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TAILGATE UP OR DOWN?
If you're interested in maximum fuel economy from your pickup truck, and the bed is empty, should you run it with the tailgate down? Most people would probably answer yes, figuring there's less wind resistance that way. Well, there are researchers who wonder about this, too. And one of them used a wind tunnel and data on wind currents in North America to come up with a scientific answer. His name is Kevin Cooper of the National Research Council of Canada, and he reported his findings at the Congress. His results are:

Except for trucks with a full 8-ft. bed, the Cd (coefficient of drag) is lower with the tailgate up.
With the tailgate completely removed, the Cd under most conditions is higher, even on trucks with an 8-ft. bed.
Using wire mesh in place of a solid tailgate also increases the drag.
Using a cover over the bed reduces drag, but a partial cover (half the length of the bed) is somewhat better than a full cover. Actually, this confirms research done by General Motors, which patented the idea of a partial cover back in 1986 (the patent has since expired).
For what it's worth, the bottom line according to Cooper: You don't save a lot of gas, but if you want to drive a pickup and be environmentally conscious you can make a small contribution to the common good. On a pickup with an extended cab and a 6.5-ft. bed, you'd save 60 gals. of fuel over 100,000 miles if you leave the tailgate up instead of down, and 172 gals. if you leave it up instead of removing it. On a standard cab with an 8-ft. bed, you'd save as much as 207 gals. if you keep the tailgate up and use a bed cover, vs. the tailgate down with no cover.

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