WIND SPOILER: Fuel Saver or Gimmick?

[@VinyB57]

The first 1,000 people to use my link will get a full year of Premium membership to Woodworkers Guild of America for only $1.49: go.wwgoa.com/vinyb/

[@Deckzwabber]

Looking forward to the next iteration of a spoiler

[@VinyB57]

You are one of the rare ones....😅 But I am too tho! 😉

[@tonytango6676]

Somewhere, at least 10 or 15 years ago, I read that the spoilers have to be fairly close to the trailer. Within a few feet, preferably. I really like the shape of your spoiler.

[@philipespersen2694]

SPOILER ALERT !!

[@VinyB57]

😁😅🤦‍♂️

[@htownblue11]

The fact Viny used a cow as his analog for his aero testing is sneaky funny people. Interesting take on spoilers and how they affect the aero properties.

[@VinyB57]

Hey thanks mate, glad ypu liked my cow!😅

[@bpdave8223]

Vince, J'ai hâte de voir ton diffuser en arrière/ dessous de tout ça ;) Good job!

[@VinyB57]

Moi aussi j ai bien hate de voir cela en action!!! C est probablment ma femme qui va avoir honte par contre..😅

[@bpdave8223]

​@@VinyB57 Si tu lui mets des beaux stickers commémoratifs en son honneur sur les dits panneaux, elle va être tellement fière!! Tu vas scorer des points mon Vince haha!!

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

I tow a 1990 Jeep Cherokee on a flat deck trailer with my Yukon XL to camp grounds near jeep trails in the mountains. I average 12.5 MPG at 75-80 MPH. I recently decided to see if slowing down would help. Ran 248 miles at 60-65 MPH and got the same 12.5 MPG. Something about dragging a brick shaped jeep down the highway with a brick shaped SUV, it just doesn't matter. I calculate my mileage by dividing the miles driven by the gallons to refill. I do not trust that mileage calculator in the vehicle, I see significantly different numbers between my calculations and that computer. Interesting video. Always enjoy your videos.

[@matthewpeterson3329]

I agree. My numbers are different between the computer vs. my math at the pump. I use the computer to gauge myself real time as I drive. In Viny's case, adding a foldable skirt on the back of his camper will also streamline airflow. As for the jeep on the trailer, I am surprised you don't see an improvement at lower speed. Regardless of aero, the engine should be sucking less air, hence less fuel, at lower RPM. I can't argue with you, but the findings are odd. Likely being in the torque curve's sweet spot at higher RPM under load offsets the motor lugging at lower speed.

[@VinyB57]

That could be it! I ''only'' have 6 speeds...the 2017 and above have 9! I'm sure more speeds helps with finding the sweet spot where the motor is happy the most!

[@joebeach7759]

This was a great video Vinny. I made mu first comment about the bugs before the video got that far. What i have discovered towing travel/cargo trailers is that having an exaggerated rounded bulkhead at the front of the trailer .makes a huge difference in drag. I look forward to Phase II. Bon temps.

[@joeg7755]

Hey Viny, this was a cool video and thank you for taking on this subject. With cost of energy only going up, this as a very welcome experiment. In your simulation, I see that you have a large low pressure pocket behind the trailer. That can't be good for fuel mileage. Have you thought to try a bunch of tiny vortex generators, to streamline the flow past the end of the trailer? You could also use them between the tow vehicle and trailer as well? Trucks also use your up coming "part 2 technique" for behind semi trailers but I think a bunch of tiny vortex generators will be more cost effective in your case? Cheers, Joe

[@gafrers]

Wonderfully project and idea. Looking forward to the next developments.

[@VinyB57]

thanks mate! 👍

[@alexlongpre4527]

Ohhhhhh on a vu, Vinny, on a vu... Haha. Glad to see that your channel is starting to get enough attention to get sponsors. Awesome video once again. Can't wait to see phase two. Keep 'em coming.

[@VinyB57]

thanks Alex!

[@VinyB57]

BTW....you saw nothing! 🤫

[@alexlongpre4527]

@@VinyB57 OK, ok haha

[@joshbolding4165]

Great video man!

[@matthewpeterson3329]

Great stuff Viny.

[@VinyB57]

thanks Matthew!

