building crank-up style fish house

[Dmon]

i would like....information on buildin 1 of these.....i know...i searched for the topic but it can not be found.....need some info guys.....
mine will be 8 x12
thanks

[Farley]

What do you want to know???

[Dmon]

i am buildin my frame out of....2x4 tubin....and...then smaller stuff for the inside.....so..only the outside edge of the frame is froze down....easier to lift.....was think 11/2 x 11/2 inside for everything......3x3 for the hitch.......bars goin across every 3 feet............where do i want the tires on a 12ft long center...??

um....since it will be 12 long...i was lookin and thinkin about puttin the door on the side...but that will come later?

[beer batter]

Dmon,

When you say 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 for everything inside, I assume you are referring to the actual sizes of 2x2's. I agree 2x2's are fine for most of the interior wall segments, but I'd go with full 2x4's in the corners and all framed in areas (doors, windows, etc.). Place the 2x4 with the wide end in to keep the same thickness as the 2x2.

Recently finished my shack and initially went with ripped 2x4's pieces (a bit bigger and stronger than 2x2's by the way - strongly recommend doing that vs. buying all 2x2's if you have access to a table saw) but didn't like the stability it gave me once I placed the walls together at the corners. Way too wobbly. It only added another $12 on to the total cost which was pretty easy to justify.

Floor is sandwich of 1/2" treated plywood around 3/4" rigid insulation. Secured to frame with 3" self tapping screws. Walls were then secured through floor into frame with 6" self tapping screws purchased at Fastenol (these screws are hard to find and spendy but don't cheap out on them).

Outside paneling was pole shed steel purchased at Menards. Nearly same price as plywood but maintenance free forever. Roof joists were 2x6's running across the width of the house. I ripped them smaller by 1/8" as they went along the roof to give it a slight downward slope along the entire length of the house. A 12 foot house had 10 roof joists so the roof is sloped by 1 1/4".

Used 4" R20 fiberglass insullation between roof joists and 1 1/2" R7 styrofoam insullation in the walls. Purchased a 15K btu Orbis vented wall furnace at Fleet Farm and found some nice carpet at Menards in the remnant section for EXTREMELY CHEAP.

Checked different glass companies around metro looking for old demo model windows they were willing to part with. You'd be surprised how willing they were to hand them over for free. Got a free door from a contruction contractor who recently replaced a customer's front door. Very solid, sturdy door - just show years of use from being kicked open by kids I suppose.

Used standard 120v light fixtures that I had around the house from units that I've replaced over the years. If you've ever replaced a chandalier that has those individul candelabra lights, bust that chandalier apart and each individual light fixture works great for hole lights. Mine were shaped like a swan neck, just mount them on a hinge fixed to the wall and face the light down toward the hole and they work better than anything I've seen before. No bulbs are greater than 15 watt to conserver battery juice. Those 15 watt flourescent bulbs put off equivalent light as a standard 75 watt bulb.

I'm running everything with AC power off an inverter connected to some marine batteries. May have to charge my batteries a bit more because of it but that's not much of an inconvenience for me.

I've been pinching pennies at every corner on this project and my total right now for a 7x12 crank down style fish house is at about $1300.

[Farley]

I think you'll want to put the wheels on the balancing point of just the trailer alone (with the tounge on) without the house built on top yet, that's what ours is like.

[beer batter]

Depending on the type of trailer you have, you may want more tongue weight to help it travel better. My trailer does not have leave springs so if my wheels were balanced in the middle, it would probably bounce all over the place. I had my wheels placed back 8" from balance point, I guess this term is called "8 inches of tongue weight." I can still lift it quite easily with one hand.

If you've got leaf springs, then go near the middle. If not, give yourself some tongue weight to help it travel better on the road. Other things to consider are what kind of weight will you be keeping towards the hitch end of your shack? Propane, batteries, benches? All this will add to your tongue weight so the more additions you plan on having, the closer to center you'll want the wheels so you don't throw out your back some day.

[Dmon]

ok first off thanks for postin Guys!! helps alot.....

ok now...Beer batter thanks for the info but.....for the Metal frame....that has the wheels on it iwll be 2x4 tubin....the 4 sides.....ok...then inside...i think i will and goin wit...11/2 by 11/2 tubin......so like every 3 ft have 1 go across....then go 1 ft in from bottom...and go straight up to top(hitch area) then from there.....go...11/2 ft over and go back down or up to the hitch area wit the 11/2x11/2 tubin....then then......3x3 for hitch...same on otehr side........i kinda said it wrong
now about for the walls ya....i will be usin.....a Table Saw...so i will get 2x4s and cut them into 2x2 for the walls....which every 16 inches there will be 1....and 2x4 in the corners and 2x4s by the windows..........
it iwll be 8x12.....like a Rentangler box....8 all the way up...no wings......slatted Roof......

Tires in the middle for pullin it wit a truck...and JD Gator!

thanks gusy keep the Info comin !!

[Farley]

Isnt there a limit on how wide a trailer can be for pulling it down the road? I'm not sure what it is, but I thought it was like 6.5 feet or something. You might want to look into that before you get too far.

[iffwalleyes]

Yes you are limited to 96" or 8 feet for legal load with. That is why most guys do a house that is 6.5 wide because from wheel to wheel it is 8 feet. You can do an 8 wide house but then you need to recess the wheels into the house a little more complicated. You don't want to put the wheels right at the balance point like mentioned set them back a little. If you are going to mount a 100# gas cylinder keep that in mind we have that on ours and even with the wheels set back that really effects it.

[Guest]

i think the legal limit is 102", but you could call mndot to confirm and also check with resorts that put out ice ridge bridges
on there widths. seen house on ur that was hung up trying to cross.

[Rick]

102" is indeed the legal road limit for width. Most fish house trailers max out at 8 feet wide (96").

[Dmon]

yea i heard 102"....so i am goin to have my Frame .....8' and then add the tires so it will be wider...

[tightlines]

Dmon
Do you realize that you will probably be close to 120"to 124" wide with tires? That won't even be close to legal.

[Rick]

Dmon,
it doesn't matter, it will be illegal to use on ANY public roadway no matter how close you are.

Maybe get a wide load permit???

[Guest]

LOL Dmon I know what ya mean. We built a 10x16 pig. Now I know its like 3' past legal length but will it be on any roads, none. It also is on 4"x6" skids w/hy-fax on the bottom to make it really glide on the ice. And used 3/4 treated for the floor and put 2x6 every 2' under the plywood. On the walls and roof we used some 2x4 fingerlings and used pole shed steel.
If the impossible happens we will be on a road for about 2000' then off again. So I would say a 8'x12' would be fine if your traveling less than a mile and not near any major highways.
But everyone is right you are close to 2' over the legal limit. But #1 is Be Careful and dont hog the road up (if ur on it).

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Fish ON!

[This message has been edited by PikeEye (edited 12-15-2003).]

[Dmon]

well...i dont plan on pullin in too far...

[Dmon]

well.....i would just pull it out on tha lake from my house....have my own landin...so its all good.....

now back to the Buildin Tips on the Fish house.......thanks guys!

[Dmon]

any more info. on it??
thanks

[Dmon]

what should i build the outside frame out of.....2x4 tubin or 3x3 angle iron....just the 8x12 out side....
thanks

[Dmon]

i plan on goin wit 3x3 angle iron....any more info..?