Aerodynamic rear fairing system for a trailer
A rear fairing system for reducing drag on a trailer includes a plurality of fairings coupled to a rear, vertical door post of the trailer. Each fairing includes (i) a mounting member adjacent to and engaged with a rearward, outer surface of the vertical door post and (ii) an air deflection member coupled to the mounting member and including a vertical portion and a curved portion which curves inwardly toward a centerline of the trailer. Each fairing is mounted to the door post at a location between hinges of a rear swing door of the trailer.
1. A rear fairing system for reducing drag on a trailer having a rear swing door, comprising:
a fairing configured to be coupled to a rear, vertical door post of the trailer, wherein the fairing includes (i) a mounting member configured to lie adjacent to and engaged with a rearwardly-facing, outer surface of the vertical door post and (ii) an air deflection member coupled to the mounting member and including a vertical portion and a curved portion,
wherein the mounting member is made of a first plastic and the curved portion of the air deflection member is made of a second plastic.
2. The rear fairing system of claim 1 , wherein the vertical portion is configured to extend rearwardly and the curved portion is configured to curve inwardly toward a longitudinal centerline of the trailer.
3. The rear fairing system of claim 1 , wherein the fairing is made of plastic.
4. The rear fairing system of claim 3 , wherein the fairing is made of a dual durometer plastic.
5. The rear fairing system of claim 1 , wherein the first plastic is less flexible than the second plastic.
6. The rear fairing system of claim 1 , further including a plurality of fairings configured to be coupled to the rear, vertical door post of the trailer.
7. The rear fairing system of claim 6 , wherein each fairing is configured to be positioned between a pair of hinge butts of the trailer that are coupled to the vertical door post of the trailer and to a swing door panel of the swing door of the trailer.
8. The rear fairing system of claim 7 , wherein a profile of the air deflection member of the fairing is configured to be substantially similar to an outer surface of the profile of the hinge butt.
9. The rear fairing system of claim 7 , wherein the air deflection member of the fairing is configured to extend rearwardly beyond a rearward edge of the hinge butt.
10. The rear fairing system of claim 1 , wherein the fairing is riveted to the door post.
11. The rear fairing system of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive coupled to an outer surface of the mounting member in order to bond the fairing to the door post.
12. The rear fairing system of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the air deflection member of the fairing is configured to be generally aligned with an outer surface of the door post.
13. A rear fairing system for reducing drag on a trailer having a rear swing door, comprising:
a fairing configured to be coupled to a rear, vertical door post of the trailer, wherein the fairing includes (i) a mounting member configured to lie adjacent to and engaged with a rearwardly-facing, outer surface of the vertical door post and (ii) an air deflection member coupled to the mounting member and including a vertical portion and a curved portion,
wherein the fairing further includes an overhang member coupled to the mounting member and the air deflection member, wherein the overhang member is configured to lie adjacent to and engaged with a curved outer edge of the rear, vertical door post, and wherein the overhang member extends forwardly from the mounting member and the air deflection member.
14. A rear fairing system for reducing drag on a trailer having a rear swing door, comprising:
a plurality of fairings configured to be coupled to the rear, vertical door post of the trailer, wherein each fairing is spaced vertically apart from each other fairing, wherein each fairing is configured to be located within the profile of the rear swing door and operates to substantially fill a gap between spaced-apart hinges of the rear swing door.
15. The rear fairing system of claim 14 , wherein each fairing includes (i) a mounting member configured to lie adjacent to and engaged with a rearwardly-facing, outer surface of the vertical door post, and (ii) a J-shaped air deflection member coupled to the mounting member and configured to extend rearwardly therefrom.
16. The rear fairing system of claim 15 , wherein a rearward end portion of each air deflection member curves inwardly toward a longitudinal centerline of the trailer.
17. The rear fairing system of claim 14 , wherein a length of the fairing is substantially equivalent to a distance between adjacent, spaced-apart hinges of the rear swing door.
18. A rear end assembly of a trailer, comprising
a rear frame;
a swing door coupled to the rear frame, the swing door including a swing door panel and a plurality of spaced-apart hinges coupled to a rear, vertical door post of the rear frame and the swing door panel; and
a fairing coupled to the rear, vertical door post at a location between adjacent and spaced-apart hinges in order to substantially fill a gap between the spaced-apart hinges,
wherein a rearmost end of the fairing is substantially aligned with a rearmost end of the hinges.
19. A rear fairing system for reducing drag on a trailer having a rear swing door, comprising:
a plurality of fairings each configured to be coupled to a rear, vertical door post of the trailer, wherein each fairing includes (i) a mounting member configured to lie adjacent to and engaged with a rearwardly-facing, outer surface of the vertical door post and (ii) an air deflection member coupled to the mounting member and including a vertical portion and a curved portion,
wherein each fairing is configured to be positioned between a pair of hinge butts of the trailer that are coupled to the vertical door post of the trailer and to a swing door panel of the swing door of the trailer.