Suburban Vintage Air A/C

[MAC71]

I have installed a Vintage Air A/C Gen II sure fit A/C system in my 72 Suburban and it clearly does not have the capacity to cool and heat the inside of the truck. I am pondering going back to factory A/C, pulse adding rear air. For rear air I was thinking about instead of in the rear overhead, installing the A/C unit under the middle seat and running the A/C vents through the side panels. I really do not want to have to deal with 50 feet of A/C hose to reach the rear over head and I would also like rear heat.

Any one have any good ideas or thoughts?

[hdman6465]

Battled the same problem. Yours sounds like a reasonable solution. Why not the second unit used in conjunction with the Vintage stuff? The system is OK, just not big enough.

[MAC71]

hdman

I have thought about just leaving the Vintage air in the front, just looking at all options and wondering what ethers have come up with. I also need rear heat and being under the middle seat its not to far to run heater hoses.

[72 DIRTY RAT]

I still have my original A/C, it too is pathetic in cooling the cabin, but my front only works, the back doesn't.
Does anybody have both front & rear working & How good is the cooling when both are working? does it actually cool the interior? Or do I have to go Vintage air to get decent cooling.

[Street Smart]

i installed a vintage a.c./heater in my non-a.c. suburban with a rear ac unit from a `72. Cooling is great, the rear unit alone would probably cool the whole truck. Heating the truck is terrible, it can keep the truck comfortable coming out of the garage, but if its parked outside for a while you freeze. I was thinking about an auxilary electric heater, or running hoses and another heat only unit under the middle seat

[1leglance]

I am relocating my rear ac in my 70 burb to under the second row seat and building a custom console to duct the air...but I am going very slow on that build so can't say how it will work yet.

On the aux heater issue the later suburbans had an aux heater in the back from the factory, real small with a core & fan that you could transplant into any other rig.

[MAC71]

Originally Posted by 1leglance

I am relocating my rear ac in my 70 burb to under the second row seat and building a custom console to duct the air...but I am going very slow on that build so can't say how it will work yet.

I would like to hear how this works out for you.

On the aux heater issue the later suburbans had an aux heater in the back from the factory, real small with a core & fan that you could transplant into any other rig.

I did not know that newer Suburban had this. Do you know what year? I was looking at the heat units that Vintage Air has but they range from $160-240. Was thinking about if I added A/C the over head that I could place a heater unit under the middle seat.

[MAC71]

Street Smart

So do you think that the position in the Suburban has a lot to do with the cooling ability? Do you think that if the A/C vents were lower, such as in the side panels would the A/C cool the same?
With the rear A/C how did you run the lines? Also did you use any type of control on the refrigerant lines or are the lines just "T" ed off?

[MAC71]

My Suburban originally had rear air but before I bought the truck everything except the plastic housing in the rear over head was removed.
Spent a few hours looking at the Vintage Air catalog on line and was thinking that the slim line A/C unit would fit well in the factory housing. Any one ever do this before? Any ideas on how long of hoses I need to by?

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by MAC71

Spent a few hours looking at the Vintage Air catalog on line and was thinking that the slim line A/C unit would fit well in the factory housing. Any one ever do this before? Any ideas on how long of hoses I need to by?

Been thinking of doing the same thing....trying to get some measurements from someone who has their rear ac unit out...then compare to what VA has and try to make something work back there....

Looking at the split of AC lines going to the back from the engine compartment, there is ALOT of hose

[brenthiggins]

Did any of you guys do any kind of additional insulation or sound deadening. I am getting ready to start a Suburban project. I just completed a 69 Camaro project using the Vintage Air stuff. I used Fat Mat on the floor and inside of the body panels. The car is much more quiet and I am sure it helps with the heat and AC. I understand the Burb is a much bigger area but also believe good insulation is a big plus and helps in the heating and cooling

[gcburdic]

and aboard brent from just south of ya!!!....have you posted a picture of your rig yet??

I haven't done it yet, but the more the insulation on these long wagons, the better it will be to keep it cooler/ warmer...and the fatmat will def be a plus on the front and rear floors areas....not sure what others have done over the wood rear deck though

[giles70chevy]

A friend of mine is parting out a late model suburban, and it has all of the rear air/heat stuff. You could probably get it fairly cheap. Would you like me to ask him and take some pics?

[Cumminpwr11]

I'm interested in this too. if you build a rear A/C Heater combo, post it up. I would do this too.

