Is my SnugTop dealer a liar?

[JoeDowntown]

Im getting a snugtop cab cover put on the cab hi model. I had thought of a tonneau cover but changed my mind becauase I want a full bed cover. He claimed that a full bed cover would bring down gas mileage just like a tonneau cover I get aerodynamics. I would think the weight of a full cover would cancel that out.. Was I wrong?

Here Is the cover Im getting this will lower gas mileage?

http://www.snugtop.com/products/cab-hi.php

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

the shape is not going to hurt you but the extra 150-200 lbs will be noticable when comared to an empty bed.

 

[superdave1984]

Mythbusters tested various things like this and found that the best MPG was with either the tailgate up or with a tailgate net. All the rest lowered MPG. Tonneau, hard shell, camper, etc. The reason was the air flow over the truck with the tailgate up causes a rotation in the bed which eases the downforce applied to the bed. Kind of like a vacuum. But with the gate down or a cover the air just comes down on the back and puts more downforce and more drag.

 

[Broaner]

I used to have a fiberglass cover and that bitch was like 250lbs. Definitely a signifcant amount of weight on a 2wd truck.

 

[tpking]

if it made the big of difference do you believe they would still be selling them to people?

 

[wrecking-crew]

just a little extra weight but look at the one oi got for my chevy on cardomain, its even higher and i got better milage when it was on

 

[Earl43P]

I have had a hi-rise one (mostly on) for 8 years.

I don't really care about the gas mileage, but when my cap is off, I feel like I have a new hotrod to barrel around town in. Noticeably peppier, but mine's 4wd. Significant loss of traction too, which can be fun after a rain. 4.10LS FTW.

 

[flyingbrick]

my topper/cap/camper (whatever you want to call it) made a whopping difference of 0 MPG in town, and a even more whopping loss of .5 MPG on the highway, you get a bigger loss in mileage with any kind of wind then you do with a cap.

 

[ZMan]

if it made the big of difference do you believe they would still be selling them to people?

ummmm yes. Some people need to cover things in their bed.

 

[JoeDowntown]

ummmm yes. Some people need to cover things in their bed.

Thats the real reason Im getting it... The guess question was just a side bar

 

[dburton07]

I don't agree 100% on the Mythbusters thing. With my tailgate up I get around 17-18mpg highway, and with it down I get 19 almost 20mpg highway.

 

[flyingbrick]

I don't agree 100% on the Mythbusters thing. With my tailgate up I get around 17-18mpg highway, and with it down I get 19 almost 20mpg highway.

It's the aerodynamics, the older trucks that are shaped like a truck/brick it will help, newer trucks that look like cars/have some kind of aerodynamics it will hurt.

 

[JoeDowntown]

But has the front of the ranger changed enough to make a difference?

 

[oldmantruck]

I haven't noticed much difference with the tail gate up or down, but I have noticed an improvment with it off.
On a side note, how much ethanol have they been puting in lately, the math says that even at 10% it should only reduce milage by 1mpg at worst but i've lost 2 or more and the truck is running like a top, (new plugs and o2 sensors in the last 10 miles)

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It's the aerodynamics, the older trucks that are shaped like a truck/brick it will help, newer trucks that look like cars/have some kind of aerodynamics it will hurt.

It has more to do with bed length and cab size. It helps on longboxes where the tailgate is too far back to hold a swirl that fills the whole bed. With older trucks they shallower bed would also make a difference.

I have had pop bottles blow out of my Rangers long box, but I have had leaves swirl in the back of my Supercab shortbox F-150 for several hundred miles.