|
Photo Gallery
|
|
|
Below is a gallery of various Airtab® installations from around the world that may help you to see how and where Airtab® kits are fitted. We have placed drivers comments with their pictures, in some cases we can put you in touch with drivers to discuss their finding. please email us Images are added weekly. Click on image to see a larger (hi-resolution) full screen view. If you would like to submit your own images email us.
|
Click on Links to View Photos by Application
Click to view Road trains in Australia
|
Tractor / Trailer Applications
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
I'm an owner-operator
for North American Van Lines. Experience has shown me that strong crosswinds
seriously affect the stability of my cabover Freightliner and 51 foot
furniture van. Following the installation of Airtabs™ at the rear
sides and top of my trailer, I noticed an immediate drop in wind whip
and a corresponding increase in directional stability. I recommend the
Airtab® System to anyone wanting similar improvement. |
|
||
|
Laurysen Kitchens has a 53 foot Great Dane Trailer fitted with Airtab® that has a run once a week between Ottawa to Sault Ste. Marie. Since being installed they have used between 45 to 60 litres (12 to 16 Gallons) less for each leg of the journey, roughly 800 km (500 miles) each way. In addition to fuel savings Bill Laurysen says that his driver notices the overall handling of the rig is better with less trailer sway in cross-winds. 45 litres of fuel equates to about 3% fuel savings. Bill wishes that his Western Star Sleeper with fairings could accommodate Airtab® so he could see the benefit of them there as well. Within a few weeks the tabs have paid for themselves and now the rest is profit. Airtab, LLC would point out: 45 litres of fuel @ $.70 CDN is $31.50 now $26.47 US
|
||
|
Yoda's Tractor ...I
was very pleased to notice that the wind did not knock me around on the
road at all!...[more]
|
Yoda's Tractor My average
fuel consumption on cruise control before the tabs was 6.3 MPG..... My
average for the last 2 weeks is 6.9MPG... much more than I expected......
[more] July 15,
2004 Yoda provides a Airtab® update.
|
||
Yoda's Trailer with Airtabs™ on Storage Lockers ...My turbo boost gauge was constantly reading 5 pounds less... [more]
|
|
||
Marty's Trailer(Yoda's friend) To this
date (May 5,2004) the handling is the biggest thing I have noticed,
more control and better stability. In rain I have found that Marty ======================================== The price per gallon is now over $2.109 and my mileage was up by .5 to .6 per mile. To me it looks like I will save about$1,000 to $1,300 a year depending on how high the fuel goes. Have
a good day and Jack ,Thanks for Airtabs™ , It's money in my pocket. |
Top of Trailer |
||
Peter C. , veteran
driver of 35 years operating out of Binghamton, New York says "I
think they are worth it just for the stability. I noticed less drag immediately.
During my first trip along the NY #17 that follows the Susquehanna River,
lots of curves, I ran into the leading edge of a group of thunderstorms...
so the wind was gusting from all directions. With the Airtabs™ the
rig handled as stable as a rock. I am monitoring my fuel mileage and so
far there is an indication that I am seeing savings. I will report again
later when I collect more data" |
Airtabs™ on top of wing. |
||
|
Jack, first off let me say WOW, I purchased this 1999 Volvo VN610 in November of 1998. After installing Airtabs™ last week, my truck has never handled any better. The best way to describe it is its like having a Tail Wind every where I drive. My truck and Trailer handle better in windy or no windy conditions. And in the Rain what a difference, I could see better out the back of the unit than I could out the front. I am enclosing Picture of the installation of the Airtabs™ , Installation was easy and only took about 1 hr 45 min to do both tractor and trailer. I don’t have any fuel savings data yet as they have only been on my truck for about 1 tank of fuel, but will let you know in my next letter. This product is probably one of the easiest to use and like I said has improved the handling of my vehicle immensely.
