wind resistance

[lefoster]

Is there some kind of "nose" I can put on the front of my travel trailer to help with wind resistance?


I have a 2013 198RD, and it is just a big flat front.
anyone???

[Jerry713]

A cap likely won't fit on the front of your camper. Some folks install wind deflectors on the roof of their tow vehicle something along the lines of this https://www.amazon.com/ICON-01217-Bl.../dp/B00IABDWLU

Often the initial cost and hassle make it not worth a roof wind deflector unless you tow often.

There are things called air tabs that can help with some of the wind drag but again are costly compared to the benefit you gain. https://buyairtab.com/shop/

After all campers are basically like pulling a parachute down the road. You can find ways to reduce the amount of wind drag but at the end of the day you're still pulling a parachute in my opinion.

[ARoamer]

Originally Posted by lefoster

Is there some kind of "nose" I can put on the front of my travel trailer to help with wind resistance?


I have a 2013 198RD, and it is just a big flat front.
anyone???

IMHO, Probably the benefit wouldn't be worth the effort or cost. The most effective things are, #1, slow down. If you double your speed, wind resistance goes up by a factor of four. At 70 mph, aerodynamic drag is nearly twice as great as it was at 50 mph. Stay off the interstate, take your time, enjoy the ride!
#2, not as practial or possible in some cases, but try to plan travel days to avoid strong headwinds. I pick up 2-3 mpg with a good tailwind at highway speeds.

[lefoster]

thank y'all. i figured as much. we are, in fact, pulling a big box down the road! ha!

[JFlightRisk]

If you want another hobby, it's been noted on the forum that a pair of kayaks on the TV roof helps break up the wind. Not sure how long it'll take for them to pay for themselves, but they would be fun.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by ARoamer

IMHO, Probably the benefit wouldn't be worth the effort or cost. The most effective things are, #1, slow down. If you double your speed, wind resistance goes up by a factor of four. At 70 mph, aerodynamic drag is nearly twice as great as it was at 50 mph. Stay off the interstate, take your time, enjoy the ride!
#2, not as practial or possible in some cases, but try to plan travel days to avoid strong headwinds. I pick up 2-3 mpg with a good tailwind at highway speeds.

X-2

[lefoster]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

If you want another hobby, it's been noted on the forum that a pair of kayaks on the TV roof helps break up the wind. Not sure how long it'll take for them to pay for themselves, but they would be fun.

Ha!

[Kim Gass]

That would be us.. Our mileage goes up about three mpg with canoes on the truck rack.. I figure the boats help with the aerodynamics.. avoiding the effect of wind hitting a big shoebox on wheels.

[Randel J]

I just drove home from the California central coast and purposefully drove at 55 mph to see the effect on mpg. I picked up almost 2 mpg at that speed instead of driving between 60 - 65 mph on the exact same route. The wind was a crosswind, so it did not help or detract (much) from the results. Also, the added benefit was I wasn't as stressed out driving at the slower speed.

[lefoster]

So, what i am hearing is....get a couple of canoes and slow down...Got it!
Y'all are awesome!

[JFlightRisk]

lefoster, we have the same trailer, a 2012 Jay Flight 19RD, but no canoes or kayaks to help out. Pulling a barn door behind us drops our mileage from 22 to about 11 depending on the wind and terrain. It's close to what we expected with an F150 3.5L turbo v6. A little better than what we averaged with the previous Tundra 5.7L v8.

[lefoster]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

lefoster, we have the same trailer, a 2012 Jay Flight 19RD, but no canoes or kayaks to help out. Pulling a barn door behind us drops our mileage from 22 to about 11 depending on the wind and terrain. It's close to what we expected with an F150 3.5L turbo v6. A little better than what we averaged with the previous Tundra 5.7L v8.

Best camper EVER!

[marbles]

I hear that the wind drag is caused by the vacuum or parachute behind the trailer, not in front. You would need to attach a nose cone to the rear of the trailer to help it slip through the wind.

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

That 198RD is a very nice trailer.

Our 16XRB hybrid is lighter and narrower but has the front hatch casing and hardware to catch the wind and it does a really good job of it. We just consider the cost of lower mpg is part of RV travel and camping experience. We take a lot of non-interstate roads with 55 mph speed limits but on the interstates we travel 65-70 mph and get 9-11 mpg, not a whole lot less than a day at 55-60 mph. At 10-12,000 miles a year, a few fewer mpg wouldn't generate enough savings for any potential wind-reducing device.

[kblast523]

Originally Posted by marbles

I hear that the wind drag is caused by the vacuum or parachute behind the trailer, not in front. You would need to attach a nose cone to the rear of the trailer to help it slip through the wind.

The hole the trailer has to pull in the wind is a lot more restrictive than the hole being punched in it by your rig. Your tow vehicle moves some of the air out of the trailer path, reducing air under the trailer will help a little but breaking up the vacuum behind you is more beneficial. Chloroplast sheeting will smooth up the underside. Kayaks on the roof break up wind over the roof. Canards on both sides do the same. All of the above plus a "trailer tail" setup similar to what 18 wheelers deploy might net you 25-30% from my experience/guessing. The flatter the back, the harder the pull.

[GoldenT]

I use a wind deflector on my TV. Can’t believe they cos as much as they do now I bought more ne used on marketplace for 150. It works well rowing my fifth wheel and I did gain minimal mileage. I double tow and every bit helps. But the best benefit no bugs on the nose

[ahaywood5785]

Yep the 198RD is a great camper. Love mine. I pull with a 2021 Tahoe, which is also a brick on wheels. We go from 16 MPH to 9 pulling, and it was consistent, we just did a 3200 mile trip. Enjoy that brick!

[CBCOCRBO]

Originally Posted by lefoster

Is there some kind of "nose" I can put on the front of my travel trailer to help with wind resistance?


I have a 2013 198RD, and it is just a big flat front.
anyone???

I don't know of something to put on the TT but I'd bet you can get a commercially manufactured deflector to put on your tow vehicle.
Cheers
Rick

[lefoster]

A brick pulling a box........that describes it perfectly!


Thank you all for your thoughts and ideas!


HAPPY CAMPING!

[harryjr]

Originally Posted by marbles

I hear that the wind drag is caused by the vacuum or parachute behind the trailer, not in front. You would need to attach a nose cone to the rear of the trailer to help it slip through the wind.

I think I've found the perfect dingy. A 1932 Auburn Boattail Speedster. Now all I need to do is figure is the mileage payback on a $700,000 investment.

https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/hmg/1932-auburn/