Front Caps on Travel Trailers

rbpru wrote:
It may be about aerodynamics and styling but if you expect significant improvements in gas mileage you will probably be disappointed.

Fiberglass and its equivalents allowed improved styling, paint jobs, and make for a prettier TT but frontal area is frontal area; even the stick and tin TTs adopted a slopping or rounded front a long time ago.

I can only speak to my personal experience but I traded a 26' KZ Spree with no cap to a 35', 2000lb heavier Cougar with a very aerodynamic fiberglass front and gained 1 mpg. I should have lost MPG not gaining with the increased weight.

Winnebago Bob wrote:
Seals better.

This is what I'm curious about. I've never been on the roof of a TT with a front cap. Is there a gasket or just caulking sealing to roof.

At least with the two big players, Thor and Forest River, horror stories abound about fiberglass front caps fading out after a few years. Chalk it up to cheap materials. Also usually when owners have the opportunity to see inside they find the batt insulation is all laying in the bottom of the cavity. They do not appear to be the saving grace. Better than a sheet of filon backed up by cardboard?.......possibly.

While I don't have a lot of documented basis for this, I think you might find a lot of these front caps are NOT FIBERGLASS, but ABS. My understanding is that ABS can be vacuum molded and made much cheaper than fiberglass. Here IMO the main issues are weathering, general strength, and that ABS is much harder to repair cracks in than is fiberglass. My front cap cracked when the trailer was less than 2 years old and the failure was blamed on over torquing the screws holding the cap to the roof. It was replaced under warranty and I'm aware of at least one other failure with the same trailer and the owner had a lot of trouble getting it repaired since he was out of warranty and the manufacturer went out of business and replacement caps where no longer being made or available.

While my replacement cap has now been on for over 5 years with no issues, I'm on the fence on these smooth molded caps and the claims of aerodynamic qualities is not something I believe is true at least on a measurable improved mpg basis.

Larry

Has anyone put the new cap on an older 5th wheel or TT? I have thought about it but, haven't checked pricing or if it would attach correctly. Also, I'm not sure if extra backing was required for attachment.

Just got a new Laredo and it has the new style front cap. What I like about it is it wraps around the side walls so that there is not the blunt corner and seam that will leak. I like the look of it and being actual fiberglass you can put a nice wax job on it and keep it looking good. The Filon on my last trailer was very hard to keep looking good no matter how much I washed and waxed it.

It may be about aerodynamics and styling but if you expect significant improvements in gas mileage you will probably be disappointed.

Fiberglass and its equivalents allowed improved styling, paint jobs, and make for a prettier TT but frontal area is frontal area; even the stick and tin TTs adopted a slopping or rounded front a long time ago.

By far less wind resistance than a box shaped front end which improves fuel consumption and towing stability. I've seen one with the cap removed and there is no less insulation than in a box constructed front end. I'm sure it's all about aero-dynamics and styling.

I've noticed that better quality trailers generally have a front cap. Even better units also sometimes have a rear cap.

Seals better.