Better mpg with new trailer

I must have done something wrong. I pulled one from Idaho to Illinois and didn't see any difference in my mileage.

 

Possibly 8 low RR tires too - and nice new free running bearings and such.

 

I noticed a huge difference on my new trailer too. Like Blair said, going from old grease bearings to new oil bath, old recap tires to new ultra low RR tires, and of course skirts -- all played a part.


Old trailer:


New trailer:

 

Yea and a trl .that tracks straight for now.. less drag pulling it

 

I never saw much improvement. Seemed like mine dropped a bit when there was a crosswind. Of course it was the fellow I'm leased to's trailer. '10 model utility.

 

I definitely think new tires probably with a better rolling resistance gave you some of those tenths along with the skirts

 

I always found side skirts give about 0.25-0.4 mpg gain. I would buy them again.

 

I read the study that Calif. did to force Smartway skirts and tires on trailers. They could not get any improvement at their speed limit, so they had to test the trucks at an illegal speed to get any kind of verifiable increase. Then they proudly professed victory and forced all of us sheeple to another form of financial bondage. Yet they get away with this fraud so more power to them. I do enjoy watching all those trailers go by, knowing that in my wonderful state they are saving no fuel at all, then when they get to a state where they do save a very small amount of fuel, those states don't require the smartway package.

 

Interesting.

I have been wondering if the skirting was worth the time, effort, and money.

I was always under the assumption that the air had little or no drag on the underside of the trailer. I figured that the cab of the truck cause a large enough hole through the air as to not have a drag effect on the trailer?

Great post & replies! It is always fun to learn these things.