[@jimysk8er]

sometimes it can be more cost effective to create turbulence in front of where you normally get turbulence to get a general reduction of volume spread out across a larger area. Golf balls do that with dimples. you get a drag creating turbulence bubble from a smooth ball going through the air but you get a smaller volume of turbulence behind the ball by having a less laminar flow all around the ball. sometimes having something small that looks totally non aerodynamic way in front of where you get a big spike in drag that can't change could help (the gap between the car and the trailer or the top corners of the trailer or all the stuff on the roof of the trailer or the underside, etc) thats part of the reason that the cap on top of transport trucks is domed instead of a straight or more tangent shape. RESIST THE URGE TO HAVE FULL LAMINAR FLOW

[@VinyB57]

GOt it! Thanks!

[@mrsockyman]

Interesting stuff mister B! I recently redesigned my trailer tailgate, it was a 4 foot square of solid scaffold board and it took an extra 3l/100km (on an empty tiny 8×5 trailer!!) Remade it using a 1inch weldmesh and now it's barely noticable 😊 Im liking the look of the V2, that big slab front is gonna be robbing so much energy, though I dont think your family would be happy with my method of converting the front and rear walls to an open mesh for airflow 🤣

[@VinyB57]

Yeah V2 is the best of the two... I even left it on for a week...cause of the look😅

[@rjung_ch]

Ah, your wife is driving a nice Honda Civic, I love my Type R of the same model. I am interested in what part 2 will bring. Can't wait 🙂 Thanks VinyB for another cool project video and you had a weekend trip 👍💪✌

[@TheRalliowiec]

Viny, as a fellow tower I too have thought about reducing the frontal area of my trailer. My idea was to craft some type of "skirt" that would hook onto the car and the trailer, thereby making the two vehicles as one. This would reduce all frontal area of the trailer, erase the rear negative pressure zone of the car, and remove all the turbulence of the car/trailer gap. Basically make a bendy bus out of the car and trailer. The material choice would be the tricky part. Has to to be smooth enough to not cause drag but also stiff enough to not buckle at speed. And also flexible enough to allow articulation so you can still make turns. It would be like your flaps but taken to the absolute limit!

[@VinyB57]

I agree with you! BUT finding and testing to find the right material is a big challenge! And since we might save just a few pennies in fuel mileage, it's always the same debats, is all that work is worth it? Let me know if you built your first prototype! I'll make sure to give you all credit, once I'll built mine! 😉

[@Humboldt_88]

Consider putting a similar folding fairing on the back end of your trailer to help the transition of air behind you

[@VinyB57]

Yep, that s also the plan, but it s surprise for part #2 🤐

[@Conntrail]

Sail panels on tractor trails have pretty much gone away . Be interesting to know what their numbers were .

[@canadatransistor]

Wow Viny. Super cool project. I never thought about a simulator like that. May I suggest another test subject? People often ask if hood bug deflectors prevent stone chips or are another gimmick item that just sucks up fuel with drag..... The simulator you shown could maybe be a good mock up project? Anyways, j'ai bien aimé ton video, c'était un sujet amusant et pratique! Stay cool.

[@VinyB57]

Hey thanks, glad you enjoy the topic! Well I don't have unlimited sims credits and the video didn't catched with my viewers...not sure I'll make more CFD related videos in a neear futur! I'll do phase 2 for sure!

[@nospamevereh]

My son did real world testing on multiple Ottawa - Toronto trips. It showed on his car, if he removed the empty roof racks, he saved on average 5%. Love the CFD, I do a fair bit of CFD, stress and fatigue analysis myself and as you noted, reality will always fiddle the results in unexpected ways but it always wins. I have pushed stress analysis to designs within 5% of failure on bizarre projects (radiation and gems). The customer admitted to the >5% over-pressure when it failed. Fatigue analysis within a year or two on 10 years for failure prediction (that was a $10.0 x10 repair bill I told them was coming) . CFD seems to be the wooliest needing reality as a proof.

[@maximiliankehler2547]

Viny you are unit. I enjoy your content.

[@VinyB57]

Thanks Max!

[@Kevin-xy3yr]

Well done reminded me of the old Mythbusters show

[@VinyB57]

Yep..I recently saw it!

[@aaronawfd]

We need a Vinny 57 version of a belt sander/grinder.

[@mwilliamshs]

Sail panels on the tail of the trailer would be more beneficial

[@VinyB57]

I added then in the phase #2...I didn't mentionned it tho! Wanna leave you some surprises for part 2

[@beingabdaal950]

U should have made a storage box in that shape 2 birds 1 stone

[@corryn00]

OK Viny.. Xmas is coming.. i wanna see you whip up some crazy contraption to make your neighbours think you've finally lost it!

