Air Tabs Installed

Hi harold,

As always I bow to your VASTLY superior knowledge....(now which way is Mecca?)

harold1946 wrote:


Thats not a TC, its a cabover camper.

James' wrote:
I would also think they would work well on the sides near the rear... no?

I think it depends on your objective. For right now, I am trying to dampen the noise when driving. The cab can be very noisy depending on the strength and direction of the wind. The results that Art got seem to be pretty promising IMHO. I would also like to get rid of at least some of the bugs on the front bulkhead as well, but that is of less import.

If they pan out, I will then consider putting them on the rear. The objective there will be to firstly reduce the amount of dirt that accumulates on the back. Also to clear the area during rain so my rear view camera is clearer (I use it full time when towing my trailer or car). Secondly, although not that important to me, it would be nice to see some fuel economy improvements.

I'll post once I get them installed and have some experience with them.

i wonder if it would help with bugs in my unusual application where my camper to truck roof height is bigger because of my flatbed setup. i really dont have any loud wind noise but if it could help with the bugs...that would be great. heck i get more wind noise from my mirrors than anything else.
hmmm. i wonder. maybe worth a try. i wonder how hard/easy it is to clean up the surface if you need to remove them.

James, I think you are right, The guy I bought these off of stated it would help reduce the drag behind the camper. Also might help keep a little cleaner. I'm going to add some before heading west for my annual hunting trip in Montana. High winds in the Dakota's will be a true test. ART

I thinks this topic has allot of room for exploration. Thanks to all of the members that have stepped up, and said what if we did this.... And were willing to open their wallets and try something different. Take a product that was designed for one thing and test it for something else.
I looked at the air foil design and thought that was really a good design. I am in the same position as Art with a small clearance area above the cap, less then 2". So perhaps a modified air foil, tabs would do the trick.
The other areas for drag reduction could be the front jack area and the flat area behind the truck tail lights. Thanks to all of those that posted with their ideas.

I would also think they would work well on the sides near the rear... no?

bjbear Good question my non expert opinion I think any location would work, I just wanted to disrupt the air in that area and trying to eliminate the cab noise. I chose to put them above the doors. Also I did not want to block the clearance light. As you know this is a******shoot no one has done it before. I will tell you I now have around 700 miles on my truck since I install them no increase in bugs and the cab noise is still min. My wife and came home last weekend into a T-storm high winds we had very little cab noise so I feel they are working. We are leaving for a two week vacation next Wed. We are heading south into bug country so I will have a report for everyone. Thanks to everyone for the support! ART

Based on Art's reports, I am also going to try the air tabs. I ordered enough to go across the overhang. I'll be installing them in the next week or so.

One thing I am trying to figure out though, is exactly where to put them. My camper overhang is longer than Art's so not sure if they would be better at point "A" on the front edge, or at point "B" similar to Art's install.


"Positive" feedback or suggestions welcome.

Here is a picture of Art's install for reference...

HMS Beagle wrote:
Vortex generators create turbulent flow. Turbulent flow is much better at sticking to surfaces and following curves, hence (the theory is) will close in behind a blunt shape more quickly, reducing the size of the separation bubble behind it. So they should themselves cause a little extra drag, but the reduction in drag due to the smaller separation bubble you are dragging behind more than makes up for it. That's the theory.

Same reason golf balls have dimples. I love the episode of Myth Busters where they dimple a car and compare fuel mileage with vs. without dimples. One of my favorites for sure.

I'm going to look into this air tab thing a bit more. Thanks for posting!

Art Schlangen wrote:
Ok Hot of the press. I just got back from a 300mile trip. Cab noise from wind 98% gone. My wife and I can speak without screaming. We had a good head wind coming home VERY HAPPY. Bugs about a 90% improvement. Money will spent going to add some on the tail end of camper also to reduce drag on the tail end. I would recommend them It worked for me. ART

Thank you for that report.
The high season for bugs is usually summer/late summer. I hope you get to travel more and gather additional evidence regarding the efficiency of the air tabs.
Please let us know, and again, thank you.