Tailgate Flap

[slateya]

This is seriously the first tailgate modification I have ever seen that I was actually interested in.

 

[bartflossom]

Seems simple enough to incorporate. Between that and all the other multi-folding tailgates out there right now, I wonder what what is patented and what is not.

 

[E90400K]

That would seem like a drag on the aerodynamics. A lot of short bed pickups offer a folding-out cage apparatus to hold in cargo, which is designed to minimize a parachute effect.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

That would seem like a drag on the aerodynamics. A lot of short bed pickups offer a folding-out cage apparatus to hold in cargo, which is designed to minimize a parachute effect.

I was thinking the same thing. They are common and cheap and seem to work pretty well.

 

[bitpop]

That would seem like a drag on the aerodynamics. A lot of short bed pickups offer a folding-out cage apparatus to hold in cargo, which is designed to minimize a parachute effect.

Tailgates up actually creates a pocket of air that makes less drag. Mythbusters did an episode on that

 

[Bonjo]

That would seem like a drag on the aerodynamics. A lot of short bed pickups offer a folding-out cage apparatus to hold in cargo, which is designed to minimize a parachute effect.

Perhaps, but since a pop-up feature like this would likely only be used occasionally, I can’t see it as an issue. The problem with the cage type devices you mention (I have one), is when you need full access to the bed, you have to remove and store it somewhere. Obviously this solution doesn’t offer full capture of the bed content like a cage does, but I like it.

 

[E90400K]

Tailgates up actually creates a pocket of air that makes less drag. Mythbusters did an episode on that

Agree. It was proven back in the 1980's before Mythbusters, but this is not the same thing since the airflow will pass around the sides of the blocker and the blocker is not fully trapping the air inside the bed space.

 

[E90400K]

Perhaps, but since a pop-up feature like this would likely only be used occasionally, I can’t see it as an issue. The problem with the cage type devices you mention (I have one), is when you need full access to the bed, you have to remove and store it somewhere. Obviously this solution doesn’t offer full capture of the bed content like a cage does, but I like it.

It seems the Slate truck is meant more as a around town grocery getter that will mostly travel at city and suburban speeds so the aero is not that critical. Yet, and understanding the pic seems to be a GMC EV product, using a Slate truck to cart around a kayak in an urban environment...

 

[Driven5]

Airflow effects in turbulent zones is not particularly intuitive and cannot be easily predicted without CFD and/or physical testing. Aerodynamically, that little flap is basically just a spoiler. Adding a spoiler increases drag in laminar flow, but can actually increase or decrease drag turbulent flow. Adding a spoiler to an S30 Datsun Z car or aircooled 911 has been known to reduce their drag coefficient.

On the other hand, a structure of round tubes in the airflow is a safe bet of increasing drag. Round tubes actually aren't particularly good aerodynamically either.

So nobody here can say which is marginally 'worse' for aero between that little flap and a tubular bed extender, but my money would be on it being pretty negligible either way. The drag from the tailgate down would probably dominate either of them.



For how I'd use it with the tailgate down, for anything other than a standardized 8' length, both mostly just seem to be redundant at best on a properly secured load.

For how I'd use it with the tailgate up, a tubular bed extender mostly just seems to make a 'trunk' space in the bed.

So with a 5' bed and a frunk, I don't see having much use for either.

 

[E90400K]

I was thinking the same thing. They are common and cheap and seem to work pretty well.

Apparently, you and I must be wrong.

 

[E90400K]

Oh, and the blowback into the cab with the midgate opened...

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Apparently, you and I must be wrong.

In my house, we call that phenomenon, "Thursday".

 

[E90400K]

In my house, we call that phenomenon, "Thursday".

I went with, "That shit is standing straight up in the wind" approach; which was the precursor to Computational Fluid Dynamics...

Back in the early '90s I worked with a guy who was a configuration management engineer at the Lockheed Skunkworks out in Los Angeles. He taught me the technique. It was declassified by then.

 

[Driven5]

I went with, "That shit is standing straight up in the wind" approach; wich was the precursor to Computational Fluid Dynamics...

Back in the early '90s I worked with a guy who was a configuration management engineer at the Lockheed Skunkworks out in Los Angeles. He taught me the technique. It was declassified by then.

Standing straight up from the bed and standing straight up into the wind are two very different things. The "wind" isn't running parallel to the tailgate face.

The real precursor to CFD was physical testing, which provided counterintuitive results as often as not... Which is what enabled early aviation pioneers, like the Wright brothers to succeed, where the "that looks about right" (TLAR) attempts had such a high failure rate.

It's ironic that you should bring up aerospace configuration management engineers...

 

[Dorbiman]

I also think the drag just doesn't matter. It's not like it is always deployed. If I need the feature, then I'd use it. If not, it would be stowed, and would have no effect on aero. It's not like this is a Lucid Air with a drag coefficient of 0.197. If I stick a bunch of 2x8's in the bed that stick up & out the back of the bed, that would probably be just as bad