Custom Cooler / Fish Box

Cheap and Easy Project -

Start w/ an Igloo Marine 36 Quart cooler. Lists for $43 Retail; found at Walmart for $20.

Igloo Marine 36
Item No: MARINE 36

Description:
Insulated body for seaworthy cold retention. Has reinforced handles & hinges. Swing-up handles with tie-down loops allow for easy carrying. Impact resistant body.

Specifications - Size: 23.75"L x 13.56"W x 13"H; Capacity: 36 Qt. (34L)



Trimmed to size, glued and caulked:



Mounted and ready for adult beverages and keepers:



You'll need to determine what section of the cooler body will be trimmed away based on your cooler. The difficult part is trying to visualize how well the top and bottom will mate so you can make up your mind about what to cut away. I had planned on cutting the inside liner a couple of inches lower then the outside liner but decided against this. The inside liner was tapered and wouldn't mate up properly with the cut top.

I took me about half an hour to cut the top and bottom off using a hand razor saw and a utility knife. I used masking tape on the top and bottom of the section that I decided to trim out to serve as a guideline. A hack saw with a high number of teeth would work just a well if not better. I didn't bother pulling out my table saw but I would if I were to do another. After the cutting, I used a belt sander to clean up both pieces. A hand block and some sandpaper would work.

For gluing the cooler back together, I choose 'Gorilla' glue. Polyurethane glue is perfect for joining foam, a great insulator and waterproof. If you haven't work with this type of glue, you will need latex gloves, rags, and tape. The glue foams when it sets up and will bubble out of the join. I used the tape to keep the glue off the external and internal plastic surfaces. The rags come in handy to wipe off the excess foamed glue. After a couple of hours, I cleaned the joins inside and out and applied top grade mildew proof white caulk.

Hey aps,
Welcome to the Hobie Forum! I really liked that size cooler also, but found that the Igloo 25 fit nicely in the back of the Hobie Sport, Revo, and the Outback almost perfectly, with no major mods, so that is what I went with.

In the Sport:




In the Outback:


In the Revo:

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APS -

I really like what you did with that cooler but I'm curious, why did you modify the cooler, was it too create a lower profile? I've been using the 25 qt marine cooler on my revo but it does not fit very well and I use a foam pad underneath it for a better fit.

Is your cooler mod a snug fit on the revo or loose? Also, I still can't figure out where you trimmed the cooler, was it on the tapered or nontapered section, and how far down from the top?

Thanks....

Apalach, That 25Qt looks like it was made for the Hobie. I really like the rod holders.

FishKayak7, The 36Qt is as big a cooler as will fit on the Revo. I wanted a big cooler that I could use to hold sea trouts, spanish macks, and an occasional red. I like to ice down my fish and then add a good amount of sea water so a smaller cooler or fish bag wouldn't work for me. I cut down the cooler to lessen the profile for wind and looks.