I did this 20 years ago when we were boating all the time. I drilled large holes though. You need to use minimal expansion foam or it can warp the lid. Might not make it a yeti but it improves the cooler a lot! Yeti coolers are heavy, improving a cheap cooler is a good thing to do.
I looked, I physically couldn't lift a full 60-75qt yeti cooler out of my suv. Which is the size that I would need. I'm not sure I could lift half of that and the added cost of wheelchair ramps to maybe drag it out only puts me at risk of being run over by my own cooler. I'm trying more to figure out if anybody has gotten brave enough to fill the sides and the bottom too. Except, I wouldn't do the body from the inside. I'd drill it from the outside because water is fickle. It can cause problems if it gets where it's not supposed to.
Silicone around the rim can help try to make an airtight seal which would help keep the cold in. If no silicone you can use electrical tape as temporary seal. Did it on a cheap igloo I had for a while and it’s a noticeable effect
Looking at the gas price in the background, now in 2023 it’s a dollar per gallon higher in Georgia 3.29 for regular, gotta love it. Thanks for the cooler hack, I never understood why they didn’t insulate the lid, I’m sure cost is the biggest reason.
I found a free 50 quart Coleman rolling cooler that someone was giving away. I had a 23 liter insulated foam shipping box that happened to be very nearly the same dimensions as the interior of the cooler. So I only had to carve out the places where the wheel wells took up some interior room, and I had a double insulated 23 liter cooler. I glued the foam lid into place inside the hinged lid of the cooler, the tightness of the fit took care of all the rest. I put a couple of latches on the outside, and Ta-da, a free homemade Yeti-ish cooler.
i done the SAME THING. WORKED GREAT. I TOOK A TRIP PULLING MY TRAILER FROM ALEXANDRIA LA TO CARLSBAD NM. I USED DRY ICE ALSO PUT NEWSPAPER ON TOP INSIDE.NEWS PAPER IS A GOOD INSULATOR. AT THE CAMP GROUND IN CARSBAD TWO DAYS LATER MY HAMBURGER AND CHICKEN BREAST WAS STILL FROZE SOLID.
You can also use foamboard on the top. You notice the vallies in the top. Once you use spray foam the deep vallies in the top has less foam where the deep vallies are located, so once you add the spray foam add a layer of inch to two foam board the fill the vallies with spray foam also. I bet that makes it even better
Conceptually, yes... in practice I would use something like Coroplast (Plastic Cardboard like yard signs are made from) and Silicone around the edges to avoid mold.
I did this to my cooler, works a treat. As a next, next level upgrade glue in styrofoam on the inside of the cooler and the roof... makes it even better, for keeping ice.
Perhaps a bit off topic but many years ago I had a large aluminum center console boat and it had an ice chest locker in front of the console. Unfortunately it was all aluminum and could melt a bag of ice in under an hour. I found a cheap styrofoam ice chest that just fit inside it and after that I could keep my drinks cold all day.
Freeze the water bottles instead of Buying ice, Don't have to drain water from bottle to make room for expansion, Put in cooler in Plastic grocery bag, Put new frozen bottles in every day or so, leave the ones that are partial frozen, can refill over ice in bottle, lots of options best ice water in the world on a hot day, This is how I pack my work Ice chest for crew.
Great idea. I used to spray foam urethane roofs, walls ect. There are guys who take weather balloons and spray the polyurea hard coat on them then foam the inside
Just learned this week ago. Wish I would of seen this done years ago. Would of saved me money on ice. Cube cooler will hold ice now four days. Last about the same as my friends yeti cooler. But hundreds of dollars cheaper!!!
I did it and it made no difference at all, possibly a bit worse. My guess is that the lids are hollow for a reason as air is probably a better insulate. I put frozen packs in just for a test inside a garage (no sun) and 15 hours later, they were already starting to melt.
It will trap in the heat if you don’t pre chill the cooler first. You are supposed to throw a frozen water bottle or two in the cooler a couple hours before you put in ice so it doesn’t rob all the energy converting the heat to cold. If you look at a yeti they are completely insulated even on the lid and the instructions tell you to pre chill. Try it again I bet it lasts at least a day longer.
air is the best insulator. there are other videos showing this method versus normal plastic coolers and the foam filled coolers actually caused less cooling on the inside of the cooler because they trapped heat longer due to the foam.
This is perfect for our upcoming road trips to mountains. The cabin has a mini fridge so this will help us keep our drinks and ice so we don't use up space in the fridge so much. Thanks!
Kewl !! Hehe how much longer will it keep ice frozen now than before do you know? Like in days? Did you fill it all the way up w ice? Or just one bag at a time ? Thx! Be safe
Solar is over hyped. Takes a lot of cells to provide a modicum of power... and only really produces at high noon summer sun. Dont buy the leftist ecology nonsense.