[@thebrojectlist6881]

I have been thinking about this too lol :p Nice to see someone else have the same idea's. I was thinking about hanging a tarp from the boot of the car to the corners of the caravan (also the covering the side gaps) , but looks like you are gonna test someting similar. very interesting video, keep it up haha :)

[@asmithh2697]

Interesting!

[@timothystanleyjafo8503]

Put the spare air bags onto the car/Van to assist on the lift for towing???? Love your Videos.

[@VinyB57]

Thanks man!

[@SurlyMike]

I need a fishing boat now.

[@VinyB57]

You sure do now! 😅

[@mrMacGoover]

I think this idea needs to be revisited when you have more fabrication time. It needs to be closer to the vehicle roofline with no gaps and at least to the back corners of the vehicle.

[@tonytango6676]

Somewhere, at least 10 or 15 years ago, I read that the spoilers have to be fairly close to the trailer. Within a few feet, preferably.

[@VinyB57]

Yep, the huge gap is the killer here!

[@DeadRedRider]

If you're gonna build a foldable deflector and want it to work really well DON'T make it out of flat panels. You need to ease the transition to your trailer's flat roof/sides/floor. If made with flat panels making it change 12 degrees (or what ever) immediately when it meets the roof/sides it won't work as well. Think: front of a dolphins head.

[@VinyB57]

@@DeadRedRider front of dolphin head! got it👍

[@JockeSelin]

The end result was a drag. 😞

[@MR_ii_5150]

i think the round spoiler might have been better if you didn't have the gap under the spoiler. also probably would have been better to close off the round spoiler underneath instead of having it open. Also need to have it the width of the vehicle for it to be more efficient.

[@VinyB57]

Maybe! 🤷‍♂️

[@shawnritchie7597]

tu devrais faire un processeur a bois

[@hediabdellah8791]

Where did you get the CAD files from?

[@VinyB57]

The highlander, I bought it somewehere on the net, for maybe 10$ . The travel trailer, I mesured and designed it myself.

[@Blast357]

"-c'est dla crisse de marde" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA j'suis mort

[@VinyB57]

😉

[@fetochini]

Pour avoir personnellement tester la truc de la chaloupe sur le toit, c'est beaucoup plus économique que de la traîner derrière avec une corde.

[@VinyB57]

C'est sur que ça doit aller mieux qu'une corde! 😅

[@KnownSender1]

💯👍😎

[@Dunderwood62]

I imagine a deflector behind the trailer would be more effective.

[@VinyB57]

Yes! And it's planned to add one too! (if you pause the vid, you can see it)

[@joebeach7759]

At the very least, you probably ended up with fewer bugs on the front of your trailer

[@VinyB57]

🤣 You re right! There s at least that good side of having a spoiler

[@jlrbernard]

bonjour Cousin . Sacré morceau de bravoure avec les gros pans de plastique à stabiliser pour créer le déflecteur entre voiture et caravane surtout en rétractable comme tu projettes de le faire . De plus le poids rajouté sur flèche ne va pas être négligeable . La différence avec les semi remorques c'est l'espace très réduit entre le tracteur et la remorque qui évite le vortex que l'on voit sur la simulation , et surtout aucun espace entre le déflecteur et le toit . On le voit pas sur la simulation mais je pense qu'une partie de l'air passe par dessous le déflecteur et ce à une vitesse plus rapide que l'air au dessus du déflecteur créant un effet d'aile d'avion renversée ( style " wing car " ) augmentant la portance de ta voiture à l'arrière , mais dans ton cas les 2 courants se rencontrent entre la voiture et la caravane en amplifiant le vortex déjà existant . En tout cas bravo pour ta persévérance , à bouffer du carburant pour en économiser😄😁😉 Jacques , un maudit français

[@F150hdmma]

might want to change the translator. I think he might not have translated like you wanted

[@VinyB57]

What?! 🤔

[@rustybrowneye]

Wait, You're Canadian? I don't know if I can watch you anymore. now I'm scared of you

[@VinyB57]

You better be scared!!! Mouhahaha!

[@propro123_cz9]

Do top speed run and you'll see if it helped or not....

[@VinyB57]

Maybe!? 🤔

[@pauljr4706]

Spoiler Alert😅

[@tonytango6676]

Somewhere, at least 10 or 15 years ago, I read that the spoilers have to be fairly close to the trailer. Within a few feet, preferably. I really like the shape of your spoiler.