Aerodynamics

[yrralguthrie]

Well this has been discussed before a lot I'm going to put it in a different forum just because it's somewhat different than what I've been told before. And there's also some documentation for who did it test. Take it as you want.
Several professional studies have measured exactly how bed covers affect aerodynamic drag. A comprehensive test by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) examined 13 different tonneau covers on various full-size trucks. The results? Every single cover reduced drag compared to an open bed. On average, these covers dropped the drag coefficient by 5.7%. While that might not sound huge, aerodynamics experts note that a 10% drag reduction typically yields about a 2-3% improvement in highway fuel economy.

 

[moosem]

I have a bed cover on my truck and I get terrible mileage. Lol

 

[HSKR R/T]

Well this has been discussed before a lot I'm going to put it in a different forum just because it's somewhat different than what I've been told before. And there's also some documentation for who did it test. Take it as you want.
Several professional studies have measured exactly how bed covers affect aerodynamic drag. A comprehensive test by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) examined 13 different tonneau covers on various full-size trucks. The results? Every single cover reduced drag compared to an open bed. On average, these covers dropped the drag coefficient by 5.7%. While that might not sound huge, aerodynamics experts note that a 10% drag reduction typically yields about a 2-3% improvement in highway fuel economy.

Look at the date of that test. Modern trucks are computer designed and wind tunnel tested. They don't help as much as they used to when trucks were just built to haul stuff

 

[Eighty]

Well I can vouch for the accuracy of that study. I put a tonneau cover on my TRX and went from 9 mpg to 9.2 mpg. I’m saving the environment now…one gallon at a time

 

[arod412]

Going to be completely honest….tonneau cover folks like me aren’t worried about mpg…it’s about security and covering what’s in the bed.

That 1 mpg really doesn’t matter.



2022 Ram Big Horn Back Country
2016 Dodge Charger scat pack
2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara

 

[GyRoCoN]

for what its worth..... Long bed regular cab tradesman, but food for thought. It certainly won't become a Prius overnight but maybe if you drive lots of miles..

 

[yrralguthrie]

If the bed cover saves one mile per gallon then it does matter to me. That's about 7% less money spent on gasoline.

 

[moosem]

My tonneau cover cost me approximately $1000.00. If I gain 1 MPG, which is optimistic, it would take around five years to break even.

I drove my last truck (2019 RAM) for almost 3 years with no cover, and then 2 years with the cover and I didn’t notice any difference in MPG one way or the other. I took it off when I traded that truck in and installed in on my current truck.

My mileage is awful. I average between 15 - 16 MPG. I’m sure my driving habits have a lot to do with it. LOLOL

 

[HSKR R/T]

If the bed cover saves one mile per gallon then it does matter to me. That's about 7% less money spent on gasoline.

There was zero difference in mpg on my truck when I installed the tonneau.

 

[Montana_]

If you bought this truck and are looking to save MPG, you bought the wrong truck.

Maybe a Ford Maverick instead. They love these topics over there.

But in all seriousness and poking aside, yea, they help. It's really nothing significant worth spending thousands on for that reason though, and most people buying Tonneau covers are doing it for the other reasons they provide, like bed security. I had one on every truck for the past 10 or so years and on the RAM I finally decided I'd rather have a tool box instead. If I could get a combo without spending thousands, I'd do it. Retractable and a tool box would be my go to. But I'm not paying $2-3k for it so it's one or the other.