Thank you, Hershey Bar September 2005
During the Hurricane Rita I was westbound on I-20 I started out in Jackson, Ms about 9:30 AM by the time I got to Vicksburg, MS. I hit the rain and wind. The farther west I went the worst it got. I was traveling in winds of 50 mph or greater with gust. I did notice some side-to-side movement but not as much as the other trucks that didn’t have Airtabs on them. The rain was so hard it sounded like it was going to come thru my windshield. I didn’t have as much spray as the other vehicles but in the rain and wind nothing seemed to keep the spray down. In normal rain I don’t have any spray to speak of. I was dodging falling trees on both sides of the interstate so the wind was doing a number on us. I only had about 5,000 to 8,000 lbs in the Trailer so I was getting worried. But the Airtabs help tremendously. My truck was more stable in the wind than the others and it was noticeable to me and to the other drivers who were asking me about my funny looking little pieces of plastic on the side of my Tractor and Trailer. Jack these Airtabs worked great in the wind and rain and I am thankful that I had them on my Truck and Trailer. But I don’t think I want to experience that much wind again.
Hershey Bar |
||
|
|
||
Please call us at (800) 475-2155 for consultation before ordering.
|
Dear Airtabs, When I first heard about your product I must say that I was a little bit skeptical about your claims. You were kind enough to send me a kit and we installed it on one of our trailers. I personally did the evaluation and immediately found your product to improve the stability on the trailer to the point that everyone who subsequently used this unit made a comment on how straight the trailer pulled. After having purchased additional Airtab kits and installing them, the feedback from my drivers was very positive. Handling and stability has improved noticeably. Fuel mileage on the other hand is not as easy to measure. I can however tell you that we have noticed a significant change in fuel mileage on our smaller trucks. To give you an example, we normally used about 20 gallons of fuel on a typical Toronto On to Windsor On run with our single car trailer, pulled by a 2000 Dodger Ram. Since we installed your Airtabs we regularly use only 15 -16 gallons. With the price of fuel these days we'll take all the savings we can get. Your product has also eliminated the side shift one experiences when another truck passes you on the highway. Prior to installing Airtabs I was always on alert while traveling in the right lane for other trucks passing me. My vehicle would always be sucked sideways towards the truck passing me. Since installing your product this problem has all but been eliminated. No more white knuckles! I would recommend anyone reading this letter to go ahead and invest in a kit. You will be pleasantly surprised. Yours truly, Wally H Vice-President Operations TFX International
Specialized Vehicle Transport TFX is a custom car hauler http://www.tfxinternational.com/
|
My name is Jeff and I own and operate COBRA , I have a 1998 KW T-2000 and run a 600 hp CAT engine, 13 speed transmission with 3:55 ratio rears on 22.5 low pro rubber, and pull a 2001 53’ monon air ride trailer. Tire pressures are kept at 106 psi. drive and steer, and the trailer at 109 psi. I also run 100% synthetic oil.
I purchased my airtabs in November 2004.
First let me say I love my airtabs they have many fuel savings as well as looks for appeal and the improved stability in high cross winds as well as any weather conditions for looking in your mirrors it improves visibility for behind your trailer.
I found after the airtabs we’re put on .4 to a .7(fill to fill) increase per gallon (6.4 to 6.7mpg) after just adding them first to the trailer alone. This was a regular run out west MI to UT then to OR grossing at or around 80,000lbs.
The visibility was greatly improved for seeing in my mirrors in high blowing rain, snow blowing, its clearly a needed safety item that every trailer should have on it this day and age.
You’ll find your back doors of you trailer will stay cleaner from the snow, rain, ect.
I found it all but eliminated the wagging of the tail of my trailer in high cross winds, because I run plastic plate on my fifth-wheel , and usually the axles are slide all the way forward. To save fuel as well, I had felt like I had put a tail stabilizer on it was like driving a new truck trailer.
The install was very easy just use soap and water, if wax is on your vehicle you’ll want to remove with a lacquer thinner wipe the surface clean of bugs grease chalky paint possible buff it real quick with low abrasive buffing compound found at any automotive store, peel off the backing then place in the installers tool that comes with your airtabs kit use a good eye and tape measure with a pencil mark to start the placing of your airtabs its that easy, you have fun putting them on. I think we all love stickers as a kid and as adult!!
