2014 Fish house build

[honda400ex_treme]

Well I decided to start building a house this summer. Coming along slowly but surely. Just thought I would share some pictures with you guys

[honda400ex_treme]

Any ideas for some interior finishes would be great. It's going to have aluminum fold up bunks and 2 benches that fold down into a bed. I have a forced air furnace. Catch covers, stove/oven. Trying not to cut any corners

[eagle_3464]

Very nice so far. What size steel tubing did you use for the wall framing? Electric jacks will make easy work or raising and lowering. I used manual jacks on mine with the design option to possibly add electric when I get old. Looks like you have a lot of house to the back side of your jacks.

Keep up the good work and continue to update as your build progresses.

[honda400ex_treme]

Thanks! Walls are 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 16ga. Top tube and roof are 2 x 1 1/2 x 14ga. Rolling before walls I was at around 615lbs with jacks/rims/tires. Hoping to keep it under 3000lbs finished. I didn't want to put the jacks behind the wheels so they wouldn't get damaged by flying ice/gravel/road debris.

[JbuZZo]

what is the frame made out of? gauge?

[honda400ex_treme]

Finally getting to the inside. What has everyone used for the ceiling in their houses?

[honda400ex_treme]

what is the frame made out of? gauge?

mostly 3x2x14 ga, with main runners being 3x2x11ga and wheel assembly and drop tounge out of 3x2x1/4

[eagle_3464]

Lots of guys are using the 5/16" T&G throughout the house. It is lightweight and inexpensive when on sale at the big DIY store. I used FRP to really brighten it up. Of course FRP requires a backer so I used 1/4" plywood.

[RiverChuckNorris]

Rubber Flooring! Best decision I made for my house. Growing up with perms with carpet, I like rubber better because hooks don't get stuck in it, it dries faster, it's more sanitary and easy to clean.

[honda400ex_treme]

Lots of guys are using the 5/16" T&G throughout the house. It is lightweight and inexpensive when on sale at the big DIY store. I used FRP to really brighten it up. Of course FRP requires a backer so I used 1/4" plywood

I was thinking of using this, already finished and light weight. What do you guys think?

[honda400ex_treme]

Rubber Flooring! Best decision I made for my house. Growing up with perms with carpet, I like rubber better because hooks don't get stuck in it, it dries faster, it's more sanitary and easy to clean.

I have bedliner on the frame also on the top and bottom side of plywood. Was thinking of maybe just a couple rugs. I think it should compare to rubber flooring?

[honda400ex_treme]

Got the roof on this weeked. Spray foamed it myself and got the trailer lights mounted. Hopefully get windows and door put in this weekend and get trailer lights wired in.

[eagle_3464]

I looked up this panel and it appears to be a wood veneer product and not MDF so you should be ok. I used a similar panel, only oak, on the lower part of my house. It's still a bit on the thin side so used a 1/4" plywood backing.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I assume you are planning to add furring strips?

[honda400ex_treme]

I assume you are planning to add furring strips?

Do you think I should? I was thinking of running self tappers into the steel suds. Also pondering the idea of some of this over the steel studs before paneling...

[lispeej]

Nice!! Mind sharing approx how much this cost you so far?

[elkoholic]

I would put furring strips on our ur gonna transfer thru the steel stud.

[honda400ex_treme]

Nice!! Mind sharing approx how much this cost you so far?

I work as a shop foreman for a steel company so my cost for steel and the alum is pretty cheap. Still adding up way too fast. Im thinking about 3,500 to 4,000 but i have all my lights, doors, windows, heater, stove i will prolly have around 7,500 into everything when its done

[BuckSutherland]

I would put furring strips on our ur gonna transfer thru the steel stud.

What he said. You better do something. If you were just to put your paneling to the steel studs you are gonna have some serious condensation, and probably rot your paneling pretty quickly. I dont like your steel studs at all in constructing a fish house, for many reasons, but this is probably the top one.

[Fish2500]

Sorry this kinda off the subject. I Have a 2004 UtraShack. Any ideas on what to replace the winch straps with if they break?

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

You'll have a lifetime of troubles if you don't use 3/4" furring strips. I've been in many enclosed trailers with metal studs and no furring strips, and then condense horribly. Any wood paneling would be shot after 2-3 years.

If you pull up my build, I ran them horizontally and insulated between them. Another option is the cover the entire stud top to bottom with the furring strip.

