Truck owners: Do you drive with tailgate up or down?

[GreenGhost]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: luckysnafu
Did mythbusters only do one trial run? How can they determine their results from just one run? They should have done at least 5-10 runs and switched who's tailgate was down or up during each run.

They tested the aerodynamics on a scale model.

Yep. The beauty of Similarity. Alternatively, they could just compute the flow using a fluid dynamics program, but that would take skills. 🙂

 

[Bassyhead]

Originally posted by: NogginBoink
One related issue: in a collision, the truck has much better structural integrity if the tailgate is up and latched.

Very true. Also, I heard of Lockheed-Martin doing this test before in a wind tunnel. They also concluded that tailgate up led to better aerodynamics because the air inside the truck bed formed a bubble that air rushing past the truck went over smoothly.

 

[IronWing]

I have a cap so up for me. Did anyone test those stupid airgates (webbing tailgates). I suspect drag is worse than for a solid tailgate or no tailgate.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: luckysnafu
Did mythbusters only do one trial run? How can they determine their results from just one run? They should have done at least 5-10 runs and switched who's tailgate was down or up during each run.

There was anohter article someone posted here a while back, they did more extensive tests... the conclusion was a tonneau cover is best, gate down sucks, gate removed sucks, gate up is ok, gate replaced with a mesh gate sucks.

 

[desy]

Yeah I often felt the webbing would be worse than the actual gate.
In WW1 the biplanes and such found a large improvement in their airplanes by switching from round support wires to eliptical shaped pillars. You think, cmon there isn't all that much wire there between the wings to really matter?
But It made a big difference.. . . .

 

[Bassyhead]

Originally posted by: desy
Yeah I often felt the webbing would be worse than the actual gate.
In WW1 the biplanes and such found a large improvement in their airplanes by switching from round support wires to eliptical shaped pillars. You think, cmon there isn't all that much wire there between the wings to really matter?
But It made a big difference.. . . .

I read when Bugatti was trying to reduce drag on their Veyron, they tried putting smaller mirrors on but had an adverse effect on the traction of the car at high speeds.

 

[cthulhu]

When I had a truck I always drove with the tailgat up. Once, I was behind a truck with the tailgate down that hit a series of bumps just right and the tailgate fell off. Should've seen the cars trying not to run over that tailgate.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/um.gm.truck

 

[theknight571]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: luckysnafu
Did mythbusters only do one trial run? How can they determine their results from just one run? They should have done at least 5-10 runs and switched who's tailgate was down or up during each run.

There was anohter article someone posted here a while back, they did more extensive tests... the conclusion was a tonneau cover is best, gate down sucks, gate removed sucks, gate up is ok, gate replaced with a mesh gate sucks.

My mileage went up 1-2 mpg after I had the tanneau installed. 🙂 Woooo... lol

 

[sygyzy]

How is this even an issue. Gas economy or not, why would ANYONE drive with their gate down?

 

[TheSlamma]

I've seen multiple people get a better ET and MPH at a dragstrip with their tailgate up.

Don't know the aerodynamics of it, but keep it up.