Anybody have experience with a turbowing

StanleyZ · #1 (**permalink**) 10-19-2009, 07:50 PM

Anybody on here have any first hand experience with a turbo wing. It's a stainless steel wing that fits on the top of the truck and suposedly reduces air resistance of the trailer, thereby improving fuel mileage. Thanks

Ford_Six · #2 (**permalink**) 10-19-2009, 08:22 PM

No personal experience with that brand, but I do know that a slanted front presented to the wind will give less resistance than a flat trailer front. I gained about 2mpg towing when I put a high-rise fiberglass cap on my truck, I'd imagine I would have gained more if it didn't weigh 300lbs.

jim henderson · #3 (**permalink**) 10-21-2009, 02:07 PM

No specific expereience here, but there have been plenty of articles on this stuff and in general it works.

Take a good look at the big rigs, especially the cross country rigs. They almost all have either a big spoiler or the bunk is shaped into a spoiler. This helps to smooth the air flow from the truck cab to the trailer leading edge. Some of the fancier rigs even have flexible skins that cover the gap between the truck cab and the trailer. The smother the air flow the less the drag the better the gas mileage.

Other than looking abit goofy, the wings are probably a good bet if you are looking for mileage.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

rvpuller · #4 (**permalink**) 10-21-2009, 09:39 PM

If you are pulling a TT and have a cap on our truck and you locate it all the way to the back of the cap it may work some. If you are pulling a 5ver they will make no difference because they can't move the air high enough or wide enough to make any difference, they do move the bug line up the front cap. Most of the newer 5vers have more aerodynamic front caps to help move the air up and over. If you want to buy one don't buy a new one there are a lot of used ones out there because they don't work. I used one for a few years and it made no difference in mileage but it did move the bug line up higher on the rig.

Denny

Roadfind · #5 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 12:21 AM

I have towed coast to coast with my 40' warrior and it makes a differance ! While the fuel increase is small , the trailer goes through the air much cleaner with added stability. The wing I use came from Taylor wings out of Sacramento .

Mud Doc · #6 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 09:33 AM

rvpuller has it pegged. If it was going to work at all, you normally can't place it correctly for a fifth wheel. Truckers are different, they can place one where it will work.