I either damaged the threads on the first hose trying to put it on the lower fitting, or I damaged the cooler fitting taking off the old hose, or the first hose was damaged during the manufacturing process. In any event, I Installed the replacement hose today and it went on perfectly.
My advice, based on my experience, is to take your time and inspect the cooler fittings before installing a replacement hose and take extra care on how you thread on the new hose. It’s really a simple operation, but can be costly if you’re not careful.