Salem ice cabin

[Wanderer]

Are you plugged in or on battery power?

[Iceman1026]

I'm just running of the battery I thought about that I'm going to plug it in soon and then see if it still does it

[JSK76]

My guess is your battery is low and you don't have enough juice to do both.

[Iceman1026]

Does it when it's plugged in the power to just found out after I plugged it in you can still hear static on the speakers but no music and I can't control any of the buttons it's just like their stuck volume doesn't go up or down can't change the channel but it stays on

[Iceman1026]

And just found out that the TV signal goes out when the furnace kicks on too finding this a little strange

[Iceman1026]

got the TV to work had to move lol still does it with the radio not every time when heater kicks in but most of the times when it kicks in it or goes out it's just the radio you can still hear static

[Gus]

Did you buy it new or used?

If new, I would let the dealer figure it out. Something isn't right.

Running from battery, shore power, or generator, I get no static in my TV or radio with or without the furnace running.

[Gus]

I can't say that I've ever noticed much roof melt on mine that I didn't think was caused by warm weather.

What year is yours?

When I was talking to the factory rep that was on site at the sport show he did tell me that they had improved insulation over previous models. Fact or Fiction, that's what he told me. Mine is a 2014.

I wouldn't say it's insulated as well as my old 8x10 skid house which had 1.5" of foam. But it's a house twice the size and finished with a ramp door, more windows, and AC unit on the roof. My skid house had exposed foam and 1 small window. Night and day differences in construction.

I don't doubt that these are not as well insulated as a spray foamed house, but I think they rival any other house that isn't foamed.

[JSK76]

It's a 2010. I had the heat on most of the day yesterday and it didn't seem to get any worse but it's been really cold, so possible too cold to melt? Most of the icicles I had have disappeared. It does look like there might be an layer of ice under the snow on the roof from melting then freezing. I did pull a speaker out of the ceiling to look how it's insulated and was hoping for foam but it's that white non itchy stuff that looks like fiberglass, reminds me of Thinsulate. BTW what year did they start making the Ice Cabin?

[JSK76]

After looking at my garage and seeing icicles too and that roof is 5.5" of open cell spray foam and the garage is only heated to 40*, so I'm not going to worry about it. This is a weird time of year when the sun has a lot of power to melt even when the outside temp isn't very warm. Also with the AC unit on top I've got to be losing some heat and plan on insulating the inside of it during the winter months.

[dougger222]

A few years ago pulled a 6.5x14 plus V single axle IC fish house a few hundred miles and thought it towed horrible. Didn't use a little half ton gasser either pulled it with a 3/4 ton diesel.

I would say the 8x20 Dreamshak (semi flat front/same as Salems) pulls easier than the 14ft IC house. My thoughts are the double axle help with towing quite a bit. With a wheeler in it and full of gear it pulls about the same as being empty. Not sure on the tongue weight but I can lift the tongue off the ground by hand so it can't be more than 250 pounds. Guessing the house weighs around 2 ton. It's got a steel frame with aluminum walls and ceiling along with exterior.

The rubber floor is a nice idea and I've seen some of the houses at the ice show with the rear cargo door with a snap on fabric which is a great idea too. More than likely a place that does custom boat covers would quite easily make one. I've notice some frost build up on the aluminum part of the door frame on my house when it's really cold out. This fabric cover could help prevent this.

As far as v versus flat or angled front trailers. Spent some time a few years ago reading posts on a towing forum. One member commented that he owned the exact same enclosed trailers in both V and flat fronts. Overall he thought the flat front towed slightly better than the V. His thoughts were no head wind at all it's a wash. If there's head wind at angles the V is an a disadvantage over the flat front as it pushes on the trailer at an angle were the V is. The member put tens of thousands of miles on both trailers and pulled them with the same vehicle.

The V is a nice option when your fishing it in as you gain some interior room and the oven/bathroom is a very nice use of the extra interior space.

Seeing more and more smaller enclosed trailers with V fronts. A couple friends of mine own the Stealth 14's and they seem nice a decent trailer, if only they could crank down on the ice...

Air bags are nice got them in two of my work trucks. One has an on board compressor which is really nice to be able to let air in and out while driving down the road.

Also have to agree when using the large wheeled houses you really need to run a generator. Used to run a forced air furnace in a camper turned fish house and the Dreamshak also has a forced air furnace and the batteries drain pretty quick with the lights on and running the furnace. Worst thing is when it's time to go and your battery is low it won't power up the hydraulics.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

A few years ago pulled a 6.5x14 plus V single axle IC fish house a few hundred miles and thought it towed horrible. Didn't use a little half ton gasser either pulled it with a 3/4 ton diesel.

