CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

Anyone know anything about the rear heater units on the burb? my 78 is missing it and I want to replace it/make it work... I have rear air, rear heat would be REAL nice...

Thanks
-Ryan

On the earlier rigs (73-91 I think?) the rear heater was just a box mounted on the floor, just in front of the rear doors. It's REALLY in the way. /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif It got integrated into the sidewall of the truck starting in '92. I think that the rear heater from any pre-92 model will go into your 78 pretty easily. The heater itself is an all-in-one unit, perhaps a cubic foot in size that has the blower mounted inside of it. Run the hoses to the back, hook up the wiring and a switch for the fan and you'll be all set. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

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On the earlier rigs (73-91 I think?) the rear heater was just a box mounted on the floor, just in front of the rear doors. It's REALLY in the way. /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif It got integrated into the sidewall of the truck starting in '92. I think that the rear heater from any pre-92 model will go into your 78 pretty easily. The heater itself is an all-in-one unit, perhaps a cubic foot in size that has the blower mounted inside of it. Run the hoses to the back, hook up the wiring and a switch for the fan and you'll be all set. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

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Glad I don't have that option then. On the floor???? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Ryan, to be honest, in our climate you really won't need it if your heater puts out anything comparable to what my 91's does...........it'll run you out of the truck and the kids in the back feel it fine. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

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On the floor????

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Yep! It partially blocks access at the passenger side barn door on my '90. What WERE they thinking? /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif

The rear air option is also MUCH less intrusive on the '92 and newer trucks. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

If you check with LMC they sell everything but the fan itself (blades)
And they have a really nice diagram in the catalog that shows how it's laid out too.

There is a nifty little valve that I believe is vacume controlled to route the coolant back there as well and a blower motor resistor needed to finish it up properly. I'm not sure how that part (valve) works but I'm looking into it as well for mine. I think however I may try to cut a hole in the inner fender of my truck to sink it in so it doesn't take up so much room or mount a unit of some sort up in the overhead A/C unit with a way to keep the hot coolant from filling it in the summer when I need the A/C instead.

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On the floor????

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Yep! It partially blocks access at the passenger side barn door on my '90. What WERE they thinking? /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif

The rear air option is also MUCH less intrusive on the '92 and newer trucks. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

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Yeah, what were they thinking........... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I've got the rear air option, but that is not really in the way.

Rear air on the later models is nearly invisible as compared to the afterthought they hung from the ceiling of our rigs. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Yah my 91 has the rear heater what a PITA! Of course I live in a place that sees a freeze MAYBE once a year... Needless to say I dont need the damn thing. Still prety cool to have lol. My toolbox has done a fair job on the plastice cover of the damn thing sliding around back there.

Mine isn't on the floor, but it may have retrofitted, it is basically like a long oil cooler with the right oil fittings for the water hoses that sits right in fromt of the ac evap up in the cover, works fine have heat in the winter, ac in the summer.

89 /forums/images/graemlins/burb.gif

I owned an 88 Chevy Van for awhile, and it had a box type unit mounted on the floor in front of the driver's side wheelwell. I'm pretty sure it was stock, although there's a remote possibility it might have been a special add on given the fact that the vehicle was an Alaska State Passenger vehicle.

If I were gonna try to put rear heat in the back of my /forums/images/graemlins/burb.gif, I'd definitely try to find one of these van units and mount it on top of the driver's side wheelwell to keep it out of the way of floor based cargo. I would imagine the same coolant hoses could be used, although I dont remember where the connections tied into the cooling system.