New Shappell shanty...........

[GoBlue2255]

Was at the Grandville cabelas this past week and they have a good amount of hard water items out.  While walking by I saw a new Shappell and it caught my eye and kind of intrigued me a bit.  Smaller may fit 2 people but to me would be tight but looked like a nice set up for solo trips and much easier set up compared to my Frabil cabin style shanty.  Has anyone else seen this and what is their thoughts?

We are getting closer........

[3300]

umm, what one did you get that you want to talk about?

i have the fx100
my buddy has a rover

[GoBlue2255]

This is the new one the bay runner......

http://www.shappell.com/iceshelters/bayrunnersledcabin.html

I did not get one just looking, I have 2 already but been looking to get a new one since I dont use the 2 I have very often.  My frabil is nice but is a cabin the refuge I believe.  Once I get another quad and have something to drag a flip over I will likely go that direction but that is not option for a few years

[OldSailor]

The Bay Runner looks perfect for one person. Maybe two if your on a real hot bite and only need one rod each! I've been to the website and pulled up the manual for it to see how it went together. Pretty simple and I believe it weighs 65 lbs. so that isn't lightweight when considering your gear also! This would be great behind a sled or atv/utv! I think I would flush mount a pair of skis flush to the bottom to protect the sled and hatches!  but they do offer wear bars also!! There is just one spreader bar so I would rig up a couple of others so as to be able to put up some reflectix. If anyone gets one of these, please post a review as I really like this shelter!!

[n4cer26]

Whats the price of this shelter?

[3300]

ahh, just checked it out. looks like a wind trap!
also, the trap doors on bottom don't look like they could keep the water out on the melty days and watery shore lines.
another problem is you have to take most of your gear like buckets and set them on ice instead of leaving them in it while fishing. would be a hassle to keep moving gear in and out  and the idea was to be quicker moving around, i think.
if you don't take much with you like some only take 1 bucket and an auger, then it might work out.
wonder what they thought of for the wind to keep you from blowing away or the sled while not in it?

i'll pass, but thanks for the info. glad to see mike is at least trying to make us new gear.

 if you go with this company, here is some insight for you to know about.
i should call mike and ask him to make us rain/water covers for them. the rear and front windows leak like crazy as does the roof at the seam. the windows leak because the window is velcroed to the inside walls, so the rain tries to collect mostly at the bottoms and has no choice but to run inside. i called him about the poor single stitch in the roof seam. said its beyond his control as china sews them. but still the sides have double folded stitch so the some one knows how to do it and it should be used on all the joints. seeing day light shine thru the roof in all of the holes the stitches make is nuts. i might use windshield flowable silicon on it this season and or take it to local shoe repair man and have him double stitch it at least. they should have sewn in the water seal like tents use. i called there one day and the old lady (normally answers the phone) asked whats up and i told her how bad the tent leaks onto all of my gear in the tub and my self and she said " its an ice shanty, not a rain shelter". I says wow lady, thanks for that tid bit of info.

any way. they have a major problem with the roof to walls stitch and could easily be fixed by them and they are aware of it, but do not seem (get it seam) to care. mike told me to put some product on it at the roof seams. i shouldn't have to put any thing on it, but a tarp is needed or an optional rain fly like some tents use.

they could put the window on the out side and sew in a rain flap just above the windows so water isn't an issue there and i might do it my self.

i built 3 rods to hold the sections that collapse from trying to do so while i am in it. just buy the clips from them and cut conduit to fit and smash the conduit onto the clips. the fx150 comes with the rear one only and thats the one the wind hits the hardest and tries to lift the front where your fishing from over and let wind/snow in and loose lots more heat. snow will lower the rest of them if its snowing hard and make the condensation hit you all of the time, is why you make the others.
they had thickness issues (corners collapsing) with the sled they sold to me and i told mike about it and he sent a replacement out right away and it is much thicker and heavier.
i also told him of a way to not have to fool with the velcro for the tent to tub area. how you can add conduit to make that part of the tent stay down and in.

[GoBlue2255]

The Bay Runner looks perfect for one person. Maybe two if your on a real hot bite and only need one rod each! I've been to the website and pulled up the manual for it to see how it went together. Pretty simple and I believe it weighs 65 lbs. so that isn't lightweight when considering your gear also! This would be great behind a sled or atv/utv! I think I would flush mount a pair of skis flush to the bottom to protect the tub and hatches! There is just one spreader bar so I would rig up a couple of others so as to be able to put up some reflectix. If anyone gets one of these, please post a review as I really like this shelter!!

