Aside for safety and add secured storage space, is there any significant increase in mpg that we can benefit of adding bed cover to your truck? And by what % increase if there's any?

 

None (or widely debated)

Tonneau and driving with tailgate down are worse for mpg

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/n...nomy/index.htm

 

Doubtful it's really a measurable impact one way or the other.

I don't use the tonneau for 'mileage.'

It's to keep stuff dry, and secure from theft, or blowing out.

Moved my son home from college Saturday, and had an amazing amount of 'stuff' under my BakFlip HD tonneau.

 

~0%

Stevie nailed it! I had a 4 door vehicle, with next to no space to keep things secure and out of sight. Now, I have a HUGE trunk! I also like it for camping, some supplies get stored in the truck bed.

 

Ford demonstrated (in an earlier pictorial or video I've lost) that the design of the 'spoiler' atop the tailgate serves to enhance airflow over the truck and negate drag that would otherwise be a factor caused by recirculating air trapped within the bed. I've noted that the new Rams also have an exaggerated shape to the upper tailgate edge.


On past F-150s, I've always installed a hard tonneau, but I've wondered if the added weight affected mpg in exchange for better airflow.

 

I believe it depends on the truck. I won't ever know on my f150 since I installed it right after getting it but I know for sure on my last truck it did. It was a ram with cylinder deactivation and I could not hold Eco mode much past 60ish before cover and after I could get almost 70 that is proof of less wind drag and my mpg was at least .5 to 1 better on monitor at hwy speeds and since it was a bakflip and only 50# the weight did not have a negative affect. Also at high speeds it does not feel as floaty with all that drag, no doubt in my mind it helped, less drag = MPG. My brother n law got my old cover now for his dodge and says same exact thing.

 

I read from an earlier study that air in the bed without a cover simple rotates and circulates, creating a de facto cover of its own. Don't buy a bed cover for purposes of fuel economy. Regardless, I always have one for the same reasons Stevie mentioned.

 

Mythbusters did a test with tailgate up, tailgate down, bed cover and a cargo net in place of the tailgate. The bed cover did absolutely nothing for MPG. Strange enough, the cargo net yielded the best MPG due to less weight but still had the same effect as a tailgate.

To answer your question, 0%

 

yep I remember watching that show to see if there was a difference. it was due to the "bubble" air flow in the bed

 

http://www.realtruck.com/tonneau-cov...e-gas-mileage/



Do tonneau covers really offer fuel savings?

Quick answer, yes they do. Ultimately a hard or soft truck bed cover increases the aerodynamics of your pickup thus increasing your fuel efficiency.

Open truck beds are a huge drag on your gas mileage. As air flows over the aerodynamic front end of your vehicle, it careens into your truck bed and produces opposite force to your truck. This could easily provide you with several miles of additional gas every single trip! Covering your bed up with a tight tonneau cover, either a hard or soft one, eliminates this tailgate drag.



How much will a truck tonneau cover increase gas mileage? tonneaus improve gas mileage

Tonneau covers do increase gas mileage, but by exactly how much depends on the truck and the brand of tonneau. Most tonneau bed cover manufacturers actively promote that a pickup cover improves gas mileage. This makes complete sense as less drag means better fuel economy. By closing your truck bed with a tonneau cover, you're reducing airflow and drag significantly while creating a secure storage environment for your tools, sports equipment and other belongings. However, most manufacturers are confident that a tonneau cover will pay for itself in fuel savings.

Some truck bed cover manufacturers offer Fuel Savings Calculators such as Access Cover or TruXedo. Pace-Edwards boasts an 11% increase in fuel economy. Access Covers claim you will save $225.00 per year in gas money.



Want more gas savings? Check out all RealTruck's gas saving products