zimm
Expedition Leader
i was perusing coolers, and thinking of a yeti, when i ran across this test.
hm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-TE4RnqT0U
hm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-TE4RnqT0U
Cooler test
- Thread starter zimm
- Start date
jim65wagon
Well-known member
I do like our Yeti, And they have a neat video of bears trying to break into them on their website. Right after we got it I was going to lock it and leave it out for the bears at Tea Creek in West Virginia, my wife said absolutely not! She didn't want them scratching our brand new cooler, I thought it would look better with the scars. I lost.
JIMBO
Expedition Leader
:sombrero: Everybody has a test-
My teas for the ENGEL has lased 3 years, but it's a 40qt 12vdc and when I put the ice at the bottom--it won't melt-
I use a coleman ice cooler for a weekend trip and it's pretty good and cheap !
Depends on how much you wanna spend and howlong you wanna stay !!
:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
My teas for the ENGEL has lased 3 years, but it's a 40qt 12vdc and when I put the ice at the bottom--it won't melt-
I use a coleman ice cooler for a weekend trip and it's pretty good and cheap !
Depends on how much you wanna spend and howlong you wanna stay !!
:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
zimm
Expedition Leader
the reason i was looking is because im currently producing hard side popup slide in camper shop drawings, and ive decided to eliminate the upright refrigerator.
first, uprights are inefficient no matter the compressor type, because they lose their cool when opened. yea, if the items are cool already, there is plenty of heat sink in the density of the items, but its still an unnecessary loss when making an efficient system.
second, for a slide in to have the proper capacity, i need to high mount a standard 37" refrigerator on a 20" step required for the truck body sides. this limits the lowering height of the hard top.
hence im moving to a drop in refrigerator setup. much like a proper 40' yacht galley kitchen. i was looking at the prefabs such as a yeti, to ease user built construction options, as opposed to making prints for a user built insulated box.
the actual test was a good comparison of cooling abilities. i happen to use the "best value" model tested in the vid, for tailgates, and was surprised the chests that cost 4x as much didnt insulate any better. job 1 of an ice chest is to keep ice. the more you pay, the better it should do so.
now that thats decided, the only issue im having this evening, is locating 12/120/propane compressor and plate kit. the 12/120 kits for boats are common, as its common to have a built in fridge in a boat. but... boats dont use propane, so that option in kit form seems elusive. i didnt consider that when designing a camper. i really hate to get into parting a brand new dometic. not cost effective at all.
first, uprights are inefficient no matter the compressor type, because they lose their cool when opened. yea, if the items are cool already, there is plenty of heat sink in the density of the items, but its still an unnecessary loss when making an efficient system.
second, for a slide in to have the proper capacity, i need to high mount a standard 37" refrigerator on a 20" step required for the truck body sides. this limits the lowering height of the hard top.
hence im moving to a drop in refrigerator setup. much like a proper 40' yacht galley kitchen. i was looking at the prefabs such as a yeti, to ease user built construction options, as opposed to making prints for a user built insulated box.
the actual test was a good comparison of cooling abilities. i happen to use the "best value" model tested in the vid, for tailgates, and was surprised the chests that cost 4x as much didnt insulate any better. job 1 of an ice chest is to keep ice. the more you pay, the better it should do so.
now that thats decided, the only issue im having this evening, is locating 12/120/propane compressor and plate kit. the 12/120 kits for boats are common, as its common to have a built in fridge in a boat. but... boats dont use propane, so that option in kit form seems elusive. i didnt consider that when designing a camper. i really hate to get into parting a brand new dometic. not cost effective at all.
zimm
Expedition Leader
Cee-Jay
Sasquatch
I agree Zimm, most of the cooler tests I've read indicate that the Coleman Xtreme performs similarly to most competitors in terms of how long it keeps things cool. Cleary it is less durable than an Engel, Yeti or Coleman Steel, but it is soooo much cheaper. The main Coleman weakpoints are the drain plug leash and the flimsy hinges, but luckily the top stays on very tight even without the hinges and the drain plug stays tight without the leash. Plus, you can buy replacement hinges and leash for about $3.00. I've had mine for 8 years and it is in good working order still.
