Fifth wheel air deflectors

[chickie]

Who has one and whar brand are you using? I have an old one that is fiberglass but it has a large crack running through it so I have retired it to my basement. It worked and really kept the bugs off the front of our toy hauler. Any suggestions on brands appreciated

[Link]

Years ago quite a few rvers tried out the deflectors. They soon found out that other than keeping a few bugs off the front of the 5th w , they did little else.

Today only a rare person has an air defector--they are quite simply more bother than they are worth! And who wants to run around solo with one of those monsters hanging on top of your tow vehicle?

[chickie]

Thanks for the reply Link but I am one of the users who like them and don't think they are a bother.

[Dick & Pat]

Once heard (don't know if it's fact, though) if you travel 10,000 miles or more per year, a deflector will pay for itself in fuel savings. As for eliminating some of the bug mess on the front of the coach, now that would be nice

[FiverBob]

I think you need to look carefully at the fiver itself - - what does the front cap look like? If it is blunt and square, the wing can help. If it is curved and aerodynamic, how can a wing help? What happens in that space right behind the wing? There have been wind tunnel tests with pickups with the tail gate down or taken off and the results were quite interesting - - it decreased mileage. Now, why can't we get them to do the same thing with wings?

[rharveysr]

This is one of those subjects that you could ask 10 different people and get 10 different answers. As for me...I used mine all the time. I can feel the difference in how the trailer handles with side winds. Also no wind shake when meeting a semi. One more thing that I noticed when I used my wing..is that whatever is laying in the bed of the truck will stay there. I have seen 4x6 blocks actually float in the air due to the swirling wind between the cab and 5th wheel.
We have owned 3 5th wheels and now a travel trailer(long story)...but I still have my wing stored away in the shed for my next 5th wheel..

Rick

[two2go]

I have towed both conventional and fifth wheel trailers with and without air deflectors extensively and logged mileage. My experience is that an air deflector mounted near the back of a long-top vehicle like a station wagon, van, or pickup with shell and towing a conventional trailer did improve mileage from 1-3 mpg. An air deflector mounted on the rear portion of an extended cab pickup towing a mid-height fifth wheel showed no measurable improvement overall. It did raise the bug impact line up a couple of feet. I used a retractable/adjustable deflector where I could experiment with different angles and also fold it flat while driving without the trailer. If if were to return to fifth-wheel towing, I probably would not buy another deflector, especially considering that trailer front cap designs are more streamlined.