Article - Do Tonneau Covers Save MPG?

[BTrzebiato]

I had a 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 extended cab 4x4. This was a short bed truck. I purchased a fold a cover tonneau and when I had the tonneau on I got about 1 mpg better at highway speeds in Kansas and Oklahoma. Average speed about 70. Some areas I was running the turnpike in Oklahoma and doing 80. I saw a definite 1 mpg better under these circumstances. In town, it made no difference what so ever. I liked this type of tonneau because it still allowed me to use the bed and not have to completely remove the tonneau. There are several others out there now that are similar to this.

[Mickey]

Originally Posted by BTrzebiato

I had a 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 extended cab 4x4. This was a short bed truck. I purchased a fold a cover tonneau and when I had the tonneau on I got about 1 mpg better at highway speeds in Kansas and Oklahoma. Average speed about 70. Some areas I was running the turnpike in Oklahoma and doing 80. I saw a definite 1 mpg better under these circumstances. In town, it made no difference what so ever. I liked this type of tonneau because it still allowed me to use the bed and not have to completely remove the tonneau. There are several others out there now that are similar to this.

That's what Ramoine had posted earlier. It's good info. Mythbusters didn't use a high rate of speed. To make it easier for them they did only 60mph.

[Houston MPG]

I still don't have the documentary test materials back for the Houston mpg tundra test... waiting patiently

But... I the test on the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado is complete and posted if anyone wants to view it...

here's the link...

Houston Texas mpg modifications saving Houstonians big at the gas tank

I'll hopefully have the tundra test up soon.

[lotust]

I drive down hill to save gas.

[Toxarch]

I did my own test with my soft tonneau. Got 15.5 mpg without the tonneau (rolled up). Got 15.7 with the tonneau unrolled. This was doing the same drive twice with almost the exact same conditions.

[sxd45]

I want a tonneau because it looks good, just dont want to shell out the money.

[jbk23]

I want a tonneau because you guys have one or most of you.

[DerekM]

seen it on mythbusters, no gain.

[capman90]

Originally Posted by DerekM

seen it on mythbusters, no gain.

I accept everything I see on TV as indisputable fact too.

Seriously now, I love the Mythbusters, but I don't think that most of their tests use enough data to say this or that is true all of the time. I'm not going to discount what I've seen with my own eyes because of a tv show.

I and most of the people I know who have tonneau covers on their trucks have noticed an improvement in mpg, it depends on your driving style and what type of driving you do. If you sit in grid lock half of the day, and are wondering why your tonneau cover isn't helping your gas mileage, then you need to ask yourself why you're driving a truck in the first place.

[Mickey]

I always had a tonneau cover on all trucks I won. All were from Xtang. The one I got on the Tundra is a Black Max from Extang. I just liked the name. Didn't care if it helped in mpg. I know it looks good. I won't recommend Ford's snapless tonneau cover. Great in the city. Don't take it out on the interstate unless you want to stop every 2-3 miles when it comes up flapping in the wind. I wonder why my F-150 only got 16mpg all the time. On th einterstate the constant flapping didn't help much and the stop and go to roll it up either.

[capman90]

Originally Posted by Mickey

I always had a tonneau cover on all trucks I won. All were from Xtang. The one I got on the Tundra is a Black Max from Extang. I just liked the name. Didn't care if it helped in mpg. I know it looks good. I won't recommend Ford's snapless tonneau cover. Great in the city. Don't take it out on the interstate unless you want to stop every 2-3 miles when it comes up flapping in the wind. I wonder why my F-150 only got 16mpg all the time. On th einterstate the constant flapping didn't help much and the stop and go to roll it up either.

cheap cover = cheap results

I got an Access and recommend it to anyone who will listen

[Ironman02]

I sold the cap off my truck to a guy with a 05’ Tundra, and he just gave his bed cover to me for free. Talk about a sweet deal. However I don’t think the cover saves me any money in gas, at least not that I have noticed. Nice cover though, I like it much more than my previous cap.

[Mickey]

Ironman you got the deal on that.

[Ironman02]

Talk about a pleasant surprise! I never end anything early on Ebay, but this guy lived right down the street from me, and with an item this big I took what I thought was the best deal for business. After installing the cap he said here ya go. Sweeeeeeeeeet

[Mickey]

That's great....