| Water is pretty important.
Carrying it on your trips should be placed on the same level as having enough fuel
for your vehicle. Again, storage limitations imposed by the Wrangler created a need to find a place to store the cooler. I tried lashing the cooler to the rack but found that it wasn't wide enough to sit securely on the floor of the rack. It moved around and eventually got sideways and leaked all over the place (mostly on my poor two-year old who was sitting underneath it) - I replaced that cooler with one that didn't leak but it still rattled around on the rack. So I went out and, by accident, located a sturdy piece of plastic that I could use as a platform. It's a "Universal Cabinet Side Shelf" sold under the Popular Mechanics name at Wal*Mart. It normally sells for about $9.00 but I found it in the junk bin missing the metal parts and selling for 50 cents. You can't beat that with a stick...
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| I scrounged around and found a couple circular speaker mounting plates made of plastic that just happened to fit the cooler perfectly (from some old Acoustic Research AR-17 speakers). Then I bought some super small shock cords and picture hanging brackets and assembled this contraption using more stainless steel U-bolts and stainless steel hardware. The platform has one of the speaker mounting brackets bolted to it with the frame hangers. The platform is attached to the rack with the U-bolts. | |
| This keeps the cooler in position on the platform and gives an anchor point for the shock cords. The other speaker mounting bracket goes over the top of the cooler and also has the frame hangers holding the shock cords. The platform is large enough that I can use it for other things as the need arises. |
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The freshest One Gallon on the market comes in a compact, easy-to-store, easy-to-carry body. Strong, sturdy integrated handle always aligns perfectly with the newly designed flip-spout. Features a stain- and odor-resistant liner as well as a tough, impact-resistant polyethylene body that won't chip, crack or rust. The extra-wide mouth accommodates ice cubes or other food items. Carries a full five-year warranty. |
igloo Elite One-Gallon Beverage Cooler |
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| Update: 11/10/2003: I caused heavy damage to the cooler shelf by driving the Jeep out of a low-clearance parking garage, forcing the cooler to crush down into the shelf surface. The shelf was cracked and the cooler no longer keeps a seal. I replaced the cooler shelf with a nonporous, all-purpose polyethylene cutting board. I still have to replace the cooler. |
Midnight Granite Poly Cutting Board (9-1/2x15") (Click to buy now - ~$8.00) |
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