experiences with air tabs

[retiredChemist]

Just wondering if anyone has used this product?
And whether they actually worked as claimed or not?

[somewhereinusa]

I had them on my semi, and they do work. I doubt that you will put enough miles on a skookie to make them worth it. A .1 mpg increase when you drive over 100,000 a year is quite a savings. If you only drive a few thousand, not so much.

[retiredChemist]

Thanks
Just comparing apples, for the $ I could do around 5% mileage increase on the underside. Alot of undertray stuff like a modern vehicle (which would help shut the fan up too.) helps with underfloor storage as well.

Reading their marketing stuff they're claiming to see 5% as well, which sounds a bit ambitious. It'd be interesting to see any real world numbers, maybe 1/2mpg would seem more realistic.

[somewhereinusa]

I did see an increase but it was hard to tell how much. Since I pulled a drop deck I only put it on the tractor. Also, unfortunately I put another fuel saving device on at the same time.
I think that unless you are going to drive A LOT of miles a year, anything that you spend much time on money on just isn't going to save you much. Unless, of course you just want to see if you can do it. You will probably save as much or more by adjusting your driving habits.
You can crunch some numbers using, say 100,000 vs 20,000 miles a year and different percent of increase, and even different $ per gallon.
Another problem you will have is getting accurate usage data. In the truck when I drove 130,000 a year averages tended to even out somewhat. It makes a big difference, where, when and temperature of fuel you buy. Do a search on hot fuel, you get less.
FWIW if memory serves me right my yearly average was about 7. Highest I ever got was 13 headed east of of Denver, had a great tail wind. Of course going west on the same trip I only got 2

Dick

[retiredChemist]

All going to plan it's got another 24 years to pay me back. So it'll do the miles just over a longer period. Probably 4or5 laps of Australia for good measure.

Eventually there's a gasifier Fischer tropsch unit going on a trailer behind it. So less usage means less time wasted making fuel and more time doing anything but chemist stuff.

Fuel and it's temperature, density, cetane, energy density is a whole different thread on it's own. Can't say I miss trying to sample warm fuel.

[somewhereinusa]

OK, you're now waaaaay over my head.

[gbstewart]

There good to help with wind noise
I put a piece of plastic between the drivers mirror and the body of the bus. And it made a big difference in wind noise. Can have the window open with out a ear piercing noise , I heard placing air tabs at different places helps for this
gbstewart