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Truck Cap Question

Old Apr 27, 2002 | 01:50 AM
  #1  
Habibi's Avatar
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From: Whitehorse, Yukon
Truck Cap Question

Adding a cap is supposed to IMPROVE your gas mileage right?
Seems like my gas mileage is getting worse since getting a cap, I don't get it.

Habibi
 
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Old Apr 27, 2002 | 02:07 AM
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From: the moral high ground
I don't think a cap improves gas mileage. A fiberglass cap weighs a couple of hundred pounds doesn't it? Plus it sticks up and catches any side wind.

(I'm still trying to figure where the gas savings is)
 
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Old Apr 27, 2002 | 02:44 AM
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From: Whitehorse, Yukon
Me too,

Since my cap is streamlined to the shape of the truck, I was thinking that there would be less drag and resistance ... resulting in improved MPG. I wasn't expecting much, but it seems it's gotten a tiny bit worse.

Maybe you're right, and the extra 200 pounds canceled out any drag reduction.

Thanks
Habibi

** Whatcha doing up so late? I thought only us online poker players were the only night owls.
 

Last edited by Habibi; Apr 27, 2002 at 02:48 AM.
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Old Apr 27, 2002 | 08:04 PM
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From: Puyallup, WA
Lightbulb

This is only my theory, so here it goes. With a cap, you've raised the surface area behind the truck and when the air flows over it, it gets "sucked" down towards the ground and that creates a vacuum right behind the cap and the tailgate. This additional vacuum will cause more drag on the rear of the truck. I wouldn't have thought it would be enough to actually calculate, but there you go.

Good luck.
 
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Old May 9, 2002 | 03:50 PM
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I believe the additional weight is the problem. Thats easily 250-300lbs. I think somewhere i read, that adding/subtracting weight is 100lbs=5hp. So you now have to push the go peddle that much more, so you aren't saving anything, and you're lucky if your mog stays the same
 
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Old May 12, 2002 | 03:08 AM
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From: Aberdeen, MD
Let the experts tell ya...

Here, this link will tell you guys everything you want to know, and probably more than you bargained for...

http://mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~ehaffner/did.htm

I guess Dodge trucks are useful for something.
 
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Old May 12, 2002 | 03:32 AM
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From: Whitehorse, Yukon
ljmanscrew,

Thanks for that, it was really interesting.
I had no idea.

Habibi
 
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