Rear window airflow with shell

I'm torn between putting a tonneau or a shell on my truck. Something I haven't seen mentioned that I might have missed when searching is, how much does the shell effect the sweet airflow we get with the rear window down? Do you still get some flow or does it pretty much make it useless?

 

I have been wondering the same. I love my rear window! I would think you'd still get decent flow ad that area should be a low pressure zone.

 

With a shell = USELESS !

I miss my Leer, but a few days with the back window down and the drivers window makes it all good again !

 

I don't have a shell, just a bed rack with a RTT on it, and that has a noticeable impact on the air flow for the CrewMax rear window. I imagine that a topper/cap would completely kill it.

 

I have a shell on my '08 and a tonneau on my '21. My shell has the solid glass at the bulkhead (some are open and have a pass through others have a fold down window). Yes, you'll definitely lose some airflow, but it does not render it useless!

To me, it seems like road noise increased w/the shell when the rear window is down. (negative)

If you enjoy just cracking the rear window when the sunroof or front windows are open (to reduce the whomp whomp noise) that is still functional. (positive)

If you want to 'securely' roll down your rear window (like in the summer while you are out of the vehicle) to keep temps down, the shell allows you to drop the window completely without risk of intrusion or access to the cab. (positive)

You do loose the ability to drop all 5 windows and feel like you're rolling "open air jeep style" with the shell (negative)

We travel w/pups usually and have essentially deleted the rear seat on the '08. So when the pups are in the cab, and we are out of the truck... we can crack side windows, completely drop the rear window, and pop the sunroof (depending on the direct sunlight) for decent amount of air movement in the cab when the truck is stationary (positive)

You lose some visibility especially if you are tinted rear window and tinted shell window as most are (negative)

Shell and tonneau both give you a bump of about 1-1.5 MPG (positive)

Hope this helps...

 

Lost airflow with a shell, yes. Would I set my truck up any other way, no. I live way too far South to use my windows most of the year anyway.

 

I'd assumed the free flow of air would be long gone but it seems like there may still be a bit of use?

I'm between a cap or a diamondback cover. The cap gets the edge for hunting and hauling as I'd like to not have to remove whatever I wind up with.

I did get a quote for an A.R.E model Z yesterday from a local installer. I didn't think they liked my laughter when they quoted me $5100 installed. Only options I added was tilt down front window and rack. Roughly $800 in options according to their quote sheet. I'm going to try some a little farther out to see but if they're all similar diamondback it is

 

I bought my 2015 CM with the topper on it, so I have no idea what its like driving with the back window down and nothing blocking the air flow, but I love having the topper back there. I can leave the window down while I'm away (as mentioned above) with no worries about someone trying to find there way in. I also drop the window anytime any of the four passenger windows are down and the air flow is perfect. I wouldn't call it useless by any means. Having the extra bit of security a topper adds is worth it for me.

That being said, I bet having the window down and no topper is pretty magical. I plan on taking the topper off, once I have the room to store it, one summer and see what its all about.

 

I've had the V Model or something similar for my last 3 trucks. I install my own roof racks, through bolted. My only option is the side opening windows. After hunting, take a hose and scrub brush to the inside. Git to be a lot cheaper than $5100.

 

Roll-down rear window is pretty useless with a canopy, in my opinion. EXCEPT that it makes it easier to clean the front glass on the canopy from inside the truck cab!

 

Jesus. If it's helpful, my Leer Legend was about $2200 CAD with a sliding removable front window but that was a little over 2 years ago.

 

I had a leer 100R on my 2016 CM (see my user photo). Yes, the rear window is useless for airflow when it is on the truck. I now have the leer hard folding tonneau cover, and for me it is much better for daily use. Neither leaked water. The truck accelerates faster with the topper off as well but the gas milage is the same. Having said that, I think I am going to get another leer 100R topper for camping and use one of those garage lifts to take it off and store it on the ceiling when I don't want to use it (and use the leer tonneau cover for when it is off). I am also going to have the new leer 100R line-x coated rather than painted. The problem is the topper has gone up $1,000 since 2018 when I purchased the last one ($1,500 then and $2,500 now).