Now make a silicone seal for it. Clean the cooler side very well to remove any oil. Apply Vaseline to the lid seal surface. Now run a beed of silicone around the edge of the seal surface on the cooler. Close the lid. Let it set for 24hr. The silicone won't stick to the Vaseline. When you open it. You know have an air tight cooler.
To anyone planning on trying this, a good idea is to get the low pressure foam for windows and doors, (usually with a purple lid) it is designed to not expand as hard, so it does not bend door and window frames, do using it for this makes less of a chance of it bulging/warping the cooler.
Great job, I only offer two things: 1. Spray the top with non-stick cooking spray before you inject expanding foam, it will release the overspray without any residue. 2. Use silicone to plug holes, it's non-toxic. What I did was use a nail to create a divot at each hole after it cured. It gave the silicone an interior anchor point. I'll probably show this in a vid when I do my next mod but just thought this info was too helpful to delay. Great Job!!
I would suggest instead of using nonstick cooking spray actually use silicone spray that way it does not degrade / go rancid overtime like food-based products would… just my two cents.
Awesome to finally see a video on this! I've been wanting to do this to my $20 Coleman. It was very helpful to see how the foam reacted and vented through the other holes. Thank you sir!
(at somewhere around 6:00) If you take them all off when they are still wet in the middle and more comes out - that's good. Take them all off and let the stuff expand out of the holes some more so it's less dense in the lid. The denser the foam the less insulation it provides. With almost 500 comments I'm sure someone has already said this. I might even squeeze the lid a little to get some more out.
Great video. Using your idea I drilled three holes on the side of the lid instead (along the hinge area). I cleaned up the foam marks with mineral oil and used silicone to patch the holes since it will not react with the food or temperatures.
Just wanted to thank you for sharing this project. You saved me from buying an expensive cooler. I'm definitely going to do two of my coolers like you did top and bottom. Again thank you. Rick in Stockton CA.
Lessons Learned from my own "expanding foam in hollow cooler lid" project: a. Choose wisely between Gaps & Cracks, and Big Gap Filler versions of Great Stuff or Loktite (Loktite is denser, with a higher R-rating). I used Loktite Gaps & Cracks, and b. Choose wisely how many venting holes you drill. In my experience, putting two holes on each side made filling easier, but a lot seemed to just seep out as well. c. Especially in dry environments, and because of the enclosed space being filled up, using a spray bottle to mist the inside of the cavity first might help in ensuring uniform curing. Some comments on other sites suggest that the interior/center may end up staying more liquid/uncured, while the region closer to the holes cure normally (exposure to air and humidity). The expanding foam reportedly reacts best/at all with humidity/water, and does not fare well in very dry environments. d. Let the lid cure for about a week, then do a squeeze test to see if there are any hollow/unfilled areas. The difference between the filled and hollow areas will be very obvious. I found that near some of the holes, the foam had just oozed out, and left a hollow behind, almost as if the stuff was pushed out by gasses, and settling into the hollows before solidifying. The foam left behind a shallow plug, and the squeeze test showed that a hollow/unfilled area was left behind. This was likely caused by lack of humidity, as I did not mist the inside first, only once I filled in the hollows. Misting the uncured and hollow areas seemed to have worked in curing the foam faster, which slowed its escape from the holes. e. Use Reflectix taped to the inside of the lid, and inside the cooler box, and use Polar Bear PVC ice tubes instead of ice (esp with the Reflectix inside the box). f. Add a thin strip of weather stripping to the lid groove to block out any air escaping. g. If the lid keep popping open due to the weather stripping, add a couple bungee cords to lock down the lid.
Question: What if you put the holes on top (outside) of the lid, that way you don't risk the foam contact with whatever contents you might put in the cooler? In order words, the excess foams goes outside instead of inside.
I did this same thing with my Igloo cooler except that I drilled all of my holes on the outside instead of inside the lid. That way if anything off-gassed it wouldn't affect the contents.
You probably wouldn't really need to cover the holes as you're dealing with a closed cell polymer foam as it's basically air tight , but if you wanted to I'd suggest a two part epoxy putty (plumbers putty, kneadatite, greenstuff etc.)
You're brave using the gaps and cracks, thats a higher expansion foam than say the doors and window stuff. I would have been concerned about it warping the shape of the lid. Glad it worked for you and you made follow up clips of the process of the foam curing. The foam is really easy to cut with a knife so you don't have to worry about tearing it up.
I modified my igloo just about how you did. The only difference was that I used a foam that didn't expand nearly as much as Great Stuff (forget the brand...blue can). Plus I foamed one side and let it expand and dry before I foamed the other side. I don't know if it would've mattered but I was afraid of over expansion---but if you have enough holes I suppose it'd find its way out like in your video. I didn't want to spring for a $400 Yetti. Modifications! STICK IT TO THE MAN!!
So, foaming the lid of coolers is becoming widely known trick, just be aware that it's called expanding for a reason and use about a third as much. It will st on the interior faster, as well. To keep it from sticking from the cooler, smear a film of Vaseline on the inside of the lid. No sticky mess to scrape off. Finally, don't waste your Sugru! Get a tube of whit silicone and just top off the holes and let it set. You're not smearing your food on the inside of the cooler lid then eating raw. If you did, the amount of contact would still be absolutely harmless from those little blobs of silicone. Good vid.
I am so doing this. But using the blue can (lower expansion) stuff. Thanks. I once cut a piece of rigid foam insulation to fit inside of a cooler to fill dead air space. Worked pretty well, but I like this idea.
I found that styrofoam beads were easier to use than expanding foam. The vent can be a larger hole covered with mesh, and the beads can be blown in with a shopvac. Once filled, the supply and vent can be covered with duct tape.
I am building a wooden cooler chest using a cheap cooler that was in the shop. I will do this drilling from the top. Afterwards I will finish the wooden lid and it will cover the holes. Thanks for the video.
Great job, I'm so glad that you stopped trying to clean that up when it was wet. I was starting to shake my head. My one suggestion would be unless that cooler has baffles I feel like all you need is 2 holes. One to put it in and one to allow air to be pushed out. I think all the holes is overkill. Otherwise well done. It works great.
