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Has Anyone EVER Actually Increased Mileage With a Tonneau Cover?
I know its claimed on every tonneau cover website that you will gain mileage, but has anyone on here actually experienced it? I'm really only talking about highway mileage here. If you did get a gain, what was your before and after?
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1996 GrandSport 016-383 LT4, AFR 210s, D1-SC...build in progress
1995 Corvette-For Sale or Trade
2003 F150 Supercrew 4wd
1970 LeMans Sport
Just recently I read an article in mag. on this very subject. The article stated that when wind tunnel test were done that the air going into the back of a PU became like twister or something to that affect and that because of this circulation that there was no sig. wind resistance to the truck. Personally I like the looks of any truck better with the Tonneau. As 02crew stated it keeps leaves and crap from blowing into the back of the truck, not to mention better to carrying things less expossed. When it rains or when you was it the cover keeps water out on top of everything else. I have had them on my last 3 trucks and will always have one. I there should be any mileage increase that's just a bonus. It sure ain't gonna hurt it.
of course i know i'll get the air green in here, but i know that my tonneau increased my mileage by 2 on the highway...say what you will. thats the facts in my case.
__________________ Canada
2011 F150 SuperCrew XLT Plus 4x4, 3.5L ECOBOOST 6.5ft box.
To know for sure if it helps, you would have to do it in a controlled environment. There are too many variables while just driving around to know if it is helping or not. You have to factor in variable speeds, loads and distance. And if the savings is 1 to 2 miles per gallon you would have to pay pretty close attention over a period of time.
There have been numerous studies done in a controlled environment to prove that it does help with most covers on most pickups.
But I agree with the others. I like - make that love - my cover for a lot more reasons than the gas savings. I like that I can drive down the highway and not worry about things blowing out the back, that my cargo is out of site, that it keeps the rain and snow out, and that it looks great on my truck (actually I think trucks look kind of naked without them.) Knowing that it's saving gas just makes me feel that much better about it.
Well, I really like the benefits of having a cover but it is hard to justify buying one right now because I am starting a new business and money is tight. Part of starting this new business involves a good bit of driving on the highway seeing potential clients. If buying a tonneau would save me money in the long run, I could justify the expense.
I think any percentage you can gain in gas mileage is worth it. Even if it's only 1-2%, it still makes a difference with today's gas prices! The tonneau cover does provide better gas mileage, because it reduces the aerodynamic drag on your truck box. If adding a tonneau could mean an improvement in fuel mileage that is equal to about a free gallon of gas for every 20 used, it's definitely worth it. If you got one of our tonneau covers you could literally pay for the cost of the cover in 1 year in gas savings. They have revisited this on Mythbusters several times and it seems to just depend on the user's conditions. I've heard of guys getting 1% increase and other's getting about 6%, so it will very. If you're thinking about getting a cover, check out ACI. We are the manufacturer of the Access, Lorado, LiteRider, and Vanish Covers. We've got model specific soft-roll-up covers in any price range and to fit your lifestyle. Visit us online at www.agricover.com or give us a call at 888-587-8813. On the website you can also use our Gas Savings Calculator by going to www.accesscover.com and scrolling down to the bottom of the page.
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ACI (Agri-Cover, Inc.)
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I haven't really checked to see if my TruXedo made any difference, I haven't made any long highway trips since I installed it to tell for sure, but it keeps things in the bed dry and secure, so I really like that and if I want to haul something large, I can just roll it up out of the way.
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