Did some shack repairs - I'm now 600 lbs lighter!

[TIBS]

Last summer I got a free trailer type shack (it was a home-made camper, made in the mid 70's) that ended up having a leaky roof, which I found out about the hard way on a mild day last February when I was watching tip-ups and it starting raining inside the shack 

What it was before:

Notice the snow drift on top?  That flat roof that was on there didn't help matters either.  Guess I can't complain, I got it for free.

What it is now, with a 2:12 pitched roof to keep the water out.



Well when all was said and done, I got that ridiculous overhang sleeping area off, (so heavy my f-150 sagged when I pulled it ) and the old roof, I took the junk to a dump and I scaled off at 760 lbs.  I believe I put no more than 150 lbs back on it for the new roof.  A 600 lbs savings, now I can pull it with the ATV if I really wanted to.

[mud_n_fun]

Nice job! Got any interior pics? I love pics!

[TIBS]

No, I don't have any pics of the interior, that's still a work in progress, it's gutted for now, need to get some carpet and a new table in there.... I don't have a clue which way I want to go with the interior yet, but it's going to be minimal, shanty break-ins around here are way too common.

[mud_n_fun]

No, I don't have any pics of the interior, that's still a work in progress, it's gutted for now, need to get some carpet and a new table in there.... I don't have a clue which way I want to go with the interior yet, but it's going to be minimal, shanty break-ins around here are way too common.

Can I suggest dollar store window alarms. I use them on my tip ups and they are loud. I get 5 for $5. A neat little thing in a shack are fold down tables. Hardly any wieght to them on a wall. Locking door lid hinges work great for making them.

[BlackIce]

No, I don't have any pics of the interior, that's still a work in progress, it's gutted for now, need to get some carpet and a new table in there.... I don't have a clue which way I want to go with the interior yet, but it's going to be minimal, shanty break-ins around here are way too common.

Thanks for the pics.  Since you live 10 miles away and fish the lake I do I can stop by on the lake for a beer   

[Icecracka46]

Nice work. What does the inside look like?

[TIBS]

Thanks for the pics.  Since you live 10 miles away and fish the lake I do I can stop by on the lake for a beer   

As long as you drink Milwaukees Best Light.... otherwise it's BYOB.  It's usually parked north of Indian Point kinda by the golf course, have done well the last 3 years back there for pike.

I've also put it on Beaver Dam Near Hickory Pt.  I had done well on walleyes at night out there, until last year, I only caught 1 fish in 3 weeks of trying, and it was only a 13"

[BlackIce]

As long as you drink Milwaukees Best Light.... otherwise it's BYOB. 

I will look for it.  I've been known to show up with a few Busch Lights.

[royjulius]

Nice job!! Looks like it will work nicely.

[TIBS]

Nice job!! Looks like it will work nicely.

Hope so, problem now is that some of the wood studs and the plywood wall are rotted pretty bad, it is 30+ years old though.  Not enough money in the pocket to take care of that this year, deer hunting came first this year, got a new Super Redhawk .44 mag.

Phase 3 of this project will be to replace the left wall entirely, with new skin and studs  I would like to use the same formed metal I used on the roof, but I can't find any of that stuff cheaper than $25 a sheet, get's pricey to do the re-work with that stuff.  It weighs so much less than plywood though.  Tough decision, but I would imagine that whatever my money situation is next year will dictate what and how it gets done.

[BlackIce]

Phase 3 of this project will be to replace the left wall entirely, with new skin and studs  I would like to use the same formed metal I used on the roof, but I can't find any of that stuff cheaper than $25 a sheet, get's pricey to do the re-work with that stuff.  It weighs so much less than plywood though.  Tough decision, but I would imagine that whatever my money situation is next year will dictate what and how it gets done.

Keep your eyes open at Menards.  I saw some of that tin on clearance early this summer.  Even if it's not the color you want it's paintable.  Studs are dirt cheap compared to a couple years ago so the cost to re-do those would be real minimal. 

