Quite some time ago I stumbled across something on the net that claimed to
deal with just the phenomenon that GH describes. It was a set of turbulence
inducing parts that you would attach to the rear side edge of the trailer to
induce the air to make the turn more easily to fill that big vacuum in the
trailer's wake.
I passed on making a purchase since I have never seen any on any trucks, and
if they were as good as claimed I suspect I'd see them on all big rigs.
FWIW.
Bruce
----- Original Message -----
From: <Ghsharp@aol.com>
To: <mark@sccaprepared.com>; <autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: Trailer recommendations
> In a message dated 5/6/2004 11:18:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> mark@sccaprepared.com writes:
>
> > Speaking of that... Anyone know where you can buy those "wind bubble"
> > things I see on the top front of some trailers?
> >
> > Mark
> >
>
>
> Testing by several big trucking companies (Roger Penske's, for one) that I
> have read about over the last 10 years has indicated that the single
biggest
> source of drag for a semi-trailer is actually the hole in the air created
by
> the
> square configuration of its rear end. Solving that is problematical
though,
> since the rear doors still have to open in a manner that allows backing up
> to a loading dock between other trailers. There are some examples of rigs
> that are doing things differently. Ever see an enclosed car hauler on the
> road with "Waggoneers" insignia on the cab? The trailers they use have a
> big fiberglass "boattail" on the back end to streamline the airflow. They
> are
> able to do it because they generally load/unload in parking lots with lots
of
> clearance to swing the "tail" out of the way.
>
> GH
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