Truck cab rear wiper (my silly idea)

[Blue Turd]

So it’s been really ****** weather here lately, and the back window of my extended cab truck is always foggy, or covered in snow/rain.

I was planning to install aftermarket defroster lines as it’s seems like the most logical solution.

Now I was thinking, and came up with either a brilliant or incredibly stupid idea. Why couldn’t a rear wiper be installed for the rear window of my truck?!? All my suvs have got them and they work great, especially for someone as **** about clean glass as I am! Most of the wiper assemblies are one little box that houses all the motor and gears, all I would have to do (I think) would drill a hole into the metal beneath the rear window.

Now even crazier idea would be to use the assembly from that odd 90s Toyota wagon with the dual rear wipers. I could have coverage of the whole glass lmao. More logically though, a unit from a Suburban/Tahoe body would be much easier to find from a junkyard, and I could then use the oem controls and electrics because all the dash and stalk controls and interchangeable.

It would look a little silly (or badass?), but it sure as hell would be nice during bad weather. Iv seen people put wipers on cab tops before, but never on the truck itself.

What do y’all think about this odd idea? If I can find all the right parts for cheap I might just try it...

 

[joep88cheyenne]

Sounds interesting. Some things to consider, ... Not all the white stuff will be loose snow so you have to either scrape the window or run a heated washer spray to melt it enough to remove with the wiper(s)... Another thing is protecting it from truck bed load damage. And protecting the motor and linkage inside of cab from damage also. If you go this way it sounds like an outside of box project and would like to see your handiwork.

 

[Blue Turd]

I would be installing the wiper in addition to the rear defroster. It would swipe the warm section like any other vehicle. That’s would be my plan anyhow.

 

[Biggershaft96]

Best i can say is head to a junkyard, start pulling parts and try it. If it works then great, if not i guess you have a hole in your cab.

 

[mars2878]

I would find a factory defrost glass 1st along w/ the wiring going to the front.
Then secure an 86-94 s-blazer defrost switch. It's small & labeled. notch a small rectangle hole in a dash plate & wire up. Can even use the same switch for the heated mirrors.
as for the washer nozzles, I would put them above the glass so that they squirt down towards the wiper blades.

I am only aware of 2 vehicles that might fit your bill: 84-87 Toyota Cressida wagon & the 92-96 Toyota Camry wagon & they sweep in diff directions. L/R vs R/L.

Def need to rig some sort base plate to mount it to, while also reinforcing the rear cab wall as it wasn't meant to support it or the flexing that the wiper system may cause. Then rig some sort of cover to protect it inside the cab.

You can also use the rear wiper switch from a 86-94 s-blazer. It rocks one direction for the wiper, the other direction for washer/wiper. Again it's a small dash mounted labeled switch, notch the rectangle hole in a dash plate & wire up.

Then replace your washer fluid tank w/ one from same year group Tahoe/Suburban (w/ rear wiper) as your p/u. It'll have 2 washer fluid motors instead of 1 (1 for the front, one for the rear).

Make sure that you get enough pigtails & leads for everything. washer fluid hose that is inside the vehicle is typically plastic type of material, not rubber like under the hood. So grab that along w/ some t's from one of the donor vehicles unless you want to buy new.

There are 2 versions of the rear defog switch for the s-blazer. 1 mounts in the headlight switch pod (low optioned trucks), the other is mounted below the headlight or hvac pods in the wedge shape housing (high optioned trucks). They work & wire the same, just the switch orientation is different.

if you do proceed to do this, please take lots of pics & give us a write up on it.

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[Blue Turd]

Wow thanks for all the information. I think I’m going to start with just the heated glass and see if that’s good enough. I was thinking about it more logically and I don’t know what I would do with the rear seat, as the wiper motor stuff would occupy that space. I use that seat enough to justify keeping it. Also haven’t been too keen to go to the junkyard yet as it’s currently cold as hell right now.