As we move closer to a fully operational status, we turned our focus to the “Life Support” systems. A surveillance van is essentially a metal box filled with heat-generating electronics and human operators; without functioning climate control, it’s a furnace. The Vice Van utilizes a multi-layered approach to cooling, ranging from standard automotive tech to a specialized ice-based “silent” system.

The Ice-Powered Circulator

At the rear of the van sits an ice-powered cooling unit—designed to provide air conditioning without the noise of a running engine. The system was dormant, requiring the replacement of both circulation pumps to bring it back to life.

The current challenge is the “purge.” We are having a difficult time removing trapped air from the makeshift radiator core. Our current tactical solution is a “rolling bleed”: driving the van to allow vibration and motion to shake the air bubbles toward the filler neck, where we top off the antifreeze as the level drops.

The Reservoir Drain

While the primary drain pump works perfectly, we’ve discovered a forensic flaw: it is nearly impossible to evacuate the last bit of water from the reservoir. To prevent stagnant water from rusting the holding tank during storage, we are exploring a modification—installing a removable plug or a dedicated drain petcock at the lowest point of the reservoir to ensure it can be dried out completely when not in use.

The Side Door Vent & Discovery

An investigation into the side door vent assembly yielded two significant breakthroughs:

1. Integrated Cooling: We discovered the vent is actually tied into the truck’s primary A/C system. This is a massive win; it means that once the van’s main A/C is restored, we can cool the entire rear operations area with the flip of a factory switch.
2. Exhaust Capability: The unit features a dedicated vent fan designed to pull air out of the cabin and exhaust it beneath the chassis. This allows for constant air exchange during a stakeout without opening doors or windows.

The Electrical Recovery

Restoring power to these systems required some creative re-wiring. The side door units were completely “dark.” After a fruitless search for damaged fuses or broken wires in the original harness, we elected to bypass the mystery and run a fresh, dedicated power line to the assembly.

Conversely, the rear door system was a simpler fix. It was merely missing its fuse. Once replaced, the A/C fan returned to life, functioning perfectly across all three speeds. Finally, we tested the two high-mount auxiliary fans; both are operational and move a significant amount of air, though they are predictably noisy—a small price to pay for airflow in a sealed van.

The Verdict

The Vice Van’s climate systems are slowly returning to service. We have “silent” cooling for the back, integrated truck A/C for the transit, and a series of exhaust fans to keep the air moving. Once we clear the air pockets from the ice-system and finalize the reservoir drain, we’ll have a climate-controlled workspace that’s ready for any environment.

The investigation is cooling down—literally.