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CANAL WINCHESTER, OH
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Edited Date/Time
4/15/2020 11:03am
Much difference in mpg ?
I can get a really good deal on an all aluminum ATC Trailer but it’s a flat front. Dealership let me do 25 mile test drive and I averaged 10.7 mpg... Could I expect much more with a v-nose ?
I can get a really good deal on an all aluminum ATC Trailer but it’s a flat front. Dealership let me do 25 mile test drive and I averaged 10.7 mpg... Could I expect much more with a v-nose ?
The Shop
For dirt bikes I just throw them in my bed and tie them down.
I originally went and looked at a 5x12 enclosed and quickly decided that would get old real quick since I’m 6’1”.
per the mpg, cutting in half is intense. i see about 30% reduction on a later model full size (chev tahoe, v8). i can see a v6/small v8 having more issues. hauler rear end gears also factor in. speed greatly matters too, ie if you are running 65-70 vs 75-80
i have a basic understanding of physics, but no way the flat is going to get better mpg than a v. it's not the surface area/ie surface friction thats causing drag, its the wind resistance. a flat trailer front is basically like pulling a parachute. know who would know? semi trailer makers. look at any newer big rig for what works.
https://slate.com/culture/2013/04/truck-panels-what-do-they-do-explaine…
This has been argued ad nauseum on every imaginable forum. You will find just as many people who say the flat front tows better and is more stable as you will the V-nose. All of which are opinion and based on zero science. How many 18 wheelers you see out there pulling a V shaped trailer? None. Think about that. They use a rounded flat nose. But dont let that fact get in the way of bubba logic from Vitards.
https://www.google.com/search?q=does+a+v+front+trailer+do+better+than+a…
Pit Row
If you’re looking for MPG as stated above you would have the V at the back!
I read up a LOT on the V nose vs flat nose and about the only difference I could find is that the V gives you that extra room up front. VERY few people have towed the same size/weight trailer with the same truck and compared V vs no-V except a few dealers who were moving trailers.
One comment that came up a lot was the side wind resistance.... flat nose SEEM to be a little better.
Given my choice, I'd take the V for the extra room but I wouldn't turn down a flat-nose at a great price. Not at all.
In the end, I bought a KZ 180TH toy hauler for trips and continue to use my 6.x9 flatbed for local hauling.
No one will ever convince me that a v nose is less efficient than a flat front for a class C vehicle. If you put a v nose trailer on a semi of course it's going to cause more drag. Based on the semi's design you're increasing the amount of side surfaces that the air is going to hit which causes more drag. It's the exact opposite for a class C vehicle. They're designed to be aerodynamic by themselves so when you tow something the air is going over the vehicle as intended but then HITTING the trailer and not going over it. The v would allow this drag to be decreased. A hot knife through butter as the expression goes.
For a 6x12, I wouldn't imagine there would be a noticeable difference at all unless you're driving across the country. Even then, it would be extremely difficult to quantify due to variables.
I'd personally opt for the V nose unless the price on the standard is too good to pass up.
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