Evaporator leak

[The Meugniot 8]

2015 NV 3500 has a leak at the evaporator. I’ve looked through all the posts and I don’t see where anyone has posted how they have done this replacement. I can’t seem to find anything helpful on the internet on dismantling the dash, other than for the radio, which I have done. 
 

Anyone have any advice for how to get to the evaporator to replace it? I have a manifold gauge and vacuum and have replaced other A/C components on my other vehicle, I just wanted to see what I was up against before I tackle taking apart the whole dashboard on our van. 
 

Thanks for your help!

[crusty]

If it is just the expansion valve at the evaporator, that can be done from under the hood.  

If it really is the evaporator core itself, take out the seats glovebox, and center console.  Unhook the electrical on both pillars, A-pillar trim.  steering shaft.  Couple bolts on each side of the dash beam to the pillars.  Probably a few more hidden bolts.  Take the whole dash out in one piece. 

Just like how it was built, but backwards.

 

Trying to take the dash apart layer by layer ends up being harder, you take more apart, and way harder to put it back together correctly.  The original engineering was for it to be built in one piece, just follow that.

[The Meugniot 8]

Thanks crusty, I'm going to run some dye in it and hopefully find exactly where it was leaking, but being I'm smelling Freon out of the vents and have constant wet front passenger carpet, I'm thinking its the evaporator.

 

Do I need to pop off the plastic pieces to get to the dash bolts to take it off as a whole unit? I'd much rather take seats and center console out than all the dash pieces individually. Thanks for the insight, I was hoping someone would have a better idea than what I've read about taking all the individual items off.