Front nose design and stability and gas mileage?

[MookieKat]

I am seeing that the newer nose design is rounded whereas the older ones are big and flat.

Has anyone hauled both types with the same TV and seen a difference in stability or gas mileage?

[laknox]

MookieKat wrote:
I am seeing that the newer nose design is rounded whereas the older ones are big and flat.

Has anyone hauled both types with the same TV and seen a difference in stability or gas mileage?

My low-profile, square-front Komfort, produces very noticeable turbulence, and can suck fairly heavy stuff right out of my truck bed. Anything, front or back, that reduces turbulence, increases aerodynamics, thus efficiency. I'd almost bet that I wouldn't see =any= decrease in mileage were I pulling a comparable-weight current rig that's 12-18" taller than my '04 Komfort.

Lyle

[Alley_Fox]

We traded our Arctic Fox 24-5N (about 26', 7,500 lbs) for an AF 29 5T (31', 9,500+ lbs)with a rounded cap in June and my calculations appear to show an increase of about 1/2 to 3/4 MPG with the same TV, although we have only towed the new AF about 3000 miles vice about 24,000 for the old one. The 29 5T is at least 1 foot taller, 6" wider and, of course, heavier by about 2000#. I don't worry about fuel "economy", if I did, we probably wouldn't go anywhere with it. I don't know if that settles the issue for the OP, but I'm convinced of the advantages of an aero cap....

[wilber1]

Trailer height will also have a lot to do with it. Every foot of added height adds 8 square feet of front to push through the air.

[ken_white]

Aerodynamic variables consist of much more than just the front nose shape plus mileage will vary drastically with varying average speed.

Bottom line, we don't purchase our campers based on fuel economy.

Just my $0.02...

[gmcsmoke]

Fuel mileage while pulling a 5 ton box down the road. Ha ha

[tegu69]

I guess if you spend all your time in one campground and not drive much, the savings would be insignificant. I probably spend more time watching fuel mileage than most and I believe that aero is probably more important than weight on long trips like Interstate driving (talking couple thousand pounds). A friend of mine just traveled about 1000 miles to trade his small tt with a big flat front end on a Cougar 5er that weighs about 3000 lbs. more. He got about 2mpg more on the return trip with the 5er.

[Peg_Leg]

Any contouring of the front is bound to help reduce drag. The newer tapered corners were more for clearance on short bed trucks at first. Now they seem to be taking the aerodynamics into account.

[Bumpyroad]

mileshuff wrote:

Vulcaneer wrote:
Contoured nose on front makes no difference in MPG, stability. It's only there for turning clearance when backing with a short bed truck. Or else for aesthics.

Many manufactures advertise on the merits of turning as well as wind drag. I just went from a 5,000lb flat front TT to a 9,000lb rounded front cap 5th wheel. MPG with the same TV is consistently better with the 5'er.

I would think that the 5er would naturally be more streamlined that dragging a brick with space between it and the truck.
bumpy

[mileshuff]

Vulcaneer wrote:
Contoured nose on front makes no difference in MPG, stability. It's only there for turning clearance when backing with a short bed truck. Or else for aesthics.

Many manufactures advertise on the merits of turning as well as wind drag. I just went from a 5,000lb flat front TT to a 9,000lb rounded front cap 5th wheel. MPG with the same TV is consistently better with the 5'er.

[MookieKat]

Yes...it seems to make sense and so I asked what it meant in the real world of towing.

All the used ones that we have seen so far had a rounded nose but we are going to see one today that has a flat front so I was wondering.....if we should take that into consideration.

[mileshuff]

newman fulltimer wrote:
i have a square nose and like the interior height and storage.the round nose if you arw tall you cannot walk all the way to front without ducking .

Have to know your floorplan to understand. I have a rounded front cap. I can walk anywhere in the front bedroom without ducking. Of course the very front has a headboard for the bed and the far front sides have closets and night stand tables. So I can't walk around the front of the bed but I've not been in a 5'er where you could.

[john_b1]

mdamerell wrote:
I was told a gentlemen who transports trailers for a living that he sees a 1-2 mpg increase with the new aerodynamics. I am pleased with the performance of mine but I have not pulled one of the old styles to give you a comparison. I can tell you that in bad weather my 5'r behaves better than my semi trailer.

Just in simple terms it is much easier to push a aero designed contour through the air than a brick! Just makes simple sense. Think of a snowplow v blade versus straight blade.same idea. Jb

[mdamerell]

I was told a gentlemen who transports trailers for a living that he sees a 1-2 mpg increase with the new aerodynamics. I am pleased with the performance of mine but I have not pulled one of the old styles to give you a comparison. I can tell you that in bad weather my 5'r behaves better than my semi trailer.

[Vulcaneer]

Contoured nose on front makes no difference in MPG, stability. It's only there for turning clearance when backing with a short bed truck. Or else for aesthics.

[MookieKat]

I meant the rounded nose in the front where it rolls down and around, shaped like a ball....where the roof line rolls down.