caught in the fast moving air... it was sweet...
 
Originally posted by: KK
Originally posted by: Ktulu
Originally posted by: scorpmatt
Originally posted by: jamautosound
Originally posted by: Ktulu
Why not just get a tonneau cover, doesn't add much more weigh to a truck and they look good too
Click to expand...

Article on Tonneau Covers.
Click to expand...

:beer::beer::beer:
:beer::beer::beer:

a six pack for you for that!
Click to expand...




I'll take one
Click to expand...

Put that back. 🙂

Anyhow, does using a tonneau cover really help fuel mileage? I don't know if I should believe a website in the tonneau cover business.
Click to expand...

Hey:brokenheart:

I originally suggested the tonneau cover, i feel i deserve one😉
 
From the tonneau cover story:

According to many of those same experts, the best way to improve a pickup's fuel economy is to leave the tailgate up and cover the bed with a quality after market tonneau cover.

"Tonneau covers on pickup boxes reduce aerodynamic drag" said Ford's Jack Williams. "we've seen reductions of about 8 to 10 percent on the F150, which means the average fuel economy improvements for the EPA city/highway cycle(test) is about 2 percent.

"The average steady-state (cruise control) fuel economy improvement at highway speeds is close to 5 percent.."

Adding a tonneau could mean an improvement in fuel mileage that is the equivalent of a free gallon of gas for every 20 gallons used.
Click to expand...

They really do help.... I've had a couple now, love the Extang brand...
 
More info

Show's that removing the tailgate decreaesd fuel economy, but, lowering it actually helped a small bit. Of course, per the other article, it bumps up / down while driving so probably not the best solution to gain .5mpg.

Anyway, search on tonneau covers and mileage and you'll probably find a few more links on google.

 
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