What can one expect as far as gas mileage improvement when using a bed cover like retrax?

Thanks

Brian

 

Not enough to even notice. The cab forces a larger hole through the air and the smaller bed sneaks through.

 

2mpg difference on my truck and less wind noise while on highway... but if u dont want a lid or tonoe cover just lay bed on the truck down u get same benifets. or u can take it off so no one steals it...

 

What he said. If your only getting it for the milage, dont do it.

Faster, how the hell did you get 2 mpg better? Was that after checking it once with the cover, or numerous times. I check my mileage everytime I fill up and the cover did nothing. Doesnt bother me though, I bought it for looks and covering stuff.

 

i get alot of wind drag on the tailgate. now i lay it down when i drive on the highway or make long trips. makes a difference for me.

 

will the retrax fit over the line-x or rhino lining with any modifications? How much can I expect to pay for line-x or rhino? Or is it better to get the bed rug? It is $300

Thanks for all the replies.

Brian

 

If that were true, Ford would include them from the factory. They work feverishly to meet mileage requirements. If you want more opinions, do a search. The topic generally gets similar responses.

 

ours came from factoy u can add them on its just a tonoe cover....

 

DUH...you missed the point. If "tonneau" covers gave 2 mpg increases, ALL trucks would come with them. Once again, I suggest anyone who believes this should search for the general consensus in the archives. They show this:

 

I've owned a few different full size trucks and have had the same fuel milage results when adding a hard tonau cover: 2-3 mpg on the highway.

here's the latest baby:
https://www.f150online.com/galleries/mygallery.cfm?gnum=5381[/url]

 

A tonneau cover does precisely nothing except keep water off of things in your bed and look good.

<Mr Wizard Mode>

When you're driving your truck, a low pressure area is created behind the cab in direct proportion to the speed you're traveling. Any air that you imagine would hit your tailgate is just being caught up in this low pressure area.

Essentially the only way to eliminate that low pressure area is to put a topper on your truck.

Putting down your tailgate is the best way to encourage cracking and rusting on your pickup bed because you're removing the 'box' support. The next time you see someone driving like that take a look at how badly the box sides are flapping around.

-Fatz

p.s. Nascar trucks are molded without beds for 1 reason: Need. Aerodynamics have essentially nothing to do with it.

 

It depends on the speed you drive. My gas milage went up after I put the Undercover on. I get the same milage in the city, and on my daily commute. The only time I see that improvement is when I take a trip.

If your daily commute is long enough you'll see it every day, otherwise you won't.

 

I agree with greencrew. Daily driving I have not seen any measureable difference, but in my latest trip up to LA and back I got over 1.5mpg better than previous trips. Of course, that was just one trip - I'll need more data before I know for sure.

 

i posted this in the general discussion forum back in january. instead of the link to it, here's the info.


found this on epinions.com



The truth About Truck Tailgates
According to a "Tech Tidbit" item in the September 2004 Road & Track magazine (page 156), it is generally better to keep your pickup truck tailgate up instead of down or removed. It seems counter intuitive, but research by the National Research Council of Canada determined that there was generally a lower drag coefficient (Cd) with the tailgate up than with the tailgate down or removed.

The difference wasn't big but it was measurable, with a 2002 Ford F150 Crew Cab measuring a Cd of 0.5304 with the tailgate up and 0.5425 with tailgate down. With the tailgate removed, the Cd was 0.5596. However, placing a tonneau cover on the bed lowered the Cd to 0.4967, probably enough to offset the weight of the tonneau cover if you do much highway driving.

Although not mentioned in this brief item in Road & Track, there's another good reason to have your tailgate up and latched: It adds to the structural strength of your vehicle.

 

Results vary on this subject just like driving habits do. Here is my post from a different thread:

"I put an Undercover lid on right before spring break. It isn't the prettiest cover out there by far, but with my truck being black and a lot of the plastic trim being matte or satin black, it fits right in. I do wish it had a central locking system instead of two locks, but other than that I am very happy with it. Fairly cheap too, got it for $526 + tax.

Some have commented about their cover (other brands) not covering the bed rail protectors. The Undercover conceals both the bed rail and tail gate protectors completely. Very clean looking installation.

According to the Undercover rep I spoke with prior to purchasing, it is NOT waterproof, merely water resistant. Let me tell you folks, I drove from Orlando to just above Georgia line trying to outrun a raging downpour, and didn't notice a drop of water in the bed when I stopped to say hello to Mother Nature.

I'm not going to get silly and say that the cover is solely responsible, but my gas mileage on this trip (Northern Virginia to Orlando and back) was considerably higher than any highway driving I have ever done in the past. I normally get about 16-17 MPG on the highway. This trip I got just a tick over 20. I don't know how or why, nor do I care, but you couldn't have wiped the smile off my face with a leather strap when I gassed up after logging 472 miles on a tank of gas."

SL