[BuckSutherland]

You'll have a lifetime of troubles if you don't use 3/4" furring strips. I've been in many enclosed trailers with metal studs and no furring strips, and then condense horribly. Any wood paneling would be shot after 2-3 years.

If you pull up my build, I ran them horizontally and insulated between them. Another option is the cover the entire stud top to bottom with the furring strip.

This is exactly why wood should have been used in the first place. And please dont take this as criticism cause its not mean to be at all, more an FYI for other guys looking to build their own. You went through all the work and expense of using steel, and now in the end you have to put up wood anyway?? And even with the furring strips there still may be considerable condensation depending on the fastener system used, and you are losing just a little bit more room. Steel is simply too expensive for most of us, more of a pain to work with, and if you cant figure out how to make the wood frame house not fall apart you need to really assess if you can build your own house.

[honda400ex_treme]

So far I would never build one out of wood. With working in a steel ware house. All materials and equipment needed to do this build is at my fingertips. Plus the straightness and trueness cannot be matched with lumber that warps and twists. My opinion could change after a season in the house. But So far no regrets.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

Sounds like you have a pretty strong opinion on steel. That's fine, but I disagree with it, and I've built with both. Without question, steel gives you a vastly superior finished product.

Steel (tube steel to be clear) is way stronger, perfectly straight, lighter, and works a lot better with screwless roof and siding installation. Plus, you don't have to rip down 2x4's and pre-drill. And metal doesn't rot.

There are two potential drawbacks.

1) Cost is slightly more. Metal framing in my 20' house was $694. Wood would have been roughly $250-300, so not substantially more.

2) Condensation IF you don't use furring strips. Use them and you'll have no problems. Regular wood studs are not free from condensation, either.

[leech~~]

Sounds like you have a pretty strong opinion on steel. That's fine, but I disagree with it, and I've built with both. Without question, steel gives you a vastly superior finished product.

Steel (tube steel to be clear) is way stronger, perfectly straight, lighter, and works a lot better with screwless roof and siding installation. Plus, you don't have to rip down 2x4's and pre-drill. And metal doesn't rot.

There are two potential drawbacks.

1) Cost is slightly more. Metal framing in my 20' house was $694. Wood would have been roughly $250-300, so not substantially more.

2) Condensation IF you don't use furring strips. Use them and you'll have no problems. Regular wood studs are not free from condensation, either.

Not sure if I agree with the "lighter" part?

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I should clarify what I mean by 'lighter'. The weight savings comes from doing a one piece aluminum roof with steel studs. This allowed me to eliminate the weight of a rubber roof (~100#), glue (~20#), (6) sheets of plywood (~250#). A total of ~350# +/-.

A wood 2x4 weighs 1.6# per foot (depending on moisture). A steel 1x2x16ga weights 1.2# per foot. Using full 2x4's for the roof, around windows and doors, and in the corners basically evens out any weight difference for using ripped 2x4's for the rest of the studs. There is also additional weight for joist hangers and screws.

[honda400ex_treme]

I should clarify what I mean by 'lighter'. The weight savings comes from doing a one piece aluminum roof with steel studs. This allowed me to eliminate the weight of a rubber roof (~100#), glue (~20#), (6) sheets of plywood (~250#). A total of ~350# +/-.

A wood 2x4 weighs 1.6# per foot (depending on moisture). A steel 1x2x16ga weights 1.2# per foot. Using full 2x4's for the roof, around windows and doors, and in the corners basically evens out any weight difference for using ripped 2x4's for the rest of the studs. There is also additional weight for joist hangers and screws.

What did you use for your ceiling in your house?

[magicstix]

Not trying to hi jack your thread. Question for anyone.

Being your working with metal why fasten walls to frame with studs? Why not just weld it? Also why do folks put down floor board then walls on top? Why not put walls up first, then put the floor inside walls in case one may have to replace in the future?

Furring strip? If folks are saying you must use furring strips or walls wall get stains and rot where studs are, what's not keeping the furring strips from rotting and not your walls? Same on the floor Why doesn't the floor rot, it's screwed to a metal frame?

[honda400ex_treme]

A few more pics. Going to get a vynl wrap on the door to match the house. Got all the trailer lights done, windows/door installed this weekend and outside all sealed up. Just ordered the 2 flip sofas and each one will have a bunk above it to sleep 4.

[dirtymike]

Not going to lie, it looks pretty dang nice. You going to stick it on sakakawea most of the year?