A/C relocation

[saidyene]

This is something I have been thinking of doing for a while. I want to move the A/C to under the seat or even behind it with air ducts coming out from under it. I just dont like the look of the under dash A/C but dont want to give it up. Have any of you guys heard of any one doing this? I have a pretty good working knowledge of how A/C systems work just dont know where to get the parts Ill need. Maybe I can pull parts from the existing A/C. I will have to build a new housing and ducts but that is easy stuff. How feasible do you think it is to move the A/C? Has any one seen a kit to do this? I am thinking of moving the heater core there with it. I work on military hummves alot and have modified those systems some and believe I can do it here also I just dont know how different our trucks are from what I have worked on.

[fordman]

i dont know if there is enough room under the seat. but there might be.

[AlleyCat]

Under the seat would be awful hard without raising the seat. Now if you were to install bucket seats and large console the console could be reworked to hold the evaporator and blower. In fact you might look at some of the sleeper HVAC units in highway trucks. Moving the heater is a bigger issue due to defroster ducts. Another possibility would be to move it behind the seat if you were willing to relocate the gas tank.

[saidyene]

I was thinking there wasnt enough room under the seat and I hadnt thought of the defroster issue. I am planing on moving the gas tank which is where I first got the idea. Ill have to look into finding a way to run a defroster. I might look in to doing like the old VW beetles had and run it in the cab frame(cant remember the name the channel that mates with the bottom of the door) I dont know how that will effect the integrity of the cab as ill have to cut a hole in it.I might also be able to run a small channel outside the vehicle under the cab. Ill have to look and see how much room I have. It will be a while though. Im in iraq so Im just getting the plans together now.

[DuckRyder]

One of the aftermarket companies makes a unit designed for this kind of instalation. Vintage Air I believe.

http://www.vintageair.com/08/catalog08/ ... 21%20f.pdf

They offer a good many various ones, also look at hot rod air and classic air.

[AlleyCat]

The name of that channel is the rocker panel. I don't think I would be inclined to cut any holes in it as the hole would have to affect the structural intergrety of the cab. Something that might work though is to run a duct down under the floor and reenter the cab where the heater hoses now are.

[ToughOldFord]

IIRC a few eons ago someone posted a link to a site of a company that made in the dash a/c units for our trucks.