Salem ice cabin

[Iceman1026]

was looking at the ice cabins just wondering to the people that have them if I can get some information on how they pull down the highway being there square fronted if anyone is actually way there is to see the exact weight I'm looking at getting the 20ft with the ramp door any info would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

[jjohnson5150]

I love our 14', but have found that it's best to keep it local. It pulls tough with my Toyota Tacoma. I would imagine a bigger truck would pull it better. The flat front will need to break the wind regardless though. Our 14' is around 3500 lbs.

Besides the towing, it's a great house. The electric jacks could be quicker. We have had the house for four seasons now and spend a lot of time in it as a family. It's warm, comfortable & built solid.

A generator is a must with these due to the jack systems. You may want to keep that in mind since it's another $900 (assuming you want a quiet reliable Honda) you would need to invest.

[MNmikew]

Picked up a 8x16 this year. First wheelhouse for me. It is a bit if a pig to tow. I think a equalizer hitch would make a big difference. Yes, the hydraulic jacks could be a bit faster, and it is faster is you jack them up with the generator attached. Or plugged into your truck. But it sure does beat manually cranking it!

Wish it had a couple more windows though. And the window in the door has frosted glass?? Mine had one of the optional bunks. Ended up removing it as it blocked half a window and took up space. Cots work just as well.

Rubber floor is nice, easy to clean up, no stink in carpet later.

[Iceman1026]

doesn't really matter but just wondering what you got for gas mileage pulling it just to compare it to my old house Thanks

[jjohnson5150]

I get 19 mpg on the highway with my Tacoma. It's half of that when pulling the house.

[Wanderer]

I pulled a friend's 8x18 around in the fall for hunting trips with my 2500 Duramax and was getting around 13 mpg going the standard 5 over the limit. The same trip and speeds with no trailer I was getting around 19 mpg.

I thought the house pulled great but then again, pulling is the reason I bought the truck I have. The owner of the house has a half ton Ford and says his mileage is sub 10 mpg, like 8 I believe he said.

I'm sure my mileage would suffer a bit more in the winter.

I've used the house enough to know I really like it and if/when I get serious about a wheelhouse, all others I look at will be compared to the Ice Cabin line. I also totally agree the jacks are slow and you'll want a generator, but I'd think you'd want a generator with any wheelhouse.

[Iceman1026]

Doesn't sound much different than my ice castle I have now for pulling wise then

[sportfish]

I will throw this in , I looked at both the ice castle and the Salem and went with the ice castle because of the v front . I have a 2006 Chevy 1/2 ton with the 4.8L it's about the weakest full size truck for towing and it pulls my 8 x 16 ice castle great , I get around 10 -11 mpg . I have pulled 2 other houses that had flat fronts that were A lot lighter and they both pulled like pigs .

[David Anderson]

Being a new owner of a 8x20RD I have pulled mine to both Red Lake (4.5 hours) and Mille Lacs (1.5 hours) with my 2013 GMC Sierra 1500, 5.3L V8. Admittedly it starts out somewhat uncomfortable but after about 20 miles, you get used to the feel. The electric brakes are a must. Gas mileage has averaged 9.5 yet seems like I am always bucking the wind. Under the icy conditions last Friday's trip to Mille Lacs was quite nerve racking but taking the traction control off really helped. Mine weighs about 4000 pounds and I suppose I have another 500 pounds of cargo. Mine needs a 4" rise on the ball to get it level. At first the mileage surprised me however I get about 11.5 pulling my ranger 620.

[Stick in Mud]

I also totally agree the jacks are slow and you'll want a generator, but I'd think you'd want a generator with any wheelhouse.

Especially if you have a forced-air furnace. Those things draw a lot of juice.

[AlligatorDundee]

I have the 20 foot sport vehicle model.

Pulls like a dream.

2007 1500 Gmc max trailer package. 6.0 liter.

[Iceman1026]

thanks for all the info guys anybody ever had to use the backup hand crank

[jjohnson5150]

I had to use the hand crank once on lake of the woods after accidentally smashing the electrical on the front jack. It hand cranks a bit slow, but it will get the job done in a pinch. You would not want to use that as your primary lift or drop anytime you move.

[Iceman1026]

Anymore input ? Guess im just not sure about pulling with the flat front

[jjohnson5150]

Its going to pull a bit tougher. That's a fact. With ours it's not a big deal since we mostly stay close to our cabin or by home.

Have you thought about how many long trips you plan on taking it? If you are staying within 100 miles I wouldn't think of it as a deal breaker, but if you are going from the cities to lake of the woods every other weekend you may want to look for a v front.

Maybe the dealer would let you tow it a ways down the road to see.

[Chad Holst]

Im trying to figure out why they would even make it a flat front? Is there some pro's and con's to the V Nose? Even putting a small 3 foot v on the front of any house would seem to be worth the extra little bit of material, and you gain some storage space. You could set the front up inside flat, if you really wanted the flat front interior. Then use the V for a propane tank access from the outside only and or a generator hold. I just cant see why a non V nose would be even a consideration.

