Aerofoil towing deflector

gruffy
gruffy Forum Participant Posts: 8
edited July 2016 in Tips for making Caravanning & Touring Cheaper #1

I tried these years ago,but didnt find much benefit with a high4x4.I saw a towsure Ad recently for one,read the road laboratory report and bought one.my car is a Volvo xc70,est.2.4,212hhp.my van a pegasus rimini.I consider the van to be blunt,not very aerodynamic.Without
foil,26mpg towing,with foil 28mpg usual roads.I have noticed hills i would come down to5th on the autobox,it now climbs those hills in top,6th and without dropping speed.I therefore feel the expense worh it,we do a lot of touring,and winter in spain,there
is a considerable saving when fairly high mileage is the norm.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited July 2016 #2
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #3

    Might a roofbox do the same thing? It would also give extra storage. When I towed I found the roofbox improved economy in places like Germany where towing speeds are lower but in France using higher speeds no difference at all. 

    David

  • Riba
    Riba Forum Participant Posts: 70
    edited July 2016 #4

    We fitted a rack to the roof of our CRV to carry our Oztent, which is basically a 9ft ×2ft open basket.

    We drove all the way to Switzerland and back and was expecting it to hammer the fuel economy, but it actually improved it

    Very strange.

  • Tirril
    Tirril Forum Participant Posts: 439
    100 Comments
    edited July 2016 #5

    Gruffy I am just wondered at a saving of 2 mpg will you ever get your money back?

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited July 2016 #6

    If he drives five hundred miles and then drives five hundred more etc.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #7

    On our first caravan over thirty years ago we had a very flat front and used an Escort hatchback to tow it with the aerofoil right at the backand it did appear to help. On moving on to a more streamlined caravan and a Cavalier saloon pushing the aerofoil
    forward it appeared to make no real difference except to help keep dead flies off the caravan front.

    I think with the better aerodynamics of the modern caravan these things do no real good. The downside could be they tend to push the back end down taking weight off the front wheels and that could be dangerous for some outfits on corners on a slippery wet
    road. 

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited July 2016 #8

    You need an F1 type front spoiler then to get balanced downforce. Wink

  • gruffy
    gruffy Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited July 2016 #9

    Regarding getting money back.We do a lot of travelling.I reckon my van does about 7000 miles a year,its 3yrs. Old,the caravan shape as i originally stated is very square,bailey pegasus.this,im sure makes the aerofoil work for me.The test results on this
    new shape foil are independent,and therefore,hopefully un-biased.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #10

    I think you need an estate or similar shaped car with a square rear end and the aerofoil as far back as possible for it to work at all. If it is not near the back of the car because of a boot or long slope then it will be too far away to be effective.

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