Finally got the Jordan installed and hooked up to the Rockwood 5er me and the Mrs bought a couple weeks ago. Although I have nothing to compare it to, the Jordan not only was a piece of cake to install, but was very easy to adjust and works great. Hard to tell there's a trailer back there. May have to make an adjustment to the Reese 16k hitch, as there was a bit of racket back there on a bumpy street, but maybe that's normal. I took it to a large parking lot to try the hitch slide. Works easy enough, but I found out that with this trailer at least, I won't have to slide the hitch. Plenty of room and there's not a pinbox extension either. Do any of you tow your 5er with the factory tailgate? Just curious.
Thanks 5er Bob for the Jordan tips. It really is an easy, dependable set-it and forget-it controller.

 

I have towed with a factory tailgate. You just have to make sure you let it down when you hook up and make sure you put it back up otherwise it might hit something on the trailer.

There is some controversy about whether you get better mileage with the tailgate up or down. Some people say it's better with it up. I've never checked.

 

Hey, glad to help and that you are happy with the results. Now if we could only get that across to Casey. Just image how much money he could have when he retires if he invested that extra $200 in WorldCom stock.

 

Thanks Bob. By the way, I did invest in Worldcom.

 

OH OH, we woke him up. WorldCom?? You too???

Got out before it went too far, thankfully.

 

I have towed with a factory tailgate for 15 years..Bob you have got fanclub that is growing by leaps and bounds

 

Can't remember who did it but aerodynamic study was done on the tailgate question and you get slightly better mileage with stock tailgate up. Seems it creates an air bubble at rear of truck making truck as a whole more aerodynamic (smooth), than with gate down or vented/cut gate. Nice to see what you are doing with a towing gate though. Keeps you from backing into unseen objects behind you.
You will probably allways get noise from the hitch, unless you get an air ride type. I would love to have one but they are pretty pricey for me.

 

I think MIT did the wind tunnel tests on the Dodge. Bob, I just lost two thirds of my shirt on that one. Bought a BrakeSmart with what was left over.

 

 

Nice to see that yo don't really have to use your slider when making those sharp turns. I took care of that by getting the Pullrite Superglide, yes it['s pricey but I think it is worth not having to worry about forgetting when I'm in a pinch
As far as the Jordan Ultima, I had to actually back mine off because it does such a great job of applying the brakes that the 5VR would stop before the truck would Actually only when at the stop lights it make a big difference because the truck is allways triing to pull but the trailer has it's brakes applied and starts to push down on the rear of the truck. I'll have to readjust the controller when I get it loaded up for the long haul next month

I use the factory tailgate and would not be without it. I have a Fold-A-Cover installed and it allows me to lock the bed when the 5vr is not attached so I have one big trunk
If I had an air gate or 5VR tailgate then I could not store things in there.

 

This is wrong from what I remember. I don't have the link to the site on my new computer, but it was not more efficient with the tailgate up. This is not towing, but driving empty.

From most fuel efficient to least (from my memory, someone will pipe-up with the link):

Most - Some wedge shaped cover the students worked on
- bed height tonneau cover
- tailgate down
- tailgate removed
- airgate
- tailgate up
Least - bed box (cab height) cover


- JyRO

 

Heh heh. Wrong.

Tailgate up resulted in LESS drag than the tailgate down. The best was a streamlined cap, second best was a tonneau cover. The MIT link no longer works. I should have saved the web page. Oh well.

 

No way, that's not the way I remember it at all. Regardless of any bubble theory, no vertical standing wall is going to be as aerodynamic as one laying down. Somebody will have the page. Now towing, with the tailgate up which may deflect the wind upward, maybe the tailgate being up then could be an advantage ... dunno.

 

Hope I don't create a mess with this, but I agree - at least partly - with JyRO. I remember reading about that years ago, and seems to me it said that tailgate down was most efficient, tailgate removed not as efficient, but can't remember if tailgate up was better or worse than with it removed. I'm very sure about the tailgate down - best efficiency when empty. Flame away. :-)

Lar.

 

Just thought y'all may be interested in this.

http://truck-bed-covers.com/Tonneau_..._save_fuel.htm

message board at Snopes
http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/u...0;t=000488;p=1

Showing the separation bubble
http://www.fluent.com/about/news/new...4v13i2/a14.htm

My next door neighbors father-in-law used to run the wind tunnel at NASA Glenn, Cleveland. A few years ago he said they were looking for some work, and contracted with GM to do some flow modelling, and did see the effects of this. He said it's true about the better mileage with the tailgate up. I personally go with the tailgate up theory.

John