Built-in cooler that works - anyone DIY a solution

[Deephaven]

My last couple boats have been bass boats and I am a bit spoiled regarding built-in efficient coolers. Used to being able to bring a 1gal jug of ice (old milk bottle) and the contents of my icemaker add a case of cold beer and having it last the weekend. In the Malibu to get it to last a weekend I need 6 gal of water, 20lbs of ice and some luck. That isn't acceptable.

I have been searching for a way to improve this without using a liner bag. I am more than willing to line the box with anything and if I have to I will even make a custom fiberglass insert for it. Obviously I'd like to avoid that work as I don't have a 6 hour period to give up for it, but if push comes to shove that is what I'll do.

So that being said, does anyone have any tricks or things they've done to make this work better? So far, through a bunch of searches on here I've only see recommendations of AO, Malibu or other cooler bags. Those I'd like to avoid for a couple reasons. The first being I leave my beverages in the boat as it is a bit of a walk to get to my slip from the house. I also don't want something that can mold if it stays wet, which in my case it will. And there has to be a better built in solution since lifting the seat and opening a zipper is not sit still on the lake and drink friendly. Post morning ride my boat becomes a swimming/lounging vehicle and that is important as well.

[REW]

I just cut the bottom to get a cell phone out.....dont ask There is actually no insulation under/around the cooler at all. you could drill some holes in the cooler and shoot some foam in the void to insulate the cooler to keep your drinks cold. This is what I am considering as one of my options right now the other is to remove the cooler completely, carpet the area and have some extra stroage. Not sure what boat you havw, mine is a direct drive wakesetter withthe cooler under one of the front seats.

\

[CoMtnBu]

Off the top of my head, find a regular plastic cooler that fits the space dimensionally and just cut it down in height using the seat as the lid.

On the river we use reflective insulation on top of the cooler to trap in the cold. Could cut a piece to fit in the top for when your boating day is over to help the ice stay over night. It keeps the air from contacting the ice. Also drain your cooler. Air and water cause the ice to melt faster.

These are the tricks we used on the Grand Canyon and had ice for 18 days.

We use our built in cooler as our garbage can. I'm contemplating cutting it out and turning it into a battery compartment.

[Deephaven]

I just cut the bottom to get a cell phone out.....dont ask There is actually no insulation under/around the cooler at all. you could drill some holes in the cooler and shoot some foam in the void to insulate the cooler to keep your drinks cold. This is what I am considering as one of my options right now the other is to remove the cooler completely, carpet the area and have some extra stroage. Not sure what boat you havw, mine is a direct drive wakesetter withthe cooler under one of the front seats.

\

2004 23 LSV Wakesetter with the cooler under the seat behind the driver. Mine seems to be a plastic liner that is 1/4" thick just sitting in there. 2" gap near the top that is open into the rest of the hull. Not a surprise nothing stays cold in her.

[Deephaven]

Off the top of my head, find a regular plastic cooler that fits the space dimensionally and just cut it down in height using the seat as the lid.

What I'd love is some cooler material to just jerry rig up on the inside somehow. Since the opening is smaller than the cooler I'd lose a lot of storage if I Just use a cooler. I suppose I could buy a big one and cut it up like hell. :P

Thanks for the other ideas as well

[skibreeze]

How does the stock fiberglass one come out?

[MARiley]

just ignore them and use aocoolers.

[Deephaven]

just ignore them and use aocoolers.

I despise soft sided bags. Who wants to open your seat, open a zipper, and then fish out a floating beer. Then watch your expensive cooler rot. Of course if you are a trailer sailor then its a different need than I have. My boat is slipped a short walk from my house which means I always leave beverages in the cooler as who wants to carry things back and forth.

Automatic drain built-ins are awesome. If you haven't had one I understand, but once you do you won't want anything else. A simple ice maker full of ice and a small "block" of ice and I'd have cold beer for a weekend. Nothing extra to carry, no mess, no mold, no hassle and nothing to clean afterwards. Just hose it out a couple times a year and you are golden.

I'd rather spend the 6 hours fiberglassing a custom one into the boat than to spend 6 hours 10 minutes at a time cleaning some bag over the next couple years....but I was really hoping someone had a better solution than a custom glass insert.

Doesn't everyone else have this problem as well?

[Bill_AirJunky]

I despise soft sided bags. Who wants to open your seat, open a zipper, and then fish out a floating beer. Then watch your expensive cooler rot. Of course if you are a trailer sailor then its a different need than I have. My boat is slipped a short walk from my house which means I always leave beverages in the cooler as who wants to carry things back and forth.

Where I'm from, my drinks don't just happen to get into the boat. I actually have to bring them down to the boat in it's slip. I don't need to bring all the extra garbage so I just throw them in the soft sided cooler, then put the cooler under the seat. The only time the cooler is actually zipped up is when it's being taken down to the boat from the house. If it's in the boat, it's not zipped. No problems with cooler rot or floating beers to date. At the end of the day, I pull the soft cooler out, full of empties & dump them all at the dumpster on my way out.