THANKS
Jeff / COBRA |
|
||
29 |
|||
I had heard about the Airtabs on the xm-radio several times and decided to check out the website and do a little more research on the use of the tabs, after reading customer reviews I decided to try them out. I just happened to be in Sauk Center, MN recently and didn't have a load on the trailer and wasn't reloading until the next day. After looking at the list of sales centers there was only 2 in the United States one in Oregon and one in Minnesota, seemed like a no brainer that since the one in Albertville, MN was only an hour away from me that this would be a good way to spend some time and money and help improve fuel economy. I just recently switched my tractor over to super-single tires and ordered a new trailer with super single tires also so decided that the improved fuel economy of the tires and airtabs combined would be well worth the investment. The simplicity of installation of the air-tabs was amazing, just line them up and put them in place, it only took me about 1 1/2 hours to do the installation. I went over to the truckstop and while laundry was being done I was putting on the air-tabs. It didn't take long to notice that the air turbulence between the cab and trailer had dropped substantially. My truck is a 2008 Kenworth T-660 and with the apu from Thermo-King it is a very heavy truck, so I need to keep the 5th wheel slid back farther then I like, which creates a larger pocket for the wind to get into, now with the air-tabs the large air pocket has been greatly reduced and the ability to coast easier and keep my foot out of the accelerator a little bit is very noticeable, and on flat level roads I can easily tell the rolling ability of the truck-trailer combination is easier because of a drop in the turbo boost of 3 to 4 pounds, I will be putting the Airtabs on my new trailer as soon as I take delivery of it. Thanks for the product you provide and keep up the good work, Sincerely David |
|
Tractor only Applications
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
October 2005 "When I first heard about Airtabs I was skeptical. Then I checked
your website and read the testimonials. For a couple hundred dollar
investment, and diesel at 3 bucks, I had to try them myself. The installation
was as easy as advertised, I did my whole tractor in about 45 minutes.
Then I hooked up my trailer and headed down the road. I couldn't believe
the difference! The increase in stability and the lane tracking in gusty
conditions is noticeably improved. As for a mileage increase, it's hard
to tell because of the ever-changing loads and routes I take. I can
tell the mileage and top-of-the-hill speed is better but it would be
tough to document. I would strongly recommend that all trucks use Airtabs.
Thanks, Airtabs!" |
2 |
 |
June 12, 2008 Jack, I am an owner/operator leased on to Market Transport out of Portland, OR. I met up with a driver in Lodi, CA where he was busy sticking Airtab to the fenders of his International. I asked him what the heck he was doing and he informed me that 'these little doodad's" improved his fuel economy. So I went online, took a look, and the rest is history. I purchased Airtab for my tractor at the end of April, 2008. I installed them on May 1. According to the fuel statistics as supplied by Market Transport, my fuel mileage before Airtab was 6.116 mpg (April 2008), after Airtab it was 6.582 mpg (May 2008). I have noticed that in the windy conditions of California, where the wind comes from the front at an angle, the truck is more stable than before. The vision is better in the sense that the rain is deflected away from the trailer, allowing for better mirror visibility. The 'tabs' on the lower fairing actually keep the wheels cleaner as well. Oh yes, I almost forgot, these results where achieved running Oregon, Washington and California, where the speed of the vehicle is substantially lower than in other states, AND the trailers that we pull are not the standard 13' 6' trailer but the 14 foot high trailers. I have attached a picture of the truck. I have emailed the person in charge of the shop at Market Transport about my Airtabs and hope to get a response soon. Ivor Hillsboro, OR ----------------------------------------------- August 6, 2008 Jack, I have now been running with Airtab for 3 months and thought you may be interested to know the results. These figures are based on the numbers as collected by Market Transport. For the 3 months before fitting Airtab: Dispatched miles: 32,268 fuel: 5,338.2 gal MPG: 6.04 For 3 months with Airtab: Dispatched miles: 30,809 fuel: 4,802 MPG: 6.41 For ALL those disbelievers out there: these are reports that were extracted from the company computer, and is NOT just wishfull numbers 'manipulated' by an owner operator. Thanks for a really good product Ivor Hillsboro, OR |
3 |
  |
July 18, 2008 Airtab, I wanted to send you some pics of your airtabs installed and painted for my t2000. We added a pop rivet to each airtab since extenders are slightly curved, adds more strength. so far have noticed a 2% fuel economy increase as well as increased stability in winds. Get a lot of questions about these, and highly recommend them! Thanks. |
|
|
||
I have attached some photos of my old truck and the new one (both with Airtabs). If they work for you please feel free to use the images and/or text in this message.
