Hey ice fishing shack builders and all round smart guys- question

[Ken07AOVette]

What would be wrong with dropping 2 hackle bolts on each side, sliding the entire axle out and setting the shack on 2x4's directly on the ice?

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb267/KbxSrx/IMG914.jpg

this is not THE shack I want, but it should be great for this season. It is a huge monster shack, almost 12' long :sHa_sarcasticlol:

Funny part, and kind of sad, its in great shape, and even the stove, furnace and fridge all work. Almost a shame to gut them out. Almost :)

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb267/KbxSrx/IMG910.jpg

[mooseknuckle]

"smart guys"

for the record I'm out!

[deepfried]

Taking the fridge out and putting in a monster energy bar fridge? :D :D

[HunterDave]

What would be wrong with dropping 2 hackle bolts on each side, sliding the entire axle out and setting the shack on 2x4's directly on the ice?

Make sure that it's nice and high as it'll melt and sink into the ice. :)

[S-in-Cochrane]

I've often wondered ... why bother taking it off the axles? Granted I don't icefish but could you just cut a hole in the floor and auger out a hole through there?

[mooseknuckle]

I've often wondered ... why bother taking it off the axles? Granted I don't icefish but could you just cut a hole in the floor and auger out a hole through there?

Yes but you need a 57896" extension on the auger.

[sco22]

On Newell 2 years ago we saw a unit like that, which kept the tires on. They had 4 holes cut into the floor and used 5 gallon pails with the bottoms cut out to connect the trailer to the holes - like a sleeve. The holes in the floor were cut to fil the pails. It worked pretty slick. They pulled in to spot, but the pails down to mark the holes, pulled forward, drilled/cleaned the marked holes and then backed the trailer up.

The only issue he noted was that in deep snow the trailer would often be pushing snow.

Cheers.

[FishingMOM]

Read Trollers post

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=148928&highlight=camper+fishing

[dumoulin]

Don't gut the thing, Ken! All of these are comfort-aids!

What I would do is cut a hole 16 x 32 (or whatever size you can go) in the floor and build the same size sleeve but 4'' bigger in width and lenght. I would build it colapsible and make it out of treated plywood. For some reason, treated wood doesn't stick to the ice as much as regular wood...found that out by accident. This would mean; however, that when it's time to fish, you cut a hole 16x32 long in the ice with your chainsaw (no bar oil of course) and drive over the hole then slide in the colapsible sleave.

[greasycheeks]

We have always used treated 4x6" timbers for skids (the 4" side on the ice, which gives you 6" of elevation to deal with the melting-in issue). Chainsaw the ends of the timbers at a 45ish degree angle and the shack will skid around with minimal effort. The timbers are plenty stong, so if they do melt into the ice a bit, you can be "persuasive" to get your shack freed up, and not worry about leaving pieces behind.

[Clgy_Dave2.0]

Read Trollers post

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showpost.php?p=1612274&postcount=14


Fixed your post.

[Ken07AOVette]

Don't gut the thing, Ken! All of these are comfort-aids!

What I would do is cut a hole 16 x 32 (or whatever size you can go) in the floor and build the same size sleeve but 4'' bigger in width and lenght. I would build it colapsible and make it out of treated plywood. For some reason, treated wood doesn't stick to the ice as much as regular wood...found that out by accident. This would mean; however, that when it's time to fish, you cut a hole 16x32 long in the ice with your chainsaw (no bar oil of course) and drive over the hole then slide in the colapsible sleave.

Fridge and stove are gone, fridge will be for sale very shortly :)

I figure a cooler will be all I need, its winter. It is such a small trailer, I want the room anyway. Thanks for the info on the sleeve, am looking into that right now.
This is a whirlwind build, hoping to use it this weekend.

[bubba 96]

Cool lookin unit ken, bet it will look slick when it's done...

[silver]

Fridge and stove are gone, fridge will be for sale very shortl.

Should have kept the stove, how else are you going to tell if the fish taste good?

[Ken07AOVette]

Should have kept the stove, how else are you going to tell if the fish taste good?

by gone, I mean out of the original location, I was thinking of putting the stove over the little 'furnace', cutting the closet out and putting it there.

Mmmmmm- fresh trout AT the lake, while continuing to fish, what a concept!

I was going to do a cheater fridge, aluminum box mounted in fridge hole, exposed to the outside and an insulated door, should be just cool enough to make a little ice box. Little scrap aluminum, some tig practise, should work.

I am also going to do what I did not want to do I think, just have 12" tubes and 10" holes, at least for now. Dropping the axle and frigging around that way this late in the season just doesnt seem worth it, for this year little holes and on the wheels, maybe next year do the drop away axle.

[Hunter Trav]

If you have the time make up some skis that you can put under the wheels, would make it alot easier to pull if the snow is a bit deep or you hit some flood water...

[Ken07AOVette]

If you have the time make up some skis that you can put under the wheels, would make it alot easier to pull if the snow is a bit deep or you hit some flood water...

Another great idea! Thank you!

[FishingMOM]

Fixed your post.

Meant trouter.
Got distracted.
But troller and Jack&7 had important message too for the rest of you guys.
Ken knows about CO2 hazards.

[Hunter Trav]

No worries. I've pulled trailers like that out onto the lakes, and in the deeper snow it wasn't easy on the truck, thats for sure. I got the idea off of Dave Genz's website I believe. They would put them on their sled trailers and pull them out with the quads or sleds. Shouldn't be too hard for you to put something like that together...:)

[Dacotensis]

Get a couple of old snowboards. My fishin friend is doing this exact makeover right now. He has a concept of making the skis/boards fit underneath the tires when on the ice. Somehow-Some bracket?
I like the idea of useing buckets as well.

