DogTrail
X-TRAIL FANATIC
Date Registered: 05-2012
Location: Sunshine Coast
TOTAL POSTS: 481
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Re: Wind Deflector on Car for towing a Caravan etc
quote: My question is whether anyone here has used something like this to reduce drag, decrease fuel consumption etc.
Yes. I suggested an airfoil should be fitted to my brother's campervan to reduce the drag engendered by his roof carrier.
He reckoned there was a significant fuel saving after it was fitted.
For ti81: Perhaps he/she has not traveled long distances where a fraction of a litre/100Km is significant over the journey?
Also, over 40,000 km I've averaged 8.3 L/100km in my petrol 2.5L so I'm not persuaded that 10 L/100 km is 'awesome' for a diesel.
Should that be hard to believe, all the figures are readily available on Spritmonitor.
Back to the point: The concept is sound.
Imagine a drive of 5000 Km. Saving that lowest estimate of 2L/100Km gives an overall saving of 100 L over that journey. At 3l/100 it is 150 litres saved.
At Outback prices, that could be $2-300.
Better in my pocket than in theirs.
It is only an air foil & the wind force is directional and stable and will tend to push the car down (for better traction) rather than twist and pull rearwards, so I wouldn't be fussed about that unless you intend to hit 140+ kph.
There will be a sweet point - at a guess, maybe around 90 kph.
I vaguely remember rule of thumb that it takes about 20% more fuel to run a car at 100 kph than at 80 kph and a further 20% on that, to run it at 120 kph.
The airfoil should slide the curve of the graph into your favour
Last edited by DogTrail, 18/Feb/2015, 3:45 am
--- 2011/12 Australia:- 2.5 litre petrol 4WD, Series IV ST, CVT : + some gadgets and cosmetic add-on's. Dirt, (it protects the paintwork) X-2429(c).
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18/Feb/2015, 3:23 am
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tj81
X-TRAIL NEWBIE
Date Registered: 05-2014
TOTAL POSTS: 56
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Re:
Ive towed campers for years over many 10s of thousands of k's with my 4.2 Turbo Diesel Patrol, 10l per hundred sounds good to me.
Im talking towing here, not average consumption over the life of the vehicle, mine routinely gets 6.5 around town and lower on open road...if i get 10/ph towing my van, i will be very happy.
Last edited by tj81, 18/Feb/2015, 10:53 am
--- Member # X-3683
T31 Xtrail, 4wd TS, 2.0 Diesel Manual. Tempest Blue
Lightforce 170 HID, Nudge Bar
Geelong VIC
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18/Feb/2015, 8:19 am
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