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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> RV Accessories -> AirTabs Anyone?
Post Info TOPIC: AirTabs Anyone?
Hina


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AirTabs Anyone?
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A commenter on You Tube suggested I look into AirTabs to make the Class A easier to drive. These are plastic thingies you glue to the back end of a truck, trailer or RV to make it more aerodynamic, by creating a vortex of air... they are not that expensive, about $220 for a set, maybe less, I need to measure my body height, and do some math. Anyways, maybe someone has them on a truck or trailer? Are they worth it? http://airtabs.com/

Pictures of these things on RVs



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MarkS


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I have heard a lot of positive remarks about airtabs particularly where it comes to handling in wind. They aren't widely used in the trucking industry but I have seen several trucks with them. The people I have talked to state that they are great for reducing fatigue when battling winds. But these were all people that drive for a living.

I believe you need to think about the ROI on the investment. If you were driving 5000 miles a month or more in all kinds of weather it's almost a no brainer. But if you are driving a couple of hundred miles a month moving from one campground to another and not on a particular time constraint, it is unlikely that you will ever get your money's worth.



-- Edited by MarkS on Monday 19th of August 2013 08:33:15 AM

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nightsky


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I did some reading up on the airtabs yesterday, and I'm intriqued. Anything that can help when hauling a brick/box down the road is a good thing in my mind. Both the stablility and the increased mpg. I added a tonneau cover to my truck last year, and it has made a substantial difference in the mileage I get. Probably won't add Airtabs to this TT since I don't plan to be in it very long, but will definitely have to get them for the caboose and whatever truck I end up with. (I love my Tundra, but with 166,000 miles on it now, and a not-very-good weight hauling limit I will likely upgrade when the caboose is done and I have a weight on that.)
There were several discussions about Airtabs and other vortex generators along with home-made versions on one of the websites I came across, www.gassavers.org.



-- Edited by nightsky on Tuesday 20th of August 2013 01:10:10 PM

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Hina


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I've read nothing but positive too; these are only about $200-250, so the ROI in peace of mind I think will be worth it, as it looks like I will be a fulltimer in this RV for at least a few years. I am here in Carson City, and we get 20-30+ MPH winds almost every afternoon, so a simple trip to the store could be a white knuckle ride. Some people have noticed up to a 17% increase in gas mileage also. One more thing to add to my to-do list!

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Hina


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The one issue I can see on my particular RV is that the arm for the awning is right at the back edge, and the Air Tabs would need to be thin enough to slide under it. I need to get out the camera and the tape measure and then make a call to Air Tabs to see if I can work it.

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Hina


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Here is a video of my Airtabs installation. I think it's 12 minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLT4B9FFMQc



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Bill and Linda


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Hina:

Vortex generators are a proven asset in the aviation industry as to controlling airflow separation form a wing and reducing stall speed for one.  However, it takes a lot of wind tunnel testing on each particular application to determine if they metrically have a significant advantage. (Fancy way of saying: “do they work on a specific installation.”)

The fact you mentioned they would have to be “thin enough to slide under it,” the awning that is, says that you already have an issue impacting airflow around where the vortex generators would need to be placed.  You can’t “fake” or slightly modify things as pertains to aerodynamics. Just saying

I’ve seen these on RV’s and the owners short of shrug their shoulders and say “I think it helps, but honestly can’t tell for sure.”   I’d just caution about how much vs. the cost, this will really benefit a rig without a specific analysis and design as pertains to that specific trailer.

Just my perspective

Bill



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Roz


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I am not one to simply poo poo an idea.  Having been in the manufacturing of large semi trailers I will share that this product has been looking for a home for at least 20 years.  As much money as freight companies spend on fuel each year, if there were truly positive attributes to this product to save them dollars, you would be seeing these on most trailers.  Has not happened. 

The absolute proven way to improve fuel economy in vehicles of any size and reduce maintenance cost is to simply back off the accelerator and use cruise control at highway speeds.  How many truck-trailers do you see with these devices on them.  Yes, they do affect airflow at the rear of a "squared off" rear vehicle.  If they were worth the expense and installation, you would see them on nearly every trailer.

There simply is no magic in fuel savings more effective than a light right foot.



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Racerguy


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Roz hit the nail square on the head once again.

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Bill and Linda


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Racerguy wrote:

Roz hit the nail square on the head once again.

 Yep, sure did.  He just said it more directly than I did.  He's right.



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Hina


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I'm not looking to save fuel as much as make it easier to handle. If it is more stable in winds, and increases my safety, that is worth the price. BTW, a lot of people spend a lot more on stuff like wide screen TVs in their rigs, which is not worth anything to me. Just saying.

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Bill and Linda


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Hina wrote:

I'm not looking to save fuel as much as make it easier to handle. If it is more stable in winds, and increases my safety, that is worth the price. BTW, a lot of people spend a lot more on stuff like wide screen TVs in their rigs, which is not worth anything to me. Just saying.

 

Very true indeed as pertains to MPG’s.  But just note my comment about your awning mount and the impact it may have on any aerodynamic improvement the vortex generators could have.  Might work just great. No way to know without trying it.  Just hate to see people spend money and it not work.  Only reason I had for commenting as pertains to the aerodynamic situation your rig could have.

Bill

 



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Clay L


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In spite of all of the hoopla about these things on RVs I have yet to see a properly designed study that shows that they do anything at all.
The only comments I have seen are anecdotal or are reported by the company that sells them and I think we are all aware of how reliable those are.



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