Bought a 65 tan for $130 during their "Super Sale" right before the YETI legal action. Have taken it on two trips and it just hasn't performed well at all. We were down close to Rockport last week and I was buying 20-30 lbs of ice a day. It was always in the shade, the temps were not excessively high and we weren't constantly in and out of it. Our Coleman / Igloo coolers perform as well if not better. Outlier or has this been a problem for others? Any recourse with RTIC?

Mine kept ice well in its first use, but I wasn't around it to witness all use. It was at a rest stop at a bike ride. It did come back to me missing a foot though. Called RTIC about it and they said to buy them but they're sold out of those.

I have he same issue with the 20 size I bought. It doesn't keep ice for ***** I bought it during their sale for $120 or something like that. I've been really disappointed with it. I'm curious how the pre-sale ones perform and wonder if somehow these are different.

Our bigger Yeti we got years ago will keep ice all week when we go on trips.

I have the same problem. If you have the order number they will make it right. Mine was purchased at bucees so I am sol. It does not seal properly. I am going to try and put a thin layer of silicone around the sealing surface.

My Aggie Yeti works flawlessly

CTGilley said:

---

I have the same problem. If you have the order number they will make it right. Mine was purchased at bucees so I am sol. It does not seal properly. I am going to try and put a thin layer of silicone around the sealing surface.

---

OK, thanks.

Extremely vague description to understand whether or not is what "performing" up to speed or not.

First, I own the 20-45-65 hard side coolers... They are my first "yeti" like coolers to own.

- they all are better than any igloo or Coleman I have ever bought for long term storage of things

-like All roto-molded coolers, they require an initial chill to bring the temp down. Once it's down (usually a bag of ice but depends on how much stuff you have in the cooler), it holds very well.

-like ALL roto-molded coolers, using it for grabbing beer or constant access, will basically eliminate most of the added advantages of it.

-most people don't know about the last two things I mentioned and complain about them...

CTGilley said:

---

I have the same problem. If you have the order number they will make it right. Mine was purchased at bucees so I am sol. It does not seal properly. I am going to try and put a thin layer of silicone around the sealing surface.

---

Back to the OP, does your cooler ever create a vacuum? It should at some point and be hard as hell to open.

If not, you might have a seal problem like CT states in the above post

My igloo holds ice better but is not as durable. I know it is not sealing because water will splash out of the top. I have always kept an ice chest in the back of my truck. The RTIC keeps things cool about 5 days and ice about 3 in spring weather. I open it no more than twice a day.

If it's not sealing, it just as you stated... a more rugged igloo.

I always check mine when cleaning. When draining the soapy water (if I don't bleach them) I always close the lid and make sure the drain slows. If it does and rapidly improves when you open the lid, it's good to go.

Mine creates a vacuum every time. I know it's a sign that it's holding the temp but it gets annoying as hell to have to pry it open to get a beer. Any recommendations how to fix this? I was thinking of slightly opening the drain cap to let some of the pressure out but haven't tried it yet.

You're correct. Slightly open the drain plug and it usually helps. Sometimes it doesn't and you're just stuck in a strongman cussing competition to get the SOB open.

Got it. Thanks!

aggiepaintrain said:

---

My Aggie Yeti works flawlessly

---

My RTIC works just as well for half the price!

Sorry OP, I'm no help, I've bought two hard coolers and several soft coolers for gifts and they've all worked well. Maybe reach out to their customer support and see what they say.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

Extremely vague description to understand whether or not is what "performing" up to speed or not.

First, I own the 20-45-65 hard side coolers... They are my first "yeti" like coolers to own.

- they all are better than any igloo or Coleman I have ever bought for long term storage of things

-like All roto-molded coolers, they require an initial chill to bring the temp down. Once it's down (usually a bag of ice but depends on how much stuff you have in the cooler), it holds very well.

-like ALL roto-molded coolers, using it for grabbing beer or constant access, will basically eliminate most of the added advantages of it.

-most people don't know about the last two things I mentioned and complain about them...

