looking at V nose TT

Yes, the gas mileage is better with my Vibe 826VFK than it was towing a flat front trailer of the same weight. It went from 8 mpg to 9 mpg and I tow at 65 mph. That doesn't seem like much until you realize that is a 12% increase and I gained a slide out that my former trailer didn't have.

WayneAt63044 wrote:
Yes, the gas mileage is better with my Vibe 826VFK than it was towing a flat front trailer of the same weight. It went from 8 mpg to 9 mpg and I tow at 65 mph. That doesn't seem like much until you realize that is a 12% increase and I gained a slide out that my former trailer didn't have.

A 12% increase is significant for sure!

Camped next to a V-nose this summer and think it was a Vibe. Got the 50 cent tour and thought it was nice. Believe it was about 24'. Lots of windows....frameless windows gave a nice, clean look but not sure how they would hold up over time. Kitchen was forward and nice use of space. One nice feature was a full length entry door with enormous window which opened from the bottom - pull out style - and they said they could go off for the day with it open and if it rained, no water problems....not sure how that would work for security. Bathroom was a bit sparse, but functional. One deal-breaker for us was the dinette was strictly a 2 person size. Absolutely no way to add another person, even at the end. Bedroom was pretty much the standard TT bedroom. On the whole, we liked it, although it was not for us. He didn't mention gas mileage, so no info there.

I own a V-nose. I bought it because of the floor plan - the front kitchen was very nice, and I liked having the bed arranged so I could walk around it, and have a desk on the opposite wall.

On the subject of gas mileage, no one should imagine the Vnose is in any way a superior design for gas mileage because of aerodynamics. Most of the drag a trailer experiences comes from the rear of the trailer - there is where the v-shape should be. No one would buy such a trailer, because of the way it would look. Actually, I found out since owning it that a Vnose is one of the most unstable designs for sway. The vshape cuts the wind and sends it coursing down both sides of the trailer, causing it to be very sensitive to the bow waves from passing trucks. That's why I had to invest in a Hensley hitch for stability.

There's an article http://hensleymfg.com/trailer-sway-v-nose-trailers/ on V-nose trailers you might find interesting.

I'm sure there is drag from the vacuum formed at the rear of any vehicle but it is created by the wind on the frontal area. Whether V-nose or not, that drag can never be greater than the front force. I have real proof that the v-nose gets better gas mileage and it tows better with the Equal-i-zer hitch than the others I have did with the Reese dual cam. In any case, I bought it for the floor plan and am grateful for the improved mpg. I've not experienced the stability issue thewhitehat experienced. "MOST of the drag a trailer experiences comes from the rear of the trailer..." Really?

Think of a 6" wooden block vehicle with two axles. Would it move backward farther/faster when blown in front by a hair dryer if it had a flat front or v-front? I've not tried it so I don't have the actual answer. Other theories should also be proven before stated as fact.

Chill Wayne. This is an RV forum where many people express their beliefs and opinions. If you think you know better, more power to you. I'm not offering up the results of a scientific study, but based on my own experiences and also what I have learned from other engineering folks. If I mistated my case, then I apologise.

Most of the drag a trailer experiences comes from the rear of the trailer - there is where the v-shape should be. No one would buy such a trailer, because of the way it would look. Actually, I found out since owning it that a Vnose is one of the most unstable designs for sway. The vshape cuts the wind and sends it coursing down both sides of the trailer, causing it to be very sensitive to the bow waves from passing trucks. That's why I had to invest in a Hensley hitch for stability.

^^^^^ on the money.

A lot aero drag comes from the back. That is why OTR trucks are starting to show up with rear drag options. All in all these things are very very small in the total mileage makeup.

I think the biggest advantage they have is using the space on the tongue that is normally wasted. When we were shopping, we looked at one that had front living. The sofa used the V space in the front. Arrangement was very nice. We liked the ones with the front kitchen as well as this seems to be the most practical use of the space. I am not sure how these layouts effect tongue weight

One of the major cargo trailer manufacturers published some data a few years ago on V-nose vs a conventional slant nose ( it might have been Wells Cargo, but I can't remember for sure now ). Their finding were that the V nose created turbulance along the sides of the trailer that actually added drag. By comparison, the slant front trailer had a smoother airflow along the sides.
One thing I have wondered about a V nose is it seems to me that a fairly significant percentage of my towing days involve having a quartering/headwind. To my way of thinking, a day like that would be that a V nose would be presenting a totally flat surface to the oncoming wind. I dunno.....just thinking out loud on that.

A buddy has a Vnose cargo trailer, and I do know that on his, because of the way the V "covers" the A-frame rails, it would be difficult to install a WD hitch.

Im no expert but wouldnt a v rear or both front and rear give the best aero?