RTIC coolers?

PNWtabber

Anyone have a review of RTIC coolers?
I just can't bring myself to pay for Yeti if there is something comparable.
Thanks for any info!!!

CCC

They are pretty comparable but both are very heavy when they are full. Fine for the back of the truck not good to tote unless you are 30 and jacked.

Yoshi_TAB

Hi, Agree with @CCC .  We bought a  45 Qt RITC just before our recent 8 week trip out west.  It was much heavier (empty) than our older Coleman of similar size.  And very heavy when full.  But, it kept the ice and things cold for a long time.  Much longer than our older Coleman.  I have no experience with a Yeti.  We kept it in our tow vehicle the entire time but was very heavy just to slide in and out, let alone lift (as stated above).  After the inital use of all the food in the cooler  we found the TAB refrigerator was large enough for 4-5 days worth of food and all we needed was smaller drink cooler and go shopping every 4-5 days.  We plan to buy a smaller cooler that will fit on the front platform of our TAB.  If you lived closer..I'd sell the 45 qt cheap.   Best wishes and happy cold food & drinks...

CharlieRN

We have a Cascade 45 qt cooler that appears to be identical to the RTIC. As @Yoshi_TAB and @CCC note, it is heavy (nearly 30 lbs empty) but is well-insulated and keeps things cold. It's size and weight are definite cons, but it is robust, even bear-proof when the proper hardware is used.

If you have a need for a roto-molded cooler, the Cascade (and likely the RTIC) is a Yeti-caliber lower-cost alternative.

PNWtabber

I hadn't really thought about weight, oddly enough.

For kicks and giggles, I compared price, weight, and weight per quart capacity, my current cooler (Stanley 30) vs two RTIC coolers, a Yeti, and a Cascade.  I don't really need a 52 quart cooler, but that RTIC 52 Ultralight is tempting, and it includes a divider and basket.  I think the basket is an accessory item for Yeti and Cascade:

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber I would wonder if the Ultralight performed as well, since it’s injection molded (more like a traditional cooler) rather than rotomolded like the other RTIC models or the Yeti.

HellFish

After much "research", my sense of things is that the rtic is as good as the yeti. My opinion, don't want to offend the yeti fans.  Have used an rtic 20 for several years.  Happy with it, but it is heavy when loaded with drinks and ice.  Any heavier and I wouldn't be able to lift it into my tow vehicle.  I use it for drinks mainly, as that means frequent opening of the cooler. Norcold holds the food, and only gets opened a few times a day.

I'd like the space of the rtic 45 quart, but I'd have to load it into the tow vehicle empty and then add drinks and ice. No way I'd be able to lift it when full.

PNWtabber

VictoriaP said:

@PNWtabber I would wonder if the Ultralight performed as well, since it’s injection molded (more like a traditional cooler) rather than rotomolded like the other RTIC models or the Yeti.

Excellent point.  Apparently my Stanley is not rotomolded.  I loved it when I first got it--huge improvement over the older coolers I have, but it isn't really doing the job for trips longer than a couple of days.  
I don't trust my T@B's refrigerator enough to depend on it when boondocking (I have yet to get it to work on propane), so a good quality cooler is important to me.

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber Generally, reviews of the 52 are good, I’d just say dig around to make sure you’re getting what you expect.

Ultimately I stuck with my ancient Igloo cooler as a no-power option due to the weight of the roto coolers, but it literally never gets used. I went with a 12v Iceco go20 as my backup fridge; it will run for days off the Tab’s 100ah AGM or even my Goal Zero 400 lithium, without the hassle of ice.

Also, this thread was helpful to me in getting my fridge running on propane: https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/8585/lighting-3-way-refrigerator-pilot#latest

CharlieRN

PNWtabber said:

VictoriaP said:

@PNWtabber I would wonder if the Ultralight performed as well, since it’s injection molded (more like a traditional cooler) rather than rotomolded like the other RTIC models or the Yeti.