I'd use the two deeper channels to hold capped pvc sticks filled with the contents from gel ice packs. Just hold them in place with some velcro. Then you can freeze the pvc tubes,and just stick them in place.
Air is the best insulator because it takes longer to transfer heat between sealed envelopes of air as each envelope must heat up to affect the envelope next to it. Those ribs probably transfer more heat than the pockets of air that were filled with foam. Btw, it's the air bubbles in the foam that gives it its insulating properties.
@@geosynchronous4386 ah yes. Because air is fluid. I meant space. I guess they fill double pane windows with nitrogen because the glass would get deformed if they pulled a vacuum 🤔
Rubber plugs work good, also tape the spots you want to drill and you wont have to scrape once you break off the bubbles. Just peel the tape off put in ruber plugs
While insulating the lid will certainly help. But only a small amount. The main part that needs more insulation is the bottom and lower sides. The reason the lids aren't insulated is that cold goes down.
Holy shit I watched this whole video and you don't even tell us how well it works. You didn't need to take 12 min to say drill some holes... fill with spray foam...let dry. Thanks dude.
Plenty of opinions so far. I am not a specialist, and have found many coolers to be a pocket of air inside a hollow plastic container. Air is an insulator, though minimally efficiency. The yellow ( RED CAN ) foam expands more and fills the interior cavity as well as stiffens the shell better than the semi-expanding - more flexible foam (BLUE CAN ). Filling the top and bottom should have the best result. Only drill holes on the inside, so rain will not penetrate and standing water will not seep inside. I would spray a lubricant like WD-40 on the shell before injecting foam into the holes. I also would drill very small holes in the corners of each "pocket " for trapped air to escape. Let the cooler sit for at least 24 hours before removing any excess squeeze-out. The foam takes much longer to cure when not exposed to air. That is why it does not cure inside the can once it is first utilized. Attempting to wipe off wet / uncured foam will be MESSY. DON'T DO IT. Leave it till fully cured and it will pop off the sprayed surface easily. Plugging the holes with caulk or silicon is only decorative. Just don't drill any holes below a potential WATER LINE inside the tub portion. Wish all of you success and cold results ! J K
Thank you for doing this video! Your update video was awesome. Really appreciate you taking the time and resources to help other people like myself do the same to my cooler. I know all the dog's and don't know. Thanks again my man.
I would recommend using the great stuff window and door formulation. It is an open cell foam formulation that doesn't put as much pressure on the side walls. Also, the urethane foam cures with water so if you put a few ounces in the lid and shake it around good before you spray in the foam it will make denser bubbles and cure faster.
I'm not sure that would work as well. Closed cell foam has a higher R value than open cell. The purpose of the cooler is to keep heat out. The lower R value in some situations may increase the heat conductivity in comparison to just air. I'm not sure of the r value of each specific product but IN SOME SITUATIONS open cell foam is superior to closed cell foam because it moves heat better. I don't know what the R values are of these different products but it could make a big difference and it could also have a negative impact. Do your homework if you choose to not use closed cell foam.
One hole is all you needed! Clean up looks fun! The amount of time and energy, and materials waisted make the cost of a YETI the same basically. And it will last 5x times as long.
John Fultz as a professional designer I bill $200 hr for my time. Waiting a couple days and cleaning all this shit up, plugging holes, etc. is not worth my free time when I can walk in dicks buy a nice cooler and be at the beach while you’re waiting for glue to dry on your new ghetto cooler.
Great idea! I'm going to do this to our cooler :) Note to the people...wear gloves! This stuff is impossible to get off your hands and it sticks to everything!
DAP makes a spray foam for windows and doors that doesn’t “Bulge” as bad as the stuff you used and it cleans up with soap and water, and it’s white in color and more flexible when dry. Overall you did good, I would have drilled the inside as well but sealed the holes with silicone because that foam will absorb water which adds weight and possibly cause mold. To Hell with the people complaining. Keep experimenting it’s how we all learn!!
Thanks for sharing. Dreamers become achievers so keep it up. Yes try for some before and after tests but seat of the pants is a good indicator as well. Less ice in same time equals success. To each their own. I bought a spare cooler at a yard sale for $3 and I'm going to try this mod. I'm in San Fernando Valley known to get hot in the summer so this will certainly help.
That's great. Looks like you could have gotten by with fewer holes, but you know you've got full coverage. To save time and have a nicer look, maybe find some rubber plug caps before starting a similar project and then drill your holes to match the size of the caps.
I for one like all of the holes you drilled. In my opinion you gave the excess foam a place to expand to and not deform the lid too much. I will be doing this to a couple of old coolers I have at the house. When I go glamping I like to "Drink Ice" that has nothing else in the chest. I don't think I will need to keep buying ice when I am out there "roughin' it"
I would like to see a comparison video with the same coolers. One modified and one not to see how significant of a difference this makes. Thinking of doing it. Makes sense to me.
There are a few videos 1 i watched the modded cooler didn't last as long as the factory one. Another video i watched the modded cooler did better. Its a crap shoot. I got a new cooler but i still have my old coleman and im gonna do this metal hinges and latches
I have the exact cooler. I love your idea. Thanks. I think I'm going to try drilling less holes, and drilling them in a diameter that I can put plastic plug back in. And maybe try using less great stuff. I'm also going to drill on the outside of the cooler itself. And use low expanding foam. . Thanks for the video.
One thing I did with these types of coolers was to take a styrofoam plank, cut to fit in the lid, then tape down with a strong tape. Ive done both ways and both work just as good. No mess with the styrofoam 😊
Thank You so much for this gives us all hope we can buy the perfect Size for our needs and just upgrade it. I think I might look for some plastic tabs that I could just push in the holes before I decide what size to drill the holes I’ll go over to Home Depot and see what they have and then that would be a nice clean finish it’s just something I’m thinking about
You don't lose cold through the lid. Ever been to the grocery store where the frozen food bin has no lid? The lid HAD a sandwich of trapped air, until you drilled holes in it. STILL would have been fine until you sprayed that toxic foam in it. Cold lies in the bottom of a cooler, remember heat rises, but cold air does not rise. I learned that in 5th grade science. Where were you guys?
