New wheelhouse...finishing questions

[mediocrates67]

So I just bought an 8x16+V-nose Ice Castle shell and I'm pumped! I'm a bit behind on the timeline, but I have the shell now and am ready to finish the inside. I will be posting pics as the process goes along, but I need your help with some things and will be posting questions. I tried this last year but I didn't trust the frame, so I started over.

most of my questions will have to do with the wiring and the gas hookups.

Here's what I have that needs to be assembled:

20,000 BTU forced air furnace

cooktop with oven

range hood

hole catch covers

lights

12 volt receptacles

110 receptacles

gas lights

lp tank holder

bathroom

bunks

car stereo

45 amp converter

THANKS!

[willyfahey]

A big space saver is to have the stove, cabinets, stereo, etc in the V section of the house. If it's possible, set it up so the propane tanks fit in underneith via an access door on the outside. Have your hose(s) to the tank(s) come off of a manifold where you can screw on flared ends of the copper tubing needed for the gas lights and furnace. You can set-up a small pannel with a switch to move from 110 to 12v. I'd put the bathroom in the back at the foot of the bunks. Bunks that fold up or down make fishing during the day a lot easier.

[luv2fish]

I have an Ice-Castle Elminator that I bought 2 years ago. I have been updating it as I find new "needs". But the one thing you can never have too much of is storage. Any nook and cranny that could be a waste, find a way to store stuff in it. Mine is 6.5 x 16 and it seems like with 3 grown men in it, there is not alot of room for gear.

[mediocrates67]

thanks, luv2fish and willy...

first questions:

i'm having the underside spray foamed. should i cut the holes first or should i cut them after?

gas lines: should i use straight copper or should i use some more expensive flex lines? do the threads need to be sealed?

that's all for now, lots more to come!

[kevfish1]

spray foam 1st- then cut holes.

for gas lines i just use the rubber gas lines from the hardware store and have nver had a problem

[Big Buck Buster]

Rubber hose all the way. Using the hard line, you can get leaks after time of traveling down the road with all the vibration.

[mediocrates67]

great, thanks! i guess i'll just have to cut the holes after with a longer blade on a reciprocating saw.

ok, another question...

what are your thoughts on spray foaming the walls without wiring inside? this would mean i would have to run some type of conduit. it would be not the most attractive, but would be easy to change or replace wiring if i needed to. also, should i spray foam the gas lines within the wall or leave those out too?

[mediocrates67]

Well, I got the house shell. Here are some pre-finished photos. All I have gotten to so far is running the 110 wire. I've decided I will be spray foaming the underside and not the interior walls, it will just be easier if i ever need to change things.

I have to put the LP tank holder on the front. Should I weld it down or bolt it?

[mediocrates67]

Another couple of questions...i want to do a lightweight wood tongue and groove like cedar. how thick should it be so that it doesn't warp but doesn't weigh or cost too much.

If i do paneling on the top part and wood on the bottom, what is the best kind of paneling that will not warp? There's paneling that comes on the ceiling from Ice Castle...is that easy to find?

[mediocrates67]

Question...

Do I need to somehow put in a breaker for the 110 or can I just use a GFI outlet for the first in the circuit?

[landscaper]

Nice progress!

[JumpStart73]

Just a thought, if you put a bathroon in the v, center the door and put the toilet seat in one corner of the v and in the other you can put storage that can be accessed from the bathroom or the main house(wish mine was like that).I see that you have a 8' wide, I have a extra long mattress that i took out of mine and made storage right away so its never been used. I'll try to post some pics of mine and mabey you can get some ideas. Just remember "lots of storage".

[mediocrates67]

thanks, jump start. my design as of right now puts the door close to the middle. that will give me storage to the left. the toilet seat will be towards the right side under the window. the oven/counter will be on the right side of the house. I am cutting in a 45 degree angle from the right side of the window to give me extra counter space.

I agree with you that storage is very important. i'm gonna try to use every nook and cranny i can find.

my only problem so far is that it looks like most of my weight will be on one side. is that an issue?

[JumpStart73]

it shouldn't be. just try to even things out a bit, batteries ect.

