Visit the Team Iceshanty Proshop
Hello All,I am new to IceShanty and am making my first post here. I've been lurking a lot trying to come up with the best ideas for how to build my ice shack. As an intro, I am from Central Wisconsin and am looking to build a sleeper shack. I like to go up to LOTW, Mille Lacs, etc. So 8-10HR rides would be common for this shack. Therefore it needs to be as light/trailerable as possible. I have a 8 1/2 by 10 Tilt bed snowmobile trailer that I am thinking of using as the tow method. Am aiming at a 8x7 plus 3' v-nose to help with windage. Probably 6' interior height. I would like to make it fishable for 4 people and sleep at least 2 if not 4 (with bunks). Does this size seem big enough? For construction:Walls will be 2x2 studs 16" OC and 1/2" rigid insulation clapped under Steel siding. Is it worth upgrading to 1" foam on the walls? Price difference is negligible, but I think I'm going to lose rigidity having the sheeting so far away from the studs. Is clapping a bad idea in general? I just didnt want to mess with cutting and sealing foam between studs (plus thermal bridging).Roof I am leaning towards flat EPDM over 1/2" Chip on 2x4's 16 OC. I am thinking doing rubber will help with windage over a steel roof because of the needed pitch (added height) with steel. I am also thinking steel has no "great" way of sealing the edges for when you do that much highway travel. Only drawback of rubber is that it will likely be heavier (+sticky snow). Would then be insulating ceiling with R11 and sheeting ceiling with 1/4" chip. For a floor I am thinking 1/2" Treated Ply over 2x4's 16 OC. Is it worth trying to insulate the floor? Especially with holes cut out of it for fishing? I know most recommend 2x12 skids, but would it be easier to just trailer all the way out and slide it off once arrived? If it's not "skidding" that much, 2x8 or even 2x6 should be adequate?Then comes my biggest dilemma, how to heat it? Endgame is a direct vent wall furnace. Just not sure I can double the price of my shack for that feature quite yet. I do not have a great source of wood and being a sleeper, I would like the convenience of not stoking a wood stove all the time either. Could do Vent free gas, but I hate to do all that insulation and wind up needing vents/windows open all the time anyway (plus safety while sleeping). So I'm left with Gas powered (wood type) stove. Found them cheap enough through NuWay and those seem to be my best idea so far. Just afraid of how much gas these will burn with 1/2 the heat going out the pipe. Anybody have any experience with these? Stove would likely be in the V-Nose. Is it foolish to think I could build a barn door on the back and haul the ATV inside the shack, while trailering? Just thinking it would be nice to keep it out of the elements during transport. Only issue I see is safely securing it along with overall trailer capacity. Please, Any advice would be appreciated. Is it too big to trailer? Gonna need to be sturdier? Am I over my head? Haha. I'm trying to go into this as informed as I can.
I don't know what you all use your 8x10 trailer for but if it were me I would sell the snowmobile trailer and scratch up the cash for a used enclosed trailer. There are so many advantages, such as starting at the lake you don't have the load unload time. Especially if you plan on strapping the wheeler down inside of the shack you have to strap down after winching the shack on. Also the enclosed trailer can be camped in the off season, or used as a storage unit keeping your wheeler and gear out of the elements. I don't know what a used enclosed can be had for but I will say that when I built a big sleeper shack out of a pop up camper I had nearly $1500 in materials and all the time to build. I love that shack but sure wish it trailered down the road like an enclosed would.
NU way propane stoves are pretty affordable direct vent options
I'm not really familiar with the standard height of an enclosed, most I've been in mattered at the back door where some I have to duck my head and some I can walk in confidently. Once inside standing hasn't been a problem. Although I've certainly seen smaller versions I wouldn't be able to stand in. Around here these trailer shacks are getting very popular. All you need is a saw and some pvc or pail slides to be fishable. From there at your convenience the sky is the limit as far as pimping it out goes. And the fishing is super run and gun if you will. Pack the shack with your essentials for an over nighter. Snacks, brews, bait, bedding, auger, tackle, etc. ( find a receiver for your hitch that keeps the shack level) leave the truck hooked up. Head to a spot, drill from inside the shack. If there is nothing there, pull your slides and pull to the next spot. No packing up, re arranging, just pull the slides and ride.
I definitely can see the merit to 2x3’s at 24oc. I absolutely hate working with 2x2’s anyway so I think I’ll definitely go that way. I love the spray foam idea. But I’m just not sure the price point is gonna be there. Haven’t done any actual shopping around though. I definitely see what you mean about the third skid for 8’ wide. Is that the norm? For hauling the atv it’s probably a good idea anyway. But is it hard to get off the ice then? Obviously you wouldn’t be able to chisel it out from the side then if needed. Those heaters are exactly what I dream of having. Now I’m just kinda keeping my eye out for a used one maybe. Do they come up often? The more I think about this project and the more I see, I don’t think it’s gonna be big enough. To fish 8 holes plus having a heater just doesn’t add up. I’m thinking I’d have to go the full 8x10 trailer to have room and I’m not sure that will trailer well. Might just have to look at some other options.
I like the tote idea! I would think with 6" to a foot of open ice around the hole a guy should be able to easily enough get a bent arm gill hold of his fish. I have 10" pvc and just gaff the walleyes I intend to keep, otherwise carefully grab the ones going back best I can. Whitebass, perch and most everything else gets hoisted up with no problem. There are a few guys with some kind of modified scoop rigged up that as soon as the fish has come up from the bottom of the ice, they rotate the skimmer and it closes the bottom of the hole. I haven't put a lot of thought into it but it seems like a decent diy project.
