Nitro z19, z20, z21 Cooler box opinions

[BigBadBass]

Hello all, just curious how the cooler upfront fairs especially in the hotter regions. Do you guys keep plug out and let water drain as ice melts or in etc. Keep ice all day? Happy with it? Not much you can do I know but I hope it works out decent as the big size and "insulation" was a big selling point for me to order a z21 as I hated maneuvering around a cooler in my tracker.

[Keith6628]

The box is great, the size of it allows plenty room for 2 persons drinks. I am in Alabama and I will buy a 20lb. bag of ice on the way to lake and it will last all day with ice still in cooler when I get home. If it is not a super hot day I will still have a little ice still in there the next morning. I leave my plug out all the time and let water drain into hull of boat. IMO a 10lb. bag of ice is just not enough ice to cool this big cooler down except in cooler months.

[Nitro_Z20]

20lb bag in mine in 90+ degree weather I've filled it up at 5:30 in the morning leave the plug in while
on the water and then pull plug once off water and went to fill it up next day again at 5:30 and easily still had 5-7 lbs left in it after 24 hours.

[HawgSnatchin]

20lb bag is a must for my Z-20 and summer temps are 105-110+ in the desert lakes I live around. 8hr tourney day and my ice is melted but drinks are still cool

[DixieChicken]

Love the size of the MASSIVE cooler in the Z9 (Z21) but it's really not insulated AT ALL. (At least not on the Z9.) We'll throw 20 pounds in it in the bottom and not open the bag. Then the drinks, then another 20 pounds on top in the bag, but open. I've found with the plug out the ice melts quicker, and the drinks don't get as cold (not being in water) so on the last few trips I've left it in. We still have about half the ice left when we get home though (especially as it's still in the bags) so we'll just pour the water out and toss them in the garage freezer.

Got to say I now MAP the places where they have the roadside ice machines. Awesome getting 20 pounds for $1.99 instead of 8~10 at the QT for that much (or more).

I was thinking about getting a couple cans of the spray foam and reaching in through the garbage can hole and spraying the outside of the cooler. (At least in the places where I can reach it.) Although I'd only be able to get the area between the cooler and the front of the step, the left side, and pretty much all of the front. It surely couldn't hurt.

[BMCD]

I always leave plug in.

[KCLOST]

Best cooler on the market IMO.... Throw two 8-10 lb bags of ice in there and have at least half left at the end of a 8 hr tournament... And all the drinks were at room temp. when I put the ice in... I leave the plug out and normally only pour the ice out of one bag. That way I can remove the other bag at the end of the day and not have as much water leaking out of the bilge drain plug in my garage.

[bqtoot]

Agree with DixieChicken. My Z9's cooler isn't insulated but keeps the drinks cold all day if I leave the plug in. It gets darned hot in Alabama but at the end of the day I still have a little ice left. I love the size of the cooler itself also. I've had 3 people on my boat several times and there's enough room for food/drinks for all of us! I've heard that Nitro now insulates the coolers. Would have been nice a few years ago!

[bqtoot]

@DixieChicken: I've thought about spray foam from the trash bin hole also. But I've also found that you can get to the other side of the cooler by removing the measuring stick holder. The opening is big enough to get a hand in there and the right side of the cooler is right there!

[JimC]

My Z21 cooler is huge and holds ice all day. I use the sandwich insert to hold my culling tags and scale.

[DixieChicken]

@DixieChicken: I've thought about spray foam from the trash bin hole also. But I've also found that you can get to the other side of the cooler by removing the measuring stick holder. The opening is big enough to get a hand in there and the right side of the cooler is right there!

Hey WOW... I never thought about that !

Just looking at it I didn't figure I could get a can, and my arm down in there. That's an idea FOR SURE!

I've got a BIG project going on my Z9 between now and the 2nd week in Sept. (Third week we're going to Hartwell for 8 days.)

I'm doing 18 Oznium bolt LED's on the deck (and 2 between the consoles, 2 between the seats), plus a strip under each console, and a strip in each live well.

THEN.... I'm doing the NightFishion HD-8 rub rail as well, but replacing the landing lights up front with NAV lights.

That and hard switches, dimmer, and 4 remote control switches.

Might as well get that foam done while I'm at it.

[BigBadBass]

Thank you everyone for the input!!!!

Dixiechicken, you have to send me pics when you finish your installs!

[DixieChicken]

Thank you everyone for the input!!!!

Dixiechicken, you have to send me pics when you finish your installs!

Will do.

Drop me a PM with your e-mail.

This freaking humidity and mid 90's heat though is killing me. Was 80 this morning with a heat index of 90, then went to 90 feeling like 100!

[cg2fish]

I have a Z20 and use two 10lb bags and a blue ice, leave the plug out and I have ice all day even in the summer here in Florida. I also use the trash can for culling and the sandwich space for suntan lotion.

[APS]

Z21 holds ice better than any boat I've seen to date. Always have ice at end of day

[DixieChicken]

Just to throw this out there. Especially as I've not really stuck my hand down in there before this thread to see exactly HOW it's insulated. The Z9/Z21 cooler DOES have foam on all sides. (And of course a fiberglass panel on the left side, *outside* the foam.)

[Tysdad]

I have a z18, I don't know if the cooler is the same as the longer boats, but I can say the cooler is amazing. We will just throw a bag of ice on our drinks, cans and bottles, and within 2 hours they are freezing cold. Just Sunday I said to my wife how amazing the cooler was, and she agreed. We have a Yeti soft sided cooler and the boats cooler is a lot more effective.

[BigBadBass]

Thats good to hear. I know some people mount the 2 speakers to the cooler area but they have to remove foam for speakers...looks awesome and clean but I don't think I want to sacrifice the coolers effectiveness for that

[DixieChicken]

Thats good to hear. I know some people mount the 2 speakers to the cooler area but they have to remove foam for speakers...looks awesome and clean but I don't think I want to sacrifice the coolers effectiveness for that

Yeah it's about the ONLY place to actually get speakers in the Z9 for SURE.

Actually.... on the left side there's the little lift out garbage can, so the speaker going there isn't a problem. I was thinking though about cutting into the cooler to mount the right speaker. It'd be easy enough, then just seal it in say with plastic bowls, double layer, with foam in between. Shouldn't be that hard. I know the LID isn't insulated at all. Would be a good idea to add some foam there for sure.