October 2005
Jack,
Let's see, I got these about mid-August? And it's now October - oh, my. I installed the Airtabs just before taking the trip to Skowhegan, Maine (about 500+/- miles) - and while I cannot substantiate any improvement in mileage, the stability alone is worth the cost. There have been unsolicited comments about this; wondering what I changed on the truck to make towing smoother. Visibility seems improved also - spray from the roadway seems to "tuck in" closer to the vehicle, allowing me to see more clearly the cars following (usually too close).
I've taken many shorter trips of 100+/- miles and observed the above on all of them. Installation was a breeze - the hardest part was finding I didn't have a good cleaner/degreaser at home when I needed it. There was some frustration when placing them on the extruded sections; the wavy surface meant less than 50% of the adhesive made contact. That was easily fixed by using some clear silicone around the edges to ensure secure adhesion.
I leave in about an hour, heading to North Carolina - at night; in the rain; with a full load. Then, next week, it's off to Fort Worth. Between those two, I should get some more Interstate mileage info. I have told numerous acquaintances at horse shows about this product; and they all own trailers...:)
Consider me a very satisfied customer.
James G.
Mexico, NY
August 2006
Paul Ste. Marie, Calgary, Alberta Canada
Animal Transport ivestock trailers
Enclosed is my info on the results of the positioning of Airtabs™ on this truck and trailer. Please double click on each box in the table below to see the pictures.
I m supplying this info on over two years of positioning the Airtabs firstly on the trailer and gradually to the truck. The final info is based on 16,000 miles of pulling in all kinds of weather and with the Airtabs positioned as they are shown.
Subject: Vehicle
- 2003 Dodge 3500 Dually
- 6 speed Standard
- Cummins Diesel
- 135 HP Predator Chip
- Stage II Air intake
- Cleaned up exhaust
- Aux larger Fuel pump
- 3.73 rear axle
Trailer
- Wilson 30 ft triple axle, 8.5 ft wide
- Stock trailer, built to order with options using heavy aluminum.
We've increased our fuel mileage by about 9mpg on a full load, from 11-12 MPG to 20-21 mpg. We pull fast, heavy and long most of the time. With the Airtabs as installed, wind noise is reduced and the trailer stability is phenomenal. Evidence the Airtabs are working is most noted in rainy weather, in cross winds and meeting larger semi-trailers on two lane highways. The unloaded truck will get 25 mpg but with Airtabs fitted as per our pictures, we are getting 32-34 mpg.
The Airtabs on the top rear of the cab eliminate 80% of the bugs on the front of the trailer. If you watch the bugs, they tell you where the air is going. The Airtabs on the hood of the truck keeps the windshield cleaner and reduces wind noise with the windows open.
There are 67 Airtabs on the truck and 95 on the trailer. A small investment for this kind of fuel economy and stability, not to mention the extra horsepower. It seems with Airtabs we aren't bucking wind, but directing it.
This outfit gets a lot of curious looks but these results prove the Airtabs usefulness. The savings on a 1000 mile trip fully loaded would be approximately 35 gallons of fuel. At $3.00 per gallon, that's $105.
