Who makes the best metal ice chest?

[BigT]

I've got an Igloo Playmate Elite (plastic), but I'm looking for something a little more efficient and/or practical.  Something that's metal both inside and out.  
I'd also like it have a flat top so it fits under the bed.  A drain would be nice too, along with a tray to keep items up out of the water.  

The Igloo Playmate is suitable for afternoon picnics, but there are a few things I don't like about it: 
~ No insulation in the lid/top. 
~ No drain for dumping melt water.
~ Too tall to fit under things. 
~ Poor dimensions (too tall and not wide enough).  

My height restrictions are that it can't be taller than 12 or 14 inches.  I also don't want it to be huge (space is at a premium inside my tiny van).  

I know I could do a Google or Amazon search, but hearing from folks who have them, use them and are familiar with their ups and downs is always helpful.  

And before it's suggested...  I'm not ready for an electric refrigerator just yet.  I haven't even installed my solar.  

Just curious what people like. 

Thanks! 

 

[ZoNiE]

Coleman makes some Here:

They used to be shiznt. Probably still are.

They used to make one you could stand up like an ice box:

 

[highdesertranger]

my parents had one of those ice box ones, in the day it was pretty cool. however remember anything that conducts electricity good also conducts heat and cold good. in other words metal will transfer the heat inside and the cold outside better than plastic. highdesertranger

 

[rvpopeye]

I have one of those old Coleman coolers , I only use it for storage , the ice lasts MUCH longer in the plastic Igloo.

 

[Bdog1]

Tuff to find anything that's 12" tall. That's pretty short.

The all plastic five day coolers ( mine is igloo) do last better. Still moderate cost. I've never tried the $300 fancy ones.

 

[BigT]

No kidding? I wouldn't have thought the plastic coolers stayed colder longer. Thanks for the tip, guys!

btw... Are you talking about plastic coolers with an insulated lid, or the standard Igloo like I have with an uninsulated, plastic top?

 

[wagoneer]

I bit the bullet on a mid size Yeti, I like the double lock and use zip ties in bear country. Freeze 1 gallon water bottles in the dometic and transfer em to the yeti works well for overflow I get 4-5 days if not opened too often.Kinda like a freezer chest

 

[compassrose]

You could always build your own. A cooler is simply foam insulation sandwiched between a inner & outer skin. FRP would make a good inner and outer skin, glued to some 1" - 2" thick residential insulation sheathing (the pink or blue boards). Don't forget to put a drain on it to drain melted ice and spilled liquids out. Also helpful when cleaning it.

 

[rvpopeye]

I like the idea of making your own cooler.
Or just adding foam board to the outside of any cooler will greatly extend the life of the ice!
I've seen people adding foam to a fridge to help with energy consumption too.

 

[LeeRevell]

My Dad made his own in-boat coolers from plywood with extra thick Styrofoam insulation. Block ice would last for many days. Kept our fish cold during our mullet fishing days. A scaled-down version could work in a van.
Or place a cheap all-Styrofoam cooler inside a standard plastic cooler, for extra insulation.

 

[compassrose]

My Dad made his own in-boat coolers from plywood with extra thick Styrofoam insulation.  Block ice would last for many days.  Kept our fish cold during our mullet fishing days.  A scaled-down version could work in a van.
Or place a cheap all-Styrofoam cooler inside a standard plastic cooler, for extra insulation.

Yuuummm! Mullet. I haven't had mullet in years. Yes, I am a Florida Cracker. I think my daughter & I will stop in at Blackbeard's in Albany GA and get some mullet. They used to have an all you can eat plate. And you got a heaping plate to start with. Good mullet too.

 

[Marie]

Been to Montana: know trout.
Been to California: know blue gill.
Been down south: know catfish.
Never been to Florida: what's mullet?

 

[GotSmart]

Been to Montana: know trout.
Been to California: know blue gill.
Been down south: know catfish.
Never been to Florida: what's mullet?

Come to Missouri, learn bout dem Bass.  

http://whnt.com/2015/05/27/all-about-that-bass-man-catches-record-breaking-fish-in-missouri/

Bass Pro Shop in Springfield is bigger than Walmart.  Now it is working on 5 city blocks with a destination hotel and underground gun range.  500,000 sq ft indoors, not5 counting all the things outdoors.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...ect&cm_cat=mktg&cm_pla=bps&cm_ite=springfield

 

[christine]

I've heard great things about Yeti coolers. The only thing is they cost just as much as a 12 volt fridge! Oh, and they're not metal--they're plastic.

 

[BigT]

Holly bankruptcy, Batman! Those Yeti coolers are expen$ive!

 

[Bdog1]

There's four or five brands that are big money like that.

The Coleman igloo five day deals have insulated lids, perhaps 1 1/2" thick. There in the $35 range. Of course, the better the insulation. The smaller the useable space.

 

[LeeRevell]

Been to Montana: know trout.
Been to California: know blue gill.
Been down south: know catfish.
Never been to Florida: what's mullet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flathead_grey_mullet

The Florida Mullet is a bottom feeder salt water fish, that can also be found in brackish salt water rivers.  Normally caught by gill nets/seines from 'mullet boats'.  We ran 400 yards of net in a circle around a school of fish, then draw the net in trapping them.  Then into the cooler.  Early on, we could get 400lbs of fish in a good day.  Numbers dwindled due to over fishing, taking too small a fish, etc, til Florida passed the net Ban, that effectively destroyed the industry.  Prices skyrocketed at seafood stores. 
The Mullet also produce Red Roe (females) and White Roe (males) at the proper time of year, and this is a delicacy here.  The Mullet also has a gizzard that is also eaten.  Rather chewy though.  It has a good fatty and very tasty white flesh, fairly strong.  Some nonlocals find it too strong tasting.  If you like the blander northern white fish, you may not like Mullet.  NOT nearly as strong tasting as Tuna or Salmon though.  We also caught a lot of 'Croaker', and others.  Flounders were a special treat, which we kept and did not sell!  Dad had his Commercial Salt Water Fishing License and sold fish to friends and coworkers, til they changed the law on us.  We did not catch and sell enough to keep the new license.
This fishing activity is one big reason his old 1986 E150 van is so rusty now, reducing it to being my parts van, while I restore my 1988 E150 conversion van.  Too many years exposure to the salt water and spray on the coast.

 

[compassrose]

My Uncle Guy netted mullet to use as bait. He was a commercial fisherman. He fished mostly for King Mackerel aka KingFish. When times were lean, we ate a lot of mullet. We ate a lot of mullet. If mullet is caught heading out to sea from the tidal rivers (outgoing tide), the meat would taste muddy. If caught heading back into the rivers (incoming tide) the meat would taste clean.

 

[ZoNiE]

You can improve a cheap hollow lid cooler by drilling holes in the lid and spraying in expanding spray foam. Just go easy or you will deform the lid and it won't seal. Need lots of holes for it to expand out of and not get air pockets.

 

[compassrose]

My Uncle Guy netted mullet to use as bait. He was a commercial fisherman. He fished mostly for King Mackerel aka KingFish. When times were lean, we ate a lot of mullet. We ate a lot of mullet. If mullet is caught heading out to sea from the tidal rivers (outgoing tide), the meat would taste muddy. If caught heading back into the rivers (incoming tide) the meat would taste clean.