WARNING: This is ultra-ghetto and rigged to the maximum. It is a prototype for functionality only.
I don't visit here much anymore, as a result of priorities and preference. However, this is something that a few (probably not many) would find interesting.
In Texas, we are starting to get the heat that will bake a 6 and 4 year old when seated in the third row seating. We have been able to drive with the back windows down and 2-60 air conditioning (two windows down, 60 mph). However, at 90+ degrees, this is not sufficient. Enter the thought of creating some sort of rigged ducting to get AC to them when we are traveling long distances. For now, we have put them in the temp booster seats but I am sick of sweeping sprinkles, goldfish, and sequins out of the back seat. Chocolate milk also looks better on vinyl and cloth than leather.
But I digress.
Enter the need for time in the garage, with a good Partagas Series D #4, and some tools. I am better with wood, than with metal (not too terribly good at either), so wood was the base for the project.
I measured the vents that come from beneath the arm rests and fabricated an opening.
Using wood screws and wood glue, I created a box that would abut the vent. After creating this, I had decided to trim the box down from 4" to about 3/4" depth, simply to not be as heavy as it ended up being.
The ducting from the vent console to the rear of the car was to utilize a 4" ducting (dryer duct) and 4" hyroponics flanges seemed to fit the bill. I trimmed one of the flanges (so the wood would lie flush) before attaching, but later decided to attach and them trim.
Again, this is raw, prototypical, and basic.
Where the orifice meets the AC vent, I added weather stripping for a firm fit.
The next pics show the attachment of the head to the vent, the duct run to the back, and the view of the back (third) seats with the vent at their (kids) heads.
Questions I anticipate (since I am not on here as often as I had been)
(1) Cost: Aside from the wood that I had lying around, the cost was about $75
(2) Time: About five man hours.
(3) How does the vent stay above the jump seats: I have found that it fits nicely due to pressure. The second row seat forms a lip and the weight of the duct wedges the 6" wooden "box" nicely.
(4) Store when not using? It fits nicely near where you keep your J1772 adapter.
(5) Does it work? Would I post this if it didn't? But the real test will be a 108 degree day in July.
(5) Dude, this looks like crap - are you really serious about posting this ugly thing to this forum? - Yes, it does look cheesy. And it is a prototype only. I considered coating it in pleather, but that would have necessitated me creating a finished product before testing. I would have had to fit the fabric before final installation and -well- I really didn't care how it looked if it didn't work. I also considered not posting it at all.
(6) Is that elastic banding? Yes, that is what holds it to the vent. It snakes under the arm rests, and preserves the arm rest functionality. I initially had them attach to where you see the upper bolts, but that caused the bottom part to flip away from the seal. Putting them 2.5 inches lower, gave the correct line of force to hold the entire unit flush.
(7) what AC settings. - really whatever you want. If you blow it at top fan speed, it will cool the back well, but you may get chilly up front. I closed the front vents, and run it at about 6, and it does the job. Provided a bit more noise, but does the job.
(8) do the second row seats get starved from AC? There are vents below the driver and front passenger seat that blows AC when you set it to the "foot" mode. So, not this is not a problem.
(9) does the wood mar the roof or the seat? - not as of yet. I have driven it quite a bit with it installed. If it gives me any trouble, I will fit fabric to areas that rub.
(10) do you plan a final version? Plan - yes. Will I ever do that? I dunno. I generally drive BadA** to work and back and do not use the jump seats except on weekends or once a week or so. I anticipate not using the Subby-Tech-Ghetto-Ventilation-Situation (or STGVS) as a daily item.
That is all for now.
Cheers
I don't visit here much anymore, as a result of priorities and preference. However, this is something that a few (probably not many) would find interesting.
In Texas, we are starting to get the heat that will bake a 6 and 4 year old when seated in the third row seating. We have been able to drive with the back windows down and 2-60 air conditioning (two windows down, 60 mph). However, at 90+ degrees, this is not sufficient. Enter the thought of creating some sort of rigged ducting to get AC to them when we are traveling long distances. For now, we have put them in the temp booster seats but I am sick of sweeping sprinkles, goldfish, and sequins out of the back seat. Chocolate milk also looks better on vinyl and cloth than leather.
But I digress.
Enter the need for time in the garage, with a good Partagas Series D #4, and some tools. I am better with wood, than with metal (not too terribly good at either), so wood was the base for the project.
I measured the vents that come from beneath the arm rests and fabricated an opening.
Using wood screws and wood glue, I created a box that would abut the vent. After creating this, I had decided to trim the box down from 4" to about 3/4" depth, simply to not be as heavy as it ended up being.
The ducting from the vent console to the rear of the car was to utilize a 4" ducting (dryer duct) and 4" hyroponics flanges seemed to fit the bill. I trimmed one of the flanges (so the wood would lie flush) before attaching, but later decided to attach and them trim.
Again, this is raw, prototypical, and basic.
Where the orifice meets the AC vent, I added weather stripping for a firm fit.
The next pics show the attachment of the head to the vent, the duct run to the back, and the view of the back (third) seats with the vent at their (kids) heads.
Questions I anticipate (since I am not on here as often as I had been)
(1) Cost: Aside from the wood that I had lying around, the cost was about $75
(2) Time: About five man hours.
(3) How does the vent stay above the jump seats: I have found that it fits nicely due to pressure. The second row seat forms a lip and the weight of the duct wedges the 6" wooden "box" nicely.
(4) Store when not using? It fits nicely near where you keep your J1772 adapter.
(5) Does it work? Would I post this if it didn't? But the real test will be a 108 degree day in July.
(5) Dude, this looks like crap - are you really serious about posting this ugly thing to this forum? - Yes, it does look cheesy. And it is a prototype only. I considered coating it in pleather, but that would have necessitated me creating a finished product before testing. I would have had to fit the fabric before final installation and -well- I really didn't care how it looked if it didn't work. I also considered not posting it at all.
(6) Is that elastic banding? Yes, that is what holds it to the vent. It snakes under the arm rests, and preserves the arm rest functionality. I initially had them attach to where you see the upper bolts, but that caused the bottom part to flip away from the seal. Putting them 2.5 inches lower, gave the correct line of force to hold the entire unit flush.
(7) what AC settings. - really whatever you want. If you blow it at top fan speed, it will cool the back well, but you may get chilly up front. I closed the front vents, and run it at about 6, and it does the job. Provided a bit more noise, but does the job.
(8) do the second row seats get starved from AC? There are vents below the driver and front passenger seat that blows AC when you set it to the "foot" mode. So, not this is not a problem.
(9) does the wood mar the roof or the seat? - not as of yet. I have driven it quite a bit with it installed. If it gives me any trouble, I will fit fabric to areas that rub.
(10) do you plan a final version? Plan - yes. Will I ever do that? I dunno. I generally drive BadA** to work and back and do not use the jump seats except on weekends or once a week or so. I anticipate not using the Subby-Tech-Ghetto-Ventilation-Situation (or STGVS) as a daily item.
That is all for now.
Cheers
