Otter Wild 3 Pics

[marine_man]

As I've mentioned in a couple of threads, I picked up a new Wild 3 this year and have made it out a couple of times with it recently.

A couple of things I like:

-The price - you get a lot for the money - Sled, House & Poles, Bench Seat & Travel Cover

-The quality of the house despite the decrease in price - the sled appears to be just about as thick as the pro version sled (and if you're concerned put hyfax on it), the house canvas seems durable, and the bench seat is pretty close to the same style as the pro series bench seat

-The Trim Lock system (my old house didn't have it)

-Ultra Glide poles that make metal burs and binding a thing of the past

What I don't like:

-The bench mounting is across the length of the sled as compared to the width of the sled on the pro series version. The problem is that the tubing provided with the seat is longer than the sled; which is I suspect due to manufacturing variance on the sled. I spread the sled the 1.5" I needed to get the tubing to fit, but it doesn't allow easy removal of the bench seat when needed due to needing a spreader to get it put back in. I'm hoping to find someone to shorten both tubes (one's straight and one's u-shaped), which will take care of my problem, but I was a little disappointed to see that out of the package.

Other than that I've been extremely happy with it, and the value it provides.

Here are a couple of pictures of the inside (since the Wild site doesn't have much for the inside):

marine_man

[hamms-scooter]

Nice looking house marine_man,that bench looks roomy and comfy too.

[jeff in WI]

Love the pink pole and the sippy cup.

I agree with everything you said about the shack. I have the 2 man version and I think it is the best deal out there for what you get for your money. I do wish you could raise the bench up

with the shack folded down. It would make loading gear for a trip a little easier. Other than that the shack is perfect for me.

[Fur Fish and Feathers]

What do you guys think of the trim lock system? I ordered a small pro, planning to replace my X2, but I have some reservations about the otter before I even use it. Some observations while putting it together:

1) How hard would it be to, at the very least, mold the spots on the sled where holes need to be drilled? I understand various reasons not to have the holes pre-drilled but I had to drill 4 extra holes to get the seat bracket mounted in the correct position. For some of us that like to stare at a hole all day, this would be kind of nice but I digress.

2) The bent poles for the canopy bracket, nearest the door, have the button locks on the same side. So on one side the button is on the inside of the shack and on the other side the button is between the pole and the tent material. Oh, well you can just pop the button out and reverse it.....well, put that in the manual.

3) The seat. I mounted the seat on and don't quite understand 2 things. 1) It's a portable, why did they design a seat that adds 40% to the overall weight of the package? 2) If the seat is going to weigh 20 pounds, why would it be designed to lean you forward rather than have you positioned parallel to the ground? I guess I can shim the seat, but why should I have to do that?

4) The trim lock. When I put the tent on and popped the trim lock on to the sled, it spontaneously pops off on the back angles of the sled. Well, that's what happens when the back of the sled has an aggressive angle but the piece of trim lock is straight. I assumed there'd be screws to hold this on but nope, that's it.

I can deal with most of these issues, but the trim-lock. Has anyone devised a way to improve this mickey mouse system?

[jwhjr]

2) The bent poles for the canopy bracket, nearest the door, have the button locks on the same side. So on one side the button is on the inside of the shack and on the other side the button is between the pole and the tent material. Oh, well you can just pop the button out and reverse it.....well, put that in the manual.

This was the same when I assembled my Otter Lodge this fall. I just pulled the button clip out and reversed it as mentioned. I thought it was just a mistake that it came that way but maybe not? It was only a minor annoyance I guess.

[BuschPilot]

Great post Marine Man! I just got a Wild 3 at christmans as well and used it only once so far. Seems to be decent for the money for sure. Looking at what i can do to make it more user friendly now. I seen you have th Frabill hook for your coat on the pole. I Got a set of them as well and use it for my Computer fan above the holes. I think i might try the reflectix next and looking at compartments in the sleigh. I did slide my bench as far forward as I could so shorter people still had a chance to touch ground and so I could still flip up. I got some good mods in mind, just have to find the time. Did you put anything on the poles to slide a bit easier? thanks

[Fur Fish and Feathers]

Marine_man, in your first pic, is that electrical tape holding the trim lock on on the right hand corner of the sled?

[marine_man]

With respect to the trim lock - I don't have any electrical tape holding it on, and I had some issues with getting it to form around the corners as intended. I ended up making a relief cut on the piece of trim lock to get it to follow the rounded profile of the sled. Other than that I haven't had many issues getting it to stay on there...

I agree with adding some sort of indication where the holes could go... perhaps a small indentation in the mold to make a depression so it would be a little more fool proof.

I didn't put anything on the poles to make them slide easier... I've been very happy with how they slide compared to my round poles on my old house.

I did not have any issues with the button being on the wrong side... assembly was pretty quick and pretty straight forward for me.

marine_man

[BuckyBadger]

Originally Posted By: Fur Fish and Feathers

2) The bent poles for the canopy bracket, nearest the door, have the button locks on the same side. So on one side the button is on the inside of the shack and on the other side the button is between the pole and the tent material. Oh, well you can just pop the button out and reverse it.....well, put that in the manual.