Heat travels to cold. The second law of thermodynamics. I see it with my coleman jug. The contents are cold and the uninsulated lid gets cold and condensation forms on the.lid of the jug. In this case the cooler and the jug would be more efficient with insulated lids. In regards to the toxicity of the insulating foam typically the contents of the cooler are in their own containers and protected from bacteria and other contaminants in the bottom of the cooler. And since the foam is cured I don't see an issue with the foam especially if the holes are sealed. I just bought some of that stuff to try out on an old Coleman cooler. I predict its performance will be markedly better.
Hey, It's CA, so take those muffin-like spray foam pieces, spray paint them gray and them go put them onto your neighbor's front porch at night. See if he thinks they are magic mushrooms and ends up smoking them or such. Bet he will. :-)
When I did river trips with Don Greene in Houston (White Water Experience )we would fill the lids with expanding foam then glue blue urethane foam around the outside of the cooler than make a plywood box around that with rope handles and also around the top, then we used the old plastic bottles that plasma and saline came in to freeze water to help the ice cold longer, our ice lasted for a whole week keeping our food and drinks just right
The large Igloo cooler has an insulated lid, in fact you can tell whether they are insulated or not by looking for a plastic plug under the lid. No plug, not insulated.
I thought that was too many holes, but it is the right way to do it. I tried one hole on each end of the lid, nope. My foam did not flow throughout the lid nor did it expand and harden properly. I found this out by drilling a couple inspection holes the next day. Drill enough holes!
Acetone is the solvent for whatever Great Stuff is made of. It still takes a lot of scrubbing if you let it set up, but if you catch it within a few hours you can usually wipe clean. I LOVE spray foam! The uses are endless.
WOW. I had a lot of condensation on the lid of my $25 igloo and did the same thing before seeing your video. Also quit using crushed ICE and started buying blocks that melt slower. If you had cut off those "blobs" it will cure faster. Also did all sides of the cooler. Cheaper than a YETI. I've used that foam from filling in gaps on my VW bus to using it for mortar filler on a house foundation. It's paintable but messy. Wear throwaway gloves. 😎
The foam uses water to cure. I put 2 drum liners into a co-worker's locker, misted the inside of the drum liners with water and then used 4 cans of spray foam to turn his locker into a solid mass of foam but not damage his stuff or the locker with the foam. Overnight it fully set up and it took him half a day to get the foam out, again, no damage from the foam. He tried to get me back but didn't use water in the drum liners and I was able to pull the drum liner full of mostly uncured and un-expanded foam out of my locker in about 10min. Mist in water as the urathane foams require it as a catalyst
I did NOT insulate my lid. However that will be done soon !! :) But I HAVE added latches to my coolers (cheapos or mid range) worked VERY well depending which ones were installed..the kind with the squared "U" latch with the snap down locking worked best, and just a small snap ring, carabiner or locking type cotter pin -to lock the hole where ya can put a small padlock...or, just use that padlock ! nice tips, nicely done. TY !
I did this on a couple of coolers back in the early 2000s,the only problem was the first cooler I did I didn't put enough hole so the side pushed out. That was commerical home spray foam. Still worked. Second one I put more bleeder holes to relieve pressure. I used superglue and cut milk jug in little circles put or holes.
I wonder why they don't sell them like this by default........ You'd think it wouldn't cost much on an industrial level to fill the lid with foam as well. and the lid is where most of the heat enters.
Pretty sure the reason why is because if you look at the cheaper coolers they don't use expanding foam as insulation, They use sheets of the white foam. Sheets can be inserted between the outside and inside shells of the bottom part before they are fused together. But the top is usually one piece. Possibly blow molded. So there is no point in the manufacturing where they could insert insulation easily. They would have to make the top in multiple pieces which would add to the cost considerably.
Dap makes a low expansion foam that might work better for you. I would have made bigger holes like say 3/8 inch. But it is a good idea no doubt I myself use moving blankets on mine that I get from Harbor Freight. Just lay under and over the coolers with them.
Some places have a press they put the parts in 1 inlet hole for foam that would be about 1/4 inch by the hinge area..then 2 small holes the size of pencil lead in the corners 2 in each corner..just on the outside of seal rim..after 1hr in press clean excess..plug back hole by the hinge with other crap cooler plug...its on the bottom..older one lol..for the 2 small holes in front dont plug those you will want those left open they wont be seen..there on the bottomside outside the seem..no contact with food on any holes n can breath..duplicate the press so lid dont distort..place a bag of sand on the cooler lid as foam expands..if you get the lid cold and keep it cold thru the process it wont warp..c clamps n 2x6 could also make a clamp but cooler you keep it the better..enjoy but you owe me a beer lol
The whole reason that the Yeti Coolers, and others like them work is because the space between the inner wall in the outside wall is a vacuum, meaning there's no air in there. The fact that there's no air in there keeps the cold or the Heat from transferring to the outside of the cooler. There's absolutely nothing in there, no air molecules by which to transfer the hot or the cold. In other words, they do not use any filler type insulation.
I belive rubbermaid coolers were the foam filled but was in the early 90s less holes only till foam comes out..the small holes in the corner are weep holes so any water condensation can escape
Go to the hardware store or auto parts store and get those plastic plugs called Christmas tree push clips for the holes,used in automotive to retain door panels and such.
@b8con “ food for thought “ I also do a fair amount of hiking/camping and also do spray foam insulation for a living in commercial and residential applications so I have easy access to 2 pound closed cell foam. I built my own cooler out of plywood and 1x3 timber, fiberglassed the inside and then added pneumatic wheels to it for easy moving. Without exaggeration it more than doubled the hold time of ice compared to my Coleman extreme coolers I take on the boat fishing! Obviously it weights a lot more but you can modify it to also work as a gear cart
hmmmm... this looks like a pretty good idea...i always wondered why does my ice melt so fast whem i pay an arm and leg for a half decent cooler....giving this a try....the crack seal also makes great brains for halloween decs lol
I would put the lid in the sun for a few days. I would only put one hole in the middle of each panel and then use a silicone sealant on those holes to cover them.
