Issue with poles in Eskimo Fatfish 949i.....Pics Included

[Mike Stark]

Here is the second response I got from Eskimo:

Mike,

Since you and I communicated last, I have found out that the poles are just fine. When a pole is bowing, you need to manually rotate the hub just a little and that should place the pole properly so it shouldn’t bow. You can also manually just push the pole a couple of inches to get it straightened out. I did it myself on one that came back with a bowing problem – the shelter was fine, it just needed some adjustments. Also make sure that the corners are at a 90 degree angle.

I hope this helps. If not, let me know.

I haven't tried this yet. Hopefully it works.

[mn_al]

I had the same issue only one of the poles shattered. They said you have to make sure the poles are all seated before setup and to anchor into the wind. They are very good about sending new poles and I love my 949. I just wonder if they mixed a couple poles up when manufactured as they are different lengths.

[bASS_BLASTER]

First time I set mine up on Saturday, it shattered and one pole came out of the hub. On Monday, I called my local sporting good, they told me to bring it in. I brought it in, they replaced the poles right in their store. I was fishing 30 minutes later.

Impressive!

[Mike Stark]

First time I set mine up on Saturday, it shattered and one pole came out of the hub. On Monday, I called my local sporting good, they told me to bring it in. I brought it in, they replaced the poles right in their store. I was fishing 30 minutes later.

Impressive!

Just be careful when your setting it up. Try not to force the poles out. They should not require a lot of force to pop out if done properly and in the right order.

[Darren_Fischer]

the upper poles and lower poles are two different lengths. But on another note BassPro and Cabela's and our local fishing store have pulled the Eskimo ice shelters off there websites i have the fatfish 949. The stitching is coming out of the handles off the bag the backpack idea is a dumb one in my opinion they should be a duffle bag style carrying strap.

[jimmyjames76]

I just got a 949i yesterday. I was REALLY excited get one of these, but after seeing it I'm pretty disappointed. I set it up in my warm basement, and the zippers are both kinking and jumping teeth right out of the box, two window flaps don't close because the velcro was sewn in the wrong place, there are places on the tent that are loose and floppy and others that seem way too tight. I have the same pole problem too. It actually popped right out the door when I unzipped it. I'm planning on exchanging it, but now I'm wondering if it's even worth my trouble to try to get one that works. I was hoping I'd be able to close the window flaps and get it pretty dark inside (since that was an advertised feature), but the window flaps on mine only had 2 pieces of velcro to hold them up (compared to 5 on the Clam). Even if they managed to sew them all in the right spot, I'm not sure the house would get dark inside anyway. It seems like they have some things to work on for next years version, and I hate to get stuck with a $300 failed first attempt.

[Korynta]

There still on Cabelas site and BPS Only has one otter so i think its more of a supply thing. You can hardly find these houses so they must of been a good seller so were probably reading about the small percentage of bad ones. My bag is fine so far, and fits and zips up ok.. my poles bend but doesnt affect anything. 1 pole popped out but i accidently pulled the side out before the top. Seems like a great house if you set it up right. The strings r there for a reason so if u use them the sides wont blow in. I'd definately buy another one.

[jimmyjames76]

I will say as disappointed as I was with the sloppy sewing all over on mine, this should be a great shelter. Great design, great size, and nice materials. I'd like the window flaps to close more tightly by spending a nickel more on each shelter and adding Velcro points, but maybe my replacement will be better. One thing Eskimo should look at is the poles on the Clam/AP Outdoors models. In my opinion, the ball and socket design is SO much better than the steel pin in an aluminum saddle design. They move in any direction, and don't pop out of the hub. They also don't seem to wear out like the hubs on my old Quickfish III. I don't think Eskimo takes customer feedback, but if anyone at Eskimo reads these forums you should check out those hubs.

[bASS_BLASTER]

Quote:

Just be careful when your setting it up. Try not to force the poles out. They should not require a lot of force to pop out if done properly and in the right order.

You're absolutely right! I was used to my old pop-up with a lot of force. It was partially my fault b/c with the wind, I didn't pull the center one first.

