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The RedNeck Cooler

tiredretired

tiredretired

The Old Salt
I picked up a nice old Coleman cooler at a tag sale for 5 bucks. Nice shape, but typical cheap Coleman, all the ice will melt in a day, or less.

Well, no way I will buy a Yeti. $400 bucks!!!!! I don't think so Tim. Besides, they are a bunch of WokeTurds anyway so no way they get my money.

Enter the RedNeck Cooler. Named by my wife. I guess it fits.

First thing I drilled the cover and sprayed in a can of low expanding foam. I drilled about 12 holes. The cover is hollow!!! No insulation. No wonder these Coleman coolers suck. Hollow no more. Next 2" of scrap foam board on the top of the cover and 1 inch of foam board on the inside of the cover for a total of 4 1/2" of insulation on the cover.

1 inch of foam board around the outside and bottom for a total of 2" of insulation all around the sides and bottom. Then it all got wrapped in bubble wrap duct insulation.

I'm willing to bet this thing gives a $400 Yeti a good run for its money at 5% of its cost.

Total Cost:

Used Cooler: $5.00
1/2 Roll Aluminum Tape: $7.00
Can Spray Foam: $8.00
Foam Board Scrap Pieces: $0.00
Bubble Wrap Duct Insulation Scrap Pieces: $0.00

Total Cost $20.00 and 2 hours Labor.

cooler1.jpg

cooler2.jpg
 
TiredRetired said:
I picked up a nice old Coleman cooler at a tag sale for 5 bucks. Nice shape, but typical cheap Coleman, all the ice will melt in a day, or less.

Well, no way I will buy a Yeti. $400 bucks!!!!! I don't think so Tim. Besides, they are a bunch of WokeTurds anyway so no way they get my money.

Enter the RedNeck Cooler. Named by my wife. I guess it fits.

First thing I drilled the cover and sprayed in a can of low expanding foam. I drilled about 12 holes. The cover is hollow!!! No insulation. No wonder these Coleman coolers suck. Hollow no more. Next 2" of scrap foam board on the top of the cover and 1 inch of foam board on the inside of the cover for a total of 4 1/2" of insulation on the cover.

1 inch of foam board around the outside and bottom for a total of 2" of insulation all around the sides and bottom. Then it all got wrapped in bubble wrap duct insulation.

I'm willing to bet this thing gives a $400 Yeti a good run for its money at 5% of its cost.

Total Cost:

Used Cooler: $5.00
1/2 Roll Aluminum Tape: $7.00
Can Spray Foam: $8.00
Foam Board Scrap Pieces: $0.00
Bubble Wrap Duct Insulation Scrap Pieces: $0.00

Total Cost $20.00 and 2 hours Labor.

View attachment 115902

View attachment 115903
Click to expand...

TR, please post back to let us know how this is working. It looks as if it should hold ice for several days.
 
Another use for old coolers . . .
 

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I always foam the lids but hadn't cared enough to do anything about the sides. :thumb:

I have an older sailboat with a built in "icebox". It worked so well that we kept tools in it and used a cooler until I could build a new galley with real, actual insulation around the icebox.
 
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Danang Sailor said:
TR, please post back to let us know how this is working. It looks as if it should hold ice for several days.
Click to expand...

Will do. I plan on testing this week. It will be a brutal test as I plan on leaving it in a spot that is shaded until noon and then direct sunshine till sundown. The reflective tape and duct insulation should make a huge difference. Time will tell.

jim slagle said:
Another use for old coolers . . .
Click to expand...

:th_lmao:

pixie said:
I always foam the lids but hadn't cared enough to do anything about the sides. :thumb:



I have an older sailboat with a built in "icebox". It worked so well that we kept tools in it and used a cooler until I could build a new galley with real, actual insulation around the icebox.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I planned to just do the lid and then got carried away. LOL.

One issue is with the added foam on the top and bottom it no longer fits inside my bed of my truck with the tonneau cover down. Not happy about that at all. I may be doing a slight redesign. I would think reducing the outside lid foam from 2" to 1" should not effect performance much.
 
We have one of the large "Omaha steaks" foam ice chests and it works great. Thick foam all around just have to treat it like any made of foam.
Mike
 
And speaking of tonneau covers...boy, does it get hot in there !!

I have a soft tri-fold and just leave the back unlatched. If it's going to be in the sun in my driveway, I put a chunk of 4x4 under it.

That would be the place to do a test !
 
pixie said:
And speaking of tonneau covers...boy, does it get hot in there !!

I have a soft tri-fold and just leave the back unlatched. If it's going to be in the sun in my driveway, I put a chunk of 4x4 under it.

That would be the place to do a test !
Click to expand...

Well, I need to lose at least 1 1/2" for it to fit under the tonneau. That means lose the 2" on top or lose 1" on the top and bottom.

If it fit, that is where I would do the test. It must be 150 in there under that black tonneau on a hot day.
 
15 pounds of ice lasted 3 full days. Rest of the day the water stayed cold enough to keep my bottled water cold while working outside.
 
TiredRetired said:
15 pounds of ice lasted 3 full days. Rest of the day the water stayed cold enough to keep my bottled water cold while working outside.
Click to expand...

Mother is the necessity of invention!

Can't ask for much more than 3 days.

I have a Yeti 36 oz bottle.
I can fill it with ice and water, throw it in the backseat, and there'll still be ice 3 days later.
 
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