I've had solar on my roof for seven years. Haven't paid an electric bill since installation. Will break even on the installation and purchase costs this year. I live in the Northeast - I bet I'd do even better in a sunnier location. Not leftist ecology nonsense. Just plain science and improving technology.
it could be better if you do a video with before and after.... I have seen so many videos like this, many of them with no success. I believe you, buttttt....
I did this 20 years ago when we were boating all the time. I drilled large holes though. You need to use minimal expansion foam or it can warp the lid. Might not make it a yeti but it improves the cooler a lot! Yeti coolers are heavy, improving a cheap cooler is a good thing to do.
I looked, I physically couldn't lift a full 60-75qt yeti cooler out of my suv. Which is the size that I would need. I'm not sure I could lift half of that and the added cost of wheelchair ramps to maybe drag it out only puts me at risk of being run over by my own cooler. I'm trying more to figure out if anybody has gotten brave enough to fill the sides and the bottom too. Except, I wouldn't do the body from the inside. I'd drill it from the outside because water is fickle. It can cause problems if it gets where it's not supposed to.
Silicone around the rim can help try to make an airtight seal which would help keep the cold in. If no silicone you can use electrical tape as temporary seal. Did it on a cheap igloo I had for a while and it’s a noticeable effect
Looking at the gas price in the background, now in 2023 it’s a dollar per gallon higher in Georgia 3.29 for regular, gotta love it. Thanks for the cooler hack, I never understood why they didn’t insulate the lid, I’m sure cost is the biggest reason.
I found a free 50 quart Coleman rolling cooler that someone was giving away. I had a 23 liter insulated foam shipping box that happened to be very nearly the same dimensions as the interior of the cooler. So I only had to carve out the places where the wheel wells took up some interior room, and I had a double insulated 23 liter cooler. I glued the foam lid into place inside the hinged lid of the cooler, the tightness of the fit took care of all the rest. I put a couple of latches on the outside, and Ta-da, a free homemade Yeti-ish cooler.
You can do the same thing to the bottom of that cooler by insulating the sides, from the top down.
i done the SAME THING. WORKED GREAT. I TOOK A TRIP PULLING MY TRAILER FROM ALEXANDRIA LA TO CARLSBAD NM. I USED DRY ICE ALSO PUT NEWSPAPER ON TOP INSIDE.NEWS PAPER IS A GOOD INSULATOR. AT THE CAMP GROUND IN CARSBAD TWO DAYS LATER MY HAMBURGER AND CHICKEN BREAST WAS STILL FROZE SOLID.
You can also use foamboard on the top. You notice the vallies in the top. Once you use spray foam the deep vallies in the top has less foam where the deep vallies are located, so once you add the spray foam add a layer of inch to two foam board the fill the vallies with spray foam also. I bet that makes it even better
Conceptually, yes... in practice I would use something like Coroplast (Plastic Cardboard like yard signs are made from) and Silicone around the edges to avoid mold.
Paris, TX! I spent a month there one night. Haha. I used to have a customer in Clarksville.
I did that years ago. Works great. Also went I have the cooler in my truck or boat I always place a wet towel over it. Evaporation helps it cool.
Good stuff
Years ago we wrapped our cooler with foam padding for under carpets. We could keep ice for 5 days
Very creative! I wouldn't have thought of it. Thinking outside the box - well inside the box in this case. lol
Thank you! 😊
Thanks for verifying my experiment! Ride safe brother!
This and reflectex insulation on the inside of lid , helped us, great videos thank you
I had no idea you could do this! Great video! Thanks for sharing!
I know !! I learned they were hollow earlier that day.
Thanks! Nice ZL1 by the way
Thanks for all the great videos. Love watching you guys. Leave the ice in the bag and it will last longer.
👍🤯
I did this to my cooler, works a treat.
As a next, next level upgrade glue in styrofoam on the inside of the cooler and the roof... makes it even better, for keeping ice.
Ha that sounds like a plan.
Perhaps a bit off topic but many years ago I had a large aluminum center console boat and it had an ice chest locker in front of the console. Unfortunately it was all aluminum and could melt a bag of ice in under an hour. I found a cheap styrofoam ice chest that just fit inside it and after that I could keep my drinks cold all day.
Wowwwwww!!! Great results! I'm gonna do that to mine! :-D
It works
Great idea. I have a cooler I own now for about 12 yrs. Gonna this see if it seals better.
Awesome. We use our now as a dry box and it keep the heat out very effective.
Freeze the water bottles instead of Buying ice, Don't have to drain water from bottle to make room for expansion, Put in cooler in Plastic grocery bag, Put new frozen bottles in every day or so, leave the ones that are partial frozen, can refill over ice in bottle, lots of options best ice water in the world on a hot day, This is how I pack my work Ice chest for crew.
