Yet another rear seat cooling project

[MarcusMaximus]

Ive followed some of the other threads suggesting methods for cooling the rear facing seats but none of them really meet my needs(except the Airtainment console, but that's apparently no longer available. I messaged the guy who used to make it and he didn't respond and took it off Etsy entirely) so I'm planning out another, different one.

I bought these off Amazon:
Amazon.com: AC Infinity AIRPLATE T7, Quiet Cooling Fan System with Thermostat Control, for Home Theater AV Cabinets: Electronics
Amazon.com: AC Infinity AIRPLATE S7, Quiet Cooling Fan System 12" with Speed Control, for Home Theater AV Cabinets: Home Improvement
Amazon.com: Parts Express 12V 2A DC To DC Converter: Electronics

The current plan is to cut into the lining immediately to the sides of the rear facing seats and mount the fans there. My understanding is that the air back there is pulled from the main cabin, so this should aid in circulation. Obviously, these are just AV system fans, but they give a combined 208CFM. Since the hatch space has a volume of 26.3CF, that means a full air exchange every 7.5 seconds.

For now, I have the control module loose up front(I'm thinking of eventually mounting this in the back as well, but my daughter is only 2, so it makes more sense to have it available for us) and drawing power from the adapter. I've tested the system without any mounting and the whole system works perfectly(fans go full speed, control module accurately senses the temperature in the back and can set fan speed appropriately).

The next real step is to remove the plastic sides in the rear hatch and pull away the lining to make sure I have enough room for the installation.

I also noticed there's a free connector inside the lining near the side lights in the hatch with two wires connected, but I haven't been able to test the voltage/current that provides. Anyone know what that's for or how much power it can provide?

Also, thoughts on the general project?

 

[roopesh]

Did you do it? Pics and outcome?

 

[MarcusMaximus]

Did you do it? Pics and outcome?

Kiiind of, but not as originally planned. The limiting factor ended up being the space behind the lining, which is much too small to fit any fans. What did work, though it looks much less nice, is using bungee cords to hold the fans onto the rear headrests and some material(I used cut up vertical blinds) to make a duct for the air. I tried sitting back there with the AC going and set to bring in outside air and it stayed pretty cool.

 

[RYCO]

Kiiind of, but not as originally planned. The limiting factor ended up being the space behind the lining, which is much too small to fit any fans. What did work, though it looks much less nice, is using bungee cords to hold the fans onto the rear headrests and some material(I used cut up vertical blinds) to make a duct for the air. I tried sitting back there with the AC going and set to bring in outside air and it stayed pretty cool.

Any pictures?

 

[MarcusMaximus]

Any pictures?

Not at this moment. I'll take some and update when I get the chance. As of right now, it's actually deconstructed because I needed the headrests cleared for a camping trip.

 

[gt2690b]

This is my favorite solution yet.. i havent' dug back there much but why couldnt you cut the carpet and use some kind of adhesive to mount these flush with the carpet right on top of where the air ducts are supposed to exit the car anyway? ... i would rather not mess with a thermostat and may be willing to route a wire all the way around from the rear defroster to power these via the touchscreen up front

another option could be to power with parking lights

 

[MarcusMaximus]

This is my favorite solution yet.. i havent' dug back there much but why couldnt you cut the carpet and use some kind of adhesive to mount these flush with the carpet right on top of where the air ducts are supposed to exit the car anyway? ... i would rather not mess with a thermostat and may be willing to route a wire all the way around from the rear defroster to power these via the touchscreen up front

another option could be to power with parking lights

The problem I found was that there just isn't much room behind the carpet, the fans are thicker than the room behind it. So even I found a way to mount it securely like that, the fan blades would be sticking out by ~ 1/2". And, of course, you need even more extra space behind the carpet in order to draw air through it. It's starting to get hot again, so I might revisit at some point and see if I can find another way, or another mounting point with more space behind it.

I'm hesitant to go the defroster route because of the 30 minute timeout on that.

 

[gt2690b]

The problem I found was that there just isn't much room behind the carpet, the fans are thicker than the room behind it. So even I found a way to mount it securely like that, the fan blades would be sticking out by ~ 1/2". And, of course, you need even more extra space behind the carpet in order to draw air through it. It's starting to get hot again, so I might revisit at some point and see if I can find another way, or another mounting point with more space behind it.

I'm hesitant to go the defroster route because of the 30 minute timeout on that.

gotcha.. sounds like it may need a 1" box built around the sides.. also 12" seems sort of large i'm thinking of doing the dual 8" that seems more in line with the size of the exhaust ports.. i have the sub though so that could present an extra challenge back there... i can remember 30 minutes to reset.. if not i'm sure they will speak up

the air should go straight out of the vent port (i plan on reversing the fan direction)