Salem ice cabin

[sportfish]

I looked at a True North 20 foot model and than ordered a Ice Castle , I liked the v front it pulls Great . I also felt that the True North was built to light like a camper and wanted some thing that would hold up to winter abuse . But buy what fits ur needs

[Chad Holst]

Icefishing7777,

Are you really trying to argue that a pointed devise pulled into the wind vs a flat devise pulled into the wind will not make a significant difference?

Again, im not saying that this or that company may not make great ice houses, but lets be realistic here. A V nose is going to cut air much better than a flat front, or "flatter" front house.

You bring up commercial haulers... Yes, they do the same thing. How many flat nose long haul trucks do you see? They are all designed with some level of aerodynamics. Sure, the trailer is flat, beacuse the "v" part of the equation is the tow truck. You can argue/claim all you want about how you pulled a brick better than a needle, but it doesnt change the reality of common sense.

Alot of variables go into MPG and wear on the tow vehicle. To really see how much a "V" nose is better (it obviously would be) you would have to use the same vehicle in the same conditions to tow 2 houses that are the same in all aspects, 1 with a V and 1 with a Flat nose. I would suspect that the difference would be noticable. I would also suspect that there is no reason to PREFFER a Flat nose, when all things are equall, and thats why no one has came up with a real argument as to why a real fish house manufacturer wouldnt use a V other than ease of build and cost. (both are good reasons, if it makes the house less expensive to buy, for some purchasers)

[AlligatorDundee]

BUY THE ONE THAT CATCHES MORE FISH!

DON'T WORRY ABOUT CATCHING THE WIND!

[David Anderson]

Chad,

You are really stuck on this one! So, sitting in my Salem this weekend, having a cocktail, I'm looking at everything and thinking about your insistence on V vs Flat. First of all, my Salem is not a perfectly flat front. At about the bumper height it has a sharp angle to the bottom, I suspect close to 45 degrees. From that point, there is about a 15 degree angle to about a foot from the top where it sharply angles back to the top of the unit and is finished off at the exterior with a radius. It would appear as though the front has some subtle design that not unlike a roof deflector on the cab of a semi truck, works in conjunction with the air flow over the cab of a pickup truck to create what may in fact be a quite efficient design. We do know that air flow around an object is as critical to aerodynamics as demonstrated by the wingtips of an airliner, those little winglets add weight and additional drag yet they disrupt the airflow enough to actually make the plane fly more efficient. Although V fronts make most of us think, geez it just has to be more aerodynamic, suppose for a minute that combined with the distance of the tongue coupled with the fact that the propane tanks are mounted on one side which might cause a nonlinear airflow to create a MPG robbing suction between that side and the back of the truck. Maybe that bumper height vertical separation which starts the 45 degree angle downward somehow minimizes the suction vortex's present between the road and the bottom of the trailer which might actually give one more benefit than the apparent advantages the V front obviously brings to the design. I suspect your guess is as good as mine if you care to think outside the box, sort to speak. I also believe that tow ability is just as important to a company who makes more towable living spaces in one year than possibly all the V front ice houses ever made. Now I suppose this could be answered by enlisting the help of someone who has access to a wind tunnel but then again, who wants to be proven wrong! Therefore we are back to tomato/tomatoe, potato/potatoe. Unfortunately it looks like the season is about done anyway. Thanks

[Dozer]

They would all be more areodynamic if they where pulled backwards. The big flat rear pulling all the air is way more of a concern IMO.

[icefishing7777]

Chad Holst,

Why must you argue with every point other then your own...did you finally break out the tape measure and figure out how to measure a v-front vs a flat front? Where is your big come back for that?Ive owned both styles of houses and theres no way i can argue one is better then the other for pulling..

I dont need to type paragraph after paragraph to prove anything...your a loud mouth sitting behind a computer. A guy oringal posted about a salem ice cabin, not what does chad think is the best!

[Iceman1026]

Got the ice cabin today to my surprise pulls better than the ice castle I had

[JSK76]

I just bought a 8x16 with the rear doors and if I drive over 54 mph it starts to sway pretty bad anyone else have this issue? I'm thinking because of the weight of the queen bed and all the metal hard wear for lowering and raising it in the back is taking weight of the hitch. It didn't seem to squat my truck much at all so I'm thinking its lack of tung weight.

[Iceman1026]

I drove 60-65 the whole way home on Friday and it was pretty windy and it didn't sway at all I thought I did really good and I got the 8 x 20 I was also going to ask what people have done for modifications in their house or what they added rather just to get some ideas seems like a guy could do a lot on the inside

[AlligatorDundee]

I altered one for my style

Of fishing. I put a tip up at

Each end. Under glass so you can step on them. Like a glass bottom boat.

[JSK76]

Alligator, your Salem is insane! By far my favorite I've seen.I've actually seen these pics before and when I bought my Salem my GF didn't think it was very homey being a toy hauler,rubber flooring and lift up bed. I showed her your pics and she saw the potential in ours. I hope over the summer I can get mine 50% as homey as yours!

[Iceman1026]

Wow that is a nice set up inside got me thinking

[Gus]

I've mounted a TV/DVD and installed the Wii for my son.

Built cedar coat rack by the front door.

Built a Cedar rod holder for the wall.

