Lip_Ripper Guy

I've always bought mine at Sam's Club. It looks like they have the Duracell GC2 in stores now.

Nice work! I think that many (most) of use who have done these higher end builds end up being too scared to tally up the receipts at the end

Watch for the Ice Castle auctions coming up in spring. I've seen 20'+ houses go for under $10k with regularity. There will be a big one at the factory in Montevideo, which is a lot of their warranty returns & demos. Regarding quality, the frames themselves are way better than pre-2010. But you also have to understand that in an Ice Castle, the frame is the best part of the house. It is still a gamble if you are getting an okay one, or a total POS. Edit to add: Henslin is doing the Montevideo auction 4/28 at 9:30am. Google will find the details for you.

They work really well, but need to be use frequently. Mobil 1 is my grease of choice. What you may look at doing, if you haven't already, is grinding a groove in the shaft for the grease to have a place to set.

I was looking into that flooring when I did my last build. Which product did you use? "Versatile"?

I'm a huge fan of the Ecoboost. I had one in my 2011 F150 and loved it. Good chance it'll be in my next truck, as well.

Yep. You are definitely wrong. I'd post my towing resume for you, but I just don't think that is really necessary.

You must have missed this "You are right. I should have been more clear in my post. It isn't the motor that is the limiting factor in the half ton. It's the extra weight, wheel base, more stout brakes, stiffer shocks, etc. that make the big difference in the 3/4 and 1 tons. Any of the half ton motors will certainly get the load moving without a problem. I personally don't like the gas options in any of the big trucks, so I skipped those and went straight to the diesel. Your mileage may vary, but I do still stand by my opinion that the 7,000# range is pushing half ton limits for safety." But that being said, the extra 1500# of a diesel engine is going to help resist getting bucked around, or having the house "drive the truck", so to speak.

You are right. I should have been more clear in my post. It isn't the motor that is the limiting factor in the half ton. It's the extra weight, wheel base, more stout brakes, stiffer shocks, etc. that make the big difference in the 3/4 and 1 tons. Any of the half ton motors will certainly get the load moving without a problem. I personally don't like the gas options in any of the big trucks, so I skipped those and went straight to the diesel. Your mileage may vary, but I do still stand by my opinion that the 7,000# range is pushing half ton limits for safety. Both are excellent, but only Berkon is building aluminum right now.

I'm absolutely serious. Every single person I know personally who has bought a 21'+ house has upgraded to a diesel with their next truck. Or, they've downsized on the house. Take a look at the Ice Castles you see upside down. I've yet to see one that wasn't being towed by a half ton, or SUV. Towing a 11' tall sail that weighs in at 7,000+ pounds in a cross wind and ice or snow is recipe for disaster in a half ton. I've done it plenty, and there is a huge difference once you get up to the diesel.

If you are thinking 8x20 tandem, the weight savings is substantial for the Yetti vs castle. Pretty sure the Yetti has an advertised (I have no idea if it is accurate) weight of 4700-4900#, and the castles are coming in at 6-7k+. That is the difference between towing easily with a half ton on the low end, and starting to need to think about a diesel on the high end for safety and ease of towing. Yes, I realize that every half ton out there is saying they can tow 12k. It simply is not safe on MN roads in winter conditions. Weight aside, quality of craftsmanship and materials isn't even in the same area code. Even if they were dead even in weight, a full aluminum structure is going to substantially outlast a wood framed house, especially a wood house built with the lack of attention to detail as the castles. It doesn't take long on the famous search engine to find plenty of stories about leaks, lack of insulation causing condensation, and frame flex causing gaps in the siding-creating a perfect channel for water. Another good one to look into is Legend. Similar full aluminum structure, but a Berkon frame underneath.

Some would call me a Honda fanboy, which is probably true, but they are a true workhorse for ice fishing. We have 5 or 6 of them (300, 400, and 450s) in the family, and I have yet to ever hear of a single problem with any of them. The solid axle means you can tow dang near anything, and you don't have to mess with worn out belts like some of the others. Good tires are obviously important, but chains on all 4 are more important.

We tape the studs around the window opening, and then get the window in place, and clamp it down for a day or so. Then the siding gets cut up to the actual window, or maybe just 1/8" short. Then the diamond plate trim over the top. Once everything is in place, you'd have a really hard time seeing the slight outward bow caused by the tape and nailing flange. With wood studs, you may want to look at a stainless fastener through the diamond plate, siding, and flange.

If towing a fish house is high on your priority list, I would begin and end my search with a Honda manual shift. I agree with Wanderer's take on the Honda being a bit cold blooded. Once I realized that there is a manual primer built into the carb, that problem went away. We've pulled up to 27' houses with our 2004 450. Chain up all 4 and go!

These guys pretty much covered it. The Suburban NT20SQ is a good unit, and is nice and quiet, without drawing a ton of power. If you are needing batteries soon, I'd highly suggest picking up the (2) GC2 6 volt golf cart batteries from Sam's Club for around $85/each. That'll get you 230 amp hours, so you can run an easy 3-4 day weekend without drawing down your batteries too much. Plan your cabinet to have adequate return air venting, and clearance around the furnace and vents. Acoustic foam makes a huge difference in terms of noise.