Tedonlin150

Has anyone compared before and after results of installing a soft tonneau cover? They advertise a 2-3 mpg improvement but I don't know if thats true or not. Currently I get 22 mpg on a long highway trip going at about 68-69 mph @1800 rpm. If I could improve that by at least 1 mpg by installing a tonnaeu cover i'd be happy. I tried searching this topic but didn't come up with any solid answers. TIA

mdub

I check the mpg on nearly every tank, and in spite of my hopeful optimism I saw absolutely no difference after installing a Bak Industries "Bakflip" tonneau cover (solid cover). It's a relatively light cover, around 40lbs.

I think they have the aerodynamics of these trucks tuned pretty tight so a tonneau cover won't show much, or any mpg gain. I'm guessing the marketing message was copied from 1975, when a tonneau cover might actually make a mpg difference.

I would celebrate if I achieved 22mpg with a 4x4, that's impressive. I personally don't feel your mileage will improve by adding a cover, but they're sure nice for other reasons.

prlsnpsdodge

I've got one.. or did anyways.. In town still about the same, 17 (give or take 1/2). Highway is a little bit worse than with the cover. I was averaging about 20.5. Without it and with the stacks I average about 20... Not enough to make me take off the stacks... But I also opened the exhaust and the intake up from stock... so one could surmise that I actually WOULD get better mileage with a tonneau cover on there...

thames1948

I took a trip from la to vegas and got 20.2 mpg and then bought a cab high shell and got the same mileage on the next trip.

kthiemann

I haven't noticed any difference with mine one way or another.

wytesyko

No improvement at all, should have saved my money and got a camper shell. On my last truck a shell made a huge gain.

Tedonlin150

Ok thanks for the replys. I think i'll leave it the way it is then.

rockcrawler304

I got a 4 MPG gain with mine!!

























J/K
I did notice about .5 to .75 MPG gain with mine. I used to keep very detailed records in an excel sheet and as soon as I put mine on it went up. I even tested my theory by removing it for 2 weeks and it dropped that same .5 to .75 and put it back on and right back up.

bonus

I have regular Snug Top, no better mpg highway then without.

Rednax

I did notice about .5 to .75 MPG gain with mine. I used to keep very detailed records in an excel sheet and as soon as I put mine on it went up. I even tested my theory by removing it for 2 weeks and it dropped that same .5 to .75 and put it back on and right back up.

Go read up over on ECOMODDER where they take aerodynamics dead serious.

There are better bed covers, but none so cheap or easy.