[cichlid_baby]

I just got a 949i yesterday. I was REALLY excited get one of these, but after seeing it I'm pretty disappointed. I set it up in my warm basement, and the zippers are both kinking and jumping teeth right out of the box, two window flaps don't close because the velcro was sewn in the wrong place, there are places on the tent that are loose and floppy and others that seem way too tight. I have the same pole problem too. It actually popped right out the door when I unzipped it. I'm planning on exchanging it, but now I'm wondering if it's even worth my trouble to try to get one that works. I was hoping I'd be able to close the window flaps and get it pretty dark inside (since that was an advertised feature), but the window flaps on mine only had 2 pieces of velcro to hold them up (compared to 5 on the Clam). Even if they managed to sew them all in the right spot, I'm not sure the house would get dark inside anyway. It seems like they have some things to work on for next years version, and I hate to get stuck with a $300 failed first attempt.

Wow... this was EXACTLY the same kind of problems I had with my unit... It eventually went back to Eskimo for RMA.... they were not able to replace it since they are all SOLD OUT at their warehouse too. I suspect now after dealing this with these issues for several weeks that it's not an isolated case... there will be more RMA units once the season is over.. no one wants to be left without a shelter this season so I am sure many are just biting their tongues and wait until later to send their units back. I can already see the smiles on the salvage vendors whom will be posting their "used" and "store demo" units on a well known auction site next year.

Definitely a BAD FAILED attempt but the concept was great. The quality control seems to be non-existent on this model as I looked at several units at various retailers and others whom still own theirs... only to confirm that these short comings were widespread. Maybe the result of trying to get the product out quicker for the the mad seasonal rush.

In my opinion... Looks like things have gotten "cheaper" here too... the only persons making out during these harsh economic times are the overseas companies who continually get rewarded with manufacturing contracts from US companies in a effort to win with the lowest bidder.

I am a long time Eskimo supporter... but I am definitely staying away from this house until the quality control goes up.

[Mike Stark]

Eskimo has slacked on their quality control on these models. The 949i is a sweet shelter tho.

I am going to put mine to the test on Lake Winnipeg this week. I have only had it set up once on the ice this year. The insulated fabric is awesome. 3 guys body heat was enough to keep it warm inside.

Hopefully it can handle multiple days of hard fishing.

[Hardyboy]

Ive evidently been lucky because the quality of mine is fine, meaning the poles are set right and the stitching is fine that i know of as i havent seen any issues. My only gripe is the size of the bag as it could have been a little more roomy to accomodate stowing it. I alleviated those issues by using 2 pull straps to cinch it tight and it stows nicely now. I am very happy with the house and personally i would buy it again. Sets up nice and is very warm.

[jimmyjames76]

Thanks for the info. I'm hoping my replacement is better. I REALLY want to like this shelter because the design/idea/size is great.

[wdgold]

Ive evidently been lucky because the quality of mine is fine, meaning the poles are set right and the stitching is fine that i know of as i havent seen any issues. My only gripe is the size of the bag as it could have been a little more roomy to accomodate stowing it. I alleviated those issues by using 2 pull straps to cinch it tight and it stows nicely now. I am very happy with the house and personally i would buy it again. Sets up nice and is very warm.

I feel the same way you do. I have set it up a couple of times in the garage to become familar with the set-up, before I head out this weekend, and had no issues with it. Also inspected it pretty close and didn't see anything that stuck out to me. I found that when pulling the walls out you have to make sure your corners are spread out, and not to close together,or your going to put alot of force on those poles.

[cichlid_baby]

Actually... if you think about it for a minute......

1. In my opinion... the poles are too weak.. they are the same size and strength as the ones used for the other non-sulated Eskimo houses.. The 949i has the insulated frabric, which is heavy enough already as it is dry... now add to that any moisture and water weight of a damp shelter and you clearly are going to have problems with overloading the poles and hubs in a downward effect.. hubs walls have their strength by using this loading force in an outward effect to keep the tent "popped" open.

2. By expanding the overall fishable area by moving outwards the lower bottom poles.. you also remove the loading force from the pole/hub design or loading plane that inherently gives it's strength. Think of a bow and arrow or the last time you set up a tent and one of the corners kicked out.. the tent would lose it's structural integrity. It's the same idea here.. when you move out the corners.. you are also losing some of it's structural ability to hold shape due to the lessening of the load on the poles in an outward effect and placing more of the load in the downward effect which is what is causing the splayed or drooped bottom poles in the pictures. Mine was so bad that the bottom poles actually wanted to cave in instead of bow out.. obviously that was not doing any wonders for my unit's structual integrity.

