Wings (on top of the truck for 5ers)

[doncannon]

Hello all,
Has anyone used the Wing ontop of trucks? If so which kind and did they help? mileage wise and/or speed?
thank you all,
Don

[David Utz]

Do they work?...Yes smile.gif ...and no :( . I have one of the adjustable fiberglass wings that is spring loaded and changes angle with speed. It is one of the largest wings available and mounts to the front bed stake pockets. This puts it about as close to the trailer as you can get. Pull two pins and it folds flat. How will does it work? (This is the No part). :( With my current rig, the only noticeable change is the bug splatter pattern on the front of the trailer. The Travel Supreme is a tall heavy 5er. The wing just isn't large enough to make any noticeable improvement. Can they be effective? (This is the yes part). smile.gif My last rig was a 1990 2500 350 gasser. The trailer was a mid-profile 5er that was half the weight of the Travel Supreme. The truck would flat run out of power with a head wind or moderate hill at 60 MPH. By adding the wing and lowering the hitch two holes, I could pull at 75 MPH and head winds were no longer a problem. For this setup, the improvement was significant and made the wing well worth the purchase. Most people only see the bug pattern and little more. But if the conditions are right, they can work.

[chipper]

I agree with David. I ran one for about 100,000 miles on my 79 Chev & found that I got about 1 MPG extra fuel economy plus the same benifits as Dave bucking winds.

[Rocinante]

I have had a "wing" for my last 3 trailers. It is adjustable and can be folded down when not towing. The closer the air deflector (wing)is to the trailer, the more effect it has. I have not seen a noticible improvement in fuel economy, but it is worth having just to keep the bugs off of the rig. IMO, if you pull a trailer at 70 MPH you shouldn't be worrying about fuel economy. :eek:

[lburks]

rocinante,

You wouldn't happen to also be a writer???

One who might write for a large circulation rv magazine??

If so, enjoyed your articles until you retired.

Lyle

[Rocinante]

No Iburks, I don't write for any magazine, this however, dosen't stop me from having opinions on RVing, nor willingness to share them. Thanks for your interest.