I use Spray Foam for Roofing purposes and the diffrence between Yeti and others is the Density of the Foam used. The can Foam is only 1lb density. If you use the 3.0lb foam thats the trick.
One hole in each section would be suffiecient, unload a can then tape the hole shut, allow to cure for a week. Did this to a trunk lid and had zero mess
Wrong. It will not fill evenly. If you keep adding foam until it overflows, the cured foam won't be at optimal density. Even if you vent at each corner and the center of each end, you can't gauge how well the cavity is filling,.
i ,from personal experience will always let that foam set dry then break away ,dont be tempted to try and wipe it away that stuff sticks like shit to a blanket and will not wash of hands quickly. nice vid and the lid will be stronger too to sit on
Look for rtic coolers. Same as yeti, but cheaper. One thing to watch for when it takes a long time for that foam to set due to being sealed up, the bubbles collapse and you end up with a puddle of urethane plastic at the bottom.
You should've used the door n windows foam blue bottle. More flexible and much more condensed foam when dry. The red big gap foam might warp the cooler if you accidentally inject too much. Bigger holes will make it cure faster. Nice project though 👍😎
This is expanding foam. One drill one hole per role and the foam will fill the dead space. That is that it is designed to do. You can buy pugs at home depot and glue them in the 3 holes.
The plastic cooler lid didn't need any "insulation material" inside it because it was completely sealed (well, besides the porosity of the plastic) which means it was insulated by trapped air.
Not as well as with the foam. Difference between a double pane window and a wall full of foam. That dead air space can heat up easily just from the sun hitting the outside layer and transferring to the inside layer. Why would any cooler company use foam instead of just air?
Wow, first, I'm really surprised that thing didn't turn into a pillow, I'm guessing that you picked the right expanding foam there (I know that that brand comes in different versions that expand differently the one meant for door/window frames doesn't generate nearly as much force as the other versions), and I'm shocked that it didn't stick to the lid, I was thinking that you should have waxed it or even wiped it down with some sort of release compound (If it was brand new it's possible it still had the mold release from the factory on it) Secondly, insulation quality is depending on the density. The more air you trap in it, making it less dense the better it insulates. The "cure" that you kept talking about is actually a chemical reaction with water in the air- the more humidity it's exposed to the more it expands and the faster it expands and sets. In the end, you probably could have sprayed a little water in there (just enough to make the inside damp) and sprayed about 1/3 the foam in there, focusing on the sides so it expanded to the inside and out your holes. That should have worked better, of course I could just be over-analizing this since yours looked like it worked out fine, MUCH better than I expected when I watched you do it.
Just wondering if you had considered drilling from the top before you started? that would have left absolutely no worries in possible "contamination" but....it's not like every cooler currently selling is stating that they use food grade plastics and insulation anyway. You can also place a plastic sheet on top so that whenever you open the lid the cold air doesn't escape that quickly. And personally besides the cooler itself i wash everything that i put inside, so that i could drink the water as the ice melts(i also filter my own ice ever since i saw how nasty a bag of ice from the store can be)
Nope, didn't cross my mind. I'm not to worried about it, the Surgu was the non toxic kind and I am not to worried about the foam leaching into the cooler. You're dead on with the about the ice bags, those things are nasty.
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Now make a silicone seal for it. Clean the cooler side very well to remove any oil. Apply Vaseline to the lid seal surface. Now run a beed of silicone around the edge of the seal surface on the cooler. Close the lid. Let it set for 24hr. The silicone won't stick to the Vaseline. When you open it. You know have an air tight cooler.
To anyone planning on trying this, a good idea is to get the low pressure foam for windows and doors, (usually with a purple lid) it is designed to not expand as hard, so it does not bend door and window frames, do using it for this makes less of a chance of it bulging/warping the cooler.
Great job, I only offer two things: 1. Spray the top with non-stick cooking spray before you inject expanding foam, it will release the overspray without any residue. 2. Use silicone to plug holes, it's non-toxic. What I did was use a nail to create a divot at each hole after it cured. It gave the silicone an interior anchor point. I'll probably show this in a vid when I do my next mod but just thought this info was too helpful to delay. Great Job!!
I want to see your method video
I would suggest instead of using nonstick cooking spray actually use silicone spray that way it does not degrade / go rancid overtime like food-based products would… just my two cents.
Awesome to finally see a video on this! I've been wanting to do this to my $20 Coleman. It was very helpful to see how the foam reacted and vented through the other holes. Thank you sir!
(at somewhere around 6:00) If you take them all off when they are still wet in the middle and more comes out - that's good. Take them all off and let the stuff expand out of the holes some more so it's less dense in the lid. The denser the foam the less insulation it provides. With almost 500 comments I'm sure someone has already said this. I might even squeeze the lid a little to get some more out.
Very true. Surprised this doesn't have a thousand likes.
The less insulation? Idk how that makes sense
Great video. Using your idea I drilled three holes on the side of the lid instead (along the hinge area). I cleaned up the foam marks with mineral oil and used silicone to patch the holes since it will not react with the food or temperatures.
Just wanted to thank you for sharing this project. You saved me from buying an expensive cooler.
I'm definitely going to do two of my coolers like you did top and bottom. Again thank you. Rick in Stockton CA.
False. Air is a better insulator. Coleman & Igloo use special foam. Different than canned
Lessons Learned from my own "expanding foam in hollow cooler lid" project:
a. Choose wisely between Gaps & Cracks, and Big Gap Filler versions of Great Stuff or Loktite (Loktite is denser, with a higher R-rating). I used Loktite Gaps & Cracks, and
b. Choose wisely how many venting holes you drill. In my experience, putting two holes on each side made filling easier, but a lot seemed to just seep out as well.
c. Especially in dry environments, and because of the enclosed space being filled up, using a spray bottle to mist the inside of the cavity first might help in ensuring uniform curing. Some comments on other sites suggest that the interior/center may end up staying more liquid/uncured, while the region closer to the holes cure normally (exposure to air and humidity). The expanding foam reportedly reacts best/at all with humidity/water, and does not fare well in very dry environments.
d. Let the lid cure for about a week, then do a squeeze test to see if there are any hollow/unfilled areas. The difference between the filled and hollow areas will be very obvious. I found that near some of the holes, the foam had just oozed out, and left a hollow behind, almost as if the stuff was pushed out by gasses, and settling into the hollows before solidifying. The foam left behind a shallow plug, and the squeeze test showed that a hollow/unfilled area was left behind. This was likely caused by lack of humidity, as I did not mist the inside first, only once I filled in the hollows. Misting the uncured and hollow areas seemed to have worked in curing the foam faster, which slowed its escape from the holes.
e. Use Reflectix taped to the inside of the lid, and inside the cooler box, and use Polar Bear PVC ice tubes instead of ice (esp with the Reflectix inside the box).
f. Add a thin strip of weather stripping to the lid groove to block out any air escaping.
g. If the lid keep popping open due to the weather stripping, add a couple bungee cords to lock down the lid.