Mounted an under cabinet LED light under the queen drop bed. (it can be dark in the back after light)

I had the dealer upgrade all of the lights to LED's. Love them.

If you haven't gotten the insulator pillow type things for the ceiling vents, do that. They generate a lot of condensation if you don't. I tried just one in the main cabin and left the closet without at first. The first warm day it was raining in the closet from all the frost on the vent. I now have two of them.

I had AC put in for the summer.

I wired in a connection point for my Big Volt auger.

Camo curtains for the windows.

I'd like to come up with a shelf system for inside some of the cabinets. If anyone has done this let me know.

I'll try to take some pics of some of my mods, but I haven't taken any yet.

I've used a silicone wax/lube around all of the door gaskets and surfaces and haven't had any freeze up issues. A bit of frost, but nothing that got anywhere close to freezing the door up. Spent several nights at -30. Never a propane issue at all and I'm still running the stock 20# tanks.

I love the 20SV and the open fishable layout it provides. Many other brands have hole placement so ridiculous a guy could only ever fish a rattle reel out of them. I prefer to be actively fishing so a fishing layout was one of my main considerations.

[AlligatorDundee]

I showed her your pics and she saw the potential in ours. I hope over the summer I can get mine 50% as homey as yours!

Uh oh... hide the credit cards or she will be calling NEIMEN MARCUS!

I am sure that if you incorporate her help it will be so cozy even the fish won't want to leave.

[Iceman1026]

Anyone looked to see if you can use the space under the couch ?

[AlligatorDundee]

I make Thermo Grain Window Covers.

-23 degrees frost free.

58 days and nights straight

in the cabin this season.

I would not do it with out window covers.

[Gus]

Anyone looked to see if you can use the space under the couch ?

Under the couch is easy to access. It's just a 1/4 luan pannel dropped into place. Mine wasn't even screwed down. You can get at the inverter/converter there and also at the battery. Towards the front is open and free for making use of, but it's not easy to get into because the couch stays put. You could do a cabinet door in the wall of the bench or you could just use it for emergency type supplies. I keep a few things in there.

[Gus]

The window covers look like a great addition!

I got quite a bit of frost on the wind blown side of the ice cabin especially. The cedar will soak up that water when it melts and cause some staining. That is one bad thing so far I guess.

[Gus]

Has anyone done a snap or velcro on screen door for the ramp access? I'm considering that for the summer.

[Iceman1026]

Do the TV mounts lock in the wall position and if so where do you find them this weekend I'm going to pull the couch out I think my power cord is loose in there too just for storage

[JSK76]

You guys having any luck with the stock digital antennae? I just bought my house used and haven't had it out on the lake yet but I can't get a single station in my yard and I do have the switch pushed in and the green light is on. Not sure if it's defective or there just not very good. My old house in my yard I would get a good handful of stations with conventional antenna. I did pull down the wall plate and checked to make sure it was plugged in and it is but I wonder if there is an other connection up at the antenna it's self.

[Wanderer]

I'd like to come up with a shelf system for inside some of the cabinets. If anyone has done this let me know.

Another option is to use clear, stackable storage containers for your stuff. You can store all your similar items together neatly and visibly and not have to worry about stuff shifting around much.

[cableguy2]

That's what I did in my IC. Worked great for the pots n pans and other containers. Utensil drawer too.

[LindellProStaf]

What a great looking house Dundee....

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

You guys having any luck with the stock digital antennae? I just bought my house used and haven't had it out on the lake yet but I can't get a single station in my yard and I do have the switch pushed in and the green light is on. Not sure if it's defective or there just not very good. My old house in my yard I would get a good handful of stations with conventional antenna. I did pull down the wall plate and checked to make sure it was plugged in and it is but I wonder if there is an other connection up at the antenna it's self.

It might be a directional antenna.

[Gus]

Using the powered antenna on mine, in the metro, I can get 30 some channels. Up near Deer River, 1 or 2 if I'm lucky.

I picked up a TV mount that is like a Vee. I didn't install the set screw, that way I can pull the TV off the wall easily for transport. Back in the box it goes.

Found mine on amazon. It doesn't reach side to side as far as some, but it works for what I had in mind.

eforCity 349453 10 To 24-Inch Tilt Swing Arm for Wall Mount Tv

[JSK76]

It's round so I would think its omni directional.

[AlligatorDundee]

What a great looking house Dundee....

Thanks.

Welcome to the Four Seasons...

You have Summer... in the kitchen.

Winter... in the living room.

I like to see their reaction to the live

plant when they walk in.

[JSK76]

Last night we got about 4" of snow and tonight I went out to figure out how I want to set up the house. I had the heater set to 65 for about 3 hours it was about 9* out. When I stepped outside I noticed I have icicles running down the house that weren't there before I turned on the heat. I've only had the house for about a week so this is the first snow I've see on it. I'm really concerned the roof isn't insulated very well. On my old house I had 1 1/2" of the cheap white bead styrofoam and I never got icicles.

It might not look like much but what happens when I bump up the heat to 70* and it been running all weekend?

[Iceman1026]

So I'm out working in the ice cabin today and each time my furnace kicks in my radio goes out as anybody had this happen before I'm guessing it's just a short somewhere but I'm not the greatest with radios not sure where to look any help would be great thanks