98 185 Sagging ice chest under glove box

[mperlst216]

I just bought a 1995 185 and the foam lined beverage cooler that is under the glove box is sagging. I can see that if the cooler is full of ice and drinks and you keep bouncing at high speed, there is a lot of pressure. Is there and easy fix for this. It looks like originally it was screwed into the wood frame, and then foamed over the exterior. So the foam is completely covering all the screws.

 

[blaster]

The easy fix is to add some new screws. That's how the dealer fixed mine but I'm just waiting for it to fall down again. They also told me no more than a 12 pack and 2 pounds of ice. Yeah right. Like that will last an hour with 6 people on the boat. A proper fix would be a rail or strap mount which spreads the load rather than point stress on a few screws. But screwing it back up is the easy way to fix it. Just don't use the same holes.

 

[dothanfrogman@gmail.com]

I use mine for extra storage space. I keep my beer in a cooler under the helm.

 

[blaster]

That's what I am doing now too. I still use it as a cooler but now its used for cold foods so as to not overload it. Very poor design if you ask me. That cooler should be able to support 300 pounds and as it stands its pretty useless as a beverage cooler.

Its funny though, every searay marketing picture from the last 10 years shows the coolers filled to the brim with ice and drinks. They just don't tell you that it will pull out after 10 minutes in a light chop.

 

[dothanfrogman@gmail.com]

I would think some stainless flat bar bent into 2 brackets is the best fix. But as of yet I can't find a place to secure it.

 

[Dave 205]

This thread is a good, if unfortunate, heads up. It appears the design hasn't changed much over the years. I've used mine strictly for storage, and that has been handy - and I guess the right thing to do. Mine is a little different, it is a plastic tub screwed up into the board / fiberglass above. The tub bottom is carpeted, with maybe a thin layer of insulation under the carpet.

If you want a sturdy fix, you might be able to go through the top of the surface, and use fender washers with bolts and nuts on the bottom. It won't be the best from a cosmetic standpoint. But, if you find some stainless hardware, and do the install with a little symmetry, it might not look too bad.

 

[Kermit]

This issue is news to me. We jam that thing full every time we use it. The PO used it for light storage. It does not keep ice very well but it is convenient.

 

[mperlst216]

I have decided to do the bolt and washer repair. As an aside, I have also replaced the horribly designed original horn with the loud dual mini AFI horn.