Try laying a blanket over your cooler , when camping. This helps, add 2 frozen containers of frozen salt water, will keep regular ice to last longer.
i bet the yeti bottle opener on there alone makes it hold ice longer
Um, wow. speechless. Never considered closing the "GAP" in the lid. Only makes sense. Thank you!
Question: What if you put the holes on top (outside) of the lid, that way you don't risk the foam contact with whatever contents you might put in the cooler? In order words, the excess foams goes outside instead of inside.
That's a good question too bad nobody answered it
I assume that doing it inside is partly aesthetic, and to still keep the "table top" or cup holder features unblemished
Thanks for the idea and the update. As far as ur critics, it's a homemade DIY video. Keep up the great work, brother.
The critics get very old, I agree great job!
I did this same thing with my Igloo cooler except that I drilled all of my holes on the outside instead of inside the lid. That way if anything off-gassed it wouldn't affect the contents.
yricyric perfect! I was thinking the exact same thing...
yricyric totally what I was thinking... what did you seal the wholes with?
I just covered the holes with aluminum refrigeration tape (the type of tape used for A/C duct installation).
You probably wouldn't really need to cover the holes as you're dealing with a closed cell polymer foam as it's basically air tight , but if you wanted to I'd suggest a two part epoxy putty (plumbers putty, kneadatite, greenstuff etc.)
I'm def going to give this a try.
You're brave using the gaps and cracks, thats a higher expansion foam than say the doors and window stuff. I would have been concerned about it warping the shape of the lid. Glad it worked for you and you made follow up clips of the process of the foam curing. The foam is really easy to cut with a knife so you don't have to worry about tearing it up.
Great job! I’m going to try this with one of my cheap Coleman coolers. Like you said. It’s not going to be any worse.
I modified my igloo just about how you did. The only difference was that I used a foam that didn't expand nearly as much as Great Stuff (forget the brand...blue can). Plus I foamed one side and let it expand and dry before I foamed the other side. I don't know if it would've mattered but I was afraid of over expansion---but if you have enough holes I suppose it'd find its way out like in your video. I didn't want to spring for a $400 Yetti. Modifications! STICK IT TO THE MAN!!
So, foaming the lid of coolers is becoming widely known trick, just be aware that it's called expanding for a reason and use about a third as much. It will st on the interior faster, as well.
To keep it from sticking from the cooler, smear a film of Vaseline on the inside of the lid. No sticky mess to scrape off.
Finally, don't waste your Sugru! Get a tube of whit silicone and just top off the holes and let it set. You're not smearing your food on the inside of the cooler lid then eating raw. If you did, the amount of contact would still be absolutely harmless from those little blobs of silicone. Good vid.
5200 would be great made by 3M to seal them holes.
I am so doing this. But using the blue can (lower expansion) stuff. Thanks. I once cut a piece of rigid foam insulation to fit inside of a cooler to fill dead air space. Worked pretty well, but I like this idea.
Right on, let me know how it works out.
(I think) the blue can/low expansion foam is open cell, meaning it will absorb water. Be careful there.
Joel Curtin Good info. Didn’t know that. Thanks.
I found that styrofoam beads were easier to use than expanding foam. The vent can be a larger hole covered with mesh, and the beads can be blown in with a shopvac. Once filled, the supply and vent can be covered with duct tape.
I am building a wooden cooler chest using a cheap cooler that was in the shop. I will do this drilling from the top. Afterwards I will finish the wooden lid and it will cover the holes. Thanks for the video.
Put blue tape on 1st, drill through holes, less cleanup.
Great job, I'm so glad that you stopped trying to clean that up when it was wet. I was starting to shake my head. My one suggestion would be unless that cooler has baffles I feel like all you need is 2 holes. One to put it in and one to allow air to be pushed out. I think all the holes is overkill. Otherwise well done. It works great.
Wrong
I'd use the two deeper channels to hold capped pvc sticks filled with the contents from gel ice packs.
Just hold them in place with some velcro.
Then you can freeze the pvc tubes,and just stick them in place.
Air is the best insulator because it takes longer to transfer heat between sealed envelopes of air as each envelope must heat up to affect the envelope next to it. Those ribs probably transfer more heat than the pockets of air that were filled with foam. Btw, it's the air bubbles in the foam that gives it its insulating properties.
@@geosynchronous4386 ah yes. Because air is fluid. I meant space.
I guess they fill double pane windows with nitrogen because the glass would get deformed if they pulled a vacuum 🤔
Rubber plugs work good, also tape the spots you want to drill and you wont have to scrape once you break off the bubbles. Just peel the tape off put in ruber plugs
While insulating the lid will certainly help. But only a small amount. The main part that needs more insulation is the bottom and lower sides. The reason the lids aren't insulated is that cold goes down.
I used white door/windows silicone sealant/caulking to seal the holes. It blended in perfectly.
The holes don't really need to be sealed, other than for cosmetic reasons.
@@johnbrewer7221, it was definitely cosmetic, since the cooler lid is bright white and foam was yellow.
Now when all your buddies sit on your cooler it won't crush the lid good job:)
My 200 lbs 15 year old sat on it tonight and it was rock solid.
now just butter those muffins and you're in business.
It almost seems like maybe less holes would have been better. Less to escape, but man this is a great idea! Thank you!
