Yet Another Pickup Truck Aero Idea

[Big Dave]

This one is aimed at a more limited market but one that may be more motivated.

Around Indiana one sees a lot of ?driveaways.? These are heavy pickups delivering RVs. They are late-model dually one-ton pickups ? mostly Dodge and Ford. Almost all are diesels. They hook up a big (up to 36 foot) towable RVs and haul them from Elkhart to as far as the Gulf Coast. They have fifth wheels installed in the bed and usually have auxiliary fuel tanks and tool boxes as well.

The driveaway business never has backhaul. They have to deadhead back to home. These big pickups get about 10 MPG pulling these rolling barns and usually no better than 13 MPG unloaded.

There is little improvement I could offer to them while hooked to a trailer shaped like a Wheaties box on steroids, but on the way back they could benefit from aerodynamically cleaning up the bed.

What I envision is something like a ?headache rack? and side and tailgate rails and snaps to support a sloped soft tonneau over the bed while running unloaded. Basically, a folding version of my bed fairing.

Driveaway drivers are used to relying 100% on side mirrors, so the solid bed cover would be nothing unusual.

When towing fifth wheel trailers these trucks cannot have ?headache racks? because of trailer clearance, but if the ?headache rack were folded down while loaded it could be erected for the deadhead home.

I would have the ?headache rack? folded down over the auxiliary fuel tank with the tonneau rolled up while loaded. When unloaded the driver driver erects the rack and fastens it in place with door bolts. He then pulls the tonneau out and snaps it onto the snaps on the side and tailgate racks. Viola! A slick shape for the trip home. Five minutes up and five minutes down. He gains 3 MPG from having up on the drive home. For a 800 mile trip at $3.70/gal that represents about $43 per trip less fuel cost.

Whaddaya think?

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

Nice idea...

Howabout a rigid shortie Kammback that sits up on top of the roof as a windslammer when towing and folds down over the bed when deadheading?

[8307c4]

I hate to give away my secret but if these guys would check into Uship.com they might be able to tow a boat on the way back (or at least part of the way or a little out of the way)... The pay isn't but so hot but some $ is better than 0, boats do usually pay around $1 a mile but with insurance and what have you might require CDL's I don't know and it's not as much money as it seems but I would think they'd have this covered.

Even a corner of a 3-point route, say it's 1500 miles one way and they can tow a boat back but it's another 400 miles out of the way so they get paid 900 and have to drive 1900 might still be better than 2000 for 0, then it's A-B and B-C and the last 1000 mile leg C-A is dead head, hmmm... At some point it gets questionable but you can see it doesn't have to be a perfect A-B + B-A return trip either.
Like, Indy-Jacksonville (paid), Jax-Miami free, Mia-New Jersey (paid), then NJ - Indy free.
Or FL-NC paid then only NC-Indy is free.
Not sure if any of that works, but just examples.

And absolutely they ought to get a tonneau cover, get a good one costs about 4-5-600 but it improves mpg by 10% and pays for itself in no time for a regular driver. Except maybe those watchamacallit in-bed hitches.

[Atclarkson]

very cool idea. What does the one on your truck look like? I'm thinking of building my own on a similar idea.... but like the soft cover better (I do use my truck to haul my quad now n then)

Thanks

[Big Dave]

Check out http://www.fokisd.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=508

for pix.

Ain't real purty. I ain't Chip Foose nor do I have his shop. Just one ol' worn out codger...

But it does work. I'll have formal three-tank test results of the air dam later this week I hope.