Since we have a boat person contributing:
Our truck campers are comparible to river barges,
When Janet and I lived in WV we lived on the banks of the Kanawha River. It was about a mile wide in front of our house.
Huge barges were pushed up and down the river. They we often shaped like a Jon boat on the front and flat on the back. There would often be a string of them... 2 or 3 barges wide... and 6 or more barges long sitting deep in the water...
Sometimes a few of the barges would be "backwards" in the water... we could see the water build up on the front of the string... swirling water,,, really disturbing the water.
We could hear the tug laboring to move the barges... and even worse to guide them in the curves of the river. Especially when fully loaded and deep in the water.
When they were empty the tug didn't have to use as much power to move them. So, I'm sure that we agree...lighter weight is more energy efficient.
And if the barge is deep in the water it would help if the front is shaped like a jon boat... tapering to help the water slide under the barge
Our 8' wide X 10' or 11' high truck campers are like slightly modified flat barges on the front... pushing through air (which actually has the same characteristcs as water)
I have had all kinds of boats... all for specific uses... canoes, jon boats, hybride "v"/flat bottom fishing boats, white water rafts, big deep "V" hulled I/O pleasure craft (hard tops).
I have never had a boat that was as poorly suited to do its job as our truck campers are...
Now you know where I'm going!
A "V" shaped front helps get a boat through the water.
Of course any "V" will help our truck camper cut through the air... every little bit helps. ( do you remember when I mentioned turned backward umberellas? they catch air like the space between our trucks cab and our campers cabover) this area makes the problem even worse that just a flat "barge like" front end.
Most of us agree that eliminating the problem area between the truck and camper is a good idea.
Most of us can visualize the water currents and eddy's around boats... and we know what the boating industry does to solve it.
Question:
Does a boat move smoothly through the water if the boat is a double ended canoe? (laminar flow)
When you see turbulance in the water how hard is it to get a boat through the water?
Will more turbulance help... or will it help to gently part the water with a "V" shape so that it will flow smoothly along the sides?