[Slayer]

We use our built in cooler as our garbage can. I'm contemplating cutting it out and turning it into a battery compartment.

That's what we do as well.

[Deephaven]

Where I'm from, my drinks don't just happen to get into the boat. I actually have to bring them down to the boat in it's slip. I don't need to bring all the extra garbage so I just throw them in the soft sided cooler, then put the cooler under the seat. The only time the cooler is actually zipped up is when it's being taken down to the boat from the house. If it's in the boat, it's not zipped. No problems with cooler rot or floating beers to date. At the end of the day, I pull the soft cooler out, full of empties & dump them all at the dumpster on my way out.

I hate soft sides. They suck at keeping things cold, they suck to carry, there is no drain and when you leave them in your boat they will rot. I will not remove it and spend the time drying and dealing with it. All my beverages come down to the boat in their respective cases and stay there as necessary. Much more convenient. With two kids, having to carry my boards and such, bring food etc it is already hard to handle. And yes I've tried a soft side and own one. It is not a viable solution which I thought I relayed in the first post of this thread.

Don't mean to bring attitude, but the goal in the whole thread was to look for a real DIY solution that works like a built-in should as currently it does not. Once I determine what the solution should be I will start the process and make a nice build thread showing what I implement and how. And yes its very possible as my last couple boats had awesome built-ins.

[REW]

How does the stock fiberglass one come out?

In hard to get out pieces!

[MARiley]

I hate soft sides. They suck at keeping things cold, they suck to carry, there is no drain and when you leave them in your boat they will rot. I will not remove it and spend the time drying and dealing with it. All my beverages come down to the boat in their respective cases and stay there as necessary. Much more convenient. With two kids, having to carry my boards and such, bring food etc it is already hard to handle. And yes I've tried a soft side and own one. It is not a viable solution which I thought I relayed in the first post of this thread.

Don't mean to bring attitude, but the goal in the whole thread was to look for a real DIY solution that works like a built-in should as currently it does not. Once I determine what the solution should be I will start the process and make a nice build thread showing what I implement and how. And yes its very possible as my last couple boats had awesome built-ins.

honestly, i didn't read the initial post, but i will say that my 2 aocoolers work marvelously in 110*-120*+ summer heat. they are a breeze to clean and easy to store when not in use. just imho.

the built-in one in my boat, despite working rather well, is simply too small for the 100 or so drinks i bring aboard everyday and is more often used as a fancy hidden built-in trash receptacle. it has a drain and is a royal pain to clean out. and when a drink is left overnight....EW.

[MalibuTime]

I just cut the bottom to get a cell phone out.....dont ask There is actually no insulation under/around the cooler at all. you could drill some holes in the cooler and shoot some foam in the void to insulate the cooler to keep your drinks cold. This is what I am considering as one of my options right now the other is to remove the cooler completely, carpet the area and have some extra stroage. Not sure what boat you havw, mine is a direct drive wakesetter withthe cooler under one of the front seats.

\

That is what I would try, and probably will. I mostly use the soft side for the added insulation, then just toss it on the back rail when we get home to dry, no biggie except you can't always count on the weather here so I'd like to cut that out if possible.

Though I may see if I can do it without drilling.

Edited August 10, 2011 by MalibuTime

[Ozfabs]

My wife & I take our 20ft Sunscape out in the bay and sleep in it overnight, anchored close to Moreton Island - http://www.moretonislandrealestate.com/

We have one of these http://www.engel-usa.com/mt45_u1.html in the rear locker with a dual batt system set up. Runs for 2 days on 1 650cca battery without needing charging. Brilliant mobile fridge that not only useful in boat, but every camping trip to the lakes, bush, etc.

May be a good option worth contemplating.

[Deephaven]

honestly, i didn't read the initial post, but i will say that my 2 aocoolers work marvelously in 110*-120*+ summer heat. they are a breeze to clean and easy to store when not in use. just imho.

the built-in one in my boat, despite working rather well, is simply too small for the 100 or so drinks i bring aboard everyday and is more often used as a fancy hidden built-in trash receptacle. it has a drain and is a royal pain to clean out. and when a drink is left overnight....EW.

I use my boat sometimes 5 days a week, so not in use is less than in use. Exactly why I leave it in there. And the built in is big enough for 100 drinks.

As for the spray foam, it was/is part of the plan. Upon looking at the "cooler" more closely though there is a 2" gap on the top of it that connects it to the hull. It is just a plastic bin with a drain really and not a cooler.

I had thought about the refrigeration, but would prefer to save my batteries for the stereo That and for that sort of money, I'd install an industrial ice maker at the house which would also solve the problem if you have limitless cubes.

