Roadmaster Wagon Rear A/C

How's that for a wild idea? Main complaint on my wagon is the 3rd seat is not usable for over half the year here because it never cools down enough back there...ahh Texas. Was talking to Rob, my former boss at the a/c shop, about installing rear a/c in the wagon. It's very possible I may tackle this soon.

One of our top businesses was (and for him still is) installing rear a/c units in conversion vans and vehicles that people moved down here in from up north. Did some measurments, and a typical evaporator unit for a conversion van would fit fine against the the rear wall where the locking side storage compartment is now. Run lines under the car and splice into the stock compressor up front.

Would add two vent outlets to the plastic side panel beside the 3rd row seat, and have a 3-position switch on the dash up front.

I'm really thinking about doing this. Have to save my pennies for a while but it's very possible and other than losing the storage box back there I think I can make it look pretty good, and those box evaporators blow HARD and get super cold.

We'll see!

-Mike

Interesting concept but what about overloading the compressor which is pretty highly stressed
in texas heat anyway?Actully this may reduce the load because you wont have to run the AC
so hard up front due to the additional output of the rear AC unit.Answered my own question
again.
Jim Gordon

Good idea, riding in the back on hot summer days was never fun growing up.

And yeah, it does get into the mid high 90s in Rochester..... At least for a couple of days a year.

I'm thinking I may save up and do the compressor at the same time. Mine still works fine now, but it's got 100K miles on it nearly so it's not long for this world.

Idea is stuck in my head now. We'll see.

my safari van has the rear air. just like you said without it its tough to cool it down back there. keep us posted. it would be a COOL one of a kind project

If it works I am sure it will not be a "one of a kind"project.If it works I want one yesterday.
Going to look into some custom van magazines and see what I can find.Of course as old as
these magazines are I dont know if the businesses are still operating.Great idea Mike now
run with it !
Jim Gordon

Wow, very cool idea Mike. Will this be an optional add on in addition to a wicked detailing job if I buy a TX wagon?

We'll see what happens! No reason it would not work.

i been thinkin about how to mod this since i got the wagon myself.. very very neat idea.. i would love to see this done.. GO FOR IT MIKE!..

I was amazed at how well the stock AC unit blew cold air to the back if you aim the vents up in the front. This was with 6 people in the car, but
1. it was night time
2. ambient temperature outside was around 70 anyway (Christmas time)
3. I was on my fourth rum and coke which is why I was riding in the tail gunner spot anyway (only time I've ridden back there)

John with no sunlight that dont count.With 4 rum and cokes I am surprised you could feel
anything.At night I run my AC at about 68 degrees because any lower and it gets uncomfortable quick.
Jim Gordon

Could you make this work?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Harrison-EBA-268-78B-Rear-Air-Conditioning-Unit-86-GMC-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2eb4d16f7bQQitemZ200602120059QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_551wt_946

the price is right. I have thought about this as well. Didn't they make some full electric units, independent from the factory compressor?

I think I will change my user name from Bandwagon to Threadkiller.

That looks like a roof-mount unit for an older Subureban. It might could be made to work, but I think a smaller box with two round openings for vents will work better in this car.

If I do this it's going to be a fall/winter project when work is slower over at the a/c shop. Will have a make a lot of custom hoses and do some fab work, and I think I'm going to replace the compressor, accumulator and orifice at the same time.

The compressor is quiet at the moment and throwing snowballs out the vents, so I'm going to use it as-is through this summer.

-Mike

I was considering the same thing when Google popped up this old thread. Did this project ever get anywhere?

Unfortunately, Mike (81X11) doesn't visit this forum anymore, and the wagon in his avatar is no longer his. I don't believe it went anywhere though.

Never did get any farther than the idea and talking about it here!

What about an old unit out of a late model Tahoe with rear air? Pretty much a self contained unit, pipe in the lines.... and it would also heat. Although, TX doesn't get that cold in the winter, scratch that idea.

With a rear A/C unit, are you thinking about hanging meat in the rear freezer unit of your ride?

This car is the dark burgundy. It gets a bit warm in the sun -- far warmer than my previous light blue one. At full blast, the AC centre outlet temps hover around 32°F with 90°F ambient temps. BUT: It takes a while for that air to have any effect at the third row of seats. I don't want to cook my grandkids but that leaves me freezing up front.

SWMBO vetoed the ceiling fan idea...

Recirculate position vs. fresh air position = BIG difference.

This car is an RMW with the C68 fully automatic climate control. There is no recirc button. The recirc function is only commanded in maximum cooling mode -- either when the CC decides the interior temperature is sufficiently higher than the commanded temperature to warrant it, or when the commanded temperature is set to the minimum (15°C/59°F).

Unfortunately, while recirculating the air does tend to lower the vent temperatures, it actually reduces cooling to the middle and rear seats. In normal operation, outside air drawn into the car causes a slight increase in air pressure, causing the pressure relief valves next to the middle-row seats to open. The resulting air flow draws cool air from the front seats rearward to the middle of the car. However, when recirculating, very little air is drawn in from outside, so very little air exhausts. Most of the air simply circulates around the front seating area, leaving mostly dead air in the rear half of the car. This can be alleviated by pointing the dash outlets upwards so that the air tends to blow over and around the front seat backs and return along the floor under the seats.

However, there is no mode that draws air to the third-row seating in the wagon. Because the pressure relief valves are next to the centre row of seating, and there is no return path below the seats: the third row is in dead air. Opening the rear vent windows helps when the car is moving but with the long, dark roof the air that does get there has warmed by the time it reaches them. Too bad they are manual - the little guys can't reach them when belted in and you don't want them open when it's raining anyway.

Rear AC (and heat in the winter -- it can get down to -40 around here) would be the best solution, but the other idea I had was to cut in a pair of 12v computer muffin fans somewhere under the rear speakers. With a corresponding pair of exhaust vents somewhere in the vicinity of the middle row seat cushion, it would help the rear passengers somewhat. It still leaves me freezing up front though.

http://www.oldairproducts.com/catalog/underdash-ac-systems-400-series/old-air-products/ip-400hc/underdash-unit-inside-package-p-4487.html

This is a nice looking underdash unit that might work for our cars.

My 94 silhouette had factory rear ac. It was in the side. Worked well at cooling the whole thing.

I have an 04 Express van (3500) with rear AC and heat. Works like a charm. It is small enough to fit in the rear cubby holes.

I have a pair of rear Caddy air ducts if anyone needs them.

Other possible ideas according to RedneckAC.com





portable version

Great pics! I appreciate ingenuity, even if it is sometimes 'misguided'.

well guys my wagon maybe a little bigger and doesn't seal weatherwise good compared to your newer car's ,so here is just my 2 cents. originally had a vintage air in dash with a monster cooler but it just couldn't really cool the car ,left the indash added an old style underdash ,split the lines and you would think you could make ice cubes

That's why I bought an Astro minivan with DUAL A/C !
Wanna buy my wagon?

Those pics are great!

super old thread here but did anyone ever do anything with this idea? I was googling and it brought me back to his posts.