[Hunter Trav]

Get a couple of old snowboards. My fishin friend is doing this exact makeover right now. He has a concept of making the skis/boards fit underneath the tires when on the ice. Somehow-Some bracket?
I like the idea of useing buckets as well.

If you can fab up some brackets that will allow you to use the spots where the binding should go, it might work. Chances are the boards wont take the weight of the trailer, and all the work will be for nothing...

[Ken07AOVette]

I have a lot of strips of UHMWPE, and one of the companies I bought out years ago was Ekholm ski manufacturing, I might make a steel framed plastic skinned ski, easy stuff.

I never even thought of a ski though, thanks for that idea.

I may yet look into dropping the axle on the ice, had the camper up on jack stands and was able to get under it easily. The brake wires are cut anyway, still only 4 bolts to drop the shackles. The lower I can get it, the better.

[Hunter Trav]

I kinda figured that would be the route you would take Ken. A steel frame with the UHMW will make that thing glide effortlessly across the lake. And if you can get it down lower for fishing even better...:)

[dewalt18]

I was thinking something similar the other day, but was trying to figure a way to do something similar to the wheel dollies used on tow trucks. Only bounced around for 15 minutes or so while driving to another job. . . might revisit that idea! Cool build Ken!

[bentley]

What would be wrong with dropping 2 hackle bolts on each side, sliding the entire axle out and setting the shack on 2x4's directly on the ice?

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb267/KbxSrx/IMG914.jpg

this is not THE shack I want, but it should be great for this season. It is a huge monster shack, almost 12' long :sHa_sarcasticlol:

Funny part, and kind of sad, its in great shape, and even the stove, furnace and fridge all work. Almost a shame to gut them out. Almost :)

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb267/KbxSrx/IMG910.jpg

NO WAY !!!! , it's identical to our ice fishing Palace , and I mean identical . We left the gravity furnace and moved the table / couch back , works great . If I hadn't used ours this afternoon , I would have driven to lake to make sure it didn't go missing , haha . wow .

[harrydude]

Why not build a set of these to lay it out


http://fishhouseplans.mnsportsmans.com/Images/Wheels6ftSpring.jpg

These are Kool and I think Ken could build these

[Ken07AOVette]

Why not build a set of these to lay it out


http://fishhouseplans.mnsportsmans.com/Images/Wheels6ftSpring.jpg

These are Kool and I think Ken could build these

Those are cool for sure! I was thinking of using air shocks and a portable compressor to lift and lower them.

I think tomorrow I will see how involved axle removal is, if they come out easy I will buy some new bolts and do it.

[harrydude]

Those are cool for sure! I was thinking of using air shocks and a portable compressor to lift and lower them.

I think tomorrow I will see how involved axle removal is, if they come out easy I will buy some new bolts and do it.


Why not put them on Clevis pins

[Ken07AOVette]

Why not put them on Clevis pins

I was thinking that, but it is an hours drive on the highway, don't think that would be legal.

[omega50]

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1955605/Camper_conversion

Scroll down for a solution where the wheels go outboard and are removeable.
Then if you wanted -you could build some skis on a shaft that just gets swapped out for pulling around the lake.
Then take the wheels inside drop them into a bushing bolted to the floor and you have swivel seats in front of your holes.lol

Or
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/omega505/lunch2_zps2b33a0bc.jpg
or
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/omega505/lunch1_zpsd25100ef.jpg
or
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/omega505/lunch3_zpsc1c410b9.jpg

[densa44]

Just drill the holes outside the trailer and watch the tip up from the window while you are doing crosswords or what ever?

If you really want a hole, try converting the toilet.

[Shmag]

If you have the time make up some skis that you can put under the wheels, would make it alot easier to pull if the snow is a bit deep or you hit some flood water...

I have seen these before, someone makes them....might of seen it on you tube and they work awesome...

[Shmag]

Stay off the booze when working on it....my buddies were into the sauce every night they were converting their trailer to a shack. First hole they drilled in the floor for a hole was directly over the trailer axle...haha:sHa_sarcasticlol:

[omega50]

Just drill the holes outside the trailer and watch the tip up from the window while you are doing crosswords or what ever?

If you really want a hole, try converting the toilet.

Or go "Manitoba Style"
Pull out on lake with truck- drill one hole on either side of front wheels- rig your smelts and loop the line from each hole around your windshield wipers that you have flipped forward.
Sit in truck and set the wipers for "Jigging" ( setting)intermittent

When you see the wiper start to lift off the window-you open the side window-reach out grab the line and hand bomb it right into the front seat .

[Ken07AOVette]

Just drill the holes outside the trailer and watch the tip up from the window while you are doing crosswords or what ever?

If you really want a hole, try converting the toilet.

Heh- no toilet


Stay off the booze when working on it....my buddies were into the sauce every night they were converting their trailer to a shack. First hole they drilled in the floor for a hole was directly over the trailer axle...haha:sHa_sarcasticlol:

Bwaaaaaahahaha!

Or go "Manitoba Style"
Pull out on lake with truck- drill one hole on either side of front wheels- rig your smelts and loop the line from each hole around your windshield wipers that you have flipped forward.
Sit in truck and set the wipers for "Jigging" ( setting)intermittent

When you see the wiper start to lift off the window-you open the side window-reach out grab the line and hand bomb it right into the front seat .

Genius! :sHa_sarcasticlol: