Patching Cooler Walls

[Richard Austin]

Hello, All.

My Ericson 35 Mk III cooler has a hole in its side (about 2" round), that shows the fiberglass behind it. I would like to patch this so that water can't get back there.

I'm not sure if the liner is made of. Any suggestions on a nice, easy way to seal it?

Thanx for any ideas,

Best Regards,
Richard Austin
Dreamtime
1984 35-3

 

[NateHanson]

Is there no insulation between the wall of the cooler and the fiberglass of the hull? I'd think that space should be filled with expanding foam insulation. Now might be a good time to add that before you patch it.

 

[Richard Austin]

Spacing

The space between the liner and the fiberglass is < 1/16", so I don't think I can inject anything in there. What I'm most concerned about is not using something that will dissolve whatever the liner is made of (plastic?)

Thanx,
Richard Austin
Dreamtime
1984 Ericson Mk III

 

[u079721]

Caulk

I'm not sure what resin the box liner itself is made of, but unlike say the polyethlene that the water tanks are made of, the material should be easy to glue. If you rough the surface up a bit I am sure some epoxy would take, but that's probably overkill.

I would just find a nice looking piece of white laminate or plastic 1/2" to 1" larger in diameter than the hole, and stick it in place with sillicone caulk. There shouldn't be enough stress on the piece to overcome the bond of the caulk, and that way you could always remove it later. Clean the surface with acetone first to help the caulk stick.