[AlligatorDundee]

Its an actual RV.

FOREST RIVER makes RVs not car haulers.

[Wanderer]

Anymore input ? Guess im just not sure about pulling with the flat front

I think you better get a V front shack. You might be second guessing your decision the whole time if you get a "flat" front. The Ice Cabins aren't truly flat; they're tapered up and down to help streamline them a little bit.

[David Anderson]

Well, In the grand scheme of things your depreciation is going to be more than the gas you put in your truck to pull it. Simply put are you going to be satisfied with an IC vs Salem for 1 - 2 mpg? Assuming from Mpls, if you go to LOTW 4 times with it, it's 240 gallons of gas @ 10mpg. If you can get 11 mpg it's about 218 (about $60 differential or $15/trip). Once you get to that 8 x 16 or larger, it becomes relative until you get a dual axle then need to step up. Sure a 3/4 ton will pull anything better but in the end it's simply compromise. I did have second thoughts about mine after I got it, should I have gotten a v front, a 16', instead of a 20'. Nope, my friend has a 7 x 16, maybe not so heavy pulling but still has wind issues and MPG issues, needs to have help when flooding occurs, no different than me. I can guarantee my Salem is 2x the wheel house.

[Chad Holst]

David, i have heard that before, i just cant figure out why they don't make them a V Nose?

Is there some "salem only" system they have in the front end that doesnt allow them to V the nose? A 4 foot V nose on an 8 foot wide is about 3.4 extra feet of material for the walls and frame and an extra 22.8 square feet of roof and flooring...which is peanuts. Seriously we are taliking about a 2 5.7 foot walls rather than 1 8 foot wall. Again, they could still, if they wanted, set the inside up as a squared front. I wouldnt, but they could if their layouts work best with a squared up front interior.

Also keep in mind your not just talking about the extra MPG...you also have to add the extra wear and tear on the tow vehicle, the stronger vehicle that may be needed, etc. Rather than have to upgrade my truck and then pay more for gas, i would rather have the house made right to begin with.

But, i may be missing something in these Salems that i didnt realixze wouldnt work with a V Nose. My honest opinion is they found a way to do it cheaper and thats why they do it that way. Which isnt neccesarily a bad thing, if the purchase price reflects that cheaper building process.

[blue_healer_guy]

imo, the v front is way overated. every v front ive been in has just been a wasted space. yeah theres a pizzer in there, a few odds and ends, but its 3 or 4 ft of non used space. add a flat with 3 or 4 ft and options are endless. the mpg ratio is a joke imo of what you could have. how many of you that have a v front actually use the pizzer. most go outside.

[Wanderer]

The Ice Cabins I've looked at all have pizzers in em. Ya kinda have to when you get into that type of house or they won't be popular.

Tell me this on Ice Castles or other V front houses - where do they measure the length? I'm betting it's from stem to stern and the front of your V is included in the overall length just like the front of the Ice Cabins. That means with a wider front, the same length house will have more overall interior square footage than the same length V nose house.

One other thing to look at is the suspension. The Ice Cabins have true leaf spring suspension. I would seriously consider how strong that is compared to other options, especially for long trips. I'll gladly burn a little more fuel to have the peace of mind that my suspension is solid.

[AlligatorDundee]

Semis tractor trailers have no v.

Most the air is broke by the tow vehicle.

I would rather see it at the top so air

is deflected up and over it.

[AlligatorDundee]

I would be more concerned about the weight distribution.

I rented a 2011 Salem Ice Cabin 16ds model for free. The kitchen was

located at the rear so was all weight. It hammered on my truck. It wanted to

pick up the rear end of the truck and slam it back down. The next model year

a foot was added to the trailers tongue length on 16 footers.

IT WAS WORTH IT THOUGH SOME OF THE MOST FUN I

HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! SHE OUT FISHED ME.

[David Anderson]

Chad,

Asking why Salem doesn't make a V nose is like asking why a Ranger makes the hull the way they do. Yes, maybe a Skeeter is faster on the water but in the end what is it you want? Salem is made by Forest River, an RV company in Elkhart Lake, Indiana. Their models are base on the "toy hauler" series of travel trailers adapted for ice fishing using their proven design, frame, and tow ability. My cabin (8x20RD) is 20 feet long, in an Ice Castle it would be a 8 x 16. A V front adds about 4 feet but is essentially 1/2 the area then adding the tongue, their 8 x 16 is the same length and about the same weight as mine. I guess that's just what they do and if a V front is the first thing on your list, you can cross off a Salem or their sister brand, True North Ice Lodge. You aren't missing something, it's just tops on your list....Chevy/Ford....

As far as wear and tear, my GMC 1500 is rated for 9500# towing capacity which is double what my Salem weighs, it handles it fine but as stated takes about 20 miles to get used to the feel.

