Insert from MythBusters - Tailgate Up or Down 2 (from More Myths Revisited) fuel consumption test

[hellowtfru]

so... they dont want us to try what they do?? so we arent supposed to drive?? help...

[CRDakota68]

Interesting, I bet mesh is cheaper too.

[cutenukkah]

yeah try that on an 8 foot bed not a 6 footer

[anthonypotter64]

i think they should do tool box in and tool box out lol

[TIGHTWADHERMAN]

Not all trucks same // air dynamics // stone guards under truck change back draft // and height of truck // have owed 10 or 12 trucks and drove 30 more over my life time some it helps some it hurts millage // NOW LET ME SAY THIS I DONT SELL OR PROFIT FROM // THIS ITEM I AM RECOMMENDING

Buy a { ULTRA-GAUGE } There only about 70 dollars and it Will give you correct info // it plugs into ob11 port // takes about 15 mins to install // has 73 different gauges // see them here on YOUTUBE

[6SpeedSilverado]

seriously people who complain about gas mileage are retards. you chose the vehicle you have to suffer with what it gets for gas mileage. i drive a truck cause i want to. i could probably get away with driving a Prius, but i dont want to. so i suffer with the gas mileage.

[MrJager23x]

I want to fully trust them but how can I be sure that they are not affiliated with a truck net company?

[lexevo]

@MrJager23x Because there credibility of the show is worth 1,000 times more then what a truck net company can afford to bride them with.

[punxsutawneybarney]

To watch the mythbusters guys set off a half a ton of thermite in an effort to burn a car in half, see my video "Incendiary Experiments"

[WarblesOnALot]

@dferendario

Um, Gday. I call myself a "retired Low-Speed Aerodynamics-Consultant"...;OK­, & these are good efforts 2ward a valid test. What they missed is the effect battery- condition has on fuelburn. At 30% discharged, anything with a 3:1 alternator step-up drive (normal these days) may use 30% fuelburn for recharging... Search 'sunfoil' & view the "Short-Talk.." clip, it has most recent data... For the Aerodynamic aspects, try 'solar thermal ramjet'.

[HipieGirl1786]

I Maybe wrong, but from my understanding. the surrounding traffic can disrupt air barriers, and more or less traffic around you can change your fuel eff. almost like drafting. some of there tests here were done with less to no traffic, and others were higher traffic (breaking up the air barriers) so I wonder how that plays in effect. remember drafting a big rig at 100ft gives a 11% mpg increase on dodge mag. a pick up (imo) has a much less aerodynamics. so drafting proxy could be even higher...?

[cadw600]

what season / episode is this?

[cadw600]

he didnt tell us how many GPH with the mesh... :(

[Twilight788]

What about longbed vs shortbed?

[ytkuser]

that truck is pretty small why dont they try a real truck get a ford with a 460 and do those test i bet they see not much improvement lol.

[link182ava44]

what about a Canopy?

[link182ava44]

"don't try anything you're about to see us do" "Ever!"

So we can't drive our trucks?

[sandking0077]

wut about a camper? its even with the roof and more areodynamic than a taho cover

[helenaki8]

An other part of test can be the length of the bed.

[richadNtexas]

Am I the only one that is concerned that in their best case scenario (gate up) that the truck got 11 miles per gallon. 55 miles driven in one hour -> 5.0 gal consumed. 55/5=11.0 mpg

[richadNtexas]

@richadNtexas oops, my mistake - the mesh was best w 5% increase, so they got almost 11.1 mpg. I'd have used a tool that got much better'n a 454 chevy - something where an "about 5%" increase was measureable enough that you'd actually wanna come out & say the number. My BS radar's a beepin'.

[richadNtexas]

@richadNtexas ok, so my math skills aren't that great but still...

[phatJtrigga]

I drive a 78 Chevy Shortbed Pick Up with an eight inch lift and a three inch body lift, With a 350 bored out to a 355 Small block, It gets about nine miles to the gallon. My mom drives a 78 Chevy Shortbed Pick up with a nine Inch lift and a two inch body lift, With a 454 big block under the hood and she gets a bout five miles to the gallon. So I dont think any combination of tailgates will help us. lol

[jcbloomis]

I WANT TO SEE THE DATA!!!! I want number to back up what they are saying sounds to me like the Mess company paid for some advertising. How the Hell could there be a 5% increase over no tailgate and mesh when they are basically the same? Something Sounds FISHY!!!

[Magnuspire]

See... I'd love to see their explination on the 50-100 mile difference that my truck gets between tail gate on and off.

On I get about 250 miles to a 15 gallon tank. On I get 300 - 350 miles.

