Fish house (ice)

[MN Bob]

Tired of being cramped in a portable and to cold or to hot. Would appreciate some plus and minus pointers on crank down/up houses. Brands etc. 6 1/2 or 7 X 14 or 16 is big enough for my intended use. Would like to stay under 7000 but dont want to give up quality if I need to go more.   Thanks. Bob 

[The General]

MN Bob I will be you this summer.  I will first be looking at the frames and finding something with a full axel.  Hopefully a torsion axel like on a boat trailer.  I don't want to have to worry about driving down the road or acrossed the lake and having a wheel fall off.  Watch out for some of the older fish houses that used angle iron.

[JohnWester]

Tired of being cramped in a portable and to cold or to hot. Would appreciate some plus and minus pointers on crank down/up houses. Brands etc. 6 1/2 or 7 X 14 or 16 is big enough for my intended use. Would like to stay under 7000 but dont want to give up quality if I need to go more.   Thanks. Bob 

buying whole....  or building from frame up?  what are you doing.
 I have some pics of mine on my website...  was fun, learned a lot.

I am going to give away a million dollar idea and say, someone should write a book on how to build your own drop down wheel fish house.

[thunderpout]

Yo John... There are two companies that seel parts and frames for folks that want to make their own.... cant remember the companies...   I'll find out.  I have an Ultra Shack 7 x14 made by Frank's RV in Ramsey.  Love it!  I use it year round, I even find myself kicken back at home watchin the tube, wishin I was fishin in it.  They make a nice base camp on the lake when yer flyin around in the trap...    -thunderpout

[Fish Guide]

I've got numerous wheel houses (that I rent) made by a variety of craftsman.   I purposely do not own any "name brand" houses--they are all way over priced!!  A decent 6.5/7 x 14  should cost no more than $3,000 +/- 

Here's a few of the things that I find valuable in the houses that I use:
1.  Full tubular steel frame, do not skimp on the frame or cross bars.  Painted of course.
2.  Large rims/ HVY load 8-10 ply truck tires  (more clearance for ice heaves etc) bearings buddies for the  wheels.  Wheels placed just behind center.  Spare tire carrier.
may want to avoid full axle, will catch on things--heaves, drifts, etc etc
3.  Metal exterior shell, more durable than vinyl.
4.  Gas and electric lights  12v/110 wired
5.  Removable crank-up device ( helps theft prevention), boat winch style w/ steel cable.
6.  All tail light wires enclosed in frame or up and over the top of the house (inside framing) to protect from salt/road wear.
7.  A good locking door w/ dead bolt, decent opening windows but not big enough to crawl through
8.  A 12v fan to circulate hot air.
9.  Insulated floor w/ treated wood
10.  Extra holes in the floor for electronics/cameras etc

Good luck and have fun "creating " your house

[Spinach]

I've got numerous wheel houses (that I rent) made by a variety of craftsman.   I purposely do not own any "name brand" houses--they are all way over priced!!  A decent 6.5/7 x 14  should cost no more than $3,000 +/- 

Here's a few of the things that I find valuable in the houses that I use:
1.  Full tubular steel frame, do not skimp on the frame or cross bars.  Painted of course.
2.  Large rims/ HVY load 8-10 ply truck tires  (more clearance for ice heaves etc) bearings buddies for the  wheels.  Wheels placed just behind center.  Spare tire carrier.
may want to avoid full axle, will catch on things--heaves, drifts, etc etc
3.  Metal exterior shell, more durable than vinyl.
4.  Gas and electric lights  12v/110 wired
5.  Removable crank-up device ( helps theft prevention), boat winch style w/ steel cable.
6.  All tail light wires enclosed in frame or up and over the top of the house (inside framing) to protect from salt/road wear.
7.  A good locking door w/ dead bolt, decent opening windows but not big enough to crawl through
8.  A 12v fan to circulate hot air.
9.  Insulated floor w/ treated wood
10.  Extra holes in the floor for electronics/cameras etc

Good luck and have fun "creating " your house

Great post.......

