Cooler performance

[Boyntonstu]

How good is the best cooler?

[video=youtube]

How does your cooler compare?

 

[Kia girl]

I have a Coleman that says 5 days and have to replace ice every day. It stinks.


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[sephson]

I have a Coleman that says 5 days and have to replace ice every day.  It stinks.

I, on the other hand, have an el cheapo Igloo cooler that I got for about $30 that still has ice after 3 or 4 days.

 

[RVtrek]

How good is the best cooler?

When I was using a cooler at RTR last year, I could go a couple days.  2 pretty easy, 3 tops, if I remember correctly.  It was some ancient cooler from the 70's I borrowed from my uncle.

I'm thankful now that I have a real, electric-only Whynter fridge.

 

[Kia girl]

I, on the other hand, have an el cheapo Igloo cooler that I got for about $30 that still has ice after 3 or 4 days.

Where do you get those? I need one.


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[sephson]

Where do you get those?  I need one.


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It's an Igloo Marine Ultra 25 Quart.

I got mine when Sport Chalet was closing down, so I got a pretty good deal on it. I knew nothing about the cooler when I bought it. I chose it because it was a size that would work with my setup.

It looks like Target, Sears and Home Depot carry it, at least if Google is to be believed.

Just one small caveat here. My use so far, has been with ice from the freezer at home, not ice from a store.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I got a Yeti 2nd hand at an estate sale for practically nothing. I absolutely love it, it's built tough, certified for use in bear country and does keep ice pretty well. I'd actually be willing to pay full price for one after using this one for the last five years. However, in my build I have a 12 volt engel going into whatever build I do. But there's still room in my life for the Yeti, it's used for tailgating, canoe trips, concerts, cook outs, etc etc.

 

[Kia girl]

It's an Igloo Marine Ultra 25 Quart.

I got mine when Sport Chalet was closing down, so I got a pretty good deal on it. I knew nothing about the cooler when I bought it. I chose it because it was a size that would work with my setup.

It looks like Target, Sears and Home Depot carry it, at least if Google is to be believed.

I will have to check it out. My plug in won't work until I can figure out solar so will check that out


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[highdesertranger]

how long the ice last has to do with the ambient temp for any given ice chest. in sub 30 degree weather ice will last forever in even the cheapest ice chest. in 100 degree temps only the best will keep ice for more then a day or two. highdesertranger

 

[sephson]

That's likely a factor in my ice lasting as long as it does since the time of year I can travel is fall and winter.

 

[jacqueg]

Thanks for turning me on to the coolers for sale site.

I had been thinking about using dry ice.

But now I'm thinking that one of the $100 12v coolers with an AC adapter will suit me just fine. I plan to be staying at public campgrounds a good part of the time, so with the option of plugging in while the van is at rest, I think I could do w/out ice most of the time.

 

[Ballenxj]

how long the ice last has to do with the ambient temp for any given ice chest.  in sub 30 degree weather ice will last forever in even the cheapest ice chest.  in 100 degree temps only the best will keep ice for more then a day or two.  highdesertranger

This, and how full it is. I have found they work far better when filled all the way to the top with ice, beverage, and what have you.
When I put soda, beer, and ice in to do this it took two 10 lb blocks, plus about 3 10 lb bags of cubes. It did last the full five days, but dang, that's a lot of ice. So roughly $10 every 5 days? Hm, 365 divided by 5 = 73. Times $10 works out to $730 a year in ice? This is probably why all the smart folks out there recommend getting a 12v fridge. After the first year you're ahead of the game.
Also n hindsight I probably should have bought a smaller ice chest? Mine is a Coleman 70 qt Marine Extreme bought at Walmart.
Live and learn I guess.

 

[Boyntonstu]

how long the ice last has to do with the ambient temp for any given ice chest.  in sub 30 degree weather ice will last forever in even the cheapest ice chest.  in 100 degree temps only the best will keep ice for more then a day or two.  highdesertranger

There was a guy who sold refrigerators to Eskimos so that their food would not freeze.

https://didyouknow.org/eskimos-use-refrigerators-to-keep-food-from-freezing/

 

[travlinman and wife]

for five years I worked for a school kitchen and the storage room  freezer and cooler were in a sepert room with no heat and I would go in the cooler to get warm. one morning the cooks called mant because they the cooler was not working.

 

[akrvbob]

I will have to check it out.  My plug in won't work until I can figure out solar so will check that out

 

[hugemoth]

I use a very old Coleman 12V cooler which is connected directly to a 45 watt solar panel on the roof. It cools when the sun shines, enough that it'll hold that cool through the night. It's not going to make ice cubes but it keeps things pretty cold. Works well when I'm in Az parked in the sunshine but doesn't work as well as I'd like when parked in the shade during the summer months in the PNW.

 

[UptownSport]

It works, that's all that matters.

Got an expensive fridge- what happens after that one year warranty runs out? Or someone breaks window and takes it?

It's just more stuff to worry about, really.

Hopefully they'll see rust holes and move on to a nicer van