Wind Deflector tested for towing range improvement

[mongo]

Not if they are in the fast lane

Ah, C. W. McCall mode

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[Limes2]

Good Sir - Might I recommend a rattle can or two of black paint?

Silver or GTFO.

 

[prozman]

This looks really ugly...The orm does not justify the savings

 

[That Beast Mode]

Yes, but that doesn't really seal (and would take ~5 cans just for the outer surface). Had also considered just going with rattle can bed liner. OSB needs a coat or two of oil based primer like Kilz shoved in the cracks with a stiff bristled brush followed by top coat of exterior paint.
Which I wasn't going to do until I had some actual test data. Paint costs more than the wood. It's a process, not a product.

Get a gallon of rhino liner and a paint roller, it'll seal that thing right up.

 

[That Beast Mode]

Silver or GTFO.

If his bed rack was silver I'd agree with you - but silver truck, black rack, silver cheese wedge thing - it stands out too much.

 

[mongo]

This looks really ugly...The orm does not justify the savings

orm?

 

[AverageJoe]

orm?

O.R.M. – Oncoming Resistance Magnet
O.R.M. – Optimal Resistance Maker
O.R.M. – One Really Massive drag reducer

 

[mongo]

Get a gallon of rhino liner and a paint roller, it'll seal that thing right up.

Yah, an $80 gallon of Rust Oleum would do a coat, but that wasn't worth it to us before testing if it worked. Other issue is it's water based which might destroy the OSB. They do make an oil based bed paint, but it's out of stock.

 

[mongo]

O.R.M. – Oncoming Resistance Magnet
O.R.M. – Optimal Resistance Maker
O.R.M. – One Really Massive drag reducer

One-of-a-kind Research Model

 

[OldDirtyRobot]

Lets just go all in.

 

[That Beast Mode]

Lets just go all in.

There are no aero covers on the trailer wheels, so we have not yet reached "ALL in" status. Does it have 6 wheel steering?

 

[R.R.MONTY]

Lord forgive him for he not know what he do.

 

[mongo]

Lord forgive him for he not know what he do.

That's why we test!

 

[pae1andonly]

While you are in prototype mode ... I was wondering...

Since there is turbulence/loss-of-efficiency zone between the truck and the trailer - if the angle of the wedge was a little flatter would that
a) not much hurt the the drag of the trailer, and
b) reduce the cost of pushing through just a little? If such things were measurable, obv the net would be the interesting figure.

I lack any aerodynamic training, so my thought(s) could well just be nonsense.

Also wondered if you narrowed the top of the wedge if it would be slightly more efficient to push through the wind w/o significant cost to pulling the trailer through. Again, turbulence between truck and trailer being an amorphous situation. Think of the way the top of the CT windscreen is narrower than the bottom. The sides of the wedge might be parallel to the CT sail(?) rather than vertical.

Rather than paint, wondering if a trailer-like thin skin of metal sheeting would be both more cost effective and slicker to air than paint. Prob durability and water-proof points as well, not to mention consistency with either the truck or the trailer.

Fun - and ambitious - project!

 

[mongo]

While you are in prototype mode ... I was wondering...

Since there is turbulence/loss-of-efficiency zone between the truck and the trailer - if the angle of the wedge was a little flatter would that
a) not much hurt the the drag of the trailer, and
b) reduce the cost of pushing through just a little? If such things were measurable, obv the net would be the interesting figure.

I lack any aerodynamic training, so my thought(s) could well just be nonsense.

Also wondered if you narrowed the top of the wedge if it would be slightly more efficient to push through the wind w/o significant cost to pulling the trailer through. Again, turbulence between truck and trailer being an amorphous situation. Think of the way the top of the CT windscreen is narrower than the bottom. The sides of the wedge might be parallel to the CT sail(?) rather than vertical.

Rather than paint, wondering if a trailer-like thin skin of metal sheeting would be both more cost effective and slicker to air than paint. Prob durability and water-proof points as well, not to mention consistency with either the truck or the trailer.

Fun - and ambitious - project!

In reverse order:
Metal skin would be better, could also epoxy the OSB to smooth it out. Ideal incarnation is metal and foldable.
Cybertruck tapers to reduce frontal area and minimize material. Since the trailer is taller and wider than the truck, I don't think reducing the ramp would help.

The wedge angle does end up pointing over the front edge of the trailer, but I think the air stream tends to converge so I'm not sure that lowering it would help. Overall frontal area stays the same anyway. If the unit didn't fold, a shorter ramp would definitely help non-towing efficiency.

I may tape on a bunch of yarn tufts to try visualizing air flow.

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