I use company trailers and only have the Airtabs on my tractor. Since we started using Airtabs we have noticed an extreme improvement in crosswind stability. The Airtabs have also greatly improved our side mirror visibility in wet road conditions. These improvement were so impressive that Airtabs were the first thing we installed on our newest truck! Installation is easy and there are no permanent effects on the truck. If the Airtabs work this well on just the tractor Im sure a tractor/trailer application would be even better! Thanks Airtab!
Dennis M (Returning Customer) Owner
Operator |
[awaiting photo] ========================== |
||
"I was a little skeptical at first but before I'd gone 60 miles on a run to the West coast, I knew these things worked. The improved handling and stability that Airtabs™ provide my rig is surprising, especially in cross-wind conditions. Made the driving easier, visibility in wet weather was better and the back of the van stayed cleaner too. I got so many questions about them on the road, I had to turn my CB off!"
|
|
||
|
[awaiting photo] “Hello, the air tabs are working great. They have lasted for several miles since I put them on in April 2005 and several rains, and washes at the blue beacon which uses some very high power water pressure. They are giving me around .2 - .3 mpg increase in MPG. I know this doesn’t seem like a lot but really it is especially for the weight I carry. I am paid by the ton weight so as you expect the best load for me is always 40 tons. I am almost always 79,500+ lbs. when loaded. I do not have a digital camera to take pictures with but will try to meet up with David soon and I believe he has one I can use and then get him to email them to you. As I mentioned on the phone with you this week I talked to my boss about them. I was waiting on getting some trailer work done and he walked by on the other side of the truck. I didn’t see him and he came looking for me to ask questions about them. He seemed impressed enough to go straight off to his office to look it up on the web.” John H. Tullahoma, TN
Airtab,
LLC would like to point out that John pulls a "end dump" and
only has Airtabs on his tractor. Driving 100,000 miles per year at a fuel
cost of $2.50, a fuel increase of .2 MPG equates to dollar savings of
$1,344.09 . |
Hey, We couldn't find a ladder while we were in Denver, so we just put the Airtabs up the side of the sleeper as far as we could reach. Then we tackled WY winds. Even with only half the tabs installed, the difference was amazing!! The winds weren't bad westbound, but we had 50+ mph crosswinds over Elk on the way back. John is totally sold on Airtabs now. They improved handling so much that we couldn't believe it. We had waited 13 hours in Rawlins for the winds to get below 60. Now we believe we could have made the run pulling our light trailer right through the middle of the winds. We can't wait to install the rest of the tabs just to see what kind of mpg increase we get. Then I took the wheel through Kansas. Every once in a while the winds would rock the truck a little, but I didn't wear out my arms fighting the steering wheel and didn't really feel the crosswind. I think it was in the 30's. We have already started telling others about the tabs. God bless, Lula P. |
||
|
Women in Trucking
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
Received June 2007 Jack,
Jeanie S. June 12, 2008 Jack, I know you must be getting tired hearing me rave about Airtabs, but I just had to update you once more. It's been a little over a month since I added the Airtabs to the cab of my truck and I have seen a consistent improvement in my fuel efficiency. I'm talking .2 to .3 mpg. Instead of getting between 9.5 to 9.7, I've gotten up to 9.91. It's frustrating, 9.91, three times, not 9.95, not 10. Thanks for a great product, it's a no brainer when it comes to return on investment. Jeanie S. Received by Airtab on May 23, 2008 Jack, Here are photos of where I mounted additional Airtabs on the cab of my truck. There is no longer an obvious bug line across the front of my freight box! The Airtabs on the curve of the sleeper are obviously redirecting the airflow up and over. The other day when I was driving into a headwind there seemed to be less buffeting of the truck. I don't notice as marked a difference in the amount of bugs on the front of the sleeper by the stacks as I'd been hoping, but even better the back half of my fenders stay cleaner in the bad weather. That's good because those black fenders usually act like dirt magnets. I think anyone out here with a mid-roof sleeper should be looking at Airtabs as an inexpensive alternative to a fairing or whale tail. Thanks for a great product. Jeanie S. |
|
2 |
|
|
|
Hi Jack,
|
3 |
|
Hey, We couldn't find a ladder while we were in Denver, so we just put the Airtabs up the side of the sleeper as far as we could reach. Then we tackled WY winds. Even with only half the tabs installed, the difference was amazing!! The winds weren't bad westbound, but we had 50+ mph crosswinds over Elk on the way back. John is totally sold on Airtabs now. They improved handling so much that we couldn't believe it. We had waited 13 hours in Rawlins for the winds to get below 60. Now we believe we could have made the run pulling our light trailer right through the middle of the winds. We can't wait to install the rest of the tabs just to see what kind of mpg increase we get. Then I took the wheel through Kansas. Every once in a while the winds would rock the truck a little, but I didn't wear out my arms fighting the steering wheel and didn't really feel the crosswind. I think it was in the 30's. We have already started telling others about the tabs. God bless, Lula P.