My vintage air setup was making a ton of noise then just stop blowing all together. I thinking about other front A/C setups so maybe a complete new front and rear setup

Chris

[Street Smart]

Originally Posted by MAC71

Street Smart

So do you think that the position in the Suburban has a lot to do with the cooling ability? Do you think that if the A/C vents were lower, such as in the side panels would the A/C cool the same?
With the rear A/C how did you run the lines? Also did you use any type of control on the refrigerant lines or are the lines just "T" ed off?

Sorry I didn`t see your post sooner. Cooling always works better dropping down, no matter the application, home, office, auto. Im sure it will work fine from the side panels, expecially if you can aim it where people are sitting.
As far as the rear a/c lines i T`ed it like a factory system. Ran the lines down the back of the inner fender and along the chassis. I made a channel to cross over from left side to right side in front of the cross member by the hanger bearing. Basically like a factory rear a/c sub would have been.

[MAC71]

Just added the rear A/C.
I went with the Vintage Air slim line heat and A/C unit and mounted it in the rear over head. I measured out 23 feet for the hose from front to rear and bought 2 lengths of 25 feet. ended cutting about 3 feet off. I ran the A/C lines on the passenger side of the truck and the heater on the driver side. It was really, really easy and works really well. The hottest weather that I have used it in so far was low 80s and with the front on low and rear on low it coos the truck extremely well. Turn it any higher and its to cold. The temp of the air from the rear is a little bit warmer. I measured 38 degrees from the front but about 42 from the rear. I may need to adjust the charge a bit.
One thing that worked out really well was the t fittings that I found. They connected inline with the current fittings so I did not have to splice into any of the lines on the existing A/C system.

[MAC71]

Here are photos of the T fittings.

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by MAC71

Just added the rear A/C.
I went with the Vintage Air slim line heat and A/C unit and mounted it in the rear over head. I measured out 23 feet for the hose from front to rear and bought 2 lengths of 25 feet. ended cutting about 3 feet off. I ran the A/C lines on the passenger side of the truck and the heater on the driver side. It was really, really easy and works really well. The hottest weather that I have used it in so far was low 80s and with the front on low and rear on low it coos the truck extremely well. Turn it any higher and its to cold. The temp of the air from the rear is a little bit warmer. I measured 38 degrees from the front but about 42 from the rear. I may need to adjust the charge a bit.
One thing that worked out really well was the t fittings that I found. They connected inline with the current fittings so I did not have to splice into any of the lines on the existing A/C system.

Ok Mike...we need pictures and a lot more details on the complete install!!!
We'll also need part numbers for eveything as well!!!...Glad this worked, now I'm getting excited about doing it

[MAC71]

Here are a few more photos of the install. I wish I had more but this is it. I am military and just left the truck far a few months so I can not get any more photos for a while.

[MAC71]

Photos

[MAC71]

More Photos

[MAC71]

Steps, details, and part numbers?

Well I just ordered the Vintage air Mini Slim line unit. I had to get for the # 6 hose a strait fitting and a 90 degree. For the # 10 hose 2 90 degree fittings. The T fittings I got from a shop that works on A/C systems for 18 wheeler trucks. 25 feet of # 10 hose and 25 feet of #6 hose. That was about it. The hardest part was cutting all the holes for the lines.
I do have the Vintage air sure fit Gen II system in the dash.
Also the system does not have a way to isolate the rear so if the front a/c is on the rear is. If you turn the fan off on the rear while the front is on it will freeze up the rear. You can get a valve from a chevy dealership to shut the rear off but it is a few hundred dollars. If any one finds one that is affordable let me know.
I bought the a/c unit and hoses from a dealer so it was less than from directly from vintage air.

[gcburdic]

Mike...sorry for the continued questioning, but will the exisiting rear AC cover fit over the VA unit? Hoping it does so it looks original back there, with a nicely upgraded unit

[Average Joe]

Thanks for the pics and write up MAC71! Great info about adding the VA slimline unit in the rear for us pre rear air sub. owners.

[Coboyle04]

I am trying the same things as well.....although i have decided to wait until i get the burb on the road and see how things are working out before i add the rear air and heat.
we went crazy with head sheild and sound deadening so we will see.
i have a small replacement heater unit for the trucks that i will either place in the rear quarter or spare tire well. and i am using a rear ceiling mounted ac from a newer burb including the shroud ( a lot like the originals just a little slimmed down. i will keep you posted.....