That is kind of what I am thinking as well, I looked it over quiclky at the store and then online.  I really like the shelf and being able to have 5 gallon buckets slide under the seat out of the way.

[OldSailor]

That is kind of what I am thinking as well, I looked it over quiclky at the store and then online.  I really like the shelf and being able to have 5 gallon buckets slide under the seat out of the way.

After the review that 3300 gave us, I think I'll hold off on any decisions I might have made until all of those issues are attended to!! Just more shoddy workmanship from China!! Doesn't seem that you should have to rework a brand new shelter before you can use it!!! I'll wait and see what they do to fix the problems 3300 brought up!!

[n4cer26]

It's pretty neat looking but there is no versatility to it.   When it is folded down the canvass covers the sled...... So the only option  is to fish inside.  Plus it is a problem transporting your buckets with everything but the kitchen sink sticking out from the top of them.    I have the frabill recon one man flip over.   I can fish totally enclosed on the frigid days,  use it as a wind break or fish in the weather,  all on a swiveling padded boat seat with a flip down back.   I think the bay runner looks pretty limiting.

[BRIFISH]

Looks kinda cool but the price for me is the real head scratcher.  $329.  it's cool, but not that cool.  i can get a nice flip for that much. 

[n4cer26]

Saw one today..... It was pretty neat but definitely  one person deal.   I collapsed it and found that the canvass does move aside abit so a tall bucket should be no problem.   I did really like the electronics shelf.

[Hoosier]

As sad a response as this really is,It is kinda funny.

" i called there one day and the old lady (normally answers the phone) asked whats up and i told her how bad the tent leaks onto all of my gear in the tub and my self and she said " its an ice shanty, not a rain shelter". I says wow lady, thanks for that tid bit of info."

[filetandrelease]

As sad a response as this really is,It is kinda funny.

" i called there one day and the old lady (normally answers the phone) asked whats up and i told her how bad the tent leaks onto all of my gear in the tub and my self and she said " its an ice shanty, not a rain shelter". I says wow lady, thanks for that tid bit of info."

sorry but that is funny , when they are not helpful or rude I always ask if they ever  heard of IS ,[make ya famous] once I got an Email back with an apology 

[cold carpenter]

hmmm... I have a sketch on a clipboard somewhere around here that I considered doing to my jet sled that is very similar to that! Think I now have another reason to wander out to Cabela's (Oh good, she's not in the room as I type this!)

[n4cer26]

Every time I see this shanty I like it a little bit more!

[3300]

installed some flowable silicone along the outside roof to wall seams so should be able to stay dry in my "non rain shelter".
still need to work on the leaking windows idea.

going to lower the side rails for the bench (to keep my head off the ceiling) and extend them and add conduit clamps under the bench seat to make the bench seat slide back and forth to get gear out from under it easier.
might drop a stay bolt or pin to keep the bench from sliding when i don't want it to and pull it out when i want to slide it back. maybe put in another to keep it back and have the heavy items in the rear of the tub for hand pulling the shanty.

will be adding the much talked about reflectix after the tent is reattached. i keep it in a sealed bucket to keep mice away from it.

bought cargo net and will add that to bottom of bench to hold extra things off of the tub, like hats and gloves. also might add some to the sides of tub to keep gear from sliding around.

got LED light strip and remote dimmer components and still need to figure out how much of it is needed. bought the brightest water proof made, the 5630 type SMD's on a 16' reel with 300 LED's and only 20$ delivered. been playing with them on smaller batteries to see how much time you get. looks like gas hogs so far.

got down hill skies to add to it and haven't made up my mind if i want them right under it or build and extension or a smitty sled, but i think its a no go on a smitty sled because i don't want to lift the shanty on/off of it to use the shanty as a shanty. i see it would fine for just a sled only. the tub stops the wind from getting under it to get to you so leaving it up in the air would mean it would get cold and windy inside the shanty. looks like just glue them on to the tub still with silicone. makes you wonder if three would be better than two and have one in the center.

i really should call that ol lady at shappell and see what she thinks about all of this    she'd probably say "it's not for downhill skiing, it's an ice shanty".

[buddlakemusky]

got the dx200 with the bench seat last year from dunhams for 300 bucks and love this flipover ten times better than my killzone pop up

[3300]

got the dx200 with the bench seat last year from dunhams for 300 bucks and love this flipover ten times better than my killzone pop up

you mean FX200, not DX200 right?

