| Author | Message | ||
| ED Hackenbruch (Shadowman)
Registered Member Username: Shadowman Post Number: 73 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 70.1.215.94 Rating: N/A |
I just looked at an old Newell and saw that it had something called air tabs on it. Not being familiar with them i went on the internet and looked them up. Anybody here use them or know about them? Do they work as claimed? Gonna post this on the other board as well......interested to see what people have to say about them. | ||
| Bill 340 (Bill_340)
Registered Member Username: Bill_340 Post Number: 71 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 75.200.45.100 Rating: N/A |
Dont know about them and still dont. you forgot to tell us what they are, | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1392 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.68.135.25  Rating: N/A |
Someone on either here or MAK was a dealer for them back sometime ago. From what I read about them in the press when they came out, they do mess with the wind as advertised. Some anecdotal reports of improved spray control and changed where the dirt collected on the back in inclement weather. I have no idea as to any or the degree of fuel economy improvements. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| ED Hackenbruch (Shadowman)
Registered Member Username: Shadowman Post Number: 74 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 70.7.58.149 Rating: N/A |
Bill, just google Air tabs and you can see and read about them...easier than me trying to explain them. | ||
| Tony LEE (T_lee)
Registered Member Username: T_lee Post Number: 36 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 124.179.10.139 Rating: N/A |
I gave up trying to find any solid data on just what sort of things might be improved by fitting these devices on buses.. Rear of bus is far more rounded than the back end of a trailer. Exactly where on the profile do you mount them. What about effects around side mounted radiators. Hatches, AC and solar panels mounted on top of the bus present an entirely different picture than the smooth flat tops of trailers. Airflow is messed up by radiator air flow anyway. Supposed less hassles when being overtaken by large truckes. I don't have any hassles anyway so what improvement could I expect. Better fuel consumption - yes, a slightly better figure quoted by a large company in Australia, but that was for trucks and trailers. What about for buses. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 541 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 69.19.14.21 Rating: N/A |
I too have been wondering about those tabs. A truck is not tapered so the tabs might reduce the size of the bubble dragged aft. Most coaches have side air inlets that may reduce the size of the bubble , by filling it with used warm engine cooling air and exhaust. Would take a test in a wind tunnel, too many variables to drive a test on public roads. FF | ||
| Dan West (Utahclaimjumper)
Registered Member Username: Utahclaimjumper Post Number: 128 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 208.66.38.115 Rating: N/A |
In the aviation world they are called "vortex Generators" and are now included on most new aircraft. Placed on the wings and tail surfaces, they cause a small "tornato" effect and delay the break away of air from the control surface to delay "wing stall"..I think these units are designed to reduce the vacuum effect of a large objects passing thru the air at speed.>>>Dan | ||
| Norm Edlebeck (Bandleader)
Registered Member Username: Bandleader Post Number: 60 Registered: 2-2004 Posted From: 76.17.179.197 Rating: N/A |
Hello Busnuts. I was a dealer for Airtabs for RV's. The company basically restructered this past year and since I didn't do any traveling & was unable to do RV Rallys and Shows because of high fuel prices, plus the fact that my wife had cancer pretty bad, I dropped my dealership. From personal experience with them, they REALLY DO WORK. ANYTHING box shaped going down the road at hiway speeds of 45 mph or greater they will boost your mileage, help handling in windy conditions and will keep the back of your RV (or anything else box shaped for that matter), totally dirt and grease free and eliminate that "vacuum drag" behind. Yes, as Dan West said above they are "Vortex Generators" & the airlines are now using them. Before putting them on my MC-7, I was getting just over 6 mpg. I installed them on both sides & over the top (3 per running foot). I found that my old Detroit 8-V71 was throwing out some oil & it was coming up from under the bus onto my new white fiberglass doors, SO, I installed a metal strip under the bumper, put on 18 Airtabs & problem solved - NO MORE OIL or dust on the back of bus. At the same time, a friend made me an enclosed trailer out of a U-Haul Rent A Truck. It is 20 ft. long (w/the I beam hitch) and 8 ft. wide, X 7 ft high inside. So. basically the same size as the bus. I installed the Airtabs on the top & both sides of the trailer at the rear. I haul a 700 lb 3 wheel car in the trailer along with $25,000 worth of dance band equipment. My mileage INCREASED to 7.7 mpg WITH the trailer, compared to just the bus at over 6 mpg before. The only problem here in the USA, is people don't see many of them and are afraid to invest about $200 for 80 Airtabs. Every other country in the world is using them & just like everything else, we're the last country to accept something new. And now most every airline in the world is using a form of these Airtabs on most planes today. Check them out at www.airtab.com - what the users are saying IS TRUE. BTW - I found that the oil from the bus went straight out UNDER the trailer & probably deposited on the guy's car that was tailgateing me 20 feet behind. BOTTOM LINE - THEY WORK. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 545 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.82.162.13 Rating: N/A |