3. If you have ever owned one of the original NON-fatfish models such as the Quickfish models.. you will notice that on these units.. the outward force on the poles and hubs are all equalized because all the poles get loaded from the same point of plane. This results in a much more strong and sturdier popped out panels and in my opinion overall is a better pop-up shelter for dealing with winds relative to the fatfish design.

I should have never sold my quickfish 3.

[Hardyboy]

Actually... if you think about it for a minute......

1. In my opinion... the poles are too weak.. they are the same size and strength as the ones used for the other non-sulated Eskimo houses.. The 949i has the insulated frabric, which is heavy enough already as it is dry... now add to that any moisture and water weight of a damp shelter and you clearly are going to have problems with overloading the poles and hubs in a downward effect.. hubs walls have their strength by using this loading force in an outward effect to keep the tent "popped" open.

2. By expanding the overall fishable area by moving outwards the lower bottom poles.. you also remove the loading force from the pole/hub design or loading plane that inherently gives it's strength. Think of a bow and arrow or the last time you set up a tent and one of the corners kicked out.. the tent would lose it's structural integrity. It's the same idea here.. when you move out the corners.. you are also losing some of it's structural ability to hold shape due to the lessening of the load on the poles in an outward effect and placing more of the load in the downward effect which is what is causing the splayed or drooped bottom poles in the pictures. Mine was so bad that the bottom poles actually wanted to cave in instead of bow out.. obviously that was not doing any wonders for my unit's structual integrity.

3. If you have ever owned one of the original NON-fatfish models such as the Quickfish models.. you will notice that on these units.. the outward force on the poles and hubs are all equalized because all the poles get loaded from the same point of plane. This results in a much more strong and sturdier popped out panels and in my opinion overall is a better pop-up shelter for dealing with winds relative to the fatfish design.

I should have never sold my quickfish 3.

I was on mille lacs tonight with mine. 15 to 20 mph sustained winds, anchored the four corners popped it up and attached anchor lines to the 2 windward sides. It held strong and i had no issues with it collapsing in. Only problem i had was bare ice so air was coming in the base. Everytime i use the house and fine tune the setup process i like it more and more.

[jimmyjames76]

Well, I got my replacement and the sewing is much better. Now one of the poles doesn't stay seated in the hub. It sets up easy with no binding, but the pole end (the really tight one by the door) pops out of the hub every set up, take down, opening and closing the door, etc. You can already see all the aluminum dust in the hubs from 2 set ups too, so I have to believe it will get worse as the steel pins grind away the aluminum saddles in the hubs. I'm going to try Eskimo again, but it's looking like another 7 hrs in the car and another $100 in gas to get my money back. I've had several different hubs over the years starting with the old green Quickfish III, and never had problems like this in the past. I REALLY wanted to like this shelter, but I think I'm probably done with Eskimo.

[Korynta]

When they pop out you have to look at the pin in them and make sure when you reinstall it you push on the pole to center the pin in the hub. My guess is you pulled the side out before the top once which is what i did.

[bobbymalone]

i've got a few year old green qf6 and haven't had any of those problems with the door or it sitting flush.

snapped a couple poles though, one while forcing it into the bag and one exploded in a strong gust of wind. tying off the hub center to an auger on the ice worked for the rest of the night and eskimo overnighted me a new pole the next day.

[Freedom81]

I've got good and bad to say about 'em.

I got a Fatfish 949i at the Saint Paul Ice Show. I talked to the Eskimo sales rep about the house. He said to leave both doors open when you take it down and pack it up. I noticed him push in the side of the house pretty easily and questioned him about the strength of it when it comes to wind. He said to just tie the sides down. I bought one from JimbOES for $280.

Got it home, went to move it, and ripped a shoulder strap almost completely off the bag. Set it up in the garage to inspect it and could barely get the thing back into the bag. The velcro strap that comes with it is a joke. 2 bungee cords fix that problem, but it is still a chore to get it back in the bag while out on the ice.

Upon first using the house, I was very happy with it. It sets up in seconds with minimal effort. It takes more time to screw in the ice anchors than it does to set up the shack! I really like the floor space, the removable windows, and the fact it is a super warm ice house. The only drawback for me was at 6'1" my head was always pressing against the ceiling while standing.

Second time out with it, I notice the stiching is ripped halfway down from where a pole goes into an upper corner, and the end of the pole has about 6" of play. I'm not happy about that, but I fish with it anyways.

