Ice chest vs. TJ

[DrDmoney]

I got lucky last year when one of our vendors was running a special on their epoxy, if you spent x amount of $ they would throw in a Yeti 65, no limit to how many you could get. They gave me eight of them before the special was over, I ended up with two.

 

[afmoto]

Yeti is Gucci for red necks: change my mind

Hahaha, it totally is, and I have one... although you may have noticed mine has a ‘SHITI’ decal on it after their bs with the NRA. That said, I only bought it because I was looking for a rotomolded cooler and happen to find a gently used Yeti fairly cheap. I might’ve bought a Cabela’s or some other brand otherwise, no way would I have paid full price for a Yeti. There really are better coolers out there, at least according to some of the tests I’ve seen on YouTube.

 

[Vinman]

I can no longer afford the latest high-$$$ coolers like the Yeti or Cabella. I have a 5 day Rubicon Trail trip starting in less than 2 weeks and will be using my trusty 30 year old Coleman eXtreme chest. It really keeps things cold in hot climates so long as it has a big block of ice in the middle.

But I'll be adding to its insulation before leaving with the below. I'll drill 12-15 holes all over the inside and inject this expanding foam into each hole. It'll expand throughout the inside and eventually expand out the drilled holes. 10 hours later a razor blade will be used to trim the overflow off.

There are several YouTube videos on doing this where I got the idea. The Rubicon trip will be a good test.

View attachment 106593

Just make sure you ues the low expansion foam, some of that stuff will move steel when it expands

 

[Plumber1]

I can no longer afford the latest high-$$$ coolers like the Yeti or Cabella. I have a 5 day Rubicon Trail trip starting in less than 2 weeks and will be using my trusty 30 year old Coleman eXtreme chest. It really keeps things cold in hot climates so long as it has a big block of ice in the middle.

But I'll be adding to its insulation before leaving with the below. I'll drill 12-15 holes all over the inside and inject this expanding foam into each hole. It'll expand throughout the inside and eventually expand out the drilled holes. 10 hours later a razor blade will be used to trim the overflow off.

There are several YouTube videos on doing this where I got the idea. The Rubicon trip will be a good test.

View attachment 106593

5 days on the Rubicon ? You must be including the drive up from SoCal otherwise that's a long time. It can be done in 2 days but 3 is nice if you want to take your time and enjoy the trip.

 

[DWR]

Yeti is Gucci for red necks: change my mind

Totally true, the ONLY reason why I own one is because a friend sold me a yeti 50 for literally $50... I’m not sure anyone would pass that up!

 

[Chappys4life]

I keep a yeti 45 in my land cruiser in Texas heat. I can go about 5 days and the water is cold! I normally add ice on the 5th day draining some water. It lives in my land cruiser and always amazes me. I have had rtic’s but the yeti’s just seem to do better

 

[Jerry Bransford]

5 days on the Rubicon ? You must be including the drive up from SoCal otherwise that's a long time. It can be done in 2 days but 3 is nice if you want to take your time and enjoy the trip.

Exactly. 3 days on the trail and 2 more 11 hour days there and back.

 

[Mr. Bills]

Sounds like Jerry may be doing the Jeep Jamboree for his first trip on the Rubicon.

Its a fun way to do the Rubicon for the first time even though the trail will be crowded and the really tough obstacles will be "dumbed down" to get everyone through on schedule. I know I had a lot of fun as a paid trail guide for the Jeep Jamborees and Camp Jeep in the early 2000's, and the Rubicon jamboree was always the high point of the season for the staffers on the traveling crews.

Its interesting that the Rubicon Trail Jeep Jamboree now requires 35-37" tires and only TJ, JK, JL and JT jeeps are allowed, no CJ's without prior approval.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Nope, not doing the Jeep Jamboree. This is with 6-8 friends for a post-wedding bachelor party trip for one of them. Three including the one who just got married are from the KOH Poor Boy racing team.

 

[Flivver250]

That tire mounted work table is badass! More info on it?

I had immediate envy as well!

 

[Mr. Bills]

. . . not doing the Jeep Jamboree. . . .

Its going to be a shit show on the Rubicon Trail from August 8-11 for the Jeep Jamboree USA. Hope your group is going before or after and not during.

