Weight of the tailgate/weight of pickup truck = nothing much, mpg impact about 0.
The Mythbusters also did a show about that tornado proof car and gave it a pass. They’re also about as dead wrong as humans can be on that issue.
Or this 1907 reference on the topic from the car talk guys - http://www.cartalk.com/content/i-read-your-recent-article-which-reader-also
agree with@texases
Typical tailgate weights in at a whopping 65lbs. Enough to make a difference ? About the same as the difference between mom and dad driving the car. I weigh about 65lbs more then my wife. If there is a detectable diffrence in mileage, you’re a better man than I Charlie Brown. Besides, I feel 65 extra pounds in the back can generally do nothing but enhance the handling of an unloaded/ partially loaded pick up.
My own vehicle is a 2006 Ranger and I have tried tailgate up and down driving. I did not notice much difference either way in different kinds of driving. The only way I noticed a gas saving was when I reduced my speed from 70 to 60–less air for the engine to work at moving out of the way.
When one considers the cost of buying the mesh tailgate, having to find a place to store the regular tailgate, the time needed to switch them out as required, and the fact that the factory tailgate weighs quite a bit so putting it on or off the truck is a hazard to your back, I say, "LEAVE THE FACTORY TAILGATE ON!!!
Finally, I like the idea of having a real tailgate protecting the back of my head instead of meshed plastic in the case of an accident…
Yep tailgate up, just as designed. I don’t know how the myth got started but suspect it had something to do with folks wanting to sell tailgate nets.
I’m tempted, I mean really tempted, to get some conduit, galvanized sheet, and pop rivets to fabricate an aero bed cap.
Gotta be some gains at freeway speed…the big technical catch is how the bed and cab move somewhat independently of one another.
(Gotta say, if one is the sort of person who wrenches one’s back on tailgate removal, one is not a likely candidate for pickup ownership in the first place.)