I simply can't justify paying more for luxury brands given how I use my cooler... it spends its days and nights sitting in my vehicle, but for a few hours of sitting on the ground in camp. It doesn't need to be bear proof, boulder proof, etc. The Engle, Yeti and IRP coolers are very nice pieces of equipment though. If durability and style factored more into my backcountry hunting and camping adventures, then maybe I'd get one.
I simply can't justify paying more for luxury brands given how I use my cooler... it spends its days and nights sitting in my vehicle, but for a few hours of sitting on the ground in camp. It doesn't need to be bear proof, boulder proof, etc. The Engle, Yeti and IRP coolers are very nice pieces of equipment though. If durability and style factored more into my backcountry hunting and camping adventures, then maybe I'd get one.
HenryJ
Expedition Leader
Right there with ya and agree with all you said. I have had mine a few less years that you, and don't treat it as nicely?
It works for me! Thanks for the video. I like the comparison.
I have a Yeti and a couple of Igloo Marine coolers that I use on the boat - all do a fine job of keeping things cold, but the Yeti is a beast that can be used to stand on, jump on... while the Igloos will not take that sort of abuse. That said, I often find myself loading up one of the Igloos when we go camping as the Yeti empty weighs about 30lbs and the Igloo about 10lbs... makes a big difference trying to lift it in and out of the truck when it's loaded.
zimm
Expedition Leader
marine grade is how id describe them. that is a good point. the nature of boat equipment equates to quality, durability, and when possible, multi function. most times i wish ground pounding equipment was a nice, but upon closer examination, it isnt necessary and cost effective.
zimm
Expedition Leader
im failing to work it out. this is aggravating, as i hate being electrical battery dependent. the retrofit kits are assumed to be for yachts, and yachts have large battery arrays. propane is heat only in yacht design.
SWITAWI
Doesn't Get Out Enough
Not all of the Coleman Xtreme series are created equal, with the biggest issue being that only some of them have insulated lids. When you open the lid of a cooler and rap on it with your knuckles you can immediately tell when it is hollow (don't knock with the lid closed as it is not as obvious). Last weekend a friend and I went looking for a decent-size (50-70qt) cooler for him, but none of the Coleman Xtremes we found locally had insulated lids.
At my office we've had two Coleman Xtreme5 70qt coolers for about 5yrs now. We only use them 2-3 times a year for the occasional event and they are pretty darn good. At some point I realized their lids were insulated which helped immensely. I've been known to borrow one for a weekend every now and then, and they worked as well as anything else at the beach or campground when pre-chilled, fully packed with ice, and kept out of direct sunlight. Based on this experience I had a friend pick up a 75qt Xtreme for me at the Coleman Warehouse sale last year, but after he delivered it to me I realized the lid wasn't insulated and that particular cooler ended up sucking in more ways than just a lack of insulation...
At my office we've had two Coleman Xtreme5 70qt coolers for about 5yrs now. We only use them 2-3 times a year for the occasional event and they are pretty darn good. At some point I realized their lids were insulated which helped immensely. I've been known to borrow one for a weekend every now and then, and they worked as well as anything else at the beach or campground when pre-chilled, fully packed with ice, and kept out of direct sunlight. Based on this experience I had a friend pick up a 75qt Xtreme for me at the Coleman Warehouse sale last year, but after he delivered it to me I realized the lid wasn't insulated and that particular cooler ended up sucking in more ways than just a lack of insulation...
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Cee-Jay
Sasquatch
Yes, this is true. Mine is an older model with an insulated lid (about 6 or 7 years old, I'd say). Also, I've noticed that the sidewalls on my Xtreme are significantly thicker than the sidewalls on my friend's Xtreme. I've never done a controlled side by side test to determine if mine keeps things cold longer than his or if his is simply thinner because it has more efficient and effective insulation. My uncontrolled, anecdotal experience though is that my cooler keeps things cold longer than any of my friends' coolers. On the down side, those thick sidewalls also mean that I have a lower interior capacity relative to the exterior footprint of my cooler.
Conrad_Turbo
Observer
Drill a few small holes and inject some low expanding foam for doors/windows be in order? Doesn't seem that hard to do and it'd be under $10.