This was the same when I assembled my Otter Lodge this fall. I just pulled the button clip out and reversed it as mentioned. I thought it was just a mistake that it came that way but maybe not? It was only a minor annoyance I guess.

always learning on this site, I thought it was a mistake as well, when putting together my Otter Cabin, I looked at reversing the button but was worried it was attached inside and I would break something, so I never did, didn't realize it could just pop out. So currently i have one button that is facing the canvas, not really a big problem, maybe I will fix during the summer. But yes put this in the instructions to avoid the annoyance.

[Surreal Deal]

I had the trim lock problem on the sharp angles my Cabelas Arctic Element (Basically a Wild 2) at first. The problem seems to have gone away, maybe the trim lock just needed to spend some time under load to conform to the awkward angle.

[KSW]

I got the Wild 2 just before Christmas and love it. The first thing I did was put the reflectix in and it I haven't had a problem yet with the drips. I've been out in the cold days when the sides would start to frost but the top didn't. I thought it was weird until I stepped outside and found out how cold it was outside. I also slid my bench over to one side and added a piece of wood for a self. I also added a board outside so it wouldn't tip if you were sitting to far to one side. I like the coat hook ideal.

[marine_man]

The coat hooks are pretty handy and pretty inexpensive... it's nice to get your coat up off the bottom of the sled or have it slipping off the back of the bench. I leave the hooks installed when the sled is collapsed too, and haven't had any issues.

marine_man

[jwhjr]

I have the Frabill hooks in mine as well. They work slick.

[Surreal Deal]

I got the Wild 2 just before Christmas and love it. The first thing I did was put the reflectix in and it I haven't had a problem yet with the drips. I've been out in the cold days when the sides would start to frost but the top didn't. I thought it was weird until I stepped outside and found out how cold it was outside. I also slid my bench over to one side and added a piece of wood for a self. I also added a board outside so it wouldn't tip if you were sitting to far to one side. I like the coat hook ideal.

I went out on New Years day when it was quite cold WITHOUT the refelctix, had lots of condensation and frost. I installed the reflectix and went out last Saturday when it was quite warm and never had a problem. I could only run the heater intermittently on low w/o cooking us out because it was already warm enough for me but not quite warm enough for my fishing buddies (My 6 year-old son and my 67 year-old father in-law).

By the way, a wild 2 is a little crowded for fishing 3 people, especially if one of them is a rambunctious kid, but we managed. I think that your idea for a kickstand for the front of the sled to keep it from tipping is a great idea. The tippiness factor is the only real chink in the armor that I have found with my house so far. I think that a short piece of 2 x 10 under the nose when she is parked will solve that problem. I have been meaning to manufacture one.

I am looking forward to getting back out again when it is actually cold so that I can put the Refectix to a real test.

[KSW]

I think I used a 1x8 and just put it in the bottom of the sled when not fishing. Takes up less room & weight then a 2x.

[Surreal Deal]

Maybe that's all that's needed, I was just thinking of my scrap pile. Thanks for the tip!

[Jon P.]

I was seriously considering a Wild 2 man, great price and construction looks good. I was planning on modifying the front seat bar to be able to slide it as far forward as possible to have more room for storage behind the seat, thinking a propane tank mostly.

It's nice to hear from people that own them.

[BuschPilot]

I slid my seat as far forward as I could with still being able to open up the bench and not hitting the poles when its up. Now i got plenty of room for the tank and other goodies behind the seat. I think the next project may just be the reflectix in my wild. Sounds like it works for everyone else.

[marine_man]

There is definitely opportunity to improve the seat on these houses... but, again, for the money, it's not a bad deal by any means.

marine_man

[Surreal Deal]

When I was considering this shelter (I ended up going with the Cabelas Arctic Element which was the same shelter for $50 less at the time) I scoured through this forum and the two biggest complaints I found were

1) That there wasn't enough room behind the bench for 5 gallon pails

and

2) If you sit too close to the front of the sled she'll tip on you

After reading the full threads (Helpful suggestions offered, not just complaints) I felt confident enough to make my purchase.

To counter problem (1) I mounted my bench as far forward as possible, so that the bar just barely brushes the back poles when you swing it up. I can get 5 gallon pails in and out of it easy. I have not tried a 20# propane tank, as my sunflower is mounted on an 11#. But I assume that if I can get a pail back there, a 20# tank would be just as easy.

I have not countered problem (2) yet but had thought through to the same conclusion as KSW suggested on page 1 of this thread.

As I stated earlier I have not put the reflectix to a true test yet but am optimistic that my money was well spent.

Good luck to you on your purchase, Jon P., and all you fellow tinkerers who like to tweak your setup with custom modifications!

[marine_man]

The location of my bench allows 5 gallon pails and 20lb tanks to be put behind the seat without an issue...

marine_man

[quijibo]

I bought an arctic element too, but mine came with 2 buckets? I can relate to the sled tipping though.

Adam

[Jon P.]

I found a closeout black top Clam Yukon for $380 and decided to go with that. If it had not been marked down so much I probably would have went with the Wild. I do like hearing how people modify their house so I will keep an eye on this thread.