|
4 |
 |
Received May 10, 2008 Jack , We have had our AirTabs over two years now and they have seen every type of weather. We have our truck washed a minimum of once a month and sometimes twice a week if we run in salt. We have had the truck power washed and we have also had it washed many times at a Truck O Mat as we like how the brushes clean the AirTabs. Through all of this washing we have never had to replace a single AirTab they just do not come off. I like the AirTabs for many reasons, my top reason is that I can see behind the truck in all weather. We ran a load with two other trucks through a lot of sleet, blowing snow, and packed snow, at each stop they had to clean their rear lights, the other drivers were just amazed at how clean the back of our truck looked. We also like the stability of our truck with the AirTabs. We are starting the search for a new truck and before we ever haul our first load with it we will have AirTabs on it. We highly recommend this product to all drivers! Linda C. Team driver with husband Bob C. Owner Operators leased to FedEx Custom Critical See Linda driving in the Skills Challenge FedEx Custom Critical June 2007:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jlwlnig0Fo#GU5U2spHI_4 |
5 |
|
6 |
  |
Received June 2, 2008 Jack, Hope you like the pictures. You know how I feel about Airtabs being my 3rd truck and 3rd set of Airtabs, the stability of the truck is unbelievable. All of us that have them know that "Big Trucks don't Suck" at least anymore. Thanks for coming out to our trucks and advising where we should put them for even more aerodynamics. Susie M. |
7 |
 |
Received June 26, 2008 Dear Jack; I know you are surprised to finally get an email from me... I am a big procrastinator..sorry... But I had to finish eating crow before I could send you your compliments...LOL.... As you know, my Friend "Jeanie" has been telling me for about a year how great the Airtabs were.... Sad huh? that I am so slow... I finally bought them at the 2008 Louisville truck show and still did not put them on for about a month.. WOW am I shocked.. Not only in the fuel mileage but the handling of the truck when it is windy..Again WOW...My fuel mileage went up about a mile to mile and a half.. Even better when I behave myself. Last night I got caught in a horrendous storm and I HAD NO spray beside my truck. I could actually see the car behind clearly..I am so excited about Airtabs that I am sharing it with everyone I know.. I thought that because I had an class 8 truck that it would not benefit me as with the smaller expeditors... WOW was I surprised.. Oh and by the way, I heard a rumor that you may try to repossess my Airtabs if I don't write something????well think again... I will fight to the end to keep my Airtabs.. Thanks so much for all your help.. And you can give my phone number to anyone who wants to talk to someone who has them.. Seriously... Your devoted Airtab user.. Suzette...... |
|
Double / Triple Applications
|
|
1
|
|
Received
June 22, 2007 |
|
Straight Truck Applications
|
|
1
|
|
The
first time I drove my truck after installing Airtabs™ , I noticed
a dramatic improvement. This improvement was noted in the truck's
handling. Thank
You Airtab,
Airtab : This is Johns 2nd straight truck fitted with Airtabs™, he told us he would not drive it until it was Airtab™ fitted. |
|
2
|
|
|
|
September 28, 2005 -- |
3 |
|
Received May 10, 2008 Jack , We have had our AirTabs over two years now and they have seen every type of weather. We have our truck washed a minimum of once a month and sometimes twice a week if we run in salt. We have had the truck power washed and we have also had it washed many times at a Truck O Mat as we like how the brushes clean the AirTabs. Through all of this washing we have never had to replace a single AirTab they just do not come off. I like the AirTabs for many reasons, my top reason is that I can see behind the truck in all weather. We ran a load with two other trucks through a lot of sleet, blowing snow, and packed snow, at each stop they had to clean their rear lights, the other drivers were just amazed at how clean the back of our truck looked. We also like the stability of our truck with the AirTabs. We are starting the search for a new truck and before we ever haul our first load with it we will have AirTabs on it. We highly recommend this product to all drivers! Linda C. Team driver with husband Bob C. Owner Operators leased to FedEx Custom Critical See Linda driving in the Skills Challenge FedEx Custom Critical June 2007:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jlwlnig0Fo#GU5U2spHI_4 |
4 |
 |