Several times later I'm out in 5 hours of 30-40 mph sustained winds. I had all 4 corners and the 2 windward sides anchored, and even with the ripped upper corner, it held up flawlessly! I was impressed. That day, we watched a big Frabil flipover zip across the lake with the owner on a 4-wheeler in hot pursuit!

After a couple more outings, one of the poles came out of the ceiling hub. I brought it back to JimbOES to assess my options. The problem with the poles Eskimo used on these is the little connector piece that holds the pole in the hub is not secure in the end of the pole. It can move and allow the poles to pop out. Well, they replaced the pole for me, and looked at the ripped corner. The Fatfish sold like hotcakes and there was not a replacement for me until the next batch comes out in June. We agreed I'd continue fishing with it and hoped it'd last.

Made it one more trip and that pole shot right out the side of the house. I packed it up, brought it back, and got my money back. I really liked the house, but it had too many quality issues for me to feel comfortable about the purchase. One would think Eskimo will fix the issue with the poles and a bigger/better bag on next years model.

But, I still have plenty of fishing to do this year, so I bought a Clam Summit Thermal... Same price- $280, on sale at eetFla armFa. A little less floor space, quite a bit more head room, and a bag plenty big enough for it. Keeping my fingers crossed for no issues!

[JediTrav]

The secret is to get the non-insulated version... cheaper and I haven't had any problems with it yet. It also goes back in the bag pretty easily, haven't needed a strap to get mine in the bag.

[Mike Stark]

The secret is to get the non-insulated version... cheaper and I haven't had any problems with it yet. It also goes back in the bag pretty easily, haven't needed a strap to get mine in the bag.

I was wondering about this. It sounds like most of the issues with poles are coming from the insulted shelters.

I just got back from Lake Winnipeg and I am not impressed with the 949 insulated version.

We had 20-30mph wind one day. We set up the shelter so the corner of the shelter was into the wind. BAD IDEA. The corner of the shelter caught so much wind that it pushed down on the poles on both sides of the shelter. The poles were bowed to the point that I was worried that the poles would bust with the next gust of wind. The fabric was getting blown into the shelter, taking away from the fishable space.

On another day with some wind 15-20mph we decided to put a hub side directly into the wind. This did work a little better but the poles were still being bowed by the fabric getting pushed in by the wind.

We also had issues with poles popping out. It happened twice. It was NO fun putting a pole back into place on Lake Winnipeg in 30mph wind.

And that dang bag...

It was cold up there on Lake Winnipeg. 10-20 below wind chills. This made the shelter very frosty. I did not expect that to happen on an insulated shelter. So once we took down the shelter it was VERY bulky. We had two pieces of P-cord to help compress the shelter. Even with the p-cord we still had to wrestle to get the shelter back into the bag. Not what you want to do when there are white out conditions on Lake Winnipeg and it's time to get off the lake.

The window flaps could use more Velcro so you can velcro the flaps back to the shelter when they are open. The flaps hang down by the holes and get in the way of fishing. Also the velcro does not line up when it comes time to close the windows.

I have had two other Eskimo Quickfish models and have had ZERO issues with them.

The idea of the fatfish shelter is great but Eskimo has some work to do. I will be returning my 949 insulated shelter and I might try out a non-insulated shelter.

[jimmyjames76]

When they pop out you have to look at the pin in them and make sure when you reinstall it you push on the pole to center the pin in the hub. My guess is you pulled the side out before the top once which is what i did.

Nope, I did not pop out the side first. Both times the shelter was popped up correctly, roof first. I think the problem is the pin on the pole isn't centered (see pic). More importantly though, this hub design is wrong. The Eskimo has a steel pin riding in a soft aluminum saddle, and it only moves well in one direction (like a hinge). These poles need to rotate more freely, which is why the Clam/AP Outdoors hub that uses a ball and socket is a much better design. This shelter is a great idea, great size and layout, and terrible execution. As much as I like the idea, I don't think I can count on it when I take a weekend trip. I don't want to get to lake of the woods, and have the pole pop out of the hub every time someone opens the door.

[mrpike1973]

hi just for clarity i have the regular qf3 your to pull the roof up first. i guess i have been doing the sides first so roof first?

[shizzy]

hi just for clarity i have the regular qf3 your to pull the roof up first. i guess i have been doing the sides first so roof first?

I have a QF3 and I pull up on the panel that wants to pull up. I have the best luck NOT forcing anything.