[GRIZ]

I've got numerous wheel houses (that I rent) made by a variety of craftsman.   I purposely do not own any "name brand" houses--they are all way over priced!!  A decent 6.5/7 x 14  should cost no more than $3,000 +/- 

Here's a few of the things that I find valuable in the houses that I use:
1.  Full tubular steel frame, do not skimp on the frame or cross bars.  Painted of course.
2.  Large rims/ HVY load 8-10 ply truck tires  (more clearance for ice heaves etc) bearings buddies for the  wheels.  Wheels placed just behind center.  Spare tire carrier.
may want to avoid full axle, will catch on things--heaves, drifts, etc etc
3.  Metal exterior shell, more durable than vinyl.
4.  Gas and electric lights  12v/110 wired
5.  Removable crank-up device ( helps theft prevention), boat winch style w/ steel cable.
6.  All tail light wires enclosed in frame or up and over the top of the house (inside framing) to protect from salt/road wear.
7.  A good locking door w/ dead bolt, decent opening windows but not big enough to crawl through
8.  A 12v fan to circulate hot air.
9.  Insulated floor w/ treated wood
10.  Extra holes in the floor for electronics/cameras etc

Good luck and have fun "creating " your house

I agree this is a good post. I am wondering how or where you can find a house for that price? Reason I'm asking is I built my house a couple yrs ago and have $3500 into it. Granted it's bigger 8 X 23 but Most of it I got for next to nothing.

Steel tubing for frame $50
Thermopane windows - A box of beer
2x3 wall studs - nothing
Shell - nothing
Door - nothing
Wheels and spindles - nothing
4 burner range/oven $5
4 matresses $10 each

Now the rest of it I bought at stores trying to find sales and what not but when I tallied up the slips it came to 3500.  I was surprised but realized the "little things" nickle and dimed me up there.
I think a person could build one for bout 3k 7x14 but to buy one they ain't including nothin for labor. Just my $.02.

[ThunderCAT]

Great advice. SOMEDAY I'll get into a wheel house...hopefully within the next 3 years when my little boy is old enough to go out with me. I've saved these for future reference...thanks!

I've got numerous wheel houses (that I rent) made by a variety of craftsman.   I purposely do not own any "name brand" houses--they are all way over priced!!  A decent 6.5/7 x 14  should cost no more than $3,000 +/- 

Here's a few of the things that I find valuable in the houses that I use:
1.  Full tubular steel frame, do not skimp on the frame or cross bars.  Painted of course.
2.  Large rims/ HVY load 8-10 ply truck tires  (more clearance for ice heaves etc) bearings buddies for the  wheels.  Wheels placed just behind center.  Spare tire carrier.
may want to avoid full axle, will catch on things--heaves, drifts, etc etc
3.  Metal exterior shell, more durable than vinyl.
4.  Gas and electric lights  12v/110 wired
5.  Removable crank-up device ( helps theft prevention), boat winch style w/ steel cable.
6.  All tail light wires enclosed in frame or up and over the top of the house (inside framing) to protect from salt/road wear.
7.  A good locking door w/ dead bolt, decent opening windows but not big enough to crawl through
8.  A 12v fan to circulate hot air.
9.  Insulated floor w/ treated wood
10.  Extra holes in the floor for electronics/cameras etc

Good luck and have fun "creating " your house

[thunderpout]

I recently bought a nice quiet honda generator, so I wired up my ultra-shack.  Do any of you guys suggest using a GFI?  The generator itself has a circutbreaker/fuse but I'm just wondering what the best way to go is using one.  Ive got it set up with an outlet on the outside to plug the gen. into, wired to an outlet on the inside.  I also have an onboard charger with an outlet on the outside to charge my 12v batteries.  Im debating putting in a converter at some point like my old tent trailer had.  But yeah, any help with the GFI deal would be great....    -thunderpout

[Randy Kaar]

i would say being that a generator is used outdoors it
should have protection built in.. but since you wired
the fishhouse i would install a GFI. the instructions
with the generator should say if one is built in.
if you are going with a converter, most rv type
converters do charge the battery.

randy aka bh

[troutman]

 if its a honda  chances are it has a gfi built in . mine does  and it is almost four years old . however  it is also  one of their bigger generators. check out the owners manual  or contact your honda dealer .  good luck .

[Woody]

So now that most everyone has their houses out and using them, what are some more ideas of improvements and additions you'd make?  Now is the time while sitting there waiting for the fish to bite to think of things to change for next season.  Because if you're like me, you have a "honeydo" list a mile long already, and it takes time to squeeze in my own things sometimes.

-Solar panel(s) for keeping the batteries topped off (Fleet Farm is selling some reasonably priced ones, not sure on quality)

-LED Lights above the holes (on the wall aimed at the holes)

-Computer fans strategically mounted to circulate the air better

[thunderpout]

The only things left to figure out for me is the best route for moving air/heat around.... and at some point to get a converter of some kind... And my nice little tv/dvd player isnt digital and aint gonna work after Feb!  Replacing that is a must, because I dont run my generator all the time so running a converter(for the tv) of one aint gonna work...