Received June 2007 Jack, I love my Airtabs. They make such a difference in the handling. The day after I put them on, I drove U.S.83, in Texas. For those that don't know, that is a two-lane, 70 m.p.h. highway. I didn't feel a single truck that I met, amazing. The back of my truck stays cleaner than before. One drawback is that motorcycles like to ride behind me because there isn't the turbulence that is normally there. I'm a 50+ year old woman and had no problem installing my airtabs myself. This will be my first winter with the airtabs on, I look forward to seeing them work as well with snow as they do in the rain. I even plan on decorating for Christmas by putting red ribbons and bows on the back so that it looks like a package going down the road. I know that with the airtabs deflecting the dirt and precipitation my decorations will look good all season. Jeanie S. The Whirlwind Express June 12, 2008 Jack, I know you must be getting tired hearing me rave about Airtabs, but I just had to update you once more. It's been a little over a month since I added the Airtabs to the cab of my truck and I have seen a consistent improvement in my fuel efficiency. I'm talking .2 to .3 mpg. Instead of getting between 9.5 to 9.7, I've gotten up to 9.91. It's frustrating, 9.91, three times, not 9.95, not 10. Thanks for a great product, it's a no brainer when it comes to return on investment. Jeanie S. |
5 |
  |
Received by Airtab on May 23, 2008 Jack, Here are photos of where I mounted additional Airtabs on the cab of my truck. There is no longer an obvious bug line across the front of my freight box! The Airtabs on the curve of the sleeper are obviously redirecting the airflow up and over. The other day when I was driving into a headwind there seemed to be less buffeting of the truck. I don't notice as marked a difference in the amount of bugs on the front of the sleeper by the stacks as I'd been hoping, but even better the back half of my fenders stay cleaner in the bad weather. That's good because those black fenders usually act like dirt magnets. I think anyone out here with a mid-roof sleeper should be looking at Airtabs as an inexpensive alternative to a fairing or whale tail. Thanks for a great product. Jeanie S. |
6 |
|
Received June 26, 2008 Dear Jack; I know you are surprised to finally get an email from me... I am a big procrastinator..sorry... But I had to finish eating crow before I could send you your compliments...LOL.... As you know, my Friend "Jeanie" has been telling me for about a year how great the Airtabs were.... Sad huh? that I am so slow... I finally bought them at the 2008 Louisville truck show and still did not put them on for about a month.. WOW am I shocked.. Not only in the fuel mileage but the handling of the truck when it is windy..Again WOW...My fuel mileage went up about a mile to mile and a half.. Even better when I behave myself. Last night I got caught in a horrendous storm and I HAD NO spray beside my truck. I could actually see the car behind clearly..I am so excited about Airtabs that I am sharing it with everyone I know.. I thought that because I had an class 8 truck that it would not benefit me as with the smaller expeditors... WOW was I surprised.. Oh and by the way, I heard a rumor that you may try to repossess my Airtabs if I don't write something????well think again... I will fight to the end to keep my Airtabs.. Thanks so much for all your help.. And you can give my phone number to anyone who wants to talk to someone who has them.. Seriously... Your devoted Airtab user.. Suzette...... |
7 |
  |
Airtabs at the Expedite Expo, Wilmington, Ohio, 2008 There was a fair amount of Airtab activity and talk at the Expo. After the show, five trucks parked to model their air tabs. A sixth truck got a set installed. For readers who may be wondering, Airtabs perform as advertised. They are easy to install, cost little, have no moving parts, and they pay for themselves in a few months |
|
Commercial Buses Applications
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
RV Applications
|
Email:Thanks
for your speedy one day service. I ordered my Air Tabs on Thursday and
they were here by Friday, and Installed Saturday on my 2004 Alfa See Ya
motorhome. I'm attaching a photo of one side of the installation. Pretty
easy to install. ... |
|
|||
|
|
|||
I originally bought the Airtab® product in the hopes of keeping the rear of my cab over camper cleaner while driving down the road. Wind typically would whip up and deposit road debris all over the rear of the camper especially when it was raining. After installing the product I have driven several thousand miles with the camper and have been in a variety of road and weather conditions. To date the difference is amazing, even after a two hour drive in cats and dog rain on freshly chipped sealed roads there is hardly any dirt accumulated at the rear of the camper.
