We use Pelican cases at work. I was sort of excited when I heard they were making coolers. Checked the reviews and did not see anything negative. I measured the space inside of my expo trailer and found one that would just fit. I located a Pelican distributor and ordered one.
We wanted one to supplement our ARB fridge. The first time we used it we had it about ¾ full of drinks and ice. The next morning when I picked it up I got a small shower from it leaking around the gasket!
We opened it up to find that all of the ice had melted in less than 24 hours. The giant sticker (still on the cooler) said it would retain ice 7-10 days. The latches were shut and the drain plug was secure. On closer inspection we found that the cooler was warped near the corners. The middle was sealing up, but he corners were not. The airflow in the trailer was probably circulating under the lid and sped up the melting.
Since this was a week-long camping trip we had no choice but to put more ice in and keep going. Up in the mountains with cooler weather we were able to get the ice to last about two days.
So basically if we had spent 10X less at a big box store, we could have gotten a better performing cooler. We were literally not happy campers!
I tried to contact the vendor, Atlas Industrial Supply (a certified Pelican dealer), several times with no reply. I tried Pelican a few times. They eventually said I could ship it back at my cost, they would inspect it, then if it is deemed defective, ship me a new one at my cost. So shipping x2 to fix a defective product I already paid shipping on. This would be in the $100 range. Nice.
I said no thanks and cancelled the credit card charge due to false advertising. I told Pelican I would hold the cooler for 30 days & would be happy to return it if they or the vendor sent me a pre-paid shipping label.
I suppose when these work people are happy with them, but if you get a defective one it will cost $$ in shipping to maybe get it straightened out.
We wanted one to supplement our ARB fridge. The first time we used it we had it about ¾ full of drinks and ice. The next morning when I picked it up I got a small shower from it leaking around the gasket!
We opened it up to find that all of the ice had melted in less than 24 hours. The giant sticker (still on the cooler) said it would retain ice 7-10 days. The latches were shut and the drain plug was secure. On closer inspection we found that the cooler was warped near the corners. The middle was sealing up, but he corners were not. The airflow in the trailer was probably circulating under the lid and sped up the melting.
Since this was a week-long camping trip we had no choice but to put more ice in and keep going. Up in the mountains with cooler weather we were able to get the ice to last about two days.
So basically if we had spent 10X less at a big box store, we could have gotten a better performing cooler. We were literally not happy campers!
I tried to contact the vendor, Atlas Industrial Supply (a certified Pelican dealer), several times with no reply. I tried Pelican a few times. They eventually said I could ship it back at my cost, they would inspect it, then if it is deemed defective, ship me a new one at my cost. So shipping x2 to fix a defective product I already paid shipping on. This would be in the $100 range. Nice.
I said no thanks and cancelled the credit card charge due to false advertising. I told Pelican I would hold the cooler for 30 days & would be happy to return it if they or the vendor sent me a pre-paid shipping label.
I suppose when these work people are happy with them, but if you get a defective one it will cost $$ in shipping to maybe get it straightened out.
thanks 
