Posted 2006-10-02 12:31 PM (#49503) Subject: Help -- Need Tailgate for my Dodge Dakota
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!
Posted 2006-10-02 1:18 PM (#49505 - in reply to #49503) Subject: RE: Help -- Need Tailgate for my Dodge Dakota
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).
Posted 2006-10-02 3:36 PM (#49511 - in reply to #49503) Subject: RE: Help -- Need Tailgate for my Dodge Dakota
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
Posted 2006-10-02 3:51 PM (#49512 - in reply to #49503) Subject: RE: Help -- Need Tailgate for my Dodge Dakota
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.
Posted 2006-10-03 7:36 AM (#49537 - in reply to #49517) Subject: RE: Help -- Need Tailgate for my Dodge Dakota
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.
Help -- Need Tailgate for my Dodge Dakota