Holy shit I watched this whole video and you don't even tell us how well it works. You didn't need to take 12 min to say drill some holes... fill with spray foam...let dry. Thanks dude.
Nice video, and comment section. Just shows people like their food and drinks kept cold.
The greatest most bestest idea I've ever seen. I'm doing this.
I thought it was a great video. Keep up the good work, and have fun camping.
Plenty of opinions so far. I am not a specialist, and have found many coolers to be a pocket of air inside a hollow plastic container. Air is an insulator, though minimally efficiency. The yellow ( RED CAN ) foam expands more and fills the interior cavity as well as stiffens the shell better than the semi-expanding - more flexible foam (BLUE CAN ). Filling the top and bottom should have the best result. Only drill holes on the inside, so rain will not penetrate and standing water will not seep inside. I would spray a lubricant like WD-40 on the shell before injecting foam into the holes. I also would drill very small holes in the corners of each "pocket " for trapped air to escape. Let the cooler sit for at least 24 hours before removing any excess squeeze-out. The foam takes much longer to cure when not exposed to air. That is why it does not cure inside the can once it is first utilized. Attempting to wipe off wet / uncured foam will be MESSY. DON'T DO IT. Leave it till fully cured and it will pop off the sprayed surface easily. Plugging the holes with caulk or silicon is only decorative. Just don't drill any holes below a potential WATER LINE inside the tub portion. Wish all of you success and cold results ! J K
Thank you for doing this video! Your update video was awesome. Really appreciate you taking the time and resources to help other people like myself do the same to my cooler. I know all the dog's and don't know. Thanks again my man.
I would recommend using the great stuff window and door formulation. It is an open cell foam formulation that doesn't put as much pressure on the side walls. Also, the urethane foam cures with water so if you put a few ounces in the lid and shake it around good before you spray in the foam it will make denser bubbles and cure faster.
I'm not sure that would work as well. Closed cell foam has a higher R value than open cell. The purpose of the cooler is to keep heat out. The lower R value in some situations may increase the heat conductivity in comparison to just air. I'm not sure of the r value of each specific product but IN SOME SITUATIONS open cell foam is superior to closed cell foam because it moves heat better. I don't know what the R values are of these different products but it could make a big difference and it could also have a negative impact. Do your homework if you choose to not use closed cell foam.
One hole is all you needed! Clean up looks fun! The amount of time and energy, and materials waisted make the cost of a YETI the same basically. And it will last 5x times as long.
John Fultz as a professional designer I bill $200 hr for my time. Waiting a couple days and cleaning all this shit up, plugging holes, etc. is not worth my free time when I can walk in dicks buy a nice cooler and be at the beach while you’re waiting for glue to dry on your new ghetto cooler.
Great idea! I'm going to do this to our cooler :) Note to the people...wear gloves! This stuff is impossible to get off your hands and it sticks to everything!
DAP makes a spray foam for windows and doors that doesn’t “Bulge” as bad as the stuff you used and it cleans up with soap and water, and it’s white in color and more flexible when dry. Overall you did good, I would have drilled the inside as well but sealed the holes with silicone because that foam will absorb water which adds weight and possibly cause mold. To Hell with the people complaining. Keep experimenting it’s how we all learn!!
Thanks for sharing. Dreamers become achievers so keep it up. Yes try for some before and after tests but seat of the pants is a good indicator as well. Less ice in same time equals success. To each their own. I bought a spare cooler at a yard sale for $3 and I'm going to try this mod. I'm in San Fernando Valley known to get hot in the summer so this will certainly help.
That's great.
Looks like you could have gotten by with fewer holes, but you know you've got full coverage.
To save time and have a nicer look, maybe find some rubber plug caps before starting a similar project and then drill your holes to match the size of the caps.
I for one like all of the holes you drilled. In my opinion you gave the excess foam a place to expand to and not deform the lid too much. I will be doing this to a couple of old coolers I have at the house. When I go glamping I like to "Drink Ice" that has nothing else in the chest. I don't think I will need to keep buying ice when I am out there "roughin' it"
I would like to see a comparison video with the same coolers. One modified and one not to see how significant of a difference this makes. Thinking of doing it. Makes sense to me.
There are a few videos 1 i watched the modded cooler didn't last as long as the factory one. Another video i watched the modded cooler did better. Its a crap shoot. I got a new cooler but i still have my old coleman and im gonna do this metal hinges and latches
I have the exact cooler. I love your idea. Thanks. I think I'm going to try drilling less holes, and drilling them in a diameter that I can put plastic plug back in. And maybe try using less great stuff. I'm also going to drill on the outside of the cooler itself. And use low expanding foam. . Thanks for the video.
just use fricking silicon caulk!
One thing I did with these types of coolers was to take a styrofoam plank, cut to fit in the lid, then tape down with a strong tape. Ive done both ways and both work just as good. No mess with the styrofoam 😊
This is great!!!! I love the idea and the update.
Thank You so much for this gives us all hope we can buy the perfect Size for our needs and just upgrade it. I think I might look for some plastic tabs that I could just push in the holes before I decide what size to drill the holes I’ll go over to Home Depot and see what they have and then that would be a nice clean finish it’s just something I’m thinking about
I enjoyed this video. I will do this to my 5 day colmen any thing helps in Arizona heat.
you should do a test with a bag of ice in this and an unmodified one to see just how much improvement there is
Good idea, if you do another you may want to try the minimal expanding type in the blue can it's for around windows and doors it is also more dense.
Yeah I will give that a try next time.
I was thinking of trying that myself but glad you did it for all to see.
You don't lose cold through the lid. Ever been to the grocery store where the frozen food bin has no lid? The lid HAD a sandwich of trapped air, until you drilled holes in it. STILL would have been fine until you sprayed that toxic foam in it. Cold lies in the bottom of a cooler, remember heat rises, but cold air does not rise. I learned that in 5th grade science. Where were you guys?
