Thought I'd post a few pics and a video of the shelter base I made. The video is the 3rd small image. I have a pop-up shelter that is just a bit under 6' x 8'. Although I knew it would be heavy (and it is), I built two 3' x 8' sections and covered each with 1/2" pressure treated plywood. I hinged the two sections together and put 3 jigging holes on on half. By hinging the two sides together, the one section runs like a sled behind my ranger and the other side acts like a cargo sled to allow me to put the shelter, some folding chairs, a small cooler and (if I wanted), an auger on the "sled"
While I will be making a metal hitch, to start with I just put some eyes bolts through the front of the frame and used rope threaded through PVC to prevent the unit from hitting the back of the ranger when I stop.
Once I had the base finished and popped-up the shelter on it in the garage, I marked where the tie down straps met the base and I used a router to make "Keyhole" shaped slots in the wooden base. Instead of putting ice anchors through the eyelets in the tie down straps, I simply used 1/4" carriage bolts. I slide the head of the carriage bolt through the round portion of the keyhole slot and slide it into the slot portion to quickly fasten the shelter to the base.
I also put an eyebolt on the other half of the sled so, once on the ice and set-up, I can simply unhook one of the hooks on the tow rope from the 3' wide section and hook it to the eyebolt at "full width" and pull the shelter to the next fishing hole if I want to move. I live about 3 miles from the lake I fish so I just pull the unit there. Next year I want to figure out some simple / light wheels and a "rigid" hitch so I can pull it down the roads (instead of snowmobile trails or hugging the shoulder like I do now - all roads are open to utv and atv traffic around my house). Besides behind heavy, it is pretty nice to have the extra hauling space, a wooden floor to sit on and still have the shelter be very mobile.
