Where can I see Canvas Craft houses in the Mpls area???

[Iceboy]

Hi all - I'm thinking about upgrading my Guide to a Canvas Craft Northlander Medium Single flipover with their nice thermal material. Is there any place in the cities where they sell them? Or perhaps someone owns one who would be willing to let me check it out? I'm dying to see one - they look like a great house but I'd have time ordering one without having a chance to kick the tires.

thanks!

dan

[randerson]

I'm sure they have one at the shop in Rogers

[DarthBaiter]

They might have one at the ice fishing show coming up this weekend. They were there last year.

[fishwacker1]

I've got a "cabin" medium Canvas Craft in Waconia. Set up with bench seat. I'll be home December 14th for a week. Let me know if you want to check it out.

Jesse

[FISHINGURU]

I'd just order it up, you will have 0 regrets. It will make you forget about your guide in the first 5 minutes.

[gonehunting]

Otter Cabin Thermal. Also no regrets with this one.

[showpropserv]

yeah them new otters are extremely nice

[Iceboy]

I did check out the new Otters - the 1200 is really nice with way thicker insulation than the Clam. I'd just love to see a Canvas Craft before making my final decision - looks like the Northlander in medium would be a bit lighter, and if the material & sewing is nicer it would be a tough choice.

[Hartley]

I have the magnum sized Canvas Craft house and I'll never look at anything else. Me and the ol'lady were on LOW last year and the temps never got warmer than -15. I run a cabelas blind heater and we never got cold. We were very comfortable fishing with sweat shirts also had our black lab laying in the sled the entire day with out getting cold.

[RIPN LIPS]

They are usually at the ice show.

[outkast7222]

They do not have any setup at the Rogers shop, wish they did I have been lusting one for a few years but won't pull the trigger until I see one in person.

[jerkbait]

What about the Ramsey Store. Always had them setup there when i would go in there. It has been a few years though.

[walleye44]

Hi all - I'm thinking about upgrading my Guide to a Canvas Craft Northlander Medium Single flipover with their nice thermal material. Is there any place in the cities where they sell them? Or perhaps someone owns one who would be willing to let me check it out? I'm dying to see one - they look like a great house but I'd have time ordering one without having a chance to kick the tires.

thanks!

dan

You will have to see them at the Rogers shop. They do not sell them anywhere else, unless you order it online. The are USA made & it is hard for them to compete with the other companies & give a profit to another reseller like Cabelas. If you want to look at one in the Cambridge area you can take a look at mine. I have the Magnum/lodge size. One step bigger, but a close comparison.

You will not regret the Canvas Craft insulated house. They are warm. I have fished when it was -20 in a tee shirt. I had to open the vent because they are so warm. When your done fishing they fold up like a warm blanket at home. Not like stiff canvas. You do not get the condensation drip, which is a huge plus.

[Hookmaster]

This will be my 4th winter with my magnum double flip. They had the best insulated fabric when I bought it at the ice show. No regrets whatsoever. Very warm. Once warmed up, the Big Buddy is usually on low and this house is 6 ft X 11 ft when fully opened. After the first trip, there was a problem with one of the zippers. Dropped it of at the Rogers store on the way home and picked it up later that week. No problems since. I also had a custom cover made that is deeper so I can really pack the gear in it and still get the cover on.

[Iceboy]

Thanks all - hey Hookmaster - any chance I could check yours out sometime? I fish Lake Minnetonka a fair amount early ice - maybe we could arrange a meetup on a weedline somewhere for the walleye bite.

[bigred1974]

Well they sure WILL NEVER see a dime from me. I called up there and asked if they had any houses set up to look at. All I got was "no". A pause because I guess with a snide no, I was waiting to hear something else. She said, "hello???" I said, "wow you reall dont?" I get a "REALLY??". I hung up. Dottie from canvas craft, you just lost a potential sale and possibly some more with your rudeness. Customer service?? None

[Iceboy]

Thanks bigred - that's kind of my concern. I emailed them last year and got the same response that they don't have any setup, that they sell them as fast as they can make them, etc... I don't know how they've gotten the respect they have when you can't even see a house anywhere, not to mention at the place they make them! And nothing has changed about their houses in years.

I have zero problem paying a premium for high-quality, US-made gear (Cooke Custom Sewing & Kifaru have more of my money than I care to admit), but without some customer service I just can't justify it. Oh well. The new Frabill's and Otter shacks look nice, and it looks like the Frabill's use the same material as canvas craft.

[FISHINGURU]

I don't know how they've gotten the respect they have when you can't even see a house anywhere

That's an easy answer, the respect comes from the people that have bought them and used them.

[bigred1974]

Guess they have as many customers as they're ever gonna need then if they want to be as rude to prospective customers as I got on the phone today. I dont argue their stuff is nice, my dad has one of their houses, but a little courtesy goes for miles with most people and no courtesy goes even further in the wrong direction.

[Dave]

If you've been around a while, you'd know why many respect Canvas Craft and its products. Canvas Craft not only pioneered the mass manufacturing of the flip over shelter over 30 years ago, with the original Otter, but also pioneered the now popular, and copied, insulated shelter fabric.

When people ask the question, they're given an answer.....no, they no longer have display models.

There's nothing hidden about a Canvas Craft shelter. It's based on an Otter sled. You can view and feel the fabric, before its even sewn, and framework, if you stop in. The shape of its shelters are the same as any other. Nothing has changed in their shelters for all these years, why, because it works! Want fancy looking framework, who do you think is going to pay the extra cost of fancy. Is a Canvas Craft shelter comparable in price to the competition? If so, where