by Steven Fletcher

I'm personally not convinced RV wind deflectors are truly worthwhile. I'm not saying they don't help but I don't think they do enough good to be worth the initial purchase price and all the hassles etc.

I am not an expert on aerodynamics but here's what I think...

First, all the advertising you see shows a side profile with the air flowing nicely over the top of the rig. Ususally a fifth wheel. But take a look at your rig from the front. There's a lot of trailer hanging out the sides of the pickup and that's a lot of drag. Now picture a wind deflector on top the cab. It is dificult to see how one can make much of a difference as small as they are by comparison.

Now think of that same wind deflector as a big air dam when you are not pulling the RV. Unless it is removable, it seems to me it will wipe out any fuel economy gained while pulling your trailer.

If you fulltime, or you are on vacation, where do you leave it when not in use?

Big Rigs (18 wheelers) probably get real benefit from a wind deflector for two reasons.

• The tractor is as wide as the trailer and the wind deflector is as wide (or nearly so) as the trailer and as tall as the trailer.
• Big rigs are almost always pulling a trailer.

If wind deflectors really worked on RVs I think we would see more of them being used.