View Poll Results: Do you drive highway with your tailgate open or closed?
Open
6
7.32%
Closed
76
92.68%
Voters: 82. You may not vote on this poll
Tailgate up or down?
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 678
Likes: 0
From: Central, MA
Tailgate up or down?
How many of us usually travel with the tailgate up or down? Is there really any advantage to keeping it down? Rumors and urban legends claim higher gas mileage!
Last edited by Flexfuel-Dave; Sep 23, 2003 at 08:50 PM.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,414
Likes: 22
From: Tucson USA
Tailgate up or down?
I drive about 150 round trip daily, I tried it without the tailgate to see if my milage would improve. There was a slight increase but not enough to make up for how nasty it made the truck look
I run it up and get almost 20 mpg (19.93 or somethink like that). I run it hard, I think without the tailgate it went up to about 20mpg so Id rather have the truck look good in that case.
Hank
94, 4.0, 2wd, 5sp xcab
I run it up and get almost 20 mpg (19.93 or somethink like that). I run it hard, I think without the tailgate it went up to about 20mpg so Id rather have the truck look good in that case.
Hank
94, 4.0, 2wd, 5sp xcab
Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 1,016
From: Central KY
Tailgate up or down?
There have been multiple studies done at universities that have proven that driving on the interstate with the tailgate down does NOT improve fuel economy. In fact, one university discovered that fuel economy got worse with the tailgate down on the truck they were testing. The airflow around the truck was disrupted, resulting in the negative effects.
Not to mention that in many states, it's illegal to drive with the gate down for no reason.
Not to mention that in many states, it's illegal to drive with the gate down for no reason.
Post Fiend
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From: Connecticut
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 93
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From: St. Louis
Tailgate up or down?
Definitely up. The amount of drag that the tailgate produces is next to nothing....and I know that at least in my case I'm more prone to backing into things with it down
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Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
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From: York, NE
WX I have to disagree with you, I have seen studies that prove the opposite, I can't site any specifically however. I remember one I read tested tail gate up, down , removed, air gate, tonno cover(sp.), topper, and a specially designed topper. The test measured drag coefficient. The best was with the special topper designed to smooth the airflow, then the tonno, and then tailgate down, tailgate removed and a wind gate, were just barely better than tailgate up, which was just a bit better then a topper. I get my best mileage with the gate down, especially going 80 on the interstate. What surprised me was that tailgate down was better than removed because it helps smooth out the air top and bottom before it meets reducing drag.
The amount it will help economy will vary with the speeds driven, but I can get about 1.5 mpg better with it down on the interstate. The article I read I found through FTE so I will try to dig it up.
The amount it will help economy will vary with the speeds driven, but I can get about 1.5 mpg better with it down on the interstate. The article I read I found through FTE so I will try to dig it up.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 678
Likes: 0
From: Central, MA
It's good to see some real testing has been done on this idea. If you look at a pickup truck it naturally has this air catching box behind the cab. Before the manufacturers considered MPG with using wind tunnel testing in their designs, keeping the gate down might have made a difference. There is no doubt that a well designed aero-cap should be the best for MPG.
I might be doing some actual highway run testing with the gate down, but I'm not convinced that it would warrant this way of life.
I might be doing some actual highway run testing with the gate down, but I'm not convinced that it would warrant this way of life.
Beer Fridge Finder
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 14,988
Likes: 1,151
From: Savannah, GA
When pulling my 48' Featherlite Gooseneck race trailer I get up to two mpg better with the tailgate off. When I am not pulling the trailer, the tailgate is always on to keep the bedsides supported. I don't want a floppy bed like a two year old Dodge.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 1,016
From: Central KY
The studies I saw showed that the BEST airflow was with a hard-shell tonneau cover. An actual topper wasn't very good at all. The tailgate being down with an empty bed was one of the worst configuations for airflow. So I suppose different lab testing would result in different answers. But the point is, leaving the tailgate down isn't going to give anyone more miles per gallon.