Just installed a tailgate spoiler from Super Rim / Air Design via www.vipautoaccessories.com
You have to call them to purchase one. It was $200 shipped.
Easy to install, just high strength 3m tape which is already on the applied to the spoiler.
One piece to this whole appearance package by Super Rim Air Design. Fender flares are next in line.
Driving back from Louisiana while towing the popup camper this past weekend gave me a lot of time to contemplate the aerodynamics of my truck and popup. This was the first long tow I did since I got the tonneau cover on my truck. I was actually thinking that a properly designed air foil could really streamline the airflow from the tailgate to the camper. I don't think this would quite get it and show any great improvement in gas mileage, although I have at least two thoughts that would. Unfortunately, one would be ugly as can be while being a pain, the other would just be a pain and would add substantial weight.
I also would think this would make create a possible leak with the tonneau cover, holding it up at the tailgate slightly to allow leaks along the sides at the tailgate, worse than the currently engineered leaks built into the truck.
Interesting tid-bit 'O info:
Mythbusters did a 'scientific' comparison(anybody who has seen this show knows that they actually do a pretty good job knocking out variables and creating optimum environments to conduct their experiments/tests...whatever you wanna call them) of tailgate up vs. tailgate down, to test the 'myth' that running with your tailgate down improves mileage. Obviously this would also translate to bed covers etc..although I don't think it would so much to driving a shell on, as shells often sit flush with the top of the cab, and sometimes even higher.
Anyway, there was no discernible difference, and as they often do, they set out to find out why.
Turns out air comes down off the back of the cab, then as it enters the bed and gets stopped by the back side of the tailgate, it starts to back-spin, creating enough of a barrier to force incoming air to flow right over the top of it, basically mimicking a bed cover. I don't remember at what speed this happened, nor if it was effective in city vs. freeway traffic.
Any notable difference in how clean / dry the backup camera stays with one of these on? I notice that the camera lens stays cleaner on my RAM, and it has a more pronounced built in spoiler on the tailgate.
Also curious if anyone has used one of these with a mountain bike or other bicycle over the tailgate.. It almost looks like I could get away without using my tailgate pad if I put the spoiler and tailgate piece on???
Thanks!
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