Do roof top tents affect gas mileage?
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Do roof top tents affect gas mileage?

Seaweed Cowboy

Seaweed Cowboy

Active member
I'm sure they do. I guess I'm trying to understand just how much do they mess with the gas mileage? My wife and I were talking about this this morning and I'm guessing at most 5mpg, but handling is what will likely be effected the most with higher center gravity?
 
Not that much. Granted aerodynamics will take a small hit, weight on your truck, but at most you might see a 1-3mpg loss is about it. Most tent manufactures have these tents somewhat aerodynamic to some degree.
 
Anything you strap or add to your rig is going to affect MPG to some degree, these tents, not much.
 
Unless you plan on driving around with the tent wide open, the MPG loss will be small. Biggest thing you will notice will be the weight difference with the 'top heavy' AKA center of gravity which others have mentioned here already.
 
Nothing to get all concerned about. CG is the only thing that will take a hit that you will likely notice.
 
Personally I like to follow the natural roof line of a truck, so go with a partial bed rack and match what ever tent you go with to the cab roof line.
 
Tom Scherb said:
Nothing to get all concerned about. CG is the only thing that will take a hit that you will likely notice.
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Agree, and that alone IMO is what you need to be concerned about. A friend bought one of those Taxa Wollybear trailers that is so darn top heavy with his tent on it. Not something that looks stable on uneven trails.
 
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