Harveyj
Boise, Idaho
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Joined: 10/02/2006
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Saw a 23' Fleetwood Tioga this past weekend with several Airtabs surrounding the rear of the unit....even over the skylight.
I got to talking to him about the tabs and he told me that he has gained 2.2 mpg since installing them. I don't dispute the accuracy of his numbers as I don't have any data on them. I have seen a few posts here on the net discussing them so I thought I would post a couple of pics showing his installation....interesting...
I have never posted pics before, but below are the links to the picture file.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg210/pharlap7_photo/airtab2.jpg
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg210/pharlap7_photo/airtabs.jpg
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Dakzuki
Carnation, Wa, USA
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Joined: 11/01/2002
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I am highly suspicious of that number.
95 Chinook Premier
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HedoTravelers
Rochester, New York & Jamaica, W.I.
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Interesting, but I too am thinking the numbers are a little high. But hey, ya never know.
*To post a photo, replace only the word "code" with "img", and input your photo address where indicated.
It should look like this... [code]picture address[/code]
Please keep the photos at or below 400 x 600 pixels for easy viewing. 
Respect,
Brent
TV ~
Cadillac Escalade EXT, Prodigy BC, Reese Pro Series SC
Rigs ~
Starcraft Travelstar 21RBS, Alcan Traveler Tent Camper
"Where ever you go, there you are"
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usmohls2@yahoo.com
CA
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Joined: 04/21/2006
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That # sounds high to me also. Looks that the side airtabs are on backwards. The cups shouldn't be towards the front?
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ronfisherman
SE Michigan
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Joined: 06/05/2006
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usmohls2@yahoo.com wrote:That # sounds high to me also. Looks that the side airtabs are on backwards. The cups shouldn't be towards the front? 
Am I seeing things wrong on Air Tab's site.
2004 Gulf Stream Endura 6340 D/A
Saf-TTE tire monitor
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Harveyj
Boise, Idaho
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They are installed correctly...the wide end is supposed to be toward the front according to Airtab's site and the pictures of different installations.
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HedoTravelers
Rochester, New York & Jamaica, W.I.
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The direction looks right to me. But he may not have them far enough back to do much. The site shows them installed right at the edge. I would love to see a wind tunnel smoke test.
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Polishnurse
Schodack, NY
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Joined: 03/13/2007
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Sounds like the Myth busters should run a test on these.
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klhutch
Sububan Chicago
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Polishnurse wrote:Sounds like the Myth busters should run a test on these.
Mythbusters is great TV but some of their science is flaky and I've never seen them do anything with the rigor that this test would require. You would want to see the work done by some graduate students at a university that has a strong automotive program.
Now that I think about it there is a way to do the test fairly easily but it would make boring TV and I doubt that MB would touch it. You would need two "identical" motorhomes and run them around a test track for several 100 mile tests to get a good idea of how their mpg results compare. Then put the airtabs on one of them and repeat the tests. You'd run both at the same time on the same track, half a lap apart, to make the environmental and road conditions the same for both. If the airtabs work the difference should show up.
Unfortunately for owners you can't run this test by yourself since differences in weather, road, traffic, and fuel pumps will bury the result in measurement noise. But if you have a friend who has a fairly similar MH who is willing to make the same trips at the same time stopping at the same stations using the same pumps and fill technique you could run the test fairly well. Make a few trips together to get comparative data, put tabs on one MH, make the same trips together again and compare the results.
Ken
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Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Joined: 01/17/2003
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I saw them back in the early winter on a non-RV. They were on a new FedEx van, a new-generation full-bodied looong Sprinter van. I only saw it that once, but since it was near the I-26 / I-40 interchange, it may have just been passing thru. I suppose they were trying them out, and the lack of other sightings on FedEx vans says something to me.
Jim, "Mo' coffee!"
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
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