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Date:         Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:32:48 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Aerodynamics related to fuel consumption (for an 84 tin top)
Comments: To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To:  <1319541589.37742.YahooMailClassic@web110605.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I also have a Yakima bike rack on my van, but on the rear hatch, down in the "hole" the van creates in the air-stream. Mounted back there In that area, I've seen no significant difference in fuel economy...even when I have 3 bikes and 5 or 6 detached spare wheels mounted. The hatch-mounted rack is easier to use than a roof rack, also...though with bikes mounted, the hatch becomes more difficult to lift and it needs a prop to stay open reliably. Also, when you travel dirt roads, the low pressure area behind the van really creates a 'dust vortex'. Bikes mounted on the rear get quite filthy in a short time. Since that hatch-mounted rack is not really a factor in gas consumption, I normally just leave it on there, ready to use when I have no room inside for my bikes.

There is nothing 'cheap', nothing silly about trying to spend effectively on fuel, in my humble opinion. Those 2 miles per gallon that I discovered can be saved by removing my roof rack, if I don't need it, that might seem petty...but my math shows me I'll have saved $600 (+/-) by 'paying just a little attention'..... I can better spend $600 a year else where. 2mpg saved is (very roughly) 10% of my verified gas mileage. I log appx. 30k in my van every year. That 10% is 3000 miles, or about 150 extra gallons burned, and gasoline costs $4/gallon now. I guess I can take a few minutes to remove and stash my roof rack to save $600 or to get an additional 3000 miles of traveling in. (Portland, Or. > Baja and back?)

On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 4:19 AM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>wrote:

> I was a rep in the bike biz for about 15 years, a job that practically > demands a full-dress roof rack. Over the years I used three different racks > on a Nissan Sentra, a Nissan pickup with a shell, a Ford Aerostar minivan > and a Mopar minivan. Interestingly, the two vans experienced the greatest > sensitivity to gas mileage with the racks installed. Averaging 1,000 miles > a week it was not too much work to remove a rack if it was not going to be > needed that week in order to save a little gas, and that was when gas cost > 1/3 to 1/2 what it does now. Wind noise was an issue as well. > > Stephen > > --- On Tue, 10/25/11, Danny C. <bruiserbabie@YAHOO.COM> wrote: > > From: Danny C. <bruiserbabie@YAHOO.COM> > Subject: Re: Aerodynamics related to fuel consumption (for an 84 tin top) > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Date: Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 12:18 AM > > Seriously!!! your worried about what drag there is on a roof rack. WOW!!! >


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