Problems and questions about Xtreme cooler

[CajunCamper]

In an earlier post a few weeks ago, I mentioned how I was very disappointed in my Coleman Xtreme cooler when camping in Florida during the summer. We followed all recommendations, kept it in the shade all of the time, all items were cold when we put them in the chest with ice, kept soft drinks, water, in a seperate ice chest to avoid opening the Xtreme too much, etc. Even with that we had to add ice everyday.

Here's a question I just thought of. Does humidity have an effect on how well the Xtreme coolers perform? I noticed everyone that has had good results with these coolers have been from the north where even though temps may get into the 90's, the humidity isn't as brutal as it is down here.

CajunCamper

[AustinBoston]

Here's a question I just thought of. Does humidity have an effect on how well the Xtreme coolers perform? I noticed everyone that has had good results with these coolers have been from the north where even though temps may get into the 90's, the humidity isn't as brutal as it is down here.

Although I don't know for certain if it has an impact, the difference would have to take place across a narrow humidity range.  The last time we used our Xtreme, it was typically 95

[flyfisherman]

In my ice cooler experimental days I've found that two smaller coolers work better that one larger one. The smaller, at least with the Coleman Xtreme coolers, has done the better job, kept things cool using less ice over a longer period of time. Whatsmore, the orginal Xtreme, the smaller (36 qt?), with no drain and no longer available, works so much better than the newer (56 qt?) that has a drain.

Bought the orginal Xtreme when they were first making their debut ... 2000(?) and was so pleased with performance as compared to what had been on the market before. Along the way I bought a second Xtreme but it was the newer one, a tad larger plus had a drain. That older unit outperformed the newer one. A friend had the older model (just like the first one I had bought) that he never used and passed it on to me, so that means I have two of the orginals and that's what I use ... put meats, butter, cheese and pre-cooked foods in one ~ juice, milk and the likes in the other. As the camping time runs down, finally only one cooler is in use. As for the "newer" Xtreme ... that's only used for fish... if we are so lucky!

Obviously the foods and beverages put into the Xtremes to begin with are pre-cooled; and this is where the coolers work best. If some soft drinks are placed into the cooler warm, it will use some ice to cool down the drinks. And I try to keep them in the shade, out of the direct rays of the sun. Plus I'll wet an old towel in cool river water and drape it over the cooler, too, on hot summer days.

Compared to previous coolers, the orginal Xtremes do a superb job; compared to the newer Xtreme, better.



Fly

[mike4947]

I hate to say it but that 56 quart may not be a "real" Extreme cooler.
We found a lot of "5 day" marked coolers that weren't really Extremes or in the case of Igloo their Ultra coolers.
I check out the Coleman website for coolers before I buy because of this.
Originally the Extremes were 6 quarts smaller than their standard coolers becasue of the extra insulation. They used the same outside molds with just a different color and a smaller inside insert.
When they started the Extremes were 30 and 50 quart compared to the standard 36 and 56 quart sizes.
 
 
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/category_main.asp?CategoryID=8500

[flyfisherman]

I hate to say it but that 56 quart may not be a "real" Extreme cooler.

I've suspected as much. The orginal smaller one outperforms it hands down.

[jarvo9]

We HATE our Extreme!  So much so that I wrote to Coleman and they gave me the blah blah blah.  Their results were in controlled environments, never opened and used already cold items.  Well we tried it for ourselves.  We put our Extreme in our garage at 5pm, at a outside temp of 65 and an interior of 68.  The temps fell over night well into the 40's.  Guess what?  The ice in the cooler was already 50% water by morning.

Re-wrote to Coleman and have had no response whatsoever. We'll chalk it up to another piece of junk in the garage!

[campdaddy]

I hate to say it but that 56 quart may not be a "real" Extreme cooler.
We found a lot of "5 day" marked coolers that weren't really Extremes or in the case of Igloo their Ultra coolers.
I check out the Coleman website for coolers before I buy because of this.
Originally the Extremes were 6 quarts smaller than their standard coolers becasue of the extra insulation. They used the same outside molds with just a different color and a smaller inside insert.
When they started the Extremes were 30 and 50 quart compared to the standard 36 and 56 quart sizes.
 
 
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/category_main.asp?CategoryID=8500

We had the same experience. We bought what we thought was a Coleman Extreme 56qrt cooler only to find out it wasn't. It was on a shelf at Wallyworld and the shelf had a "Coleman Extreme" sign placed on the shelf but the one we bought wasn't one. Shoot, our old regular Igloo performed better than the "Extreme." I was lamenting about it on another thread when I actually went and checked it..........it isn't one.

[munchkin]

I bought  Igloo 5-day coolers--cheaper--and they're fine. Camped for 8 days and they were fine for about 6 with frozen milk jugs. Know they aren't as great as Coleman reportly are, but fine for us.

[sewserious]

Make sure the label on the cooler says Xtreme, not the shelf tag!  There are some Coleman coolers that look just like the Xtreme but obviously aren't.  You have to be very careful when you buy one.

Oh, and Kmart has a smaller 30-something quart Xtreme cooler, at least they did this past summer.