Cargo Area Vent Block off?

[aaronrules]

I did some searching but couldn't find anything. I want to either block the rear (third row) A/C vents, or redirect them back towards the second row. Has anybody looked into doing this?

I've seen where people have block the A/C lines going to the rear air. I am not sure that is what I want to do, unless that makes the dash vents way more effective. They are already pretty effective as it is! So I don't want to get rid of the rear air, or the rear air controls, I just want to get the vents pointed where people are or block them if it will make more air come out of the second row vents.

This may sound like a dumb question, but what else is new? For those of us living in the south, it may be a good question to ask...today the heat index is going to be 110!!!! With a butt load of humidity to go with it! And the A/C is used around 7-8 months out of the year. Being able to reroute the vents from the cargo/third row area towards the front, and maybe relocating the controls would be a very beneficial thing!

Anyone have ideas? Or is this a dumb idea? This will go on the list of stuff to do later on down the road.

 

[BillZ260]

The rear system will not divert air to the dash, they are totally separate. I have closed the three roof vents to the 3rd (non-existent) row, and that pushes more air to the vents over the rear doors (2nd Row) I have the diverter control in the rear set to Auto, I think what that does is for AC, air up top, for Heat, down low. That about all you can do.

 

[aaronrules]

In my head, I am thinking that could somehow reroute the vents. But if blocking them off pushes more air out of the second row vents, that will work just fine.

 

[sean2202]

Just out of curiosity have you checked your vents to see what the temp is that is being sent out by the A/C system front and rear? These trucks were made for carrying 8 (or more) people wrapped in clothing through the desert heat. I Run my rear on auto and just use the dash button to turn on or off. Cooling the whole vehicle will cool the truck down faster than just cooling a portion of it. I would rather have all vents open on a scorching hot day.

Since I fixed my A/C last year it is ice, ice cold (even though I have a minor leak around the compressor). So cold in fact that I carry 2 small blankets for my kids and my wife has a lite jacket that she will wear on long trips. This is during summer heat in New England 90+

 

[BillZ260]

My stuff gets cold, but I havn't tested the temps. I close my 3rd row off, because I don't have the seats back there.

 

[crimsonaudio]

I wonder if your AC needs recharging - even on the hottest days my AC cools the truck down quickly.

 

[Spike555]

My thought is don't you want a/c going to the back too to cool the whole interior and not get hot spots?

How about a 12v dash fan clipped near the rear window facing forward? Start engine and fan comes on blowing the air forward.

 

[Spike555]

 

[BillZ260]

my perspective is the front seats are chill, i'm in the front, so I'm good I closed the rear most vents so passengers in the back get more cold air.

 

[aaronrules]

You know, I only recently started using the auto button for climate controls. And you guys make sense about getting to whole truck cooled off inside. Easier to keep it cool than get it cool. I opened the rear vents and did auto on the rear for the 20 minutes drive home from work.... with a heat index of 110 degrees, the front never really let up on how hard it was blowing. Now I'm thinking maybe some kind of deflectors for the back vents.

 

[Spike555]

You know, I only recently started using the auto button for climate controls. And you guys make sense about getting to whole truck cooled off inside. Easier to keep it cool than get it cool. I opened the rear vents and did auto on the rear for the 20 minutes drive home from work.... with a heat index of 110 degrees, the front never really let up on how hard it was blowing. Now I'm thinking maybe some kind of deflectors for the back vents.

When you first start the truck open the quarter windows in the cargo bay for like 5min with everything else on auto, the hot air will be pushed out those windows, then close them to keep the cool in.
If you dont let the hot air out the a/c will have to compensate for that.

 

[aaronrules]

When you first start the truck open the quarter windows in the cargo bay for like 5min with everything else on auto, the hot air will be pushed out those windows, then close them to keep the cool in.
If you dont let the hot air out the a/c will have to compensate for that.

This is why I ask questions here. Never even thought about this, and some of the other answers. You guys are all awesome!

 

[Spike555]

This is why I ask questions here. Never even thought about this, and some of the other answers. You guys are all awesome!

I never knew about it either until I heard on CarTalk years ago about opening the back windows on your sedan for the first few minutes to let the HVAC push the hot air out.

 

[uHu]

The effect of the 3rd row vents also depends on the setting of the recirculation button up front. As long as recirc is off, air, already cooled down, enters the cabin up front and leaves through the exit vents at the rear corners. This is the only way to get fresh air, without opening windows/sunroof.
The rear AC is always recirculating, and taking air from the back, but with the front AC pushing air out of the exit vents, more of the cold air will just disappear. If you block off the rear facing 3rd row vents, it might be that the cold air hitting the 2nd row will do a bit more cooling work before it leaves through the exit vents. If you have the front on recirc (with possible fogging and low O2 levels), it's just the more vents the better, as all air is recirculated anyhow.

 

[Spike555]

On my '04, when it's been in the sun all day, the recirculate buttons turns on automatically. Then goes back to outside air once the interior starts to cool off.
I have both front and rear set to auto, and I don't touch it. Set it and forget it. I turn it off if I am driving with the windows down, otherwise...both are set at 72 auto and I move on with my life.