Re: [A/S] Re: Pickup lid or camper shell and fuel economy

[Mitch Hill <fmhill@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>Several years ago Consumer Reports ran an article on this same subject. They
>ran a test with and without camper shell and with tailgate up and tailgate
>down on a pickup. Fuel economy was about the same in all tests.

In 1986 I purchased a brand new Ford full sized 4X4 pickup (color pewter 
metallic silver grey) with 8 ft bed and had the Dealer refer me to the 
local Leer Cap installer who put a matching color Leer fiberglass cap with 
the 4" raised center section of the top on the truck for me along with big 
rig type aluminum diamond tread running boards and matching mud flaps. At 
the time I think this cost me about $800 - $900 all together including all 
the installation work.

My original pur[pose for purchasing this truck was to tow a one car hauling 
tandem axle trailer with an antique car on it and at the time I had a good 
chance to check mileage as I was driving from Cape Cod to the Brunswick 
Maine area to a vacation home and farm many weekends of the year NOT towing 
the trailer which was kept in Maine for trips to the Owl's Head 
transportation Museum about an hour away.

When towing the 28 ft Airstream Ambassador International that I acquired 
several years into ownership of this truck and Leer cap, the combination 
has been ideal from the start, and as to making a comparison to towing with 
or without the cap I can not as I have never towed without the cap on the 
truck. For one thing I am convinced that the added 150 pounds of the 
fiberglass cap as well as the smoothed airflow on the rear of the truck 
plus the fact I keep a couple jacks and toolboxes under the protection of 
the lockable cap makes the truck that much more stable on the highway. I 
tow with an older Reese dual cam weight distribution hitch and frankly at 
this point don't see much need for the anti sway set up of the dual cam 
however its one of those things that in the right adverse conditions might 
prevent problems so I use it.

The conclusion that I came to was that there was a very slight improvement 
in mileage on the highway with the cap and without the trailer, and with 
all the tool boxes, air compressor, and spare parts, the cap has been a 
very worthwhile investment and I would never own a pickup truck without a 
good fiberglass cap on it, one that I can easily remove if I need to such 
as this Leer cap is. The Leer Cap has out lived the original truck, has had 
no maintenance other than it now needs a good polishing and the original 
gas cylinders that hold the rear window flap up have lost their oomph and I 
now carry a short length of conduit to presently prop the window flap open 
when I am working out of it.

After years of use, it is my opinion that the cap does not alter mileage 
noticeably, most importantly it does NOT degrade it, and makes the truck 
much more usable to me.  I say that you should get the cap!!!

--
Mitch Hill - K1FH
WBCCI 21960
'64 AS Ambassador International