Reducing box trailer drag

[thos]

Folks,

I got myself a box-trailer last year, pic below. As you can see, it's a bit of a brick and suffers from a lot of wind buffeting and general drag. Fuel consumption suffers pretty badly too. I guess a lot of this goes with the territory, but I'm wondering what options I have to help.

I've seen some options on iFor Williams trailers, so waiting to see what the dimensions are and what will fit.

I'm also looking around at vans/trucks which have some wind deflectors.

Anyone got any other suggestions/ideas? Are these things going to make much difference?

Cheers,

Tom

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

If you are towing it with a car, what about one of thaose wind deflectors for the car roof that caravanners use?

Alternatively you could just make yourself an angled protrusion out of ali / plywood etc that bolts on to the front of the trailer

[RedditchJay]

Think its either a trailer bulge or a wind deflector on the car ?  i favour the trailer mod....

[thos]

Either tow with a Merc S320 or a LR Disco 4 - I figure the Disco is boxy enough to punch a decent hole in the air, but still seems to suffer.

Looked at the caravaners wind deflector alright - wonder if they are any good though?

Might try this off a Sprinter/LT van

Sprinter Wind Deflector

Is there anywhere else that does these kind of aero things for commercials?

[JeffC]

last trailer I got built I got the front angled to help with drag but tbh it still killed my mpg, in saying that, the worst trailer ive towed for mpg and buffeting about was a bj shuttle on the back of my 3series that was bad and terrible at speeds      

[thos]

This thing is bad at speed too, if I go near 60mph I get very nervous and it wanders badly, not snaking, just moving around a lot. Overtaking trucks is scary as it seems to want to pull in closer to the truck!!

I got a different tow-bar on the Disco to drop the tow-bar and level the load, but still seems to be bad.

I looked at angling the front of this, but think the only easy option to the top third where there is already a join, but reckon it mightnt make much difference.

[RedditchJay]

I had a blue line twin axle trailer that had a shaped front and towed excellent, even one day I was late upto Croft for a 1 day meet {carrying 3 x Yamaha bikes} and it towed very well although I was going slighty fast {wont say how fast on here lol}..... only trouble is the sway when passing slowing LGV lorries....

[Darrell O'Neill]

I tow a homemade covered trailer with a Renault Traffic van, which makes a huge difference, MPG only suffers by around 3-4mpg when towing.

When towing with a shogun though its a different story, about 10mpg less.... Make sure the hitch is level though, i made up a 1/4inch thick plate to drop the ball hitch on the shogun about 3inches. makes a huge difference to the stabilty.

[davidgh]

worst trailer ive towed for mpg and buffeting about was a bj shuttle on the back of my 3series

My BJ Minno Shuttle has a nicely rounded (quasi-aerodynamic) front. Towing with a Touareg I get as good as no buffeting  --  but fuel consumption increases by 20-25%.

Guy has a Minno that he and Chris covered in aluminium to a design by W. Heath-Robinson  --  which seems to produce about the same fuel inefficiency as the Shuttle.

Long way of saying that you might well expend time, energy and lucre for little result....  

[thos]

Ifor Williams 6ft wind deflector is coming in about £125, might be worth a punt ..... otherwise it'll be an expensive sled!

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

Sell it and buy something else. Those DG trailers weigh a ton as the sides are 18mm or 22mm thick ply covered in gloss laminate

[thos]

It was cheaper than a BJ Shuttle, more storage, and I have an awning off the side of it now.

[RedditchJay]

just need to fit it around the front tool box..... may be a bikini style top half only ??

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

What about a front moulding of a Dastle race box?

Like this

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

and I have an awning off the side of it now.

Lets hope the bloke in the paddock slot next to you doesnt turn up when its raining