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Regular
Posts: 67
Location: Romulus, Michigan | I just got an '06 Dodge Dakota and I love it! The problem is my husband wants me to get a tonneau cover and I don't want one!! I don't like them. He says I'm wasting too much gas driving with an open bed -- Mr. Truck, is that true? How about if I get a different tailgate? Do they make the louvered ones for smaller pickups?? I can only find them online for full-sized trucks. Help! |
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Veteran
Posts: 247
Location: La Crosse, WI - God's Country | They've done wind tunnel tests on this topic - including TV's Mythbusters comparing up vs down). That show concluded that up is better than down.
Some time ago I saw a fairly detailed wind tunnel test - The basic conclusion is that you get the best mileage with a hard tonneau (even better than with a full cap), then soft, then no cover with the tailgate up. Tailgate down or cargo nets yielded surprisingly the worst mileage.
Your mileage may vary (really!).
Start with Cabela's for truck stuff, then check out Northern Tool, and gobs of online sites (including ebay).
LAXPatrick |
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Expert
Posts: 2953
Location: North Carolina | + 1 for a tailgate. The structural strength of the truck bed is much greater with the tailgate in place. So another point against the flexible/mesh tailgates |
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Member
Posts: 23
Location: Highmore, SD | I've also heard that it's better having the tailgate up. Something about it creates an air bubble inside the bed. The wind comes over the top of the truck and then flows over that big air bubble. If the gate is down, then no air bubble is able to be formed. |
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Veteran
Posts: 190
Location: Texas | Google "tailgate myth" and read all about it. Roll on |
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Expert
Posts: 2689
| It also depends on what sort of driving you do, e.g highway vs city.
These differences are so small anyway that you wouldn't recover the cost of any of these things in fuel savings.
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Regular
Posts: 67
Location: Romulus, Michigan | Okay, thanks everyone for your help. Here's what I've been able to find out so far. 1) Best gas mileage: Hard tonneau cover. Next best is soft tonneau cover, then regular tailgate up, then web tailgate, then none. Tailgate down is the worst. This is driving a truck. This differs if you are pulling a fifth wheel, etc. 2) Gas mileage, according to Ford studies, is only improved about 1 mile per gallon with tonneau cover v. non. This was a wind tunnel test. 3) I still HAVE NOT been able to find any alternative tailgates for a Dakota -- they are all for full size pickups. However, the most important thing is I got to tell my husband last night that I'm NOT getting a tonneau cover! Thanks again. |
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