The good news has been the additional benefit of improved mileage. I had been consistently getting 11.7 mpg with this setup prior to the Airtabs™ . Out the gate with the Airtabs™ installed on a 1600 mile trip I averaged 12.5mpg! That has proven to be the case since driving 60mph, a .8mpg improvement. One other noticeable difference has been an improved handling of the vehicle (very high profile) in windyconditions and improved handling when semi trucks pass. I am pleased with the product and thus am willing to endorse their use as a 'must have' on any RV. Sincerely, Tim E. |
Hi Ron. Just
got back from the trip and had a wonderful trip the Airtabs™ worked
great got about one mile to the gallon better than before with the handling
in the wind was great and the truck buffing when they past from behind
and when passing other trucks was great. made driving much better.
|
|||
Received
February 20, 2006 |
Jack, |
|||
|
Margie and I just got back from a few days in an RV park in Monroe MI.During that time, I installed the Air Tab Kit which was ordered on line. Came with two installation templates and 80 Air Tabs. 80 Air Tabs is enough to complete the sides and top of the Alfa. Trip back was verification of straight-line stability improvement. The rear of the coach is glued to the ground unlike the trip down when the buffeting made it feel like the back of the coach was wagging back and forth. The coach stays solid and straight, no buffeting etc. Bonus is the Toad stays much cleaner too as the air is smoothed around the Toad too.
Best, Phil & Margie S. SYF 73074 Light Truck Engineering |
October 5, 2006 Hi Jack
The Airtabs surely have a dual function on the gently radiused tail of the egg-shaped Casita trailer. In addition to their familiar role with abruptly truncated bluff bodies, the Airtabs almost certainly pull the airflow farther around the large bend radius at the rear of the Casita (which is shaped much like an Airstream trailer). I estimate this to be about 10 degrees greater turn angle than the standard baseline 10 degrees before the flow separates. In other words, I'm now benefiting from a 20 degree turn angle of the flow off the roof and sides rather than only 10 degrees. This results in a smaller wake with less cross-sectional area. It is as if the trailer had less frontal area than any other Casita. My best previous fuel mileage for 1,000 miles was 19 mpg. With Airtabs, it improved to a hair over 20 mpg. Roughly 5 percent better mileage on same route and weather conditions. (1,000 miles is the longest distance I could drive on the Interstate without being forced to purchase 10% gasohol which degrades fuel mileage by about 3 mpg!)
Stability was excellent, but it was fine before Airtabs due to the good original aerodynamic shape and vehicle proportions (small rear overhang so the aero center-of-pressure in side winds is very close to the trailer's center of gravity ) .
Naturally, when the airflow is turned through a greater turn angle, it carries any clouds of water spray with it. In rainy weather, the road spray from the tow vehicle and trailer tires is now pulled 20 degrees toward the centerline of the trailer's wake, leaving a totally clear view aft in the rear view mirrors. The clarity of the view is remarkable ! Nearly the same as in dry weather.
After our 6,000 mile trip around the country, the rear face of the Casita was unquestionably far cleaner than normal. Barely needed to be lightly washed. Other RV'ers were surprised to hear we hadn't washed it once.
Cheers,
Gary Washington State |
|||
|
==============================
Both my previous 05 and current 06 would have a wind noise coming through the drivers side window when crusing speed was obtained. A while back one of the forum members mentioned he had placed airtabs on the outside ahead of the driver's mirror. This eliminated most of the protruding sound. Being an airtab distributor (by a few weeks) I naturally had to try it. It worked.
Now for the reasons. The air flow passing the mirror becomes a turbulating airflow as it passses between the mirror mounting and stem and the coach side. Sort of a venturi effect. Airtabs are tiny vortex generators which, when placed ahead of the drivers mirror, will align this turbulating air flow thus removing much of the offensive air noise.
