Building / Attaching Fish House Frame on Trailer?

[Cobber]

Hey all-

So I have a Crank-down Fish House frame built my Miltona steel, and I'm trying to figure out the first steps to building a new house- Never done one before and I'm getting kind of stuck in the beginning phase.

My goal is to get a 'shell' built, and then from there be able to use it bare as-is when needed, but to have it as an after-work project that I can take my time with.. couple hours here and there at night to have something to work on.

I can't figure out how to get started- what order to do things in.- Do you do a floor first, followed by walls/roof? Or- Do you build the walls and then lay the floor after? What do you connect the walls and floor to the trailer with?

I'm just a bit stuck trying to figure out how to make the true frame of the whole thing as stable and good as possible and I don't want to make any mistake.

Any help here to shed some light on how I should look to attack this would really be appreciated!

What I have & Thoughts:

- Trailer frame is 6 x 10

- I'm thinking a 'V' roof

- Optimally I would LOVE to build the rear into a 'toy hauler' drop-down door.. but worried this may be more than I'm ready to attack.

Thanks for any help!

-Cobber

[broman]

That axle in the middle sticking up makes it a tougher job than most frames. You're going to probably have to put AC2 2x3 or 2x4 base on top of the angle iron. Put bolts through the 2x3 or 2x4s through and into the angle iron. Then you can put your AC2 plywood on top of that. Glue and screw. Then build a normal framed wall out of 2x2's on top of that framing for the door and windows. Buy your doors and windows ahead of time of course.

[UpNorthIce]

I just built a house on a miltona frame. First step

1. Paint frame with herculiner

2. Crank frame down and level

3. Install treated floor and pin down to frame

4. Install framed wall and pin down through treated floor to steel frame

5. Intall sheeting materiAl

6 install windows doors

7. Wire and insulate

8 sheet inside and install bunks

9 heater and other accessories

These are the steps we take for building our houses for upper we lake. Good luck fishing

[Sea Hage]

That is a very light frame, I wounld't get to carried away with the house you put on it and surely wouldn't try to make a toy hauler out of it.

[Chad Holst]

I have just went through all of this. Here yah go.

First, go to the steel shop and have them put 3x2 tube steel across the back, middle and front. Then, along the side rails. There is NO reason to put 1 cent onto that frame withour having it built up, as angle will get you exactly no where...fast. You bend it the first time you pull it up frozen the frozen/stuck to ice.

Then, withthe flat area now available, because of the Tube steel, you will have alevel flat surface to lay 1/2 inch treat ply wood. screw that to tube frame with coated screws for treated wood. Then glue/lay 1 1/2" thick pink foam sheet, then glue/lay 1/2" treated plywod on that. You just made a sandwich ith foam in the middle. Screw the top sheet into the floor and steel tube with 2 1/2" coated screws. Then, you will build the walls. Do this OFF the trailer, and then put them in place. The walls should have a plate (the bottom board that lays flat to the floor) made from 2x2's, the corner of the verticle wall will be 2x4 turned sideways so the wall is still only as thick as a 2x2. The studs for the walls will also be 2x2's 16" on center. On that small of a house you can use 2x6's for the rafters, alot of 16+ use 2x8's. To make the pitch on the roof, cut the 2x6's to drop 3 inches from center to roof edge. top plate is also 2x2's.

Just a note, if you keep it light and dont put anything inside, your gonna be able to get by with that wheel set up, on angle...but if you add any weight to the house, or build the inside up with a stove, etc...Your gonna have your wheels sagging in a few years.

This frame is meant for very very light use. If your not going to build it up with some steel tubing, then ignore everything i just wrote and dont insulate the floor at all. I would simply set 2x4's across the inside of the angle irons edge and screw them in, then place treated plywood on top of that to get a floor. 2x2 the walls, inluding corners, and a flat plywood (untreated) roof with rubber ceiling from menards/homedepot (50 bucks for that small of a sheet). it wont be the warmest but that size will be easy to keep heated anyway.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

These guys are on the right track. That frame isn't going to take much weight before you have major troubles. I think even just a shell is going to be too much after a year or two. I'd get that into a welding shop for reinforcements before putting the floor on there.

Once you get that built up a bit, see my '2012 Fish House Build' and '2010 Fish House Build' posts for the process.

[broman]

I see on C List that you decided to sell the frame for $1500. I'm going to be honest. The price you are asking is way too high. If you look at the other frames on the C List site you'll see that you can get a brand new painted tube frame for the same price or less. I know that you're entitled to ask your own price, but you should probably drop it down if you're looking to get anyone interested.

[Chad Holst]

We looked at a 8x12 with 4 foot V nose, made with heavy channel and a strong hitch made from tube, and still turned it down for $500. Just to give you an idea. Compaired to your trailer, your looking at about 3 x the weight than yours, and we didnt pay the $500. The metal may have been worth it, im sure it was, but its not made the way it needs to be.

If you want to get the most for your trailer. Put some sheet wood on it, llight it with a $25.00 light kit from wally world and sell it as a snowmobile or utility trailer for $500-$750. IMO.

It would actually work slick for a snowmobile trailer..no tilt or ramps needed. Drop it down, load em up, lift it up, away you go.

Good luck bud.

[tsande00]

I think it could make a nice drop down for a portable. Haul your wheeler or snowmobile and flip over shack on it on the way to the lake and use the trailer as a floor out on the ice.