Canopy Shell Heater
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Alaska
Canopy Shell Heater
Here's a Question For Cold Climate Owners.
Has anybody come up with a way to heat the rear bed area with canopy installed?
I have a 1982 F250 full size bed with a Leer cap on it and I'd like to heat the area (I'm in Alaska).
I was thinking maybe a small "Cat" heater located centered up against the forward truck bed wall and having it spliced into my heater hoses (probably a big PITA job to do it, but possibly could be done) with a switch on the dash for the "cat" unit's fan. An auto-thermastat for fan control would be nice.
Is this crazy thinking or have you ever known anybody to do this?
Thanks
Has anybody come up with a way to heat the rear bed area with canopy installed?
I have a 1982 F250 full size bed with a Leer cap on it and I'd like to heat the area (I'm in Alaska).
I was thinking maybe a small "Cat" heater located centered up against the forward truck bed wall and having it spliced into my heater hoses (probably a big PITA job to do it, but possibly could be done) with a switch on the dash for the "cat" unit's fan. An auto-thermastat for fan control would be nice.
Is this crazy thinking or have you ever known anybody to do this?
Thanks
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,330
Likes: 17
From: Dryden, ON, Canada
LOL... Maybe in TX it would, but, not in real cold.
My buddy Stephane's truck had a rear heat unit from a van rigged up in the bed of his truck when he got it. No idea how well it worked, as it was one of the girst things he removed...
I'd think a rear heat unit from a school bus or the likes would work great for that, add some insulation and it'd probably get nice and toasty back there.
My buddy Stephane's truck had a rear heat unit from a van rigged up in the bed of his truck when he got it. No idea how well it worked, as it was one of the girst things he removed...
I'd think a rear heat unit from a school bus or the likes would work great for that, add some insulation and it'd probably get nice and toasty back there.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
Get a small evaporator from a small car and pipe back the engine coolant, Insulate the pipes(1/2" copper with cold galvanizing paint on it) with the foam pipe insulation at least. Put a few computer fans on the evaporator just to get a bit of air flow with small current draw(0.5amp). The heat will radiate from the thing probably enough(like floor radiators) but the fans will help. That blue board foam insulation works good and you don't have to worry about getting itchy if you rub against it(just don't do pyrotechnic shows) We put it in my dads van (we put up paneling to hold it in place but you could glue it) and that thing was like a refrigerator in the summer and nice and warm in the winter, It was an extended 3/4 ton with only the stock front ac unit!! We put the 2" on the walls and the thin stuff on the ceiling and under the floor plywood!
Give me coffee - Or beer!
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From: Who cares?
Wont using the coolant to heat the back loose too much heat and cause the thermostat to close? Even insulating the delivery pipe the coolant will have to run through a heat exchanger in order to deliver heat and that will cause it to cool significantly.
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From: Alaska
Coolant Heat Loss
"Wont using the coolant to heat the back loose too much heat and cause the thermostat to close? Even insulating the delivery pipe the coolant will have to run through a heat exchanger in order to deliver heat and that will cause it to cool significantly."
Naw, I'll just throw my radiator away.
(Sorry, I know,...... nobody likes a smart *ss...LOL)
I have a seasonal snap-on and zippered radiator cover that can be progressively closed if need be to keep the coolant warmer (an absolute must-have for my diesel). I just zip it closed when the temperature really drops here (Alaska), although I don't close it as often as I used to have to due to global warming. (who says there's no positive effects from it).
It is warmer up here than it used to be. It could well be a natural warming cycle along with the man-made pollution problem west of us (thanks China and Russia).The way it's going temperature wise, when I retire and leave for the winters maybe they'll just call me a "Sleet Bird" instead of a "Snow Bird".
Naw, I'll just throw my radiator away.
(Sorry, I know,...... nobody likes a smart *ss...LOL)
I have a seasonal snap-on and zippered radiator cover that can be progressively closed if need be to keep the coolant warmer (an absolute must-have for my diesel). I just zip it closed when the temperature really drops here (Alaska), although I don't close it as often as I used to have to due to global warming. (who says there's no positive effects from it).
It is warmer up here than it used to be. It could well be a natural warming cycle along with the man-made pollution problem west of us (thanks China and Russia).The way it's going temperature wise, when I retire and leave for the winters maybe they'll just call me a "Sleet Bird" instead of a "Snow Bird".
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Dryden, ON, Canada
Nah, Ford just ran the hoses uninsulated along the framerail on the vans, and it works just fine, even at -40, just takes a bit longer to warm it up initally.
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
You could even get the valve that's vacum controlled to take the rear heater out of the coolnt flow when you didn't need it. Plumbing a T into the vacum that controls the stock heater would control it. Or just take the one out of the car in the boneyard you
get the evaporetor from. You could take the whole heater air plenum with the fan but that would be a lot of current draw, I was thinking just leaving the core exposed like floor radiators in a house they don't have fans and they heat up a room pretty good!!
get the evaporetor from. You could take the whole heater air plenum with the fan but that would be a lot of current draw, I was thinking just leaving the core exposed like floor radiators in a house they don't have fans and they heat up a room pretty good!!
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Joined: Oct 2007
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I was going to use one of these.......
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku (you might have to cut/paste or type that link in, it's kinda long!)
......on my old CJ-5 Jeep. They also have a lower powered version if thats too much BTU's. I just went to www.summitracing.com and searched for "mojave heater".
Hope this helps!
Later- John
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku (you might have to cut/paste or type that link in, it's kinda long!)
......on my old CJ-5 Jeep. They also have a lower powered version if thats too much BTU's. I just went to www.summitracing.com and searched for "mojave heater".
Hope this helps!
Later- John
Posting Guru
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
You can do the same with a junkyard car plenum. I don't know how your much your boneyards charge. My favorite JY charges one flat rate for each thing, Not like at most that seem to make up the price. Starters are 15.00 most interior parts are $5.00
It's nice to know even before you go what the price is going to be, They have specials every now and then motors 150.00 or fill the wheel barrow for some crazy low price!!
It's nice to know even before you go what the price is going to be, They have specials every now and then motors 150.00 or fill the wheel barrow for some crazy low price!!
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Alaska
Car Plenum?
Blue Beast,
Exactly what part is a "car plenum". A discription and function?
Heater core, surround and fan?
(Sounds like a nice and fair wrecking yard you have there)
Exactly what part is a "car plenum". A discription and function?
Heater core, surround and fan?
(Sounds like a nice and fair wrecking yard you have there)
Last edited by Imdok; Oct 12, 2007 at 11:16 PM. Reason: addition
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