[Chad Holst]

Actually, that is not true about length.

For example i just built a 8x16 house. that means the "box" is 8x16 PLUS a V nose. So when you compair a V nose house that is advertised as a 8x16 and a flat nose 8x16 the V nose has the same room PLUS the V nose section. this is pretty standard in the industry, This is why they often advertise in the format "8x16 + 4 foot V nose" or something similiar.

So, again, you dont loose ANY interior, you simply gain some added space. If the price is the same for the 2 types, and all other things are equal, then i would take the extra space and added MPG and towability.

I'm not saying that the Ice Cabin isnt a good house..I dont know. They may have a much better product than everyone else... I'm simply asking why wouldnt they make it a V nose? It wouldnt hurt anything but it would/could help.

The analogy with the Boat manufacturers is Spot on...Those companies have a reason or "pro's and con's" as to why they choose one style over the other. So, i'm asking...whats the pro's and Con's to cabin not using a V nose?

It sounds like Daivid has answered that question. It sounds like it is because they dont make Ice houses, they make RV's and simply wanted to modify there camper to a new market. Fair enough. but they should understand that other companies are then competing with them, and those companies use a V Nose. I cant imagine that Team Lodge, Castle, Yeti... all went with V nose houses because they DIDNT work better. lol.

Just to be clear you said:

Quote:

My cabin (8x20RD) is 20 feet long, in an Ice Castle it would be a 8 x 16

That is not accurate. It would be an 8x20 + V nose in an Ice Castle.

Thats why i said, if you dont like the interior of the V nose, you could still do a house that has a squared front interior and still have the exact same sized house as the cabin. Why wouldnt you want the added little space a V nose gets you? In the one we built, that V nose allowed for a pizzer and the stove/oven/stove hood and cabinet space AND the batteries AND the converter AND the inverter AND coat hooks AND 1/2 the needed space for the furnace AND an exterior spot to attach the 2 30lb propane tank box without it making the house wider than 8 feet wide. Some people would want that added space. I't sounds like some people dont care if they have that added space. If you dont mind loosing space and having a flat nose to pull...then the Cabin may be a house to look at.

Finally, someone said they dont buy into the V nose vs Flat nose being easier to pull. Honestly i dont know which is beeter, but common sence would suggest that a pointed front would pull better than a flat front. How much better? I have no idea and really dont care. All i need to know is that i'm 100% sure the flat nose isnt BETTER tan the V nose, and that the V nose "could" be better than the flat. What do you have to loose in a V nose? Which is all im trying to figure out. If it were me, I'd either have a reason to use a flat nose front on the house i built, or go with a style that is V'ed. If the answer is simply "becuase i didnt build this to be a fish house" then i cant complane when a fish house builder makes it with a better design.

I can see why a camper company may not want a more streamlined front...the added length is an issue when camping space may be limited. Why build it longer than needed... but when we are talking about putting an Ice house on a big ole lake...who cares if its a few feet longer. room generally isnt an issue.

[Iceman1026]

I think I'm getting the Salem but I was reading more and noticed it has a 550 pound hitch weight just seems like a lot but I guess I really don't know what mine is never really said any input and has anybody had to use any equalizers

Thanks

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

That 550# is a good thing. That weight is what keeps you from swaying around, and with a long single axle, more is definitely better. General rule of thumb is 10-15% of the gross weight should be on the tongue.

If the truck sags, for $300 you can put the airbags in. One of the best improvements I've done on any truck, hands down.

[JSK76]

Is the Salem ice cabin the same as True North ice Lodge? It looks like its made by the same place.

I missed out on a rediculious deal on one last week, the one that was listed on the classifieds on here. I asked the guy if I could come see it and he said he had some errands to run but his fiancé could show it to me. I figured I give him time to do what he need to do and when I texted him back hours latter he had sold it. Someone out there is a very happy Ice Cabin owner and I wish it was me! Next time I'm going to Johnny on the spot but I really don't think I run into a deal like that again.

[icefishing7777]

I own a 8x14 fishouse with a three foot v and a frame length of 17ft plus the tongue and hitch. a 8 x 17 house with a flat front would have a frame length of 17ft as well plus tongue and hitch both would have the same distance from hitch to front of the house giving the flat front more fishable sq footage...the v front is not some hidden sq footage its added to the length of the frame and the tongue and hitch distance stays the same no matter what version you build

as far as aerodynamics goes I don't buy the fact that v fronts helps with gas that much nor do they help pulling into the wind...i've pulled a 8x20 four place snowmobile trailer with more weight and it pulls just as good and even better in situations when your driving north like most of us fisherman do...if the v front really helped im sure we would see everyone hauling for a living or making their living off of the camper industry with a v front on there rig...pretty sure they have done their homework on what really works and whats aseptically pleasing such as a v front on a fish house.