" My mileage INCREASED to 7.7 mpg WITH the trailer, compared to just the bus at over 6 mpg before." There is little weight penalty in dragging a trailer. The increase in mileage could simply be from the longer total length ? "Every other country in the world is using them & just like everything else, we're the last country to accept something new" Can you really believe that?? FF | ||
| Tony LEE (T_lee)
Registered Member Username: T_lee Post Number: 38 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 138.217.147.22 Rating: N/A |
"My mileage INCREASED to 7.7 mpg" Sounds like the solution to the energy crisis - just tow a big long trailer behind, fit it with airtabs and get much better fuel consumption. Maybe we should tow two trailers and we would get 10mpg Even the manufacturers don't make claims of 30% better mileage, TOTALLY clean back end, every other country is using them, etc etc.. The more of these sort of claims I see, the less inclined I would be to consider them. In two years of roaming around Australia, I have never seen air tabs fitted to anything - and I've been looking. | ||
| Norm Edlebeck (Bandleader)
Registered Member Username: Bandleader Post Number: 61 Registered: 2-2004 Posted From: 76.17.179.197 Rating: N/A |
For you "doubting Thomas's" out there - DON'T BUY THEM!!!!! It's no skin off of my aXX, & I don't care - it's YOUR problem, not mine. I just reported what I experienced - no sales pitch, no money for me if you buy or not. NO BIAS NO BULL !!! | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1228 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.110.9  Rating: N/A |
Don't get upset Norm. We didn't buy Fred's raving about Hydro caps either.  | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 340 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 71.55.230.210 Rating: N/A |
Hydro caps? what in the world is that? Water formed to replace R&M fiberglass caps? Now I am confused. Gomer | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 158 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 208.81.157.90  Rating: N/A |
I don't know about air tabs but the other day I bought a little enclosed trailer called a Yuppie Wagon to carry our bicycles in behind the wife's Saturn Vue. Pulled it home behind the suburban on a road that I travel all the time. It has a very short tongue and is just a bit smaller width and height than the Sub. Weighs nothing. Sure seemed like the Sub wanted to go more that usual. The trailer does have very deep ridges and kind of a spoiler molded in to the top rear. When we put it behind the Vue I will be probably be riding the brakes all the time just to hold it back. Don 4107 | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 780 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 208.54.200.19 Rating: N/A |
Don, That's what I was thinking, put enough of them on the bus and you would have to hold the brakes to slow it down!! Between those and hydrogen generators on the engine we could do away with diesel altogether. (Message edited by gusc on November 22, 2008) | ||
| ED Hackenbruch (Shadowman)
Registered Member Username: Shadowman Post Number: 75 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 173.117.70.236 Rating: N/A |
I think i might give them a try. The cost is low enough that even if they don't work i won't be out that much and if they do work even a little bit they will pay for themselves sooner or later. And if nothing else i will have a conversation piece at the BUS'N USA rally next summer :>) Just have to wait and see how i come out at tax time before i can do anything tho. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 548 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 69.19.14.24 Rating: N/A |
We didn't buy Fred's raving about Hydro caps either. :-) Hydro caps , for folks that don't troll the archives , are devices that replace the std battery caps. They cut down on the need to water hard working battery sets from frequent to seldom. For plugged in house buses there not worth the cost. For equalizing once a month there simply removed. Folks that live long term on DC with frequent charge , discharge cycles LOVE them. FF | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1231 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.110.9 Rating: N/A |
Fred, don't forget to tell them how much they COST! Then rave on!! | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 552 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.82.9.56 Rating: N/A |
don't forget to tell them how much they COST! Well if time is money , and you have better things to do than crawl into the batt well , there CHEAP. Cost about $8.00 per cap , the Value , is of course up to you! If your'e lazy once too often and the top of the battset plates get exposed , the cost will be minor compared to the chiropractor bill for replacing those heavy (and expensive) boxes of lead. Do it Your Way! FF | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1235 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.110.9 Rating: N/A |
Yeah, Fred, eight times all those battery cells. Seems to be the opposite of what you usually preach. KISS | ||
| ED Hackenbruch (Shadowman)
Registered Member Username: Shadowman Post Number: 76 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 173.117.162.212 Rating: N/A |
I have hydro caps on my batteries and can go lots longer with out having to add water. Have also found a lot less corrosion on my cables so all in all i spend a lot less time doing maintenence on my batteries.......seems to me that that is KISS > |