tail gate on or off

[HOOK]

"Mythbusters" did a program on tailgates up or down for fuel mileage. They got much better up. Of course that was not towing a 5er.

[BB_TX]

There have been an number of studies done using wind tunnels, computer modeling, etc to try to prove one way or the other. Consensus is that up gives better fuel mileage. Reasoning is that with it down, a low pressure area (partial vacuum) is formed behind the cab essentially creating a reverse pull (drag) on the cab. The tail gate up traps a bubble of air in the bed reducing that low pressure area and eliminating that drag.
But with a 5er attached, I think the whole low pressure concept would go out the window with the air pushed in all directions from the front cap. Probably would not make much difference either way with the 5er on.
But like others, my tail gate is up and the tonneau cover closed and both locked when not towing as I tend to keep a few things in there I would rather not advertise.

[sailer]

The newest thing they are stealing is now tail gates, so keep them locked as the new ford tail gate with the ladder is about 4600.00 as a guy told me that had his stolen in Miami, They sell them for drugs ...sailer

[Illini Trekker]

How about towing with the gate on and let down while towing? There is lots of room for turns and bumps when the gate is laying down. The gate will never be in the way hitching or removing the 5er. I never carry anything in the bed of the truck and with all the stops I don't worry about theft.

[helmick]

If my gate was down when towing I could not make any sharp turns.

[DQDick]

I actually sold my old tailgate for oil changes. My dealer traded me oil changes for the old tailgate. He got a deal and so did I.

[Rondo]

Dennis-- I go along with Ron H. If I towed with the tailgate down, I'd never be able to make many turns either, let alone sharp ones. The newer units are even worse. If you have the tailgate down on a new one you barely have room to walk between the truck and the Monte. The top is curved now but the distance from the pinbox to the front compartment seems a lot less!

[Bill-N-Donna]

quote:Originally posted by Rondo

Dennis-- I go along with Ron H. If I towed with the tailgate down, I'd never be able to make many turns either, let alone sharp ones. The newer units are even worse. If you have the tailgate down on a new one you barely have room to walk between the truck and the Monte. The top is curved now but the distance from the pinbox to the front compartment seems a lot less!

With our 2001 I could have driven with the tail gate down. I had room to walk behind the truck connected. It was very convenient to say the least. On the 2007 the tail gate is only about 2 inches from the body of the Monty. I understand with that how the frame flex issue was improved on.

On another note when talking about the air flow; we were towing once with a blue boy waste water tank lying in the truck bed with the tail gate up. I watched it levitate and pull over the edge of the truck and make a landing in the middle of the highway. I would have never thought that that would have happened. With the Monty hooked up you have a lot of different air currents back there. I don’t know if not having a tail gate would improve on it or not. I know I like having it so it will stay.

[richfaa]

We went with the V tailgate so we could hook and unhook easier and we can see into the back of the truck no other reason.

[Illini Trekker]

I have a short bed GMC that must be the deference between your truck/trailer combo, Ron and Rondo? Bill what your saying may be why Montana change the length of the nose on the newer models? If I ever carry anything in the bed it would be blocks of cribbing or fire wood and it sits in front of the hitch. I have noticed less air moving the bits of fire wood floating around behind the cab, like the air is able to move past the bed and away with the gate down!

[BB_TX]

On my '07 3075RL and '07 F350 LB, I can't even lower my tailgate without hitting the front storage door of the camper if I am at much of an angle. Turning, I am sure, would punch a hole in it.

[patbarton]

On. If I removed the tailgate from my truck, it would end up lost like my favorite hair dryer and my pinochle deck...

[mlh]

I leaving mine on. I had a 2/10 6 feet long blow of of my truck coming up Fancy Gap on I77, with the tailgate on. There is a lot of turbulence back there.
Lynwood

[kdeiss]

on no question

[Weldon]

Gate on.

[Art-n-Marge]

I keep my tailgate on, just nicked it once when I forgot to drop it after I had unhitched and was driving away. However, I'm intrigued if the mpgs would improve when driving with the Monty in tow and the tailgate down. I know my rig clears when the tailgate is down on sharp turns because I've tried it. Then I could flip the bed extender back and load up more cargo in the bed. Not heavy stuff, mind you, but extra stuff like bicyles laying flat.

I don't have a hitch in the back of the Monty and haven't gotten around to getting a front hitch (not sure I like the look of the bikes in front of my rig) and if in front will add more length. But lying flat in the back of the bed and using the bed extender and locks and chains to make it impossible to remove them from the bed with the Monty attached, hmmmmm. I gotta think about this more. Thanks for the idea.

I'd still like to know if the mpgs are affected with the tail gate up or down when there is a fifth wheel attached. The mpgs plummet anyway hitching up a Monty, I just wanna know if this would make much difference.

[Clyde n Deb]

I tried it with the gate up and down on longer trips a few times back when I first got the Monty. Could not prove to myself it made a difference one way or the other. Much more dependent on actual wind and driving speed.

[tbhd2]

Most of us are driving pickups that have diesel engines or large gas engines in them that are capable of effortlessly moving a house down the road at 60+ mph. Having the tailgate up or down isn't going to makea significant difference. IMO

[mhs4771]

I think there are way too many variables: temperature, wind, road conditions, and I think the biggest: quality of the fuel. I think the fuel has the biggest effect, at least from what I have experienced.

[gregdan24]

After coming too close to wrecking my stock gate and/or the front of the Monty a couple of times, decided to go with a Custom Flow V gate with the insert and a Retrax cover.