

| Subject: | Re: Power output of actual vans? (long) |
| From: | Jim Akiba |
| Date: | Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:29:42 -0400 |
I agree with Scott, aerodynamically, you're going to make out, of course the extra weigh you need to pull up things is going to hurt you... but look at trains, aerodynamically they overcome drag to a HUGE degree over the equivalent cargo on trucks. Quite a huge energy savings since each car is drafting behind the previous. Indeed Brady and I have dreamt many times about one van flat towing the other on a long trips(say SDM next year?) since you would benefit quite a bit in drag and thus fuel savings.. imagine if the whole mexico caravan could effectively draft each other.. much like birds flying in formation, the lead van(say something with big power) would do most of the work of overcoming drag, and everyone behind would benefit. It'd be cool if not kind of dangerous to see what kind of benefit could actually be realized. Jim Akiba
Have something to add on this topic today? Revive this thread in the forum »