Wind deflector between cabover and cab
Anyone tried making a V shaped wind deflector between the cabover and the top of the truck? I have some 1/2" rubber left over from making my snow plow flap, I think that with aluminum angle iron mo...
Forum Discussion
Sleepy,
I think the problem here is about controlling turbulence. There is no way you will get laminar flow (by the engineering definition) around a truck and camper. Certainly over the windshield and in the slot between cab and cabover the flow is quite turbulent no matter what you put there.
The Airtabs are a version of turbulator, these are well trodden ground in aerodynamics. The do create turbulence (and are intended to do so), but the idea is to have some small orderly turbulence replacing large disorderly turbulence. Successfully doing so will reduce drag. There is some basis to believe that your Airfoil and the Airtabs accomplish somewhat the same thing, somewhat the same way. A surface punched full of holes is a form or turbulator as well and has been studied for that use in the past.
I am not in a position to know whether your solution or the Airtabs work better or worse - and we will not know until objective tests are made on identical rigs. If either worked as advertised, why doesn't every camper rig have them? Maybe because they don't work, or maybe because (just as deflectors on long haul trucks) the adoption rate is slow.
I encourage the reports people make here of anything they have tried, because it adds to the body of knowledge and may eventually reach a conclusion.
I think the problem here is about controlling turbulence. There is no way you will get laminar flow (by the engineering definition) around a truck and camper. Certainly over the windshield and in the slot between cab and cabover the flow is quite turbulent no matter what you put there.
The Airtabs are a version of turbulator, these are well trodden ground in aerodynamics. The do create turbulence (and are intended to do so), but the idea is to have some small orderly turbulence replacing large disorderly turbulence. Successfully doing so will reduce drag. There is some basis to believe that your Airfoil and the Airtabs accomplish somewhat the same thing, somewhat the same way. A surface punched full of holes is a form or turbulator as well and has been studied for that use in the past.
I am not in a position to know whether your solution or the Airtabs work better or worse - and we will not know until objective tests are made on identical rigs. If either worked as advertised, why doesn't every camper rig have them? Maybe because they don't work, or maybe because (just as deflectors on long haul trucks) the adoption rate is slow.
I encourage the reports people make here of anything they have tried, because it adds to the body of knowledge and may eventually reach a conclusion.
