Has anyone herd of a gadget that can keep a dink cup cool when it's in the cup holder for extend amounts of time? (like hours) One that can be turned on/off when needed. I would like to be able to keep a drink semi cool for around eight hours on hot/sunny days since I work out of my car. I have thought about a portable cooler like this but that's bigger then what I need....But is may fit nice behind the drivers seat.
http://www.compactappliance.com/TC20...rtable_Coolers


Before it's said YES I know what ice is and dry ice and no that is not what I would like to use.

 

I dont think your gonna get something in there to cool drinks without some HEAVY modification to the center console, you would have to open it up and install something on or around the cup holders, idk what though

 

^^ Agreed. Anything is certainly possible with enough time and money, but personally I would just get a portable cooler like you linked to and call it good.

 

Come on guys think outside the box. I was thinking of a gadget like this that can be put under the cup holder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTPZ97sHCA

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/444/1/

http://www.amazon.com/CoolIT-Systems.../dp/B000EDJJMI

 

Well, you might be able to mod the cup holder to fit one of those USB coolers underneath the center console. Cut a hole in the bottom of one of the cup wells and somehow attach the cooler unit to the bottom of the cup holder? Don't know if there's enough room though.

There are 12v to USB power adapters.

 

Two other non-powered options not involving ice in the drink or modding the car:
1) Thermos-type vacuum bottle, or
2) In our minivan, we often carry a Rubbermaid personal cooler (6-pack size) with a screw-in ice block/pack that keeps sodas & water cold for 10+ hours; it is obviously small (a couple of them will sit in the footwells quite easily). If you are drinking cans or bottles with caps, this is the easy way to go.

 

It's too much work.

 

So you want something like the range rovers? There center console is a cooler.

 

On that note...may not be a bad idea if they make one that can drop in to the counsol area and look good. LOL I would rather go with the cup cooler idea and keep the oem look/comforts. The one I mentioned only works fairly well with cans though so the quest goes on. Maybe a hard drive cooler from the same maker as the cup cooler I mentioned though may work,

 

Well, if you're willing to possibly lose about $60 (the cost of a cup holder assembly), you could experiment:

The entire cup holder assembly can be removed. With a dremel, you might be able to "modify" the assembly to allow access to the cooler by cutting off the bottom half of the assembly, either the whole bottom half or maybe just one cup section.

 

since the rear ac vents pass through the center console, i notice my drinks are somewhat cool after awhile

but like others said, just go with the icechest/portable cooler

 

Do you know that the Air/Heating ducts to the rear run though the center console and around/near the cup holders?

The effect is, with the air or heat on, the cup holders are cooler (or warmer) than ambient. IOW, they have a built in "cup cooler/cup warmer".

It's some benefit, but maybe not as much as you'd like or need.

 

I'd just say get the cooler thing you linked. You can keep up to 8 cans... verses one or two at a time if you mod the cup holders.

^His idea also works, I've noticed it kept my coffee pretty warm. Close the vents in the back so the air doesn't escape, turn the A/C on to coldest and blast it...that should work a little.

 

you could try to tap into the rear AC vent and branch another vent up to the cup holders

 

This is your best and cheapest bet, actually its free. This is what I do, close the rear vents and turn the air on, air stays in the center console ducts, the center console and cupholders get cold, as does your drink.

 

This seems like a nice option.
http://www.antiyawn.com/guidetocarfridge.html

Some one try it in a Gen3 TL and report back....pleaze.

 

if your going to go that far to make a mini fridge, you might as well add a refrigerant line to the existing a/c system and use the cars freon to chill a copper coil which would definitely keep your drink cold.

 

mod the HVAC system so that it routes cold air to your cups? you'd have to run your a/c and keep the temps low, but it might work.

 

Venting the rear airflow to the cup holders seems like a good idea, and pretty simple at that, but the temp is what you would be worried about. the "low" setting is what? 55 degrees? not a crazy cold drink, but hey its better than nothing.

 

if the drink is cold before you put it in, you wouldn't need to have the AC low at all, if you had the ac at say, 68 degrees, and the vent is now routed to the cup holders, it would keep your drink very cold, assuming its a can drink, the aluminum itself will hold the low temp very well. Being confined to such a small area and having the ac directly on the drink, it may not be a 30 degree drink but if the outside temp is in the 70s-80s, a 60 degree drink is going to be very cool in comparison, it's also much easier than any other modification you could do to your cup holders

the only downside to this change is once you've done it, it's not simple to revert, so if you ever wanted to heat the car and keep a drink cool or cool the car and keep a drink hot, it wouldn't work in your favor