Molded Fiberglass Trailers
Long time reader and first time poster. I have done a lot of reading about trailers and from time to time I read that molded fiberglass trailers are better. Yet in the marketplace there are few man...
Forum Discussion
SkiMore wrote:
If the rounded front and back make such a difference I wonder why we don't see TTs with molded caps like the one over the cab on Class Cs.
Aerodynamics isn't simply a matter of shape- in fact, frontal area is the most critical consideration.
The typical molded fiberglass trailer body is about 6.5' x 6.5', for a frontal area of about 42 sq. feet. Even the smallest stick-builts typically present around 60 sq. ft. to the wind. That's an increase in frontal area of almost 50% over that of the typical molded unit! And yet, fuel mileage gains with the "more aerodynamic" rig are typically in the twenty per cent range, depending on tug. With bigger tow vehicles differences are barely measurable.
That's because aerodynamics for road vehicles as regards fuel consumption really only matters at consistent speeds above 55 or so; weight and other factors have a far greater effect if traveling over anything but the flattest terrain at consistent cruising speeds.
BTW:
I've towed many trailers, and my present smallcamping combo is a a first-generation molded fiberglass Trillium/Kia Sportage 4-cyl that I've logged over fifty thousand tow miles on.