Explain that Mr special effects people. Keep in mind these are the same people that didn't think a plain could take off from a conveyor belt.

[sc400575]

What about tailgate down with the net?

[sirhcskoorb]

Heres the real kicker!

Every truck is a little different.

So put your tailgate in what every position you like best and move on with your life :)

[titandown]

should have emailed an aerospace engineer. or tried a full box top for the truck.

[blown2000f150]

How about off.

[outersun]

Seriously? How about putting it in neutral down hills and inflating the tires to 83psi. Remove the side mirrors and put a full body under belly pan. Buy the lightest most drag efficient rims and tires also. Hell remove your wiper and fill the grill leaving just a slit to grab air. Or just drive your damn truck. Want to save petrol, buy a Pegoretti and loose some weight to boot. Damn!

[HonestJack]

@outersun Fuel saving probably makes more sense here in england, where fuel is nearly $7.50 a gallon.

[adrianjliu]

What I wanna know is why they edited out the results of the last 2 tests. They obviously filmed that part.

[musewolfman]

@adrianjliu simply put, time. they didn't have enough to run all the tests on TV.

[helenaki8]

what about on top speed? a test with max speed?

[chanchina]

@helenaki8 why would top speed test have anything to do with TRYING TO SAVE GAS? In addition you aren't supposed to be exceeding 55-65mph in most parts of USA and most countries.

[helenaki8]

@chanchina yes, you have right, but with my pick up i ride the open road every day, and i need to save time, sometimes. so i push it to 90mph. i have toyota hilux and it has 105 max speed. i will try it, and i will write again my rasults-better top speed means save gas in speeds near the top

[TARDISvision]

@helenaki8 you should have better fuel mileage, up or down it affects the drag whatever speed you're travelling.

[dre04mach]

Would be interesting to see a camper shell test - only one they didn't do.

My best guess as to why the mesh worked out better is b/c the mesh still provides some of the effect that forms the bubble of air in the bed of the truck, while it lets some air escape - so no parachute effect as with the tailgate up. And saves weight. Too bad they're so damn fugly and worthless if you need to keep something in the bed...

[legacy5990]

I'll still drive with tail gate down. Why you ask? Because the cameras can't see my license plate. Lol.

[08rtaylo]

i like this lol...

[sureloc]

@legacy5990 LOOOOL GENIUS!!!

[DreadyDiggs]

As for how mesh is better than no tailgate, well I don't know, but no tailgate and no mesh sure don't look good to me haha.

[DreadyDiggs]

A tonneau cover isn't light. Added weight means the engine does more work. The added weight is a negative, the better mileage is a positive, and they clash and cancel out.

The mesh saves weight and changes how air moves about in the bed.

I have an 87 F150 but it won't get a cover or mesh. It's a truck didn't buy it to save on gas. Bought it to do work.

[titandown]

@DreadyDiggs the added weight only matters with stop and go.

[Twilight788]

@DreadyDiggs Okay, but I inherited my truck from my deceased grandfather and do not wish to sell it.

[A1Zealot]

How is it possible that adding the mesh gives you better mileage than no tailgate altogether?!!!! I'm in physics II now and that makes no sense to me.

[chanchina]

@A1Zealot that depends, which physics are you taking? It's advanced aerodynamics and advanced mechanics in physics. For low speeds and constant change in speeds (city driving), Lower weight on the car gives the best mileage as the engine needs to do less to move the car a certain speed (try dragging a pebble vs a boulder for a mile). In higher speeds and constant speed aerodynamics plays more of a role due: less air resistance and less turbulence is the best for mileage (like sandpaper vs paper)

[hdude55]

@A1Zealot it affects the airflow

[vochitoken]

I just hope the fuel meter also considers the fuel returning to the tank, if not the test is again bs...

[itbeshowinlikeamotha]

NOOOO

Fuel meter is not accurate.

[theshameband]

Truck gate down = less gas mileage. Bottom line. Nuff said. Only rednecks think that tailgate down gets more gas mileage... but that is typical hillbilly logic. Don't listen to science.

[AHSDELRAY]

idk what you say rednecks are the smartest people on the earth...NASA has the smartest people in the world and their all rednecks how do i know that... they have three cars on the moon and two of them are up on blocks REDNECKS ROOL

[itbeshowinlikeamotha]

idiot

[RCSuperPowers]

I love how they get pounded into the ground by armchair non-test scientist too!

[RCSuperPowers]

Yes! Its the "KF Airfoil effect"

[Triclops85]

And the quality of the fuel

[haze2r1]

I have a 2007 Chevy 2500HD Longbed and when I have the tailgate down I get 30 miles more per tankfull.

[darkflame64]

i think it may depend on the size of the truck too...