I would say the 8x20 Dreamshak (semi flat front/same as Salems) pulls easier than the 14ft IC house. My thoughts are the double axle help with towing quite a bit. With a wheeler in it and full of gear it pulls about the same as being empty. Not sure on the tongue weight but I can lift the tongue off the ground by hand so it can't be more than 250 pounds. Guessing the house weighs around 2 ton. It's got a steel frame with aluminum walls and ceiling along with exterior.

The rubber floor is a nice idea and I've seen some of the houses at the ice show with the rear cargo door with a snap on fabric which is a great idea too. More than likely a place that does custom boat covers would quite easily make one. I've notice some frost build up on the aluminum part of the door frame on my house when it's really cold out. This fabric cover could help prevent this.

As far as v versus flat or angled front trailers. Spent some time a few years ago reading posts on a towing forum. One member commented that he owned the exact same enclosed trailers in both V and flat fronts. Overall he thought the flat front towed slightly better than the V. His thoughts were no head wind at all it's a wash. If there's head wind at angles the V is an a disadvantage over the flat front as it pushes on the trailer at an angle were the V is. The member put tens of thousands of miles on both trailers and pulled them with the same vehicle.

The V is a nice option when your fishing it in as you gain some interior room and the oven/bathroom is a very nice use of the extra interior space.

Seeing more and more smaller enclosed trailers with V fronts. A couple friends of mine own the Stealth 14's and they seem nice a decent trailer, if only they could crank down on the ice...

Air bags are nice got them in two of my work trucks. One has an on board compressor which is really nice to be able to let air in and out while driving down the road.

Also have to agree when using the large wheeled houses you really need to run a generator. Used to run a forced air furnace in a camper turned fish house and the Dreamshak also has a forced air furnace and the batteries drain pretty quick with the lights on and running the furnace. Worst thing is when it's time to go and your battery is low it won't power up the hydraulics.

I've always been afraid of that scenario, so I run a separate (small) battery and on board charger for my hydraulic pump. It probably cost about $75 for the battery, and $50 for the charger, but it is $125 very well spent.

[dougger222]

LRG,

The small battery works fine to lift up the house? So you have the smaller battery dedicated for the pumps running off the battery charger which runs off your invertor unit? In other words when your plugged in your pump battery is being charged?

When I bought the house it was set up to run on just one battery for everything. Will have to figure out the dedicated pump battery, sounds like a great idea.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

LRG,

The small battery works fine to lift up the house? So you have the smaller battery dedicated for the pumps running off the battery charger which runs off your invertor unit? In other words when your plugged in your pump battery is being charged?

When I bought the house it was set up to run on just one battery for everything. Will have to figure out the dedicated pump battery, sounds like a great idea.

If I think of it, I'll check the battery size next time I'm out. I think it's a group 24 though. Works perfectly.

My main power outlet from shore or generator power runs to a 110/12v converter box. From the 110 side I have 5 outlets powered, including one that is by my hydraulic pump. I have a single bank Minn Kota charger I keep plugged into it all the time, so any time the house is getting 110, the battery is getting charged. No inverter in my setup.

My 12 volt power is provided through the 12 volt side of the converter, or from the 2 6 volt batteries I have on board.

[SnowGuy73]

How hard are the window covers to make and how did you attach them?

Thanks!

[JHillMN]

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.

Yes, i would say the Flat Front makes no difference. With my 1500 Avalanche I pulled a 7x14 V Front, enclosed TandemAx Trailer with an ATV inside and it pulled like a tank and caught wind at every opportunity. Hooked up to my dads flat front 8x16 home made wheel house (thick steel frame) and it pulled like a 6x12.

Lot of factors that go into trailers, but I am unconvinced of Vfront as anything but design preference. Any cross wind will hit the V, but not Flat front. Pulling stright into wind the truck will break 95% of trailers wind.

Salem 8x20 should be compared to 8x16 IC- which is probly Salems logic for making flat front. 8x20 Salem is a single axle, with more space than 8x16 VFront IC (square 8x20 vs sq 8x16 plus a V) but similar weight.

Tandem IC 8x20 is going to bigger than 8x20 Salem, but not really fair to compare a Tandem with 4 extra feet...

I like the flat front better for space, but didn't really like the layouts Salem offered.

[Iceman1026]

since I've only used mine this spring and summer being I got it at the end of the season I have not put the jacks down with the buttons inside the house only the buttons on the jacks just wondering in the winter if you could use them to jack it up or would it be too long of a run for the wires drawing that much consistently for the amount of time it takes