AeroCap Helps 2008 Dodge Dakota Save Gas

On the return trip from Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday, September 13, 2009, with the help of the AeroCap, even as a still in work project, I was able to get a fuel consumption better than the 9.8 Litres per 100 Km Highway rating on a 380 Km leg from Windsor, Ontario, to Toronto Ontario along the Highway 401 East.

After fueling at the Sunoco at the east end of town heading out to the 401 from the Ambassador Bridge Crossing, I picked up my speed to a 100 KPH (100 kilometers or kms, per hour [about 62 mph]) target speed and set the cruise control.

In spite of the traffic slowdowns, construction issues, and a couple of stops, I was, according to the ScanGauge Trip Display, averaging 9.2 LHK (Litres/100 Km), that's about 93.4% of the rated fuel consumption, or about 6.5% better than the pickup is rated for on the Highway!

All the time in the drive, the Trucks Temperature gauge is showing below the Halfway mark, or - as I understand this - it means the truck is running cooler than normal, so it would seem that it is getting too much cooling air. This means - cooling drag can still be reduced, too. Since the grill is part of the hood, clocking airflow there could prove interesting, and while I have some ideas, none have appeared as most practical to implement yet.