9 Common Mistakes That Will RUIN Your Cooler

Almost everyone has made or will make one or more of these super common mistakes that could absolutely ruin a perfectly good ice chest! Even beloved YETI coolers are susceptible to an untimely demise if not cared for properly. With as much as a nice rotomolded cooler costs these days, you will want to avoid these mistakes in order to protect your investment. In this video, I'll tell you exactly what these common mistakes are and how to avoid them.

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[mike-lexp]

One of mine stays in my work truck year around. When it's hot, I have a towel I put over the top of it and I wet the towel most of the time. Makes a huge difference in keeping ice

[acme]

Another tip . . . don't store the cooler with the lid down and the latches clamped down tight. Instead place a small towel over the rim of the cooler and let the lid rest down on that. This protects and prolongs the life of the freezer gasket around the lid and keeps it from getting compressed and losing it's effectiveness. This also keeps the inside of the cooler aired-out while being stored.-

[Menuki]

Reflective bubble wrap can help with a lot of these.

I live in Vegas and I use coolers just for grocery shopping. That bubble wrap is a cheap and useful addition to you cooler:


Main use, fill in space inside the cooler to help with ice retention and cooling
Cover the top for the same reason and after watching this, prevent sun warping
I’ve melted a cooler before by using it as a fire side seat, so I’ll use the wrap as a heat shield. Also bubble wrap is a more comfortable seat

[NeasYellek]

My cooler must be able to be in the sun at the beach or on a boat. Otherwise it is useless.

[LukesGarage]

My RTIC 45 lid warped like in the video. To fix it I placed a small piece of plywood maybe 4” wide I’m the front under the lid. Then I used a ratchet strap and wrapped it around the lid and body but towards the front as close as it would go without slipping off. It bowed it back in opposite direction and after a day in the Texas heat it’s back to normal. I had horrible ice retention and that prompted me to investigate. I also replaced the gasket with thicker one. This cooler is 7yrs old. Works like new. Great video.

[justins]

Oh yeah.... I store my cooler in my air-conditioned living room....My wife loves it! I always tell her its for the best.

[spencerboaz]

This was great . I just picked up a Lifetime 55Q and though it wasn't as much as a Yeti I still want to get the most from it .
Great video you have a blessed one .

[martinschulz]

Okay, some good tips, warping the lid never occurred to me. TSP phosphate from your local paint store will also clean up the plastic real well and will not harm surfaces.. Mix it with water, spray or bush it on and scrub it with a kitchen scrub pad.

[jaycarneygiants]

I left a Pelican in my garage attic for like 6 months ....with food in it. UGH, that was an expensive mistake!

[Doc.Holiday]

Kind of hard to not use a cooler in direct sunlight an a small boat. My new Rtic warps and I won’t be a happy camper… er, boater.

[RobS]

Another tip is I always leave my drain open when storing our coolers to prevent any mold or weird smells, though if you have mice in your garage that may not be the best idea. Just remember to make sure it's closed the next time you use it!

[jamespeaden]

From eastern North Carolina I have a rtic ultralight. Cooler has been in the back of my worktruck flatbed for like 3 years now. From this video I have treated my cooler very very bad. Been outside every day. Spray herbicides and they tend to spill on it while moving hoses around. Have been cleaning with purple power and hot pressure steamer. I always thought the lid deformed from hitting the highway😂😂😂

[djchaisson]

Definitely always keep the lid open when storing it.

[gild]

I have some Harbor Freight furniture movers. When I have a party in the backyard, I'll put the coolers on the movers, then fill it up with the ice and beverages. Makes it easy to move around, without breaking your back.

[gilko]

Another great video! Sadly, it makes me wonder about using a cooler on the beach. The sand on southern beaches, and even the sand dunes in Colorado, can be so hot that you can't walk barefoot on them. Might not be good for a cooler. Not much shade either, and truck beds get really hot.
Ditto the abrasion. I took to collecting certain water jugs from the late 1950s, and you can clearly tell when a plastic bottomed one has been dragged on abrasive surfaces. It takes off the hard outer surface (think gelcoat), and the plastic becomes spongy.
Sounds like it's best to leave your rotomolded at home, unless you don't mind hemorrhaging cash.

[themackguyverchannel]

Good info. I find it very ironic the number one enemy of plastic coolers is heat. What it’s designed to combat. Lol

[ljaysperspective]

Good tips, although it's common sense to some degree. I did learn a few things that I didn't know so, thx a bunch. I appreciate the vid. 👍

[miker]

Great video, just bought a Yeti Tundra Haul and this will help with the longevity of my cooler

[ElBarbaNegra]

Awesome video, as an avid trunk cooler guy it makes me want to rotate them every three days instead of once a week when they run out of ice. Even though they’re not in direct sunlight it maybe just as damaging as it due to the hot temperatures in the trunk.

My friends that have had warping lid issues in the past may have been due to them leaving the coolers on the back of trucks so maybe that explains the lid warping.

Even once dry I like to throw in two paper towel sheets in my cooler to absorb any other lingering moisture.

[blakercarroll]

I keep my rtic in the bed of my truck. It has survived the last 4 years in AZ summers