Roof top wind deflector.

[petertl]

I have a 12 foot Sunline TTT. I pull it with a Nissan Rouge.
I feel like I am dragging a sail behind me at times on the highway. My gas mileage also plummets.
I pull a 16' Carolina skiff that is a bit heavier and don't know it is back there mostly.

I have seen cars with the wind deflector on top of the car to help with the aerodynamics.

Does anyone have ideas?

Thanks,
Peter

[bohemian]

Peter
I have the same issue when I pull my 10 foot Shasta.
I did find it pulled a lot better when I had my canoe on the top of my tow vehicle.
So I would guess to say that a wind deflector would help a lot.
I will be looking into this subject myself.
And slowcowboy I also have a teardrop. So relax.

Wayne

[SonofT@B]

I have a T@B I pull with a Ford Ranger v6 3.0l. I get 12-13 mpg. It weighs about 2000 loaded. A fellow T@Bber on the T@B forum uses the same TV and says he gets more like 15 mpg.

He uses a wind deflector on the top of his truck and an expensive air filter (can't remember the brand).

I decided it wasn't worth the trouble and expense for 3 mpg savings but I may do it some day.

[EffieRover]

From growing up with a fifth wheel, I can tell you that the wind deflector really helps the 'sail' feeling ... helps the truck to not get blown back as much. Gas mileage ... eh. Don't expect to save a lot. Do expect to be able to drive into the wind without feeling like you're on a ship in a storm.

I plan to get one in the spring for my little shasta ... just cuz we plan long drives and me and one of my kids tend to get carsick.

HTH.

[b.bodemer]

I tow a 13 1/2' Scotty with my new F150. I loose almost 4 miles per gallon while towing the TTT.

Barb

[emiller]

It just might help to put a wind deflector on your vehicle. I like the way Nissan put a deflector on the small pick ups with roof rack. How wide is your trailer and how high does it stick up over the top of your crossover. I have a 2007 Chevy Equinox and the mileage goes down a bit towing the teardrop and really goes down going up some of the mountains here in Arizona. One thing I did like about the Nissan Titan we had it got 19-21 miles to the gallon towing the teardrop mountains or not, loaded down. V-8 to me is the best for towing. The Equinox does do great on flat ground though with its v-6.

[BigAl]

I agree with Slowcowboy, that a teardrop is basically it's own aerofoil.

I'm getting 43.5 mpg towing my tear, and 49.5mpg when not towing.

I also tow a a 17foot sailboat with a ferro-concrete keel and get 43.0 mpg, but it feels like I'm pulling a concrete block.

My tow vehicle is a 2.0 litre diesel Toyota Avensis Station Wagon.

Do you have any photos of this beast that you are towing? I would love to see a photo of the skiff too! <hint!> ;)

[emiller]

I don't think we are talking teardrops here. he said he has a small TTT. We are getting off the subject here.

[bobhenry]

I'm with barb I get 17 with the new Dodge P/U and it drops 3 or 4 depending on headwinds.

I wonder if they make a gambrel shaped wind deflector



" Aerodynamic as a barn "

[emiller]

Bob what about making a matching barn pick up topper for your truck

[bobhenry]

Been there done that !



A poor picture poorly scanned but ya get the idea. Thats my old 88 dodge when I was building mini barns left and right. It was a great rolling billboard. I still have the topper and tool boxes on an old 65 ford pickup cut down for a utility trailer.

[Gage]

I have seen cars with the wind deflector on top of the car to help with the aerodynamics.

Does anyone have ideas?

Thanks,
Peter

Contrary to what some may think. The smaller the engine the harder it has to work using more gas. The larger the engine the less it has to work getting better gas mileage. So a 'wind deflector' will help but you will still see a reduction in MPG. That's just the way it is, towing anything that is higher than your TV like a flat sided travel trailer.

[cracker39]

I can’t say just how much my wind wing helped when I towed the Squidget to my one and only camping weekend, but I am pretty sure that it did help. Before that drive, I had only towed it a few times locally to test tow the trailer without the wing and to go get it weighed. I do know that the only way I could tell I was towing a 1400 lb trailer on my trip was the slower acceleration and stopping. There was no sway or other indication that a trailer was behind my truck.

It’s a coincidence to see this post as I just came in from starting to dismantle the wing that hasn’t been used in over four years. I plan on reconstructing it a little differently for the PT I will build. This one won’t need as much angle on the wing and it will be flat, not curved as the one I made originally. Photos and a diagram are below.

[emiller]

Dale that is a sweet set up. I know having that camper shell helps.

[cracker39]

The PT will be lower than the Squidget, so my new wing will be at a shallower angle and flat. It will fold down flat on the roof when not towing.