Airtabs have been discussed in previous EO threads and I have seen them on a few straight trucks and tractors. The airtab is a small, triangular shaped, plastic, self adhering item that is fastened to the rear edge of a vehicle. http://www.airtab.com/ describes them as follows:
"Airtabsâ„¢ are unique, Vortex Generators (VG) that have been specially designed for trucks. They work by creating a controlled swirl of air, or vortex which actually reduces wind resistance (or aerodynamic drag).Aerodynamic drag has long been a target for fuel economy on trucks."
My 2006 Chevrolet 3500 has gotten 17.9 miles per gallon during 3975 miles of a combination of highway, city, loaded, and empty miles recorded earlier this year. During the middle of May, I installed 34 airtabs on the rear of my van. I did so out of curiosity to determine if they were of value on a typical van.
My test period, which ended on June 1, occured over 3176 miles where I used 168.834 gallons of fuel for an average MPG of 18.81. My driving style and combination of driving conditions were comparable during my before and after airtab test. Needless to say, I'm very pleased with the performance of these little plastic triangles. In addition to a 5% increase in mileage, I get a greatly reduced dirt buildup on the rear of the van. I also had better visibility, during rain, in the door mounted rearview mirrors because the modified airflow diminished the air turbulance behind the van.
"Airtabsâ„¢ are unique, Vortex Generators (VG) that have been specially designed for trucks. They work by creating a controlled swirl of air, or vortex which actually reduces wind resistance (or aerodynamic drag).Aerodynamic drag has long been a target for fuel economy on trucks."
My 2006 Chevrolet 3500 has gotten 17.9 miles per gallon during 3975 miles of a combination of highway, city, loaded, and empty miles recorded earlier this year. During the middle of May, I installed 34 airtabs on the rear of my van. I did so out of curiosity to determine if they were of value on a typical van.
My test period, which ended on June 1, occured over 3176 miles where I used 168.834 gallons of fuel for an average MPG of 18.81. My driving style and combination of driving conditions were comparable during my before and after airtab test. Needless to say, I'm very pleased with the performance of these little plastic triangles. In addition to a 5% increase in mileage, I get a greatly reduced dirt buildup on the rear of the van. I also had better visibility, during rain, in the door mounted rearview mirrors because the modified airflow diminished the air turbulance behind the van.
