CAUTION;fishhouse on wheels

[cmpeterson1]

After leaving URLSat.nite I saw another fishhouse belly up in the ditch.Thats the 5th house that I know of that broke down.(2were totaled)I know every fishermen would love a house on wheels,with all the bells& whistles.Great then buy 1 from a company that makes them for living.(ultra shack,king crow etc.)Or if your on a budget,have your frame built by company who is qualified.Then build your house on that.I seen here while back,a guy said he built his for less then $1,000. well I'd like to see him make 4-5 trips to url from the cities.You see the problems people make, are using light gauge tubing,AND THE WRONG STUB AXELS.I'm sorry if this rubs somebody the wrong way,but I have my dads house in my shop right now.I'm a ironworker & have shop at home.I thought his house was nice until I got the call.Kelly P got the job of pulling it back to shore.Came up from the cities loaded it up on flat bed trailer and here I am ,replacing everything from the floor down.Don't get me wrong it is a nice house,Alum.studs,Alum.skin,empire furnace,double doors(for the 4x4)6 1/2'x12'.I guess what I'm tring to say is don't cut the corners.The hitch and suspension are the back bone.So have someone who is qualified build your frame.

[BLACKJACK]

What do you mean by 'the wrong stub axles?'

How would you recommend that a trailer be built? Would you have an axle that goes all the way under the trailer or have independent axles? You see a lot of fish houses going down the road with 'bowed' wheels/axles. That may be fine for the 10 mile trip to the local lake but not up to Red.

I can relate, the last time that I was up to Red I had a breakdown on my fishhouse, but luckily it was only the bearing (which wrecked the hub) and my poor maintenance. Live and learn.

[ScoutII]

I have a 6.5'x10' Truk-Mate built in Annandale,Mn. It is not new by any means. It has been to URL 3 times , Mille Lacs 8-10 times , St. James once, Waconia 2-3 times, and it use to sit on Minnetonka before I owned it. I have owned it for about 5 years. It is hard on tires, 3,000 miles a pair. The top part of the house almost blew off the floor one night. The hitch broke, was just barely hanging on. Last thing I did was take the door apart and put new wood frame in door. If someone knows someone that has designed an afordable,trouble free,down the road hard side, let me know? I haven't seen one yet. Two things I liked about my house were the floor is close to the water, and it is fast to set up and move. I guess everything comes with a price. I know I have been lucky in spotting the problems before I totalled my house. When pulling any trailer you have to keep observant and watch for,even anticipate problems.

[doubleUcubed]

If you look back in the archives for "Building crank up style fish house" or a thread similar to that you will see quite a list of idea's for the set up. One that I posted on was putting a solid shaft through the width of the house to mount the wheels to. Not only can going down the road be tough but sometimes getting off the lake can be a nightmare alone without worrying about the wheels folding in. I live 100 yards from a public access and I can't begin to count the number of houses I've seen coming off with bent in wheels or one missing! The frame is the most important part of a good fish house!

[cmpeterson1]

When I say right stub axel, what I mean is heavy duty enough.Some guys go to Northern tool and buy 1200lb stub axel with a 4 bolt pattern hub.Ok add up the weight of your trailer frame,wood floor,wood studs,siding,carpet,propane tanks,stove,roof ,paneling ,and not to forget fishing gear and BEER.You get the picture, its way over 1200lb.And what about a 4 bolt hub,what tire that fits that is going to support that weight? Call Pioneer Rim & Wheel 1-800-888-1358 they can set you right up.Why not get a hub bolt pattern that fits your truck,that way you have spare for fish house to.Ok now the metal,the hitch should be no lighter then 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 3/16 ,1/4 would be better.The hitch tube should reach 1/3 the length of the house.The outside frame 2x4x3/16 tube,cross members 2x2or2x3x1/8 tube.OK you said tires are shot at 2000-3000 miles.Either your camber or toe is wrong.That means it was built wrong or its bent,or worn out.The pivot point on the retractable suspension is another high point.I've seen some people just weld a pipe on the outside of the frame, now thats trouble.The round bar (1 1/2-2")or heavy wall pipe should go though the side frame 12"-16" and weld toa cross member that runs the length of the house.That will stop the side frame from flexing.I've talked to lot companies about having them build their house on my frame,to my specs(alum.stud walls,alum.skin,with ramp door on back to load 4wheeler.)I talk to a officer who said he ticketed 2 houses this winter and had them towed,said they were not safe.!!!!!!!!!

[Polar Bear]

Hey cmpeterson, got a couple questions:

1. Are your recomendations for frame member sizes for steel or aluminum construction?

2. Could a guy cut down on the frame size for a trailer built to carry 2 snowmobiles?

3. What thickness plywood would you use on the deck?

4. Do you have any experience with torsion axels? (good or bad)

5. Should I just forget about the new tarailer and run off to Hawaii with a stripper? (oops, got carried away)

Thanks for all the info, its nice to hear from somebody who knows what he's talking about.

Polar Bear

[bigpike]

I hear 1 vote for #5

[cmpeterson1]

I 2'd that on #5. (no honey, you can't go.)Yes, thats all steel.I'm talking fish house with retractable wheels.My dad has doubles doors in back to load his 4wheeler.Work great when ice is thin.Just unload wheeler hookup house and your gone.Also work great deer hunting,haul the wheeler,extra beds,mess hall,and place to play cards & smoke cigars.On plywood,1".Torsion axels are great on a reguler trailer.

[This message has been edited by cmpeterson1 (edited 04-10-2002).]

[swamptiger]

cmpeterson1:

One question:

How much should the stripper weigh?