tailgate up or down
Tuned
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 464
Likes: 1
From: Bismarck USA
Not from all the research I've seen. Mythbusters found the opposite. I'd recommend checking that site for your own opinion.
In the end the best thing to affect your mileage is your right foot and how far you press it.
In the end the best thing to affect your mileage is your right foot and how far you press it.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: Meridian, ID
Actually mythbusters found the same - that leaving the tailgate down did NOT improve gas mileage - in fact it made it worse! They did a pretty good study with identical ford trucks and were very scientific about their testing and the truck with the down tailgate ran out of gas first every time. They even used die and water to show the aerodynamics of how it worked out that way and with the tailgate UP it had less drag. Pretty interesting show if you can find it!
New User
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Only drive with the wind at your back 
yup, saw that MB show. It was pretty interesting. If I remember correctly the one with it up only got about a mile more out of the tank than the one with it down. Turbulence in the bed form the tailgate up caused an air bubble sort of and the oncoming air to flow over it and not cause drag.
yup, saw that MB show. It was pretty interesting. If I remember correctly the one with it up only got about a mile more out of the tank than the one with it down. Turbulence in the bed form the tailgate up caused an air bubble sort of and the oncoming air to flow over it and not cause drag.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 276
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
Merc hit it right on the head....it isn't so much about tailgate up/down....it is about how far you put your foot down.
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: Pinellas Park, FL
If I remember correctly, Mythbusters found that the only thing (tailgate wise) that helped was those tailgate nets. But even that was very minimal.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,693
Likes: 7
From: Francestown, NH
As well as better mileage with the gate up, I also remember hearing that in the event of a crash, the vehicle may not perform as well without the gate being up. Gate up is how it's designed for crash protection.
I believe I heard that on cartalk so nuff said
I believe I heard that on cartalk so nuff said
Postmaster
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,517
Likes: 3
From: SE Wyoming
Plus the rocks that get thrown up and chip the gate. I do wish MB would have run a test with no tailgate, from their little windtunnel tests it looked like no gate would have been just as good as having it up, the extra 1.5' length with it down seemed to be just enough to screw with the air flow.