So far, everyone who has purchased the airtabs for this purpose has been very satisfied with the noise reduction. The attendees had a great discussion about this at the Tucson rally last week. I hope this has answered your question. Also, I have posted in the Photo's section a few pictures of the airtab placements: at the back and at the mirror location. Any more questions just send them my way.
Ron Dierlam 06SYG3838 |
|
Horse trailer & Auto trailer Applications
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
October 2005 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 ====================== Received November 15, 2005 Jack, Now there are nearly six thousand miles of travel on my four-horse trailer with the AIRTABS in place - round trips from Central NY to; Maine, North Carolina, Texas, then Maryland. I will say with absolute certainty that stability is considerably improved. It takes quite a crosswind to move the rig around and all you feel from semis is a little "push" or "pull" as they approach and pass (or the other way 'round) - staying in your own lane is a lot easier. Mileage was more difficult to gauge, as we mostly had only memory to guide us - but that memory remembered one tank below 10mpg and only one above 11.5. This year, with only the addition of one horse being different from last, we did not get less than 10.2mpg, with most being between 11 and 11.3. I would surmise an improvement of about .40mpg at least - very welcome on trips with $3/gal fuel! It isn't really a large improvement - about 4.5% - but with all the variables (particularly fuel delivery systems), I am not comfortable making a larger claim. I still have enough left to work on the truck/trailer gap, which I'll address when I find the "right" fairing or wind deflector to use them on. Still pleased, Jim G. |
|
2
|
|
Click Image to get full size view. |
|
September 2005 |
|
3
|
|
(Nov 5, 2005) Hi
Jack: I will document our trip from Las Vegas, Nevada to Bristol, Tennessee
wherein we experienced approximately a 6.5% increase in fuel economy
and experienced much more stable pulling during severe wind conditions.
We have not experienced any moisture to date, so I cannot attest to
increased visibility from the rearview mirrors or a cleaner rear door
area. We will be leaving the Bristol area and heading north to Detroit
and we should experience moisture during that segment of the trip. I
will update the report at that time. Our experience is just as you represented
with a significant increase in fuel economy and stability. Received
January 18, 2006 |
|
4
|
|
Received
March 12, 2006 |
|
5
|
|||
|
August 2006
Paul Ste. Marie, Calgary, Alberta Canada Animal Transport 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. Subject: Trailer
|
|
6
|
|||
|
Received December 15, 2006
Jack,
The airtabs on my trailer worked exactly as the testimonials on your site. However that was no surprise to me, as I have done a fair amount of research on the topic of truck/trailer areo and aero in general.
The most noticeable benefit was stability, particularly noticeable when passing or being passed by big rigs. A slight benefit may be found in mpg, but I have not done conclusive / back to back / scientific methodology on that. I would guess maybe 5% gain. It seems the wing still is an additional benefit in addition to the airtabs, but would like to eliminate its use with airtabs on the trailing edges of the truck.
Like everyone said on your site...the drivability improvement was enough to justify their installation, mpg gains are there too and are icing on the cake.
Thanks, Scott R California |
|
7
|
|
========================== November 14, 2006
Gentlemen, Just a quick note to let you know how pleased I am with the Airtabs. Purchased them about three months ago, installed them on my 2003 Tioga 24' class C RV (took about one hour). Took a 1500 mile trip through Nevada and could not believe the improvement in handling. Very stable in cross winds and no more whipping around when passed by the 18 wheelers. Amazed that I don't see these on every RV on the road. Thanks for a great product.
Bob J Campbell, CA |
|
Autos and Pickup Applications
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
October 2005 We are both most impressed with the AIRTABS. Stability and smoothness
of drive were markedly better. Even in wind conditions or when passing
big 18 wheelers, where the CRV shook and moved before, it was as steady
as a rock with the AIR TABS on. Also we were getting 485-500 km ( 301
- 310 miles) to a tankful of gas on the highway. Our most effecient
recollection from before, and we have over 155,000 km ( 96,255 miles),
was squeezing maybe 450 km ( 279 miles) out of a tank. This 7- 10 %
saving on fuel is awesome! Thanks for putting the AIR TABS on. We are
already getting questions from curious family members and neighbours.
Cheers. |
|
|