[rcatcherman]

Is one axel going to be enough for all that weight. There are alot of 2x4's They do the wood I'm talking about absorb water over the season.

[JumpStart73]

Here are some pics.

[mediocrates67]

rcatcherman,

that's how ice castle builds them...don't think it's an issue, otherwise no one would make a 8x16 single axle. my goal is to make it as light as possible...only two bunks. and it's all 2x3.

the other trick is to not drive down the road and ice roads with the trailer all loaded with gear...keep it in the pickup.

[SapperACE]

I'll give you my OPINIONS on a couple of your questions. Take 'em or leave 'em.

LP holder: I see that the metal brackets are already welded to your frame. I am assuming that you are going to use one of those inexpensive tank holders like fishhousesupply sells. They work very well. If that is what you are using, bolt it don't weld it. Drill your own holes if you have to to mount it. With a good drill bit you'll have it mounted in 10 minutes. Thats what I did a couple of houses ago, and it worked great.

110 breaker: I have wired several houses for 110 and have never done a breaker box. I figure that whatever my power source is (home plug or generator) should regulate/stop power surges. Maybe I've just gotten lucky, but I have never had any problems. My brother is an electrician, and my father-in-law is a contractor, and neither have ever told me I needed a breaker box.

Paneling: T&G is the way to go if you want to spend the money. It looks like your studs may be 2' on center so I would shy away from the 5/16" packaged stuff they sell at the big discount places. There is nothing wrong with it, but I used it once on 2' OC wood studs, and had warping issues. Maybe I should've done something different. I ended up replacing it all with 5/4 T&G.

Weight on 1 side: If your house is a little heavier on 1 side then the other, it's not a huge deal. It can cause problems if you get too caried away though. I would try to distribute weight as evenly as possible if you can. Like someone else already said, you can always use your batteries, auger and other stuff like that to help distribute weight when your in transport.

Just a few of my experiences. There are lots of ways of doing things though. Good luck with your project!

[JumpStart73]

Mine is 8x18(3yrs old) with single axle and havn't had issues,it weighs in at 4400. When i packed bearings there was no sign of wear and tear.

[mediocrates67]

jumpstart,

looks awesome! i contemplated that "mille lacs" layout but i'd rather have more holes.

Great idea on the extra wide bunks...my bottom bunk is going to be a futon-like bed, so that you can put holes behind the wheel wells.

I would like to put a bunk above the stove top and range, but i think that would stick out too much. cots work fine i guess.

[Pooh]

i know 2 guys with identical fishouses with the exception of the siding and isulation. one has spray foam the other ridgid foam. If i was you i would insulate with spray foam if you can stay away from the wires with nails and screws.

[mediocrates67]

sapper,

thanks for the input. that's kind of what i thought...i'll just bolt the lp tank holder and i'll just put a gfi outlet on the first in the circuit.

i think the studs are 16" OC, guess I haven't paid much attention yet. will check it out.

[ib_jigged]

Looks good Kevin! I am sure however you do it, it will turn out just fine! Not too long from now until you need to use it!

[mediocrates67]

Question: does the thermostat have to be a 12V thermostat? I have a heat only one for a normal house...will that work?

[crappiekid]

great, thanks! i guess i'll just have to cut the holes after with a longer blade on a reciprocating saw.

ok, another question...

what are your thoughts on spray foaming the walls without wiring inside? this would mean i would have to run some type of conduit. it would be not the most attractive, but would be easy to change or replace wiring if i needed to. also, should i spray foam the gas lines within the wall or leave those out too?

DO NOT RUN GAS LINES IN THE WALLS !!!!VERY DANGEROUS IF LEAKS and tough to get at .. Run the electrical between the studs and your tali lights as well. MAKE A MAP / Blueprint with dimensions of where your wire is. So you dont drill / staple / into it. I did cut my holes, insert catch covers and then spray. - insulated catch covers for when you dont use all your holes.

[mediocrates67]

thanks, crappie. yeah, that's what i'm doing. not sure yet about the underside...trying to get a hold of the spray foamer yet.