bout to travel....

[Loudest-99Ranger]

Hey everyone. just wanting to get a little insight. please dont flame as i ask this stupid question.

first, heres some info about my truck.

1999 Ford Ranger XLT stepside 3.0 v6 5spd with 5th as OD.

Ill be traveling bout 1,200 miles in my danger ranger. been thinking bout taking the bed off and lighting the load of the truck.

Would this help my mpg at all or alot? sense im taking the bed off? or would this hurt it. btw, just going up there to visit some buddies on the reservatoin.

Traveling from Lawton, OK to North Dakota...

Thanks,
James

 

[Big Jim M]

Might even lower the mpg! PLUS you'd look really silly driving a cab with nothing behind it..
Big JIm

 

[Epixstar]

mythbuster did a test with trucks and gas mileage. The winner was buying one of those cheap mess tailgates to replace yours with.

 

[Quartermile]

Dude . . .NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Ranger Kip]

is that even legal? o_0 not to sure, never thought about it.... dont see why it shouldn't be legal... =P

anywho, it will, there is less drag, kinda like when you lower your tailgate, or put a cap on your truck, it will increase mpg.

I would maybe recommend driving there with your windows closed, we drove to PA from CA, and since mom was smokin on the way there, (just never closed her window, thought it was a hassle I guess), she got about 2mpg difference over the 30k+ miles we traveled. (dad was counting, to be sure we had enough money to spend on gas =P).

 

[pcollins]

leave the bed on. you won't have tail lights without it. i've driven all over hell with my ranger this year. 1000 islands, 3 hour drive. Fairhaven, hour drive. did that 4 times in 2 days. Just check all the fluids before you take off and you'll be fine.

 

[Ranger Kip]

yeah, thats why I thought it was illegal =P
but if you have lights, i guess its okay...

KEEP TAILGATE DOWN!

 

[Ranger Kip]

if the tailgate is down, its less wind resistance =P thus, better gas mileage.

 

[stmitch]

if the tailgate is down, its less wind resistance =P thus, better gas mileage.

This was proven wrong on a very well known episode of mythbusters. It actually dropped mileage slightly versus having the tailgate up. With the tailgate up, the bed fills with a pocket of air that stays in the bed. This allows airflow to skim across the top of the bed more smoothly. Similar to having a bed cover. By dropping the tailgate, the air pocket dissappears, and you create more turbulence.

 

[TomB1269]

This was proven wrong on a very well known episode of mythbusters. It actually dropped mileage slightly versus having the tailgate up. With the tailgate up, the bed fills with a pocket of air that stays in the bed. This allows airflow to skim across the top of the bed more smoothly. Similar to having a bed cover. By dropping the tailgate, the air pocket dissappears, and you create more turbulence.

NAILED IT, and that is we the web gates do not do anything other than drain your wallet twice as fast. A bed cover can help, particularly if there are objects in the bed the will disrupt the rolling air flow in the bed, IE bed box, mounted tool box, etc.

 

[Ranger Kip]

=P fair enough