[buddlakemusky]

yeah the fx200 sorry bout that

[3300]

@ buddlakemusky
i like mine for what it does do. would hate to see how bad your old one performed and yet curious how bad they can get.

i see they didn't offer the replacement windows for yours. it should be the standard sized windows (9 x 16) if yours is creased bad like mine was new and made it hard to look at things on the out side, all distorted. they folded it right on the window when they (chinese manufacturer) packed mine. i just bought a few more when i noticed it. some are of better quality than others too.
if you want any, look at shappells parts page, parts and then fx100. they are 4 bucks each.
my dx3000 has 6 windows in it.



back to post
i just called them and the ol lady has been replaced by a young nice talking lady (at least for today) looking to buy some of their black 600 denier fabric to make storm windows or shutters on the out side of the inside windows. i want to sew on fabric to the tops of the window openings so if water starts coming in (and it does that very well) i can pull down the fabric onto some velcro i would sew to the bottom of the window openings. then either sew velcro up higher to hold them up out of the way or sew in 2 or 3 velcro cable ties in with the flap to roll the storm flap rolled up.
she said "we don't have any fabric here because we don't sew any thing". i asked her who do i contact to get some of it and she said "i don't know". bums me out for a few reasons, no fabric to make patches or mods, not to mention not USA made.
guess maybe i'll forfeit two of the extra windows and cut the plastic out and use the fabric to make them. maybe a fabric shop, but last i checked with them, they only had we they called a diaper cover cloth that was sort of water proof.

the new shanty they made for this year only makes sense if it is attached to a quad or snow mobile and thats how they represent it.

[Hunteramargin]

New to this forum and this is my first post.  I felt a need to respond to some of the things floating about on this thread.  I've been on the ice since nov 30 th, unheard of of late in southern MI.  and in the Bay runner fishing since mid December.  Slush and water do not come in the trap doors.  I've pulled it across 4 inches of standing water  and 3 feet of open water at the ramp with no issue.  Both the Runner and my scout are equipped with identical sets of downhill skis and the Runner pulls easier!  Now If you tried to float it for an extended time that might be different.  I've had it out in some stiff winds and it handled it just fine, a simple ice anchor and some forethought  solved any wind concerns. It's quality is above par for the price point.  I've added a few mods but nothing major.  Skis as mentioned, a retaining bungee and pad eyes for buckets  and milk crates under the seat,  cargo net along one side for gloves hats and sundries.  created a rod board that clicks in and out on the frame and today will add a hard point for the sonar so I just need to pull the head unit. for transport.  Just sent an order in to Oznium.com for led lighting components.  I will add some pics later.  My biggest problem?  I bought the display and the morons assembled the canvas/ emt conduit backwards.

[Allen1203]

I agree, I have had mine out in this current mess we've had since the storm a few times. The doors haven't been an issue, no leaks. Not even pulling through 4" of water. It is a great 1 person sled and great to take my 7 year old daughter out on the ice in. If you leave the doors unzipped when folding you have access to everything in the sled, then you can zip the top door and everything is covered, works awesome. Relocating isn't bad either, I just pull it while set up. They say you can as long as you keep it under 30 mph.

[3300]

@ Hunteramargin
welcome!
glad you are happy with it and it was set up to inspect before spending on it. mine was not (bought from prior purchase that all would be good), so i couldn't see the gapping open seams the fx100 has on the roof to walls. that is the worst problem with shappell and they (china) knows how to make the double folded/double stitch like they use is the wall seams. i still don't understand the thinking that went into that section at all.

sounds like some nice mods if you could share some pics of them for others would be nice. if you have the time

[Hunteramargin]

just disassembled and reassembled the Bayrunner correctly any pictures I have are of the bass ackwards assembly.  but here are the pics I have.  When I get a chance most likely tomorrow afternoon after I fish some I'll take some better pics, working midnights tonight.  heres the pics I do have that show the rod board and keep in mind this is pre reassembly.  end clips 50 cents from shappell.  2 pieces of 1/2 " emt conduit.  1/4 " luan board treated with polyurethane and 15 broom clips from ace. unit with rods clips in and out as a unit keep all rods neat and untangled and ready to hand.
you can sort of see the skis
 
retention bungee

rod board

[theripper]

Looks like a nice set up. I thought I took a lot of rods out till now lol.

[Hermin]

My 2 rods are making me feel very inadequate now.

[Hunteramargin]

new thread started in a moment with better pics for the curious