Great idea. I used to spray foam urethane roofs, walls ect. There are guys who take weather balloons and spray the polyurea hard coat on them then foam the inside
Just learned this week ago. Wish I would of seen this done years ago. Would of saved me money on ice. Cube cooler will hold ice now four days. Last about the same as my friends yeti cooler. But hundreds of dollars cheaper!!!
awesome we were at the 2019 Bring it home as well
It was hot that day.
@@TwoWheelsBigLife Yes it was
Remove lid You fill water in the hole in the lid and freeze the lid.
OMG! I was at that rally too. I wish I could have met you two. Loving your videos. Where do you ride during the cold months of old man winter?
Thanks for sharing, i'll have to look at my coolers and do this fix. cheers
It’s an easy fix
I did it and it made no difference at all, possibly a bit worse. My guess is that the lids are hollow for a reason as air is probably a better insulate. I put frozen packs in just for a test inside a garage (no sun) and 15 hours later, they were already starting to melt.
It will trap in the heat if you don’t pre chill the cooler first. You are supposed to throw a frozen water bottle or two in the cooler a couple hours before you put in ice so it doesn’t rob all the energy converting the heat to cold. If you look at a yeti they are completely insulated even on the lid and the instructions tell you to pre chill. Try it again I bet it lasts at least a day longer.
@@andrewsapp856 I'll try that, thanks.
air is the best insulator. there are other videos showing this method versus normal plastic coolers and the foam filled coolers actually caused less cooling on the inside of the cooler because they trapped heat longer due to the foam.
Thanks for the info, but in our case it actually did save Ice
@@TwoWheelsBigLifeThe foam insulation has a lot of tiny air bubbles that insulate it from other bubbles.
I use a Rubbermaid cooler just like that. Thanks...
Pre-cool your cooler for a day or 2 before hand.....if it's already chilled your ice won't melt as fast
Great idea! Does anything seep through that open hole in the middle of the board and contaminate the food? I mean is the expanding foam poisonous?
I sealed the holes with food grade silicone after filling the top. Nothing seeped through.
@@TwoWheelsBigLife ok, I went back and watched that part again. I think I am going to do this with one of my cheap coolers. Thanks.
We used it mainly as a dry box later on. It still helped keeping the heat out.
@@TwoWheelsBigLife that’s a good use too.
This is perfect for our upcoming road trips to mountains. The cabin has a mini fridge so this will help us keep our drinks and ice so we don't use up space in the fridge so much.
Thanks!
Fill up all the holes
Kewl !! Hehe how much longer will it keep ice frozen now than before do you know? Like in days? Did you fill it all the way up w ice? Or just one bag at a time ? Thx! Be safe
Gonna fix my cooler
Put some frozen bottles across the bottom then pour your ice on your beverages. Will last even longer .
The lid is meant to be filled with water then freeze. this is suppose to keep it cold longer.
Could kitchen and bath caulk be used to seal the holes?
I am not making a suggestion, I'm asking if kitchen and bath caulk may be used because I don't know. Thanks for now.
There was a video of a guy who tested this hack and it doesn’t work
What size drill do you use
Just big enough to insert the fill tube from the foam fill
Great idea ! Who said an old dog can’t learn a new trick! (I just did it)
I wonder if putting reflectix between the black cover and the cooler would help as well. Is there room to do this?
That might work. We use that box as a dry box now. It’s much cooler even when the sun is blazing on it.
@@TwoWheelsBigLife What do you use for a cooler now?
We have a Yeti that sits on the back seat of the HD.
I saw the video with Adam Sandoval.
👍
That was very interesting and you still have great hair.
It’s in the Genes
Darn me and my wife were there
🤔🤔
Looks like you have a Mustang seat and backrest,,,,,
Ocala Fl
Good eye. I love my seat
Cool video haha
Curious why since you have solar panel why you wouldn’t just have a electric cooler?
Weight those are heavy and and pull more power them we have.
@@TwoWheelsBigLife makes sense -boyfriend says if your ever travelling thru SE British Columbia to totally look us up 😊
Love to make it to BC.
Solar is over hyped. Takes a lot of cells to provide a modicum of power... and only really produces at high noon summer sun. Dont buy the leftist ecology nonsense.
I've had solar on my roof for seven years. Haven't paid an electric bill since installation. Will break even on the installation and purchase costs this year. I live in the Northeast - I bet I'd do even better in a sunnier location. Not leftist ecology nonsense. Just plain science and improving technology.
it could be better if you do a video with before and after.... I have seen so many videos like this, many of them with no success. I believe you, buttttt....
I've always said people should do this, but pay off that comes from being in the hardware business:-)
Okay it’s not a YETI but definitely an improvement👍👍
@@TwoWheelsBigLife ya but a tenth the price too.
This costs more than a yeti because now you have to throw this away and still buy a same size yeti 😂😂
Make this make sense
Let it breathe… you filled it with foam, it isn’t going to breathe
It keeps foaming up after you stop. Don't put too much