---

Loaded it up with cold drinks, 20 lbs of ice plus some frozen containers of water (like family size coke bottles) before we left home. Had to add 20 lbs of ice (or more) per day for 6 days to maintain a decent amount of ice in the cooler. Only 2 adults using it and it went unopened for hours at a time. Loading it with fresh ice in the evening with little or no access afterwards and half the ice melted by morning is certainly not what I would expect from a premium cooler. Every hard sided cooler I've owned has done that well and likely better.

I had the order confirmation on file so I will be contacting RTIC to see what they can do for me.

Much better info. Sounds like it's not performing like it should.

Did you drain the water?

I've got a Yeti Hopper and an Artic Cube. Both hold ice the same time and work the same. Only the Artic doesn't rip my hand up on the zipper

I have an RTIC 20 and it was not keeping ice longer than 3 days or so - in the garage and opened only once or twice a day. I contacted RTIC and was told that I needed to pre-chill it with ice and then fill it completely in order for it to work properly. Since I was trying to use it to fill in for a broken ice maker, it didn't make much sense to me to have to run out to buy ice to chill it and then have to buy more ice in a few hours to fill it. Maybe I'm just ignorant in the ways of RTIC coolers. So, now I just use it on trips to the Austin or Houston to hold cold/frozen foods on the way home.

I'm using mine for a footlocker. Keeps my shoes dry.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

CTGilley said:

---

I have the same problem. If you have the order number they will make it right. Mine was purchased at bucees so I am sol. It does not seal properly. I am going to try and put a thin layer of silicone around the sealing surface.

---

Back to the OP, does your cooler ever create a vacuum? It should at some point and be hard as hell to open.

If not, you might have a seal problem like CT states in the above post

---

No, does not create a vacuum.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

Much better info. Sounds like it's not performing like it should.

Did you drain the water?

---

Yes.

I got a 45 as a retirement gift. The seal is separated\ripped in the back. Presuming this is a flaw -- anyone replace a seal?

Need a new seal

Normally, you don't want to drain the water as it still keeps the temperature very cool p, assuming ice is still present, and draining it allows warmer air to come in and accelerate melting.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

Normally, you don't want to drain the water as it still keeps the temperature very cool p, assuming ice is still present, and draining it allows warmer air to come in and accelerate melting.

---

OK, had no idea these things were so "finicky". There were no instructions provided with the cooler IIRC, just the cooler in the box. Had not previously seen anything about pre-chilling, etc. Now I see the "Use and Care" page on the RTIC website.

Considering that once I had loaded the cooler with cold drinks, added frozen water containers and filled to the brim with ice, wouldn't that substitute for the "pre-chilling" after 4 hours or more? I believe the original load of ice was fairly well intact when we arrived at our camp site. 20 lbs of ice was added on the 2nd day and no water was drained until the 3rd day.


Thanks guys!

Yep, pre-chilling is just a function of basic thermodynamics. This being a such a good insulator takes that much more to initially cool down.

redass1876 said:

---

Yep, pre-chilling is just a function of basic thermodynamics. This being a such a good insulator takes that much more to initially cool down.

---

Get your science out of here. It is a well known fact that these coolers work on space magic.

Draining the water is your issue. Losing precious cold each time you do that. Slurry is the best to keep drinks cold.

HumbleAg said:

---

Bought a 65 tan for $130 during their "Super Sale" right before the YETI legal action. Have taken it on two trips and it just hasn't performed well at all. We were down close to Rockport last week and I was buying 20-30 lbs of ice a day. It was always in the shade, the temps were not excessively high and we weren't constantly in and out of it. Our Coleman / Igloo coolers perform as well if not better. Outlier or has this been a problem for others? Any recourse with RTIC?

---

I have the same cooler but have had no issues with it.

Recently, I iced down several cases of beer for an engagement party. Brought it home after the party and set it in the dining room. Wife said she would empty it. A week passes, I asked the wife what happened to all that left over beer. Her response was "What beer?". I opened the cooler and could hardly tell that any of the ice had even melted.

I am very happy with mine.

I will try again with a proper pre-chill, keeping the water until absolutely necessary to make room for more ice, possibly adding some dry ice and maybe even some rock salt as suggested on the RTIC site.

If your cooler isn't sealing well, put a thin ring of vaseline along it for a quick fix.

aggiepaintrain said:

---

My Aggie Yeti works flawlessly

---

Blow on...