air deflector input

[maxx]

Hey everyone, new to the site. Looks like a lot of usefull info here. My question is, do cab mount wind defectors do any good at all? I am looking for a little better mileage and stability when on the freeway. Thanks for your help.

[maxx]

Hey everyone, new to the site. Looks like a lot of usefull info here. My question is, do cab mount wind defectors do any good at all? I am looking for a little better mileage and stability when on the freeway. Thanks for your help.

[RustyJC]

Are you looking at using the air deflector with a TT or 5th wheel? Is it the "wing" type deflector, the "aero" type deflector used on semis or something else?

Rusty

[maxx]

It,s on a travel trailer,and was looking at the wing type. Also should have mentioned that it will be mounted on a pick-up cap.

[RustyJC]

That's a different approach than most, so I'll defer comment until we see if someone has tried that arrangement.

With the typical 5th wheel and cab-mounted wing, results are spotty at best. Some swear by 'em, others have said that the only difference they see is that the bug line moves higher on the nose of the 5th wheel. In your application, you'll have a shorter trailer (TT), and the wing will be closer to the trailer than is the case with a 5th wheel.

By the way, welcome to iRV2. We're glad to have you with us. It's great to see that you've jumped right in - we look forward to your posts.

Rusty

[CD]

maxx
Welcome aboard. I have read somewhere that wind tunnel tests proved that you don't get much help until you reach about 80MPH. My experience for better milage is to use a light foot. With our setup, 60 not 65 will improve milage about 10% and 55 is about another 10% plus using only about a 1/4" of throttle peddle when ever posible. I only get about 1MPH better milage with the camper than the TT. The camper is about a foot taller than the TT and about 6K lighter. Just food for thought.

[xc-mark]

I cant see a wind defector helping much if you have a cap on your pick up now . How tall is the TT? I pulled my dads citation to PA (about 400 miles each way) his TT is just over 11' not inclueding the AC unit. Its taller then most trailer , I got 9 mpg running 65~70 mph . My holiday ramber is longer but its only 9'4" tall and unlaided weight is about 800 lbs more. I get about 9.5 mpg pulling it , I think with a head wind it would help more but 65 mph your not in a window where getting the wind to go around it is the differance of more then 1/2 to 1 mpg.....

[Okie-Go]

I have a Taylor wingfor my 5er and truck. It had a guarantee that if it did not help at least 10% I could send it back no questions asked for a full refund. It is on my third truck now. Does that tell you anything. Look at the semi's going down the road, the truck is aerodynamic so as to move the air away from the front of the trailer.

[Every Miles A Memory]

One thing you might want to try

Go to Camping World and buy one of the deflectors your looking at and try it for a few months. Make sure you keep all your packaging and receipts.

They have a 90 day "No Questions Asked" return policy. Record all your mileage before and during to see if it makes a difference. If it works keep it, if with-in 80 days you see that it's just a gimmick, return it.

Just make sure you do all of us a favor and give some detailed reports on your findings

[sheff69]

This site gives info on fuel mileage for OTR trucks while towing.

http://www.cummins.com/na/pdf/en/pro..._Whitepape.pdf

If you look at page 4, even though it talks about cross winds, it mentions that efficiencies drop off when distances between the aerofoil and trailer start to exceed 30". I'm sure that something similar applies in frontal winds. But what that distance is I don't know.
I would suspect that the distance between the top of the truck cab (the foil) and a TT will exceed that distance.

Sheff69

[Link]

I also had a Taylor Wing, and it did no good except to keep a few bugs off the front of the trailer!!

I got rid of it as it was just a bother. Very few rvers now have a wind deflector as we learned that they simply do not do much.

[Ray,IN]

This topic has been discussed many times through the years. Use the search feature at the top of the page and you'll find hours of reading. You'll find the same on most all RV'ing forums. I considered a wing several years ago. My hours of reading resulted in my opinion that the wind deflectors are just a high-priced bug deflector, with no actual hope of recouping your money.

[twc88]

I had a wing, and the only thing it worked for real well was a bug deflector. Mine clamped on and was noisy, I used it for a lot of miles, tried many differant height positions and many mounting positions (forward & back), and never noticed much differance. I gave it away when I got my Titanium. My theroy for it not helping with fuel mileage is now the truck and wing are cutting the air instead of the camper, hence the lack of bug hits on the camper. But there were hits on the wing. Just my own .02¢ worth.

Tom

Tom