Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

looking for our first sleeper house, what to buy?


waxworm09

Recommended Posts

We are looking to buy our first fish house and would like some opinions on what to buy. We are looking for something up to 5 or 6 years old. Something between 6.5 by 12 or max 8 by 16 with 2 bunks in the 5-10 k range. What is a good quality brand? We want something we can haul up to red lake a few times each winter, fish the local Willmar area, and also use as a camper for 3 of us in the summer. We found a very nice 8 by 24 in the area for 12k but think that might be too big and heavy for us since we want to head up north with it quite a bit? What are our best options on size, brand, options? Thanks for any help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I own a 8x16, 2011 Ice Castle. It's great but I wouldn't buy another one without the galvanized frame and they only started galvanizing last year (2014 models I believe).

If you have $10k to drop, I'd spend another $2k at the Ice show and get a new one with galvanized frame. They also usually will throw in a Honda 2000 gen if you buy at the show so that would make up some for the extra budget spend.

Last 2 suggestions are to go 8' wide, not the 6.5' and we put in the rubber floor and love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was more interested in the 8 over the 6.5, but I have been told by a couple guys that if i am hauling the house up north quite a bit the 6.5 is a better choice because they tow much better than the 8? Not sure if that is accurate but thats what i was told.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As said, don't buy a painted steel frame. Most look like chit after a couple of years, even with maintenance. Been there, done that.....

I have a Yetti now and couldn't be happier with the looks of the frame after two winters and thousands of miles down salty roads. The galvanized frames available now would be a great choice too.

If you plan on towing A LOT with a half ton, the 6.5' is the way to go. If you are only making one or two long trips a year, or have a 3/4 or one ton to pull, I would go with an 8' all day long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will be pulling with a half ton, probably 5 or 6 trips between 3-6 hours each trip each year. A few trips ice fishing each winter, and a few trips camping each summer. That too much for an 8'? I found a used 2014 ice castle 6.5 by 12' with two bunks and a fold down dinette, an oven and stereo for $8800 at a dealer in the area, doesnt seem too bad but 12' might be getting a bit small for 3 of us..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would be awfully tight for three people. If you get a 6.5 for three people, I would recommend a 16' plus the 3' vee.

Summer towing is not nearly as bad, and I wouldn't hesitate with a big shack (8 wide) if you are only doing a few long winter drives.

Just take your time on marginal roads and set your trailer brakes light if it's icy or snowy. One time it took us almost 11 hours to get home from LOTW in an ice/snow storm......my knuckles were as white as the stuff hitting the windshield.. but we made it home in one piece wink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another option, no matter what size shack you buy, is to leave it up north for back to back fishing trips.

A bunch of places will let you park on land, for as little as a dollar a day. If you can get up there two or three times in as many weeks, it's a no brainer for your stress level and you'll also be money ahead on fuel. I have a buddy that lives 45 minutes from Red (and right on my way) that lets me park my shack in his driveway if I plan on getting back up again soon.

It sure is a lot more relaxing bobtailing grin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a 6x12 with a 2' semi V for the last 10 years and just went to a 8x16'. I've camped with the 8x16 4 times this summer now and really like the extra room but I really miss the narrower house. I didn't need trailer brakes before, could see cars behind with standard mirrors and pulled like a dream. I never pulled a big camper before so I always feel stressed (wait for winter roads) when pulling it and didn't with my 6' wide one. It was easy to pull out with the four wheeler and could get out on less ice too. I love the extra space, especially having a bathroom now and the idea of heading up to red or low with 2 other buddy's. I've actually contemplated selling it and going to a 6.5x16 with a bathroom but I will give it a winter to see how it goes.

Wether you go with a dealer or private party I would ask if you can pull it a few miles to see if your comfortable with it first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well we found a 6.5 by 16 Lodge fish house we are very interested in. My next question- when you buy a wheel house, i assume they have to be registered? Do they have a title? Do you pay sales tax and registration on a house? We are looking at spending 8K on the house, what will my final cost be? Not sure if we pay tax and registration and price will jack up to $8700, or how exactly that works. Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most new or newer fish houses are license and registered as rvs it they are sleepers

If you plan on financing it I would look at interest rates and term of loan sometimes you would be better off buying new maybe more but would benefit in the long run more also for long trips tandems are nice if you can justify the extra cost

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.