Gas improvement with no tailgate?

Question

How much will your gas mileage improve if you leave your tailgate down, or remove it completely?

Answer 1

they actually did a tv show on this where they tested 3 trucks, one with tailgate up, one with it removed, and one with the flat bed cover on the truck, and the milage didnt change more than +/- one mpg. Personally i wouldve thought a noticable change but.. its proven not to make enough of a differance to matter.

Answer 2

I have tried the drop down tailgate to try to save... It does not work!  I drive a 1/2 ton dodge ram with a 4.7L 8 and it is KILLING me here in Texas, where the gas is now $3.65 a gallon.

Answer 3

it wont take in off the tailgate will make more drag to the back of the truck then with it on. my dad has a wind tunnel to Prof it! but mileage wise you wont no the difference.

Answer 4

maybe 1-3 MPG

Answer 5

mythebusters put it to the test it doesnt work well

Answer 6

As the majority have said, gas mileage is not improved by lowering/removing the tail gate.  In addition, with the gate opened or removed, the structure of the vehicle is weakened in the event of a crash.  

You will more likely improve your gas mileage by the following:  keep proper air pressure in your tires, keep your air filter clean, remove unnecessary junk from the cab of your vehicle, and back off the speed a bit (remembering, of course, that too slow can be as unsafe as too fast).  Also keep in mind that the more and harder you apply the brakes, the faster you are draining the tank, and apply that philosophy to your driving style.

Answer 7

they tested this on myth busters and it actually hurts the truck because it adds drag with it off. with it on the air does like a swirling thing and its better for gas mileage

Answer 8

Who knows, who cares

Answer 9

I wouldnt remove it completely man, you might need it sometime. Im not sure how much i dont think its all that much but with gas prices topping out it will definately save some.

Answer 10

Mythbusters said it is better to keep it on and up because it  creates an air bubble trapt so wind flows over the truck.

Answer 11

It would actually probably make your gas mileage worse, since having the tail up creates a bubble effect that causes less drag. They have discussed it on Cartalk.com (the Click & Clack guys from public radio).

Answer 12

It's not going to help...May hurt, in fact.  I wish I could remember the primary source, maybe you can Google it, but I recall an article in an automotive trade magazine that answered that question by describing the physics of a pickup bed while the truck is in motion.

Apparently, as the truck is going down the road, the wind passes over the top of the cab and, as long as the tailgate is UP, it creates a sort of vortex INSIDE the bed.  This whirling dervish has a couple effects: 1) It creates a bubble along the top profile of the bed, enhancing airflow over the entire truck and reducing drag and 2) The airflow over the "bubble" holds the back end of the truck down better.

Answer 13

I suppose you could save some gas by removing it. The lighter the weight to better gas mileage. But I dont think it would be worth the time & effort to take it off then put it back on when you need it.

Answer 14

None, according to Mythbusters. They did that myth last year. When your tailgate is up it actually creates a "pocket" of air in the bed and the air going over the cab goes right over it while if its down or off it creates more drag. No one agrees with this, but it was tested and proved on the show.

Answer 15

it will improve by up to 30%! i used to open mine on the highway all the time. however it's illegal just about everywhere as far as i know. you have to remove it and replace it with the webbed netting. that is pretty cheap, seen them for abt $20.00 and you will save that in gas in a couple weeks or less. i never heard of myth busters. i did however own a chevy and later a dodge, finally a toyota pick up and i know my mileage increased by close to 1/3. we are talking highway driving.

Answer 16

None, it's a myth.

http://www.scangauge.com/support/tailgat...

Answer 17

Mybuster also, drove two identical trucks on the Interstate at identical speeds ect. The truck with the tailgate up went 20 miles father.

Answer 18

There wouldn't be enough drag to noticeably change mileage. Removing it would lighten the vehicle a bit as well and you may notice an increase, but you're talking a fraction of a mile per gallon...

Answer 19

It doesn't change a whole lot, but you might get an extra 15-20 miles out of your tank if you take off the tail gate.

Answer 20

driving with your tailgate down does not improve gas mileage. i know this because it was tested extensively on myth busters :)

Answer 21

MYTH BUSTERS TESTED THE TAILGATE MYTH.

They found you actually had worse gas mileage with the tailgate down or off. The best mileage was acquired with a tailgate net.

Answer 22

very little difference

Answer 23

According to Mythbusters, it's actually worse for gas mileage. Car designers know what they're doing and they probably kept that in mind.