Although Jeep Jamboree USA doesn't have a parade permit from El Dorado County that closes the trail from 6am to 10pm for non-participants like the Jeepers Jamboree has during the last week in July and for its "baby jamboree" the first weekend in August, the facilities at Rubicon Springs will be reserved and Jeep Jamboree USA participants will monopolize the trail to the extent that it might as well be closed to everyone else.

My favorite times on the Rubicon are mid-July two weeks before Jeepers Jamboree and in early September after school is back in session. Mid-week whenever possible (which is pretty much always now that I'm retired.)

 

[GEEP4ME]

The LIFETIME coolers at Wal-Mart are starting to show there worth around here. Among several RTICs, a Yeti and a Pelican cooler. I was actually very inpressed with it. It managed to keep ice for about two days with 95 degree weather and in the sun most of the day.

For several years, wife and her sisters and their families have gathered at their parents house in about the middle of Kansas in June or July. (yay) Year back or 2, we had our old Igloo/Coleman cooler sitting on the back porch with all the other coolers. 100 degrees out and if it wasn't in the direct sunlight, it was only a couple feet away from it. Hot. First day or two, had to keep adding ice every morning. Went on a supply run "to town" and decided to grab one of the Lifetime coolers. They had been highly recommended on a heavily traveled gun forum I visit from time to time. We needed to upgrade anyway, but took the opportunity to really put it to the test. Loaded it up with ice and plopped it on the deck. 3 days later, still had ice in it. Now, mind you, it wasn't full, LOL. But the difference in performance was obvious, compared to the old tech/no tech cooler.

If I'm just going to a car show for a day, the old one is fine. But if it's going to be needed for a week, the Lifetime gets the job.

 

[bobthetj03]

That's why we are running it mid September, during the week.

 

[pagrey]

You can definitely research coolers until your eyes bleed especially on youtube. I've found "Coolers On Sale" has some pretty good comparisons especially the leak test if you are wheeling.



The budget cooler test is good too. It definitely is a case or too much information but at those prices I think a few minutes researching pays dividends later.

I saw at least one video on the foam trick with the lid, really great idea. Another upside is you probably don't have to worry about the person that forgot their chair sitting on your cooler as much.

 

[DrDmoney]

Nope, not doing the Jeep Jamboree. This is with 6-8 friends for a post-wedding bachelor party trip for one of them. Three including the one who just got married are from the KOH Poor Boy racing team.

if you haven’t run the Con before, make sure you go through Flatfender Alley AKA The Big Old Sluice Box opposed to The Big Sluice it’s after Little Sluice but before Buck Island Lake. Big Sluice is after Buck Island Lake. You will appreciate it more since Little Sluice is no longer challenging.

 

[DrDmoney]

You can definitely research coolers until your eyes bleed especially on youtube. I've found "Coolers On Sale" has some pretty good comparisons especially the leak test if you are wheeling.



The budget cooler test is good too. It definitely is a case or too much information but at those prices I think a few minutes researching pays dividends later.

I saw at least one video on the foam trick with the lid, really great idea. Another upside is you probably don't have to worry about the person that forgot their chair sitting on your cooler as much.

Hey if someone forgot their chair and needs a cooler to sit on they can use my Yeti 65, it converts into a sofa.
They just have to lift it outta the Jeep and put it back when their done.

 

[DrDmoney]

Hahaha, it totally is, and I have one... although you may have noticed mine has a ‘SHITI’ decal on it after their bs with the NRA. That said, I only bought it because I was looking for a rotomolded cooler and happen to find a gently used Yeti fairly cheap. I might’ve bought a Cabela’s or some other brand otherwise, no way would I have paid full price for a Yeti. There really are better coolers out there, at least according to some of the tests I’ve seen on YouTube.

After that debacle with the NRA a lot of people protested by blowing up their Yeti’s. It would have hurt Yeti worse if they would have sold them cheap or given them away to someone who was going to buy a Yeti anyway.

 

[Twopoint]

I had my yeti in the back under my tonneau cover when it was 102 last week and drove 160 miles for work, parked in the sun, and drove back. Still had a ton of ice in it that night when I got home and emptied it.

The Yetis are awesome, but you really need to precool them to make them work efficiently

 

[bobthetj03]

How do you pre-cool them? Do you put ice in them the night before?

 

[DrDmoney]

How do you pre-cool them? Do you put ice in them the night before?

I’m just going to let my wife use mine for work all week (she keeps the one I gave her full of ice and bottled water) then I’ll swap with her on Sunday when she’s at work and fill it up at the Ranger Station (hey I pay taxes)