"" Teardrop trailers are the most aerodynamic shape -- but aerodynamics alone won't achieve fuel savings.

(Michael Westhoff/Getty Images)

Ask any long-haul trucker, one whose livelihood depends on squeezing every last mile from every last drop of diesel, and he'll tell you this: An aerodynamic trailer is more fuel-efficient and therefore cheaper to tow than a big, square box on wheels.

But the trucker has to overcome the unavoidable fact that his trailer is filled top to bottom and front to back with things like sacks of flour or boxes of concrete or enough kettle bells to supply every gym in Los Angeles. Aerodynamics for him include gap fairing, rear fairings and side skirts, all of which reduce the amount of turbulence and wind friction that keep the trailer from slipping along the highway like a greased eel. For a massive tractor-trailer owner, investing in these aerodynamic improvements can save something like 800 gallons (3,028 liters) of fuel each year -- enough for the average driver in San Jose, Calif., to tool around town for an entire year.

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For those of us who sometimes take to the highways with a travel trailer hitched up behind a minivan full of sugar-happy kids on summer vacation, aerodynamics takes a completely different shape. Teardrop trailers, with the fat end right behind the car and the skinny end trailing away, are the most aerodynamic shape. If the top of the trailer is lower than the roofline of the vehicle towing it, that's even better. The air will flow over the roof of both objects and swirl off the back end. Most of these trailers are also lightweight, which means the engine of the towing vehicle doesn't have to work so hard to pull it. However, similar to the most efficient cars on the road, aerodynamics alone won't achieve fuel savings. It's a combination of shape, lightweight materials and clever design. Easy come, easy tow.

So why doesn't everyone tow a teardrop trailer? Apparently some people like to stand up. Even in the most cleverly designed teardrop, there's going to be some awkward space in the tail end. In a boxy travel trailer, you can usually walk front to back with only the merest whack of your forehead on the bunk bed someone forgot to put away that morning. In a teardrop trailer, no matter how long it seems from the outside, that back end is going to be sacrificed to storage or an exterior kitchen. Both are clever uses of space, but not places to stash kids for the night. Seriously. Don't put your kids in the exterior fold-out kitchen.

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Bowlus® Is The Best Handling RV, Because It’s The Most Aerodynamic RV

It is often challenging to imagine while you are standing in an RV dealer just how a motorhome, van conversion, or loaf or box type travel trailer will handle in the wind. After all, you are wrapped up in the various floor plans and colors, and it seems rather insignificant if not rather boring to ask the question, “Tell me, honestly, how does this handle in high winds?” After all, these are billion-dollar companies making these vehicles, so they got to be safe, right? They must handle as well as my performance SUV, right? Wrong. Just how Volvo defined safety back in the 1970s as a small Swedish manufacturer with the three-point seat belt that was later copied by all the majors, Bowlus thinks it is the first question you should be asking yourself as it set the standard for safety in the RV industry. After all, high wind kick up often so shouldn’t safety should be your number one priority.

A Bowlus customer shared the following story, “A few years ago we were driving a Sprinter van conversion through Oklahoma. It was July the sun was shining, and around midday, the winds started. On a two-lane highway, it was challenging to keep in the lane, and as I passed through Oklahoma City, we finally gave up and parked in a strip mall. Of course, we understood that the flat sides of the Sprinter van conversion were catching the wind. But, it was only when I woke up the next morning to sore arms (am I am no wimp) did I realize just how much effort I had put in that day keeping the Sprinter from drifting. For the next couple of days, the winds continued sometimes, it was just stressful and other times borderline frightening. So after that experience, it was a no-brainer – we got a Bowlus.“

There are more than a few places around the country that seem to guarantee high winds. Last year, we talked with a customer who was all about safety – which we just loved. They were looking for a more aerodynamic travel trailer after losing control of their Airstream on a particularly windy section outside Walla Walla, Washington. The state trooper told them that section of the highway saw frequent RV accidents. They have since reported that their Bowlus handles spectacularly and gives them total peace of mind.

So why does the Bowlus handle better than Sprinter Conversions or Motorhomes or loaf type travel trailers. True aerodynamics, true curves not flat sides with small curves on the top that catch the wind. The Bowlus enjoys the lowest center of gravity of any RV – that doesn’t mean low clearance; it means thoughtful design with no overhead cabinets that encourage sway after catching the wind. A Bowlus floorplan is perfectly weighted. Bowlus doesn’t offer multiple floor plans because an RV must be designed to be perfectly weighted, which means it is safer to tow. It also means no need for weight equalization hitches that attempt to fix design errors. A Bowlus is designed for safety first because it should be your first consideration when purchasing an RV.