Need some help...Igloo DC coolers.....

[Dave Busby]

Has anyone used the Igloo Koolmate coolers (DC/AC plug-in type) on their boat? I will need to live on my boat during weekdays for the next couple of months, and I don't want to have to buy Ice all the time. I saw the Igloo and Coleman plug-in coolers, and was wondering if they work ok...Thanks

 

[Dave]

Not for me ...

Practical Sailor did a review somewhat recently. I don't know what their conclusions were, but mine are not favorable.I have used both the 22-qt and 40-qt igloo DC coolers. We have since gone back to the ultra-insulated igloo cooler and ice. The small DC one worked better than the large DC one did, but both had issues keeping things cold enough when the temperature hit the high 80's/low 90's. Additionally, the items you put into the cooler need to be cold before you put them in as the DC coolers are really made to keep things 35-40 (?) degrees below the ambient temperature and NOT to cool down warm things.

 

[Dave Busby]

Thanks Dave

Thats what I suspected....I appreciate the input.

 

[Steve]

Work well,.... but

I have used the Igloo 36 quart cooler, which I still have.Dockside, using the 12V charger on the battery (the cooler draws somewhere around 4 amps) it worked fine when the stuff in it was allowed to cool all night. It actually FROZE the quart of milk we had put in it for breakfast! If left on for a good long time, it does cool things quite well. However, my cooler started making a rather loud noise... I think the bearings in the motor are starting to go. My wife can't stand the noise on the boat or in the car. We are contemplating buying another one, but, since our "new" boat does not have an alternator nor do we carry a generator, at present, the 4- 4.5 amp requirement underway is a bit sticky, in my opinion.If you have an alternator, dockside power or an aux generator, this will work for you (till your bearings make noise, that it!)Steve

 

[Elaine]

We use it

We use ours when we live aboard for a weekend or for up to 8 weeks at a time. It sure cuts down on the amount of ice that we have to purchase. My week's worth of food might include a few days of fresh meat, a few days of boxed dinners, and a few nights eating out in restaurants. We keep our cooler plugged in whenever we're at the dock, sailing for only a few hours, or when motoring. We use ice in a separate cooler when anchoring out for a few days at a time. Of course, we've added an extra layer of insulation to our cooler: 1 inch foam wrapped in a space blanket. For us, the price was right.

 

[Steve Dion]

Perfect dock side solution.

Dave:They are a perfect dock side solution when the weather cools down. If you are plugged into shore power you could care less about the power consumption. They will cool to about 40 deg. below ambient air temp and should work fine from now through early summer. Once you temps get back into the 90's they will need something to supplement the cooling!We just got one for a friend at WalMart. I think it was about $115 and the converter is built in. It has both the AC and DC cord with the box.