Insulated cooler problems...

[C-17 Pilot]

Folks,

Something I noticed this past weekend....more pet peeve than anything.

Used the 36 qt cooler on my 08 Q5i....put in a whole bunch of drinks and four 10 lb bags of ice. Drove the boat for about 1-2 hours, and noticed that all the ice was gone.

Now, I know that the cooler is right up against the engine, and that is the source of the heat....but, are you guys experiencing the same thing.

Do you use the cooler for extra storage? I'd hate to think that I need to bring an additional ice chest on board.

 

[sigfire]

Re: Insulated cooler problems...

Hey C-17 pilot, if you are not opposed to soft coolers, take a look at these. I use them on ATV trips out in the Nevada desert, well made, and they will replace/fix for you for free, just pay shipping. I have had my two for four years, and one just started leaking on the last trip, but thats with them strapped to my quad out in the desert and mountains! good luck.
http://aocoolers.com/

 

[bellhop]

Re: Insulated cooler problems...

I have the same problem. Makes that large cooler nothing more than a storage area. It seems well insulated so you would think the engine wouldn't be the problem. What I noticed is that there is a decent sized gap between the seat bottom and the opening of the cooler. It seems to be big enough that you would probably get a fair amount of warm air blowing in there, especially when the boat is moving. I tried to seal the gap with some weather stripping but I guessed the wrong size at the store and need to get some thicker stuff. Also you may have noticed that that seat will blow open slightly at higher speeds if there is no one sitting on it. I'm gonna have to find some better latches but I'm going to talk to the dealer about that first.

I'm also going to put live well plugs in those drains to plug them properly so the water won't leak out. That will help also.

 

[Q4 Stan]

Re: Insulated cooler problems...

I have no idea if this will work, but you could try adding rock salt in with your ice. I know it will lower the temperature of the cooler by around 20 degrees, but I'm not sure if it will make your ice keep longer. Worth a shot I suppose, and could be a good science experiment!

 

[bitterboater]

Re: Insulated cooler problems...

If it is too near the engine.
Is there any way to place a heat shield between the cooler and the engine? Maybe a small piece of sheet steel or aluminum.

 

[bellhop]

Re: Insulated cooler problems...

I guess rock salt would keep the drinks colder, as long as you can keep ice in it. Would hate to reach for a cold one and have it frozen though! Theres not a whole lot of room for a heat shield in there. There's a thick layer of expanding foam sprayed around the cooler. Glued to that is a thick layer of sound insulation. This itself blocks the cooler from the engine pretty well.

I'm still working on it but I think the problem is too much outside air being able to get in the cooler. The two bow coolers will keep ice all day but if you have more than two onboard for a long day they may not hold enough. Call me anal but I hate anything on the floor. The boat is big enough so I shouldn't have to be tripping over anything or chasing anything that blows out.

 

[Right break]

Re: Insulated cooler problems...

I have found that if you use a block of ice it will keep a lot longer. And don't put the plug in that collected cool water will melt your ice fast.