Heat travels to cold. The second law of thermodynamics. I see it with my coleman jug. The contents are cold and the uninsulated lid gets cold and condensation forms on the.lid of the jug. In this case the cooler and the jug would be more efficient with insulated lids. In regards to the toxicity of the insulating foam typically the contents of the cooler are in their own containers and protected from bacteria and other contaminants in the bottom of the cooler. And since the foam is cured I don't see an issue with the foam especially if the holes are sealed. I just bought some of that stuff to try out on an old Coleman cooler. I predict its performance will be markedly better.
Hey, It's CA, so take those muffin-like spray foam pieces, spray paint them gray and them go put them onto your neighbor's front porch at night. See if he thinks they are magic mushrooms and ends up smoking them or such. Bet he will. :-)
When I did river trips with Don Greene in Houston (White Water Experience )we would fill the lids with expanding foam then glue blue urethane foam around the outside of the cooler than make a plywood box around that with rope handles and also around the top, then we used the old plastic bottles that plasma and saline came in to freeze water to help the ice cold longer, our ice lasted for a whole week keeping our food and drinks just right
Cool timelapse of the foam balls growing!
I’ve seen many things people argue about on TH-cam comments but a guy who filled his cooler with foam has got to be the silliest of all arguments.
Use Loctite Spray Foam . It’s closed cell foam which is denser, will insulate better and expand less.
Thanks for the tip. I will next time.
Loctite foam is very good. I used it to seal my outside garage cracks,gaps and worked great. Easy clean up too
Is this worth it?
Yes, you did fine, I do this for a living in factory that specializes in building coolers since 1944
Awesome shout out...and especially so if your pedigree is legit ! nice affirmation. Peace and God Bless.
Does not work ive just tried....you can see it pour out...so you think its working...but on the inside is still hollow....
Tried this, didnt work, to each his own. Ijust went with a Coleman Extreme instead
The large Igloo cooler has an insulated lid, in fact you can tell whether they are insulated or not by looking for a plastic plug under the lid. No plug, not insulated.
No plug on this one
I thought that was too many holes, but it is the right way to do it. I tried one hole on each end of the lid, nope. My foam did not flow throughout the lid nor did it expand and harden properly. I found this out by drilling a couple inspection holes the next day. Drill enough holes!
Wear gloves with that Great Stuff. It doesn't just wash off.
Learned that the hard way. That stuff is crazy sticky.
Denatured alcohol.
wd-40
Acetone is the solvent for whatever Great Stuff is made of. It still takes a lot of scrubbing if you let it set up, but if you catch it within a few hours you can usually wipe clean. I LOVE spray foam! The uses are endless.
Haha i learned the hard way the first time i used it building a house and had nothing to clean it off. It was terrible 😂
WOW. I had a lot of condensation on the lid of my $25 igloo and did the same thing before seeing your video. Also quit using crushed ICE and started buying blocks that melt slower. If you had cut off those "blobs" it will cure faster. Also did all sides of the cooler. Cheaper than a YETI. I've used that foam from filling in gaps on my VW bus to using it for mortar filler on a house foundation. It's paintable but messy. Wear throwaway gloves.
😎
The foam uses water to cure. I put 2 drum liners into a co-worker's locker, misted the inside of the drum liners with water and then used 4 cans of spray foam to turn his locker into a solid mass of foam but not damage his stuff or the locker with the foam. Overnight it fully set up and it took him half a day to get the foam out, again, no damage from the foam.
He tried to get me back but didn't use water in the drum liners and I was able to pull the drum liner full of mostly uncured and un-expanded foam out of my locker in about 10min.
Mist in water as the urathane foams require it as a catalyst
Those extra holes helped the foam to expand and leach out. It probably helped from the lid from bowing out.
Thanks for the video! I've been testing out my new cooler, and I was just wondering if this would make the ice last longer.
I did NOT insulate my lid. However that will be done soon !! :) But I HAVE added latches to my coolers (cheapos or mid range) worked VERY well depending which ones were installed..the kind with the squared "U" latch with the snap down locking worked best, and just a small snap ring, carabiner or locking type cotter pin -to lock the hole where ya can put a small padlock...or, just use that padlock ! nice tips, nicely done. TY !
I did this on a couple of coolers back in the early 2000s,the only problem was the first cooler I did I didn't put enough hole so the side pushed out. That was commerical home spray foam. Still worked. Second one I put more bleeder holes to relieve pressure. I used superglue and cut milk jug in little circles put or holes.
I wonder why they don't sell them like this by default........ You'd think it wouldn't cost much on an industrial level to fill the lid with foam as well. and the lid is where most of the heat enters.
Richard Powell - Profit line always about profit margin and to keep cost down for low resale price I'm sure you know that..
Richard Powell, weight during shipping. Not cost efficient, plus easier if the company has less hazmat to deal with.
Pretty sure the reason why is because if you look at the cheaper coolers they don't use expanding foam as insulation, They use sheets of the white foam. Sheets can be inserted between the outside and inside shells of the bottom part before they are fused together. But the top is usually one piece. Possibly blow molded. So there is no point in the manufacturing where they could insert insulation easily. They would have to make the top in multiple pieces which would add to the cost considerably.
Given the foam only costs like $4 a can, I would be willing to pay a little extra for an insulated lid.
Richard Powell that is the real problem today. Quality does not matter. That’s ok. Keep it cheap and we will make it right.
I put towels on top of the cooler. It makes a huge difference. Bath towels.
Dap makes a low expansion foam that might work better for you. I would have made bigger holes like say 3/8 inch. But it is a good idea no doubt I myself use moving blankets on mine that I get from Harbor Freight. Just lay under and over the coolers with them.
I’ll keep that in mind for my next one.
Some places have a press they put the parts in 1 inlet hole for foam that would be about 1/4 inch by the hinge area..then 2 small holes the size of pencil lead in the corners 2 in each corner..just on the outside of seal rim..after 1hr in press clean excess..plug back hole by the hinge with other crap cooler plug...its on the bottom..older one lol..for the 2 small holes in front dont plug those you will want those left open they wont be seen..there on the bottomside outside the seem..no contact with food on any holes n can breath..duplicate the press so lid dont distort..place a bag of sand on the cooler lid as foam expands..if you get the lid cold and keep it cold thru the process it wont warp..c clamps n 2x6 could also make a clamp but cooler you keep it the better..enjoy but you owe me a beer lol
The whole reason that the Yeti Coolers, and others like them work is because the space between the inner wall in the outside wall is a vacuum, meaning there's no air in there. The fact that there's no air in there keeps the cold or the Heat from transferring to the outside of the cooler. There's absolutely nothing in there, no air molecules by which to transfer the hot or the cold. In other words, they do not use any filler type insulation.