Not sure where your from or what stores they have around you but Menards has smaller spray foam kits just make sure whatever you buy or have done its closed cell foam so you don't have the foam sucking up moisture.https://www.menards.com/main/paint/caulks-sealants/foam-rubberized-sealant/froth-pak-trade-200-foam-sealant-kit/346963/p-1444435970305-c-7937.htm?tid=-6827414169127705912&ipos=6I know spray would definitely be the best thing for this. Didn’t realize open cell held water. Just hard to justify that kind of money. I've seen a few empires come and go used. If you want less expensive go the RV furnace route https://www.amazon.com/SUBURBAN-NT-16SEQ-MOTORHOME-NON-DUCTED-FURNACE/dp/B00T6KP9HY/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1540556813&sr=8-14&keywords=rv+furnaceAs for consumption I can go about 48 hours on a 30 lb tank of propane in my 8x16 house @ -20*F At around 0 to +10 I can go 72-100 hours. That's with a 30K BTU furnace.Thank you for the real world gas consumption numbers. Now at least I have an idea what to expect. A forced air furnace might wind up being my answer. I’ll probably wind up with a generator by the time I’m done investing anyway so it might be easier to just go forced air. I've never had a Skid house so I can't speak specifically on using one. Honestly in your case I think a wheel house would suit your needs much better. I bought my Frame from this guy. http://www.miltonablacksmith.com/trailers.html He's a great guy to deal with and builds a couple hundred frames a year I bet. I’ve seen his site. His drop down frames are surprisingly affordable. Just not sure about the long term reliability of a steel frame. I’m an aluminum kind of guy. If I were to buy an enclosed it would be aluminum. Just don’t want to worry about painting it so often or worrying about it corroding away.
I am running a 8.5 x 16 h and h enclosed trailer with v front as a wheel house. Insulated floor walls and ceiling with pink foam board installed a 16000btu forced air heater and put 6 catch cover hole s down the center with drop tubes. Works great.
This is what I've done out of snowmobile trailer although mine was not aluminum, i built it over the wheels like you plan to. I don't have pictures of it finished but thought the progress images would help. hope these pics will get your wheels turning. If you have any questions on specifics let me know. Also I mines a sleeper for cots and I plan to pull mine with the truck
Quote from: XN on Oct 26, 2018, 07:36 AMNot sure where your from or what stores they have around you but Menards has smaller spray foam kits just make sure whatever you buy or have done its closed cell foam so you don't have the foam sucking up moisture.https://www.menards.com/main/paint/caulks-sealants/foam-rubberized-sealant/froth-pak-trade-200-foam-sealant-kit/346963/p-1444435970305-c-7937.htm?tid=-6827414169127705912&ipos=6I know spray would definitely be the best thing for this. Didn’t realize open cell held water. Just hard to justify that kind of money. I've seen a few empires come and go used. If you want less expensive go the RV furnace route https://www.amazon.com/SUBURBAN-NT-16SEQ-MOTORHOME-NON-DUCTED-FURNACE/dp/B00T6KP9HY/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1540556813&sr=8-14&keywords=rv+furnaceAs for consumption I can go about 48 hours on a 30 lb tank of propane in my 8x16 house @ -20*F At around 0 to +10 I can go 72-100 hours. That's with a 30K BTU furnace.Thank you for the real world gas consumption numbers. Now at least I have an idea what to expect. A forced air furnace might wind up being my answer. I’ll probably wind up with a generator by the time I’m done investing anyway so it might be easier to just go forced air. I've never had a Skid house so I can't speak specifically on using one. Honestly in your case I think a wheel house would suit your needs much better. I bought my Frame from this guy. http://www.miltonablacksmith.com/trailers.html He's a great guy to deal with and builds a couple hundred frames a year I bet. I’ve seen his site. His drop down frames are surprisingly affordable. Just not sure about the long term reliability of a steel frame. I’m an aluminum kind of guy. If I were to buy an enclosed it would be aluminum. Just don’t want to worry about painting it so often or worrying about it corroding away.If you want it to last have it galvanized. its the only coating that coats inside and out side of the tubing. There's plenty of 60-80 year old fence post around to speak for what hot dip galvanize can do. I've also had Aluminum trailers but I'm a little gun shy of them on the ice. Everyone I've had has cracked at one place or another.
(Image removed from quote.)Well change of plans. I picked this up today for $275. Figured it was a good price for all aluminum. It’s not perfect and I’d of hoped for a little bigger but I will make it work. It is a 4.5x8 deck. I plan to make a house overtop the wheel wells on this. Would overlap the sides by 1’ on each side making an overall 7’ wide trailer. Also plan to make a v front as well. Going to put hatches down one side in the overhang for fishing. The other side overhang will have a double fold up couch/bed and counter/cabinet. Im thinking a double fold to allow the atv to still fit on the aluminum floor for transport. It will fish and sleep 2 (me and the mrs) hopefully comfortably. The main door will be the full width 4.5’ wide to allow the atv to fit. Also only going to build about 5’ high so it will fit in a 7’ door. Without worrying about bunks to fit people I don’t think the shorter ceiling will be too much of an issue?Going to start with a buddy heater and cracked windows until I can afford a wall furnace or nuway gas stove. My biggest question is that it sits on 20.5x10 tires that could be replaced. Is it a bad idea to buy shorter/narrower 5.7x8’s to try and get closer to the ice?
Cool build! Know the weight of it? Anything you’d do differently? My only question is what was the idea with the floor framing? Is it more rigid that way?
I'd look at the weight capacity of the tire first! As I said above your going to have a hard time making folding bunks in a 5' tall shack.