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pickup toppers/gas mileage

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n8terry

03-08-2008 20:49:25

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Do any of you guys have an opinion on whether you would get better or worse mileage if you had a late model pickup with a fibreglass topper?

thanks for your opinion.

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john *.?-!.* cub owner

03-10-2008 20:20:57

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to buickanddeere, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

Walt davies said: (quoted from post at 00:48:46 03/09/08) Dang I get 15 MPG in Ford Ranger. then I did set it up for pulling big loads with low ratio rear end and the big V6.

Walt

Walt, I don't know hwy your mileage is so low, my 01 Ranger with 4wd, 4.0 ohc and 4.10 differentials gets 21 mpg at speed limit. of course when my son drives it drops to 17. :lol:
I have driven a lot of mile (around 3 million) in a lot of different vehicles, many of them in pickups. My personal experience has shown that the combination oh engine size and gearing determines whether a tonneau, or tailgate down makes any difference. Per example, with my old 63 equipped with 230 engine and high speed rear end, removing the tailgate saved 1.2 mpg on highway. On the 70 Chev 3/4 ton 4x4 with 350 and 4.11 rear end, it made no difference what you did.

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Goose

03-09-2008 18:26:39

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

I once commuted 20 miles open road to work with a pickup. I had a topper I'd put on over the winter and take off over the summer. I'd pick up about 2 mpg when I put it on in the fall.

Also, I once noticed that whenever I'd haul a pickup on a trailer behind another pickup, the load pulled easier if the tailgate was down on the pickup that was on the trailer.

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MN Scott

03-09-2008 15:00:16

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

I don't have a cap but with my Duramax diesel speed makes a big difference in MPG. If I drive up to 65 mph unloaded I average about 19 MPG. But when I bump it up to 70 MPH+ my mileage drops to around 16MPG. Quite a differance for a 5 MPH or so differance. If every one drove 55MPH just think of the fuel we would save each day in the country.

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Bus Driver

03-09-2008 14:19:21

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

A test some years ago with varied trucks and varied toppers showed that some combinations help fuel mileage and others hurt it, but not tremendous differences either way. So I have one with topper and one without. Each serves a purpose. My tools are protected by the topper, but the open truck hauls refrigerators better.

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trucker40

03-09-2008 13:18:18

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

The easiest thing to help your gas mileage is air up your tires,rolling resistance of your tires is the biggest issue.I think a topper helps a little unless wind is hitting it in the side.

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J Dyer

03-09-2008 13:18:16

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

I have gotten consistently 1 mpg more with a topper on my '98 chevrolet pickup. Johnny

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fixerupper

03-09-2008 10:55:50

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

The best way to improve your mileage is to use your right foot properly. I record every drop of gas that goes into my vehicles, recalculating the mileage at every fillup. I've tried everything that was easy; tailgate up/down, ethanol-regular unleaded etc., and the mileage didn't change. The mood I'm in when I drive does make the mileage change.

During field work season when I'm always in a big hurry, the S-10's mileage drops a couple, down to 19 MPG. During the off-season when I'm more ralaxed it's 20-21. This is all short trip driving. Jim

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Gary from Muleshoe

03-09-2008 06:49:52

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

Just open your tail gate serves same purpose, no extra weight.

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jose bagge

03-09-2008 05:17:26

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

"MYTHBUSTERS" on TV actually did a story on something like this- it was the whole tailgate closed, tailgate open, tailgate net issue plus they tries a bed cover. In the end- tailgate closed gave best fuel mileage. Tailgate acts like an air damn and creates somekind of low pressure area behind the cab that gives similar airflow to a "fastback". I gues thats why all the loose hay in the rear of the bed always seems to settle right behind the cab when driving.
long story short- it's that aerodynamic brick front end that kills the mileage, not the tail-
plus, of course, the big motor!

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Bill(Wis)

03-09-2008 07:30:42

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to jose bagge, 03-09-2008 05:17:26

I drive a pickup truck over 5000 miles per month. I've tried tailgate down, tailgate removed, tailgate up, bed cover, etc. Makes no detectable difference in fuel mileage. I get a big kick out of seeing the guys that spent good money on those cargo net tailgates. That would, in my mind, give the worst mileage of anything. You're essentially mounting a drogue chute back there.

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gene bender

03-09-2008 04:23:20

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

All the tests say no how can you add weight and get more gas mileage.

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circus

03-09-2008 01:04:58

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

Lets see without top milage horrible, with top milage horrible. No difference.

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M Nut

03-08-2008 23:48:02

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

I gain about 2 mpg with a fiberglass topper on a 1/2 ton GMC with a 5.3 V8. 16mpg without and 18mpg with.

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Damp;Dservice

03-08-2008 21:04:12

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to n8terry, 03-08-2008 20:49:25

My 97 cummins gets the exact same mileage with or without the topper, well on second thought maybe better with the topper because I get too lazy to take it off so I dont use my gooseneck flatbed as much, but seriously I dont see any measurable difference, 19-24 mpg with or without

third party image

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Walt davies

03-08-2008 21:48:46

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to Damp;Dservice, 03-08-2008 21:04:12

Dang I get 15 MPG in Ford Ranger. then I did set it up for pulling big loads with low ratio rear end and the big V6.
Walt

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Greg_Ky

03-09-2008 08:52:38

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Re: pickup toppers/gas mileage in reply to Walt davies, 03-08-2008 21:48:46

Damn Walt,
I have one with 4:10 gears and 4.0L SOHC 4X4 and the wife gets 19mpg. with it.

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