Vented Tailgate?

[David Oxland]

Hello Gents



Sometime ago I remember there being a reference to a University study about vented tailgates verus non-vented. Can't seem to find it with the search tool. Anyone remember or able to direct me there?



Thanks

David

 

[klenger]

I am not aware of the study you are refering to, but I installed a vented tailgate on my truck and am thrilled with it. The main reason I installed it was for better visibility after backing into a light post pedestal and trashing out my bumper. I also tow a 5er, so the vented tailgate makes hooking up and unhooking much easier. Also have easier access to the box through the knotch, and the vented gate is much lighter than the stock one. As far as fuel economy is concerned, the vented tail gate has not hurt my milage at all, an may have even helped, but it's a bit hard to tell as I had the 04. 5 fuel economy reflash done just before I changed the tailgate. Here's a pic of my truck with the vented gate: #ad




Here's a link to where I got mine. http://www.strombergcarlson.com/page4.html

 

[DennyDay]

Issue 46

Does a review of the tailgate - no tailgate - tailgate open question.



Denny

 

[TWilkening]

Although I don't have a site for you, I do remember hearing about the test. IIRC, Tailgate up actually got the best mileage. Something about the tailgate causes a pressure buildup in the bed area, so to the air passing over the roof of the truck, it is a solid mass, so the air flows over it.

 

[wcjp]

There's an article about this in the latest TDR. The article states the tailgate up is the best place.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Leave your OEM tailgate up for best MPG...



The '94-'02 Ram body design was maximized in CAD modeling and in the wind tunnel to be slick when flying through the atmosphere. This process also took into consideration that the tailgate would be in its full upright and locked position.



"The captain has turned off the fasten seatbelts sign... "

"You are now free to move about the country... "



etc. , etc.



Matt

 

[CarlJensen]

This is true but the back up and smack something problem is still there for us who tow a 5ver(don't ask me how I know). Much easier to hook up and you can actually see what is behind the truck. Worth giving up a few bucks for the covenience.

 

[merryman]

I have been towing fivers since 1984; the first several years with the stock tailgate and now for 10+ years with a vented "notched" tailgate. The only strange thing I have noticed is three incidents of things blowing out of the bed of the truck with the vented tailgate. Twice it was my wheel chocks for the fiver;they are made from a pieces of treated 4X6 about 15 inches long cut into on a diagonal and tied together with a rope about 4' long by way of a hole drilled through each peice. Once the rope got wraped around an axel of the fiver and was discovered when another driver alerted me to the situation. The second time, about two hours into the days drive, I noticed smoke coming from the fiver wheels. I found one peice of the chocks wedged between a tire and the frame of the trailer; it destroyed the tire.

The third incident was I had a plastic basket that I think milk cartons came in. The carton was full of short pieces of 2x6's that I used for leveling etc.

One day after the days traveling, I went to get some 2x6s from the basket and the whole thing was gone.

While these three things happened over 10+ years and many thousands of miles of towing, I have learned to haul all such things in a fiver compartment.

Such loses never occurred when using the factory tailgate.



Vaughn