My idea is to tee off the block and run the hoses down the passenger side under the cab to quick disconects in the bed. I'm going to bulid a box for the fan and heater core with a handle to remove when i need or want bed space. any ideas or suggestions are welcome and thank you all for your help.

 

Sounds like it would work. I would insulate the lines from the outside the best that I could though, maybe run them inside of another larger rubber line. Take some pics if you do it.

 

If I am understanding this correctly, you would have to have your engine running to get heat in the camper/canopy. Wouldn't a small "indoor safe" propane heater work for you? Something like a Mr Buddy heater?

 

No. I plan on insulating the bed and shell to hold the heat longer and putting a 12 volt pump in to circulate antifreez.

 

With it like that, you would still only get a pretty limited amount of heat from the motor after its off.

 

I would use a set of valves so I could control where my coolant is flowing in case I
just wanted cab heat or just bed heat, either manual or vac controlled valves. A old
street bike radiator or even an a heater plenum out of a small car and leave it together
with the fan and everything enclosed in a plastic plenum(match the sqft heated space)
A remote starter would be a good thing to have and tie it in to a thermostat so when
hit a certain temp it would start up and reheat the system. A small auxillary electric
water pump on a 555 timer circuit to circulate the water every 5 minutes for say 2 min
to get some of the heated and trapped water out of the block and into the bed.
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I would put an extra battery in case the water pump sucked down the juice(5amps)
sitting there for a long time, At least a voltmeter in the bed so you know the level.

 

is there a remote starter an 83 F-150 with a 4spd trans?

 

More than likely not, but it's nothing you couldnt set up. Using a relays or some and/or gates to trigger power to the solenoid for a preset time or using a tach signal to shut off solenoid power. Have it give the ignition power for a preset time to warm it back up, then kill the ignition power. You would just have to make sure that it's always in neutral and the e brake is set.

 

It does work, when Dad bought the one I have in 77, he put a heater in the back of the truck for us kids, He took the system out of a firetruck and boy did it work well, He built custom cabinets to keep stuff in and even had it carpeted so we would have some insulation against the cold bed floor.