[TIBS]

Keep your eyes open at Menards.  I saw some of that tin on clearance early this summer.  Even if it's not the color you want it's paintable.  Studs are dirt cheap compared to a couple years ago so the cost to re-do those would be real minimal. 

Yeah, I'm not worried about the studs, it's just the metal sheets that I'm worried about.  I might just use plywood again to keep it cheap, and if I use metal sheets, I'd have to redo all the walls, not just the bad one.  It cost me $100 just to do the roof, that was only 3 sheets and a ridge cap, if I redo the whole thing, it's gonna be somewhere in the $300 range for 8 steel sheets and 4 corner caps.  Don't know if I want to spend that much on it.

[Kilroy]

Nice little shack you have there. Just a quick question, how do you guys like being so far above the ice as it dont drop down? Do you have problems bringing fish out of the hole or drilling your holes for that matter? do you have to bank the sides at all or do the buckets pretty much keep the breeze out? I have been thinking about gutting an old camper and trying this so I am looking for some pointers.

Kilroy

[JerryofWNY]

When looking for the metal sheets, ask if they have any scratch and dent. If so it is usually a fraction of good stuff. I just rebuilt a double cattle trailer into a chicken coop for my daughter. Bought scratch and dent  but couldn't get enough in one color. We put it on with the back side out as the backs were all white.

[TIBS]

Nice little shack you have there. Just a quick question, how do you guys like being so far above the ice as it dont drop down? Do you have problems bringing fish out of the hole or drilling your holes for that matter? do you have to bank the sides at all or do the buckets pretty much keep the breeze out? I have been thinking about gutting an old camper and trying this so I am looking for some pointers.

Kilroy

I really don't like being as far off the ice as I am.  My shack is REALLY high, like 24" off the lake, which sucks, but I got it for free, with about 180 dollars stuck into it so far for repairs.  I don't really use it to fish in, I use it more for a tip-up watching post/drinking shack.  I have a rattle wheel in there, but haven't had any hits on it so far.  I'm thinking it's going to be a struggle to get anything up that hole.....

I'm thinking most campers, at least smaller ones, don't sit as high off the ice as mine does, so it will likely be easier with whatever you have.

If you look in my first picture I posted, you can see a Galvanized pipe behind the wheel, it's a 12" round heating duct, it works pretty good for keeping the wind out and the hole open.  Anything you can put around your hole to keep the wind out, old 5 gal bucket, heat duct, or nature-vision makes those catch cover things, you can buy sleeves for them at 18" long I think.  Pricey though, runs about $40 each for the hole frame, cover and sleeve.  I wanted to use those but my shack was too high.

[Kilroy]

I really don't like being as far off the ice as I am.  My shack is REALLY high, like 24" off the lake, which sucks, but I got it for free, with about 180 dollars stuck into it so far for repairs.  I don't really use it to fish in, I use it more for a tip-up watching post/drinking shack.  I have a rattle wheel in there, but haven't had any hits on it so far.  I'm thinking it's going to be a struggle to get anything up that hole.....

I'm thinking most campers, at least smaller ones, don't sit as high off the ice as mine does, so it will likely be easier with whatever you have.

If you look in my first picture I posted, you can see a Galvanized pipe behind the wheel, it's a 12" round heating duct, it works pretty good for keeping the wind out and the hole open.  Anything you can put around your hole to keep the wind out, old 5 gal bucket, heat duct, or nature-vision makes those catch cover things, you can buy sleeves for them at 18" long I think.  Pricey though, runs about $40 each for the hole frame, cover and sleeve.  I wanted to use those but my shack was too high.

Lol, in a perfect world I would have a drop down shack...........one of these days. I know what you mean about making due with what you have tho. I guess a guy could use one of them fish elevators or make one so he would not lose too many fish. Thanks for the reply.

Kilroy

[jascpa099]

When i first saw this topic, I thought that you kicked my wife out of your shanty to saved the weight.... 

[TIBS]

When i first saw this topic, I thought that you kicked my wife out of your shanty to saved the weight.... 

  Outstanding.....