how could a bed cover stopping the air from hitting a big flat air dam not save on gas?
Gas Saver?
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 234
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From: Gloucester, Virginia
Yes. From what I have heard, the truck bed already has filled with air and the passing air flows right over that (that's the scientific/technical explanation if you couldn't tell).
All those guys you see driving around with their tailgates down--wasting their time and risking losing their tailgates in an accident.
All those guys you see driving around with those tailgate replacement nets (cargo net)--those are the guys who lost their tailgates from riding around with them down.
Also, if you drive a PSD, the bed cover absolutely will not save you gas (more science).
All those guys you see driving around with their tailgates down--wasting their time and risking losing their tailgates in an accident.
All those guys you see driving around with those tailgate replacement nets (cargo net)--those are the guys who lost their tailgates from riding around with them down.
Also, if you drive a PSD, the bed cover absolutely will not save you gas (more science).
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,130
Likes: 3
From: Massachusetts
The best gas saving thing you can is to place a egg under the gas pedal. I have been driving my truck like a gandpa. Never climbing over 2000 rpm and doing only 60 on the freeway instead of 70. Picked up 1.5mpg.
New User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17
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I don't have a lot of data to back up but I think it does help. I was averaging 11-11.5 when I first got my superduty after putting on a bed line I average 12.5. Some may be accounted to breaking in but I do think the bed liner helped. I drove it on the highway with bed liner retracted and could feel the difference, more sluggish on acceleration and I could feel the wind gusts. If you don't want the bedliner then I wouldn't buy one just for gas savings since 1 mpg will take the life of the truck to pay back a good bedliner. Don't be cheap and buy a bedliner with snaps, they are a pain.
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New User
Joined: Sep 2004
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Originally Posted by ford390gashog
nope they don't. if you want to squeeze all the mpg's out of it follow the basics. air filter,fuel filter,inflate tires, run correct weight of engine oil.
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Guest
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,988
Likes: 55
From: north west new jersey
as atech in a dealer i have to agree with all the above. my bed cover did nothing but give me some space nothing blows out of.
good fuel."right now sure where" clean oil, clean air and fuel filter. tire pressure. they all work. that and a well tuned motor has lead me to 13.46 and over 15 with a v10. so without trying to start any thing here . if i can do it with a v10 gas engine a PSD owner can and should do better do better
good fuel."right now sure where" clean oil, clean air and fuel filter. tire pressure. they all work. that and a well tuned motor has lead me to 13.46 and over 15 with a v10. so without trying to start any thing here . if i can do it with a v10 gas engine a PSD owner can and should do better do better
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 817
Likes: 53
From: houston
There was an article in the Houston Chronicle about 1 1/2months ago about this. Hard fiber glass bed cover raised MPG 1-2 (lower fuel consumption). Tail gate down lowered MPG 1-2 (increased fuel consumption). Tail gate up makes a pocket of air that helps the air flow. So over a long period of time the hard bed cover would pay for itself. But the key is LONG period of time.
Just draft off the little car in front of you. When you get pulled over for following to close. Just let the officer know you were drafting and saving the environment!
Just draft off the little car in front of you. When you get pulled over for following to close. Just let the officer know you were drafting and saving the environment!
Last edited by function12; Sep 4, 2005 at 11:28 AM.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,326
Likes: 18
From: Gilbert
Whether the tailgate down/up gas theory works, my question is, why would you have your tailgate open to bounce around down the road? It takes literally 30 seconds to take it off and set it in the garage (face up on a couple of buckets has worked in the past for me. Then you don't have to worry about it bouncing around. Just my .02.
Senior User
Joined: May 2005
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Originally Posted by 2000silverbullet
Whether the tailgate down/up gas theory works, my question is, why would you have your tailgate open to bounce around down the road? It takes literally 30 seconds to take it off and set it in the garage (face up on a couple of buckets has worked in the past for me. Then you don't have to worry about it bouncing around. Just my .02.
Don't like running tailgate down, everytime you park you have to put it up... and tailgates are still more expensive than gas - at least for now...
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 421
From: Long Island USA
I have not seen that magic 16MPG I get with my V10 on the highway, since I removed the cab-height cap/topper.
I get around 14-15 now.
In my case, a short-bed Supercab, the cap made a difference of 1-2MPG...
I get around 14-15 now.
In my case, a short-bed Supercab, the cap made a difference of 1-2MPG...