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08-07-2017, 06:55 PM
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#1
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 543
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Aerodynamics
Has anyone thought of changing their end caps to emprove fuel economy? I have seen it used on tractor trailers. Also used of Rear defusers on some buses. Since I have to repair my rear end cap I'm looking for a good shape to change it to.
Thanks
Gordon
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08-08-2017, 11:07 AM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,631
Year: 1993
Coachwork: bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins, Allison 2000 conversion
Rated Cap: 2
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as i drive down the highway, and at the fuel station, i also think about the aerodynamics of the bus.
i wonder if a Boat tail end like the trailer tails would help? i think they would.
my bus came with a generator hanging underneath, and each edge of the generator box has whiskers that hang to the ground. i don't know their function but i'd like to.
here is a picture of trans fluid draining, but you can see both sets of whiskers in the background. they are plastic and they wear unevenly. they slope upwards from the inside out.
Boattails, wind dams, i'd sure like to try more than i have
the wings you see sometimes would be cool to get. i think they help keep the back window cleaner.
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08-08-2017, 11:42 AM
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#3
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Where the road takes me
Posts: 191
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DT466e
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I don't think a bus suffers from aerodynamics issues. The most resistance would be under the bus not over it, and the domed top shouldn't have drag. The tires will likely give you more mileage than anything else.
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08-08-2017, 12:56 PM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,631
Year: 1993
Coachwork: bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins, Allison 2000 conversion
Rated Cap: 2
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searching the interwebs.....
i came across this:
Airtab | Aerodynamic Fuel Savers | Welcome
someone buy it and try it!
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08-08-2017, 06:06 PM
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#5
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 543
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Air foil above the windshield, air defusers at back on top and the sides. Flexible skirt to just above the bottom edge of the rims. Flush mounted Hub cap / wheel cover for Rear wheels.
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08-08-2017, 08:33 PM
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#6
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,497
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 24v
Rated Cap: 72 pax
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Those whiskers look like rain/mud flaps?
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08-08-2017, 08:48 PM
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#7
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 543
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Njsurf73
Those whiskers look like rain/mud flaps?
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Rain, mud and stone guard, they make them to protect rv's.
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08-08-2017, 10:01 PM
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#8
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Motor City
Posts: 153
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08-08-2017, 10:13 PM
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#9
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 543
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ennonne
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Very interesting, thanks
Gordon
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08-09-2017, 11:16 AM
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#10
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,109
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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the whiskers help stop side spray from tires in rain for better visibility look at ups trailers as that were i first saw them years ago they do work as for the trailer tails in your pic the fuel savings are so small it must be applied to a fleet that runs a lot of trailers lots of miles to be profitable. (i drive a truck) when backing into a dock or parking spot they often get forgotten and crunched. cost of fabrication and installation compared to fuel savings is not profitable
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08-09-2017, 11:22 AM
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#11
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,109
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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the con way pic is 1 of 2 they tried out of 2500 trailers they abandoned the idea (i pulled that trailer once) as far as the wheel covers that schneider runs they do hold heat in tires, rims and brakes. once again not enough savings for one unit.
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08-09-2017, 11:26 AM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,109
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by turf
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talk to truckers running them once again the savings are so small you wont even notice it
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08-09-2017, 12:35 PM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,404
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Ecomodders.com
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08-09-2017, 01:07 PM
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#14
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,631
Year: 1993
Coachwork: bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins, Allison 2000 conversion
Rated Cap: 2
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cool link!!!
here's my bus with the airfoil overlay
i think that air tab would be helpful towing...... and it looks like you could do a lot to the roof.
i saw a guy on fb putting an airplane on the roof of his bus, and i wondered at the time if it would improve his aerodynamics.
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08-09-2017, 01:37 PM
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#15
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Where the road takes me
Posts: 191
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DT466e
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I don't believe the problem of airflow can be fixed without severely changing the shape of the bus. The added stuff is barely a bandaid for the overall problem, and changing the shape would drastically affect the space.
Be careful of these gimmicks as most of them do not work.
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08-09-2017, 02:18 PM
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#16
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,451
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
Chassis: Crown Supercoach II (rear engine)
Engine: Detroit 6V92TAC, DDEC 2, Jake brake, Allison HT740
Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
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School bus and aerodynamics are words not normally used in the same sentence! There's simply no way that a big flat-fronted box is ever going to be even slightly aerodynamic. If squeezing more MPG is important, then A) buying something less boxy would be a good start, and B) your right foot is the best way to reduce costs. Adding doodads onto the bus is only like a fart in a tempest (so to speak) - it won't make enough difference to be noticeable. I just accept that every mile I drive costs me almost 50 cents in fuel, and that's the price of driving your house down the road.
At least we're better off than my friend who bought a HEMTT army truck and drove it 2000 miles back from Louisiana to California - on a good day with no stop and go traffic he gets 2 MPG, and if the gods are smiling favorably on him he can sometimes get a 10% improvement if he's lucky. Wow, 2.2 MPG! Around town he gets less than 1 MPG, and in stop-and-go traffic it's down to half a mile per gallon. Count ourselves lucky that we get 7 MPG or better.
John
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08-09-2017, 03:44 PM
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#17
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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Or...
just buy a pointy nosed, Art Deco bus like the one in my avatar.
Granted, converting one of these will cost 18 times what building an aerodynamic shell from scratch would be, but hey...at least they are cute!
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08-12-2017, 04:06 AM
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#18
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 56
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For the $ you'll notice more of a saving going ally rims and converting the hydraulic fan setup to electric.
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08-12-2017, 09:16 AM
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#19
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,497
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 24v
Rated Cap: 72 pax
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Quote:
Originally Posted by turf
cool link!!!
here's my bus with the airfoil overlay
i think that air tab would be helpful towing...... and it looks like you could do a lot to the roof.
i saw a guy on fb putting an airplane on the roof of his bus, and i wondered at the time if it would improve his aerodynamics.
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We have a guy here combining an airplane and a bus... But I don't think it's for aerodynamics lol. Still cool.
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08-21-2017, 04:57 PM
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#20
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New Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 9
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I don't think there is a lot of MPG to be gained but simple side skirts and airdam in front etc basic stuff should help. I doubt it will be any higher than 0.2-0.4 mpg at 60 miles per hour. If you go 80 or so mph those small mods will start becoming more important.
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