Has anyone out there ever modified or know if it is possible to run a/c to the cargo area in a 3rd gen 4Runner? I often take many roadtrips throughout the summer months and the dogs always seem to be very hot while on the road. Circulation is pretty bad towards the cargo area and rolling down the rear window makes things worse in the heat of "Hot" lanta.

I would like to run it to the driver's side vent in the cargo area. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that vent has no functionality right?

Any thoughts?

 

That vent is the exhaust vent for the cabin, when the blower fan is on the air needs an outlet somewhere. To do rear A/C correctly you'll need to get a seperate evaporator, plumb it into the system and add a blower of some kind.

 

If it is only you and the dog then put him in the back seat. I do that and have the cargo area for well cargo. I just got back from a long trip and drove through 100F heat of the central valley in California yesterday, with the AC on the dog is fine in the back seat (he overheats easily). It is easier to keep an eye on the dog that way too.

Another thing the cargo floor seems to get hot from the exhaust again the back seat is cooler.

Finally you could try running the AC, recriculate mode, and point all the went up and back to get more air back there.

 

Thanks for the input guys! Carsten, I would put Scout in the backseat, except he is a 110 lb. black lab. He tends to overtake the space and sometimes makes it difficult to see out the rear. Don't get me wrong though, he has had the chance to ride in the rear seat a couple times, but when I road trip I usually have two to three passengers and all of the luggage and gear up top. I've often thought about a a bigger truck, but who am I kidding, I love my 4Runner!

100 degree heat huh? Brutal!!! I can't say its reached that high yet here down in GA, but we always have that damn humidity.

 

The cheapest solution would be just to get a fan and plug it into the A/C outlet in the back (if you have one). That should circulate the air enough so that the cool air gets to your dog.

 

Wow, my lab is only 70lbs but still takes up a lot of the back seat. I do put him in the cargo when we are 4 persons going but I have only tried that for day trips. Rigging up a fan might be the ticket then, run the AC high and wear a sweater (what we do for our dogs - I just drove to and from Canada so he could join us, wife and kid flew).

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yeah I am happy to live on the coast with its cooler climate.

 

Ha! I definately agree! I wish I could take the dogs everywhere!

Thanks for the link!

 

if you do roadtrips with your dog often, you might like to consider having the dual a/c option installed in your 4runner. This option has a/c vents in the roof liner above the rear seats. there's also an additional evaporator, and plumbing.

hth.

 

Roy, do you know of anyone that has done this mod in a 3rd generation? I was thinking of this modification but wasn't sure how involved it would be. I would love to have rear a/c not only for my dogs, but for my backseat passengers as well. It seems that on a summer day while on the road, I will turn the a/c down up front and then my buddies will request that I make it cooler because there are no vents back there.

To have dual climate controls between the front and rear seats in my 2000 would be awesome!

Any links or suggestions as to where to get equipment necessary for this kinda mod?

 

You have to remember Roy we're a bit behind when it comes to technology in NA, I don't think dual A/C was an option in 3rd gen Runners

 

Definately! Was that a factory option on 3rd gen's overseas?

 

Sorry, but I didn't know that dual a/c wasn't available for the NorthAm 3rd gens.

IIRC, it became an option sometime in late 1998 for JDM units. Mine doesn't have it but I'm planning on doing the mod when my pocket permits.. i will be needing a rear half-cut to be able to get all the necessary parts

There's a second condenser with a cooling fan and an evaporator/blower for the rear a/c. the louvers are located in the ceiling. the ducting to the rear goes up through the B-pillars.

The rear heater remains a heater.

 

You'll need to replace the ceiling to accommodate the air ducts and the louvers, the B-pillar covers and the supports for the front seat belts. then you need to get some plumbing for the second evaporator and condenser, and some plastic air ducts coming from the blower. you'll also need to get a new controller that will have a switch to turn on/off the rear a/c.