Next time use masking tape first and it will make clean up easier
I belive rubbermaid coolers were the foam filled but was in the early 90s less holes only till foam comes out..the small holes in the corner are weep holes so any water condensation can escape
thanks for that, Ken, I was wondering about trapped moisture.
Nice man,wish you would of done a test on it. A before and after. To see how much different they are.But still great.
look in his comments, he mentioned that the ice stayed for 3 days versus one previously. a win.
Go to the hardware store or auto parts store and get those plastic plugs called Christmas tree push clips for the holes,used in automotive to retain door panels and such.
@b8con “ food for thought “ I also do a fair amount of hiking/camping and also do spray foam insulation for a living in commercial and residential applications so I have easy access to 2 pound closed cell foam. I built my own cooler out of plywood and 1x3 timber, fiberglassed the inside and then added pneumatic wheels to it for easy moving. Without exaggeration it more than doubled the hold time of ice compared to my Coleman extreme coolers I take on the boat fishing! Obviously it weights a lot more but you can modify it to also work as a gear cart
I enjoyed your video. It was very helpful. Thank you!
hmmmm... this looks like a pretty good idea...i always wondered why does my ice melt so fast whem i pay an arm and leg for a half decent cooler....giving this a try....the crack seal also makes great brains for halloween decs lol
Thought it would have been messier. Really cool
I would put the lid in the sun for a few days. I would only put one hole in the middle of each panel and then use a silicone sealant on those holes to cover them.
I've got a cooler just like that and I'm gonna try this!
Good Idea! Easy enough to follow!
What you did to seal the holes worked fine for sure, but if you ever wanted to make it fancy, you could buy plastic caps and seal them with silicone
I use Spray Foam for Roofing purposes and the diffrence between Yeti and others is the Density of the Foam used. The can Foam is only 1lb density. If you use the 3.0lb foam thats the trick.
Two questions,will the carcinogens in the foam cause cancer and will be beer be colder?
One hole in each section would be suffiecient, unload a can then tape the hole shut, allow to cure for a week.
Did this to a trunk lid and had zero mess
www.GPcarAudio.com I’d put three holes in each section, fill the middle one and you’ll know when it’s full when it comes out the other two
If you dont leave a whole for expansion it would cause the lid to expand and be useless
Wrong. It will not fill evenly. If you keep adding foam until it overflows, the cured foam won't be at optimal density. Even if you vent at each corner and the center of each end, you can't gauge how well the cavity is filling,.
i ,from personal experience will always let that foam set dry then break away ,dont be tempted to try and wipe it away that stuff sticks like shit to a blanket and will not wash of hands quickly.
nice vid and the lid will be stronger too to sit on
Sticks like shit to a blanket, good line, gotta remember that one. (-:
Should do a before and after ice test! Great idea insulting with foam!
That insulting foam is so rude !
Should do a test before and after modification
Look for rtic coolers. Same as yeti, but cheaper.
One thing to watch for when it takes a long time for that foam to set due to being sealed up, the bubbles collapse and you end up with a puddle of urethane plastic at the bottom.
You should've used the door n windows foam blue bottle. More flexible and much more condensed foam when dry.
The red big gap foam might warp the cooler if you accidentally inject too much.
Bigger holes will make it cure faster.
Nice project though 👍😎
This is expanding foam. One drill one hole per role and the foam will fill the dead space. That is that it is designed to do. You can buy pugs at home depot and glue them in the 3 holes.
I think that's a great idea! I believe that foam is polystyrene
The plastic cooler lid didn't need any "insulation material" inside it because it was completely sealed (well, besides the porosity of the plastic) which means it was insulated by trapped air.
Not as well as with the foam. Difference between a double pane window and a wall full of foam. That dead air space can heat up easily just from the sun hitting the outside layer and transferring to the inside layer. Why would any cooler company use foam instead of just air?
Great idea. I am doing this in the morning.
Wow, first, I'm really surprised that thing didn't turn into a pillow, I'm guessing that you picked the right expanding foam there (I know that that brand comes in different versions that expand differently the one meant for door/window frames doesn't generate nearly as much force as the other versions), and I'm shocked that it didn't stick to the lid, I was thinking that you should have waxed it or even wiped it down with some sort of release compound (If it was brand new it's possible it still had the mold release from the factory on it)
Secondly, insulation quality is depending on the density. The more air you trap in it, making it less dense the better it insulates. The "cure" that you kept talking about is actually a chemical reaction with water in the air- the more humidity it's exposed to the more it expands and the faster it expands and sets. In the end, you probably could have sprayed a little water in there (just enough to make the inside damp) and sprayed about 1/3 the foam in there, focusing on the sides so it expanded to the inside and out your holes.
That should have worked better, of course I could just be over-analizing this since yours looked like it worked out fine, MUCH better than I expected when I watched you do it.
I think it was because I drilled so many holes. It allowed for some pressure release.
Just wondering if you had considered drilling from the top before you started? that would have left absolutely no worries in possible "contamination" but....it's not like every cooler currently selling is stating that they use food grade plastics and insulation anyway.
You can also place a plastic sheet on top so that whenever you open the lid the cold air doesn't escape that quickly.
And personally besides the cooler itself i wash everything that i put inside, so that i could drink the water as the ice melts(i also filter my own ice ever since i saw how nasty a bag of ice from the store can be)
Nope, didn't cross my mind. I'm not to worried about it, the Surgu was the non toxic kind and I am not to worried about the foam leaching into the cooler. You're dead on with the about the ice bags, those things are nasty.
Should have used flex seal to seal the holes ... if it can seal a floating scream door it would definitely work on that cooler
Does it count if I was flexing while I was sealing it?
NICE HARLEY!
Looks like a good deal.... thanks for sharing....