At the moment I am leaning towards building something out of poly thermal insulation: http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=15348-46086-201549&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3014183&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1 and wrapping it in EZ Cool http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-X-10-EZ-Cool-Automotive-Heat-and-Sound-Insulation-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem35b3da1b74QQitemZ230650682228QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories and then lining with fiberglass and adding a drain back to the bilge.

and when a drink is left overnight....EW.

Easy cure for that. Nothing goes in the cooler that isn't sealed besides ice. All food gets ziplocked and then put in tupperware and all beverages stay closed inside. Only time there is a problem is when a beer ruptures, but that is pretty rare as long as you keep ice in her.

[Deephaven]

Appreciate the ideas guys, keep them coming. My current plan is a lot of work and I'd love to avoid it

[DONTW8]

Soft Side Coolers are for Chicks

But its OK if your cooler and your shoes match.

Boy there are lots of good suggestions about how to go about this.

We use our built in boat cooler as towel starage and as a place to throw the shades and baseball cap while you are the skier.

We have fleet of different size coolers. Two soft sides that get used rarely that just will fit behind the driver's seat in a little car and then 5 portable igloo types and 4 larger camp coolers. For boating we just carry the minimum size hard side we can get by for the day.

I installed some eyes inside the front bow seat storage areas so that I could hook up a 31" rubber trucker's bungee across the forward walkway. The bungee appears magicly from under the bow cushions to hold the cooler in place. Sometime's I put my 24 quart igloo portable up front on the floor and that bungee holds it in place. The bungee is easily hooked up and when the gals are lounging in front it gives them a little table to use.

Obviously a soft side would work good under the driver's feet if you have a crowd in the boat.

The Lowes foam insulation covered in reflective foil is especially good but I would go to 1 inch or more ( 1-1 /2") in thickness. Drainage in the built in is smart.

Just kidding about the soft side and the chicks, fellas. I was looking for a little humour.

Edited August 10, 2011 by DONTW8

[REW]

Soft Side Coolers are for Chicks

But its OK if your cooler and your shoes match.

Boy there are lots of good suggestions about how to go about this.

We use our built in boat cooler as towel starage and as a place to throw the shades and baseball cap while you are the skier.

We have fleet of different size coolers. Two soft sides that get used rarely that just will fit behind the driver's seat in a little car and then 5 portable igloo types and 4 larger camp coolers. For boating we just carry the minimum size hard side we can get by for the day.

I installed some eyes inside the front bow seat storage areas so that I could hook up a 31" rubber trucker's bungee across the forward walkway. The bungee appears magicly from under the bow cushions to hold the cooler in place. Sometime's I put my 24 quart igloo portable up front on the floor and that bungee holds it in place. The bungee is easily hooked up and when the gals are lounging in front it gives them a little table to use.

Obviously a soft side would work good under the driver's feet if you have a crowd in the boat.

The Lowes foam insulation covered in reflective foil is especially good but I would go to 1 inch or more ( 1-1 /2") in thickness. Drainage in the built in is smart.

Just kidding about the soft side and the chicks, fellas. I was looking for a little humour.

Should match your purse as well

[LostBoys]

I hate soft sides. They suck at keeping things cold, they suck to carry, there is no drain and when you leave them in your boat they will rot. I will not remove it and spend the time drying and dealing with it. All my beverages come down to the boat in their respective cases and stay there as necessary. Much more convenient. With two kids, having to carry my boards and such, bring food etc it is already hard to handle. And yes I've tried a soft side and own one. It is not a viable solution which I thought I relayed in the first post of this thread.

Don't mean to bring attitude, but the goal in the whole thread was to look for a real DIY solution that works like a built-in should as currently it does not. Once I determine what the solution should be I will start the process and make a nice build thread showing what I implement and how. And yes its very possible as my last couple boats had awesome built-ins.

I also just bought my 2004 23' LSV Wakesetter 2 weeks ago and have been trying to think of clever ways to make the cooler under the seat behind the driver stay cold. If you do come up with any good ideas I am definitely interested in knowing what solved this issue. Sadly I am currently having issues trying to get my speedometer to register on the needle, as well Wet Sound Equalizer to turn on. Reasons I have not been able to tackle the cooler issue. Although it is definitely 3rd on the list.

[Deephaven]

Looked at it during lunch today and it looks like it "should" be easy enough to remove. I am sure that I will break the crap out of it in the process, but the carpeted form that holds it in place is just screwed in with L brackets. Yank out plastic piece of crap, pull out the support, insulate the crap out of it, fiberglass, add a drain and re-install. Now I need a rainy day with some warning that its coming.

[MARiley]

Soft Side Coolers are for Chicks

But its OK if your cooler and your shoes match.

ok player

[Deephaven]

Boo, not just the little brackets. Not sure what's holding it in, but only had 20 minutes or so to play with it. Imagine that, not enough time.

[Duckpond]

Add a bunch of salt to your ice.