Excellent point.  Apparently my Stanley is not rotomolded.  I loved it when I first got it--huge improvement over the older coolers I have, but it isn't really doing the job for trips longer than a couple of days.  
I don't trust my T@B's refrigerator enough to depend on it when boondocking (I have yet to get it to work on propane), so a good quality cooler is important to me.

You too make an excellent point @PNWtabber about having a good refrigerator back-up. I'm willing to put up with the weight and bulk of the Cascade because it performs well and is very robust.

Your thoughtful and very useful table made me go back and take a look at what I actually paid for the cooler; I remembered that it was through Costco, but not the price. Turns out there was a manufacturer's incentive when I purchased it last June and was $170. For those not in immediate need, it may worth keeping an eye on Costco since they seem to have specials on Cascade Mountain Products fairly regularly.

Yoshi_TAB

PNWtabber said:

I think the basket is an accessory item for Yeti and Cascade:

Hi, We did get the basket with our RTIC and it’s a great option for any cooler that has it.  Nice to keep those few items out of the melting water.

PNWtabber

@CharlieRN
Looking on Costco's website today, they have a Cascade 80 quart for $290.  Way bigger than I need (and the cooler weighs 49 pounds).  I'll keep an eye out.

Slackers

We purchased a Lifetime 28 qt cooler (from Wally World) to supplement the Tab's fridge for last year's 3 week adventure.  It too is rotomolded and heavy, but works well.

dsfdogs

I have the Yeti Tundra 35 which is 20# empty, maybe 40# full. It rides in the trailer over the axle, to add weight, and it's a bit heavy and awkward to get it through the door and moved into place. Otherwise, I can get it into the back of the 4Runner ok. It stays in the 4Runner while camping. I cover it with a folded up moving blanket to help keep it cold. I put frozen water bottles and frozen food plus ice in it. As the trip progresses of course, it's all ice and I probably buy a bag or two every few days, obviously depending on heat.

JP2558

We bought the COHO 55 Quart Rotomolded Cooler from Costco ($140), and used it for the first time this year at uCamp, where we had several daily temps hovering around 95 or higher. We used it for food only and had a separate cooler for drinks. We were impressed as it performed as advertised: it kept food cold for five days. We used two Artic blue ice and three frozen half gallon tropicana style plastic bottles, which were still cold when we left Saturday morning. And for our drinks we had a cheap Costco igloo cooler that we tried an experiment on: we drilled holes in the lid and sides and squirted Loctite Tite Foam for Gaps and Cracks, which acts as added insulation and immediately expands to something like 20 times its volume. Surprisingly that experiment worked too as we used three frozen tropicana style water bottles, but we did add two five-pound bags of ice, one each day, on Thursday and Friday.

elbolillo

We have a 70qt Kong rotomolded cooler. 38lbs empty. On a 10-day trip to Big Bend, we had enough space to store all the food necessary for the entire trip without having to purchase anything at the store. We can go 4-5 days before I have to add additional ice. Highly recommend Kong.

ChanW

We have the 52qt RTIC.

It's pretty amazing how long it will keep ice. From the reviews I looked at, it performs 'close enough' to the Yeti that way (although I don't have any other experience with a high-end cooler).

We love the basket, and the frozen divider is a great feature too.

It closes tight with its gasketed lid, and the lid closures are simple and effective. There are incorporated hold-down-strap holes, which probably add to the bear-resistance.

Yep, it's heavy, so I indulged, cuz I knew I'd have complaints, and added on a set of Badger Wheels (excellent quality):

Expensive wheels, but definitely well made. These wheels protrude beyond the side walls, which can be awkward, but after getting used to it, it hasn't been a problem.

screwlose

Personally I'd stay away from any huge coolers
I stick with Small/Medium and pack them with specific items
One with just food, One with just drinks etc etc etc
It helps reducing the amount of times you open them which means they stay colder longer
They are also normally easier to pack in a vehicle/T@B and lighter 

homerd

I have Rtic 52. Love i, t lighter and keeps ice for about 5 days before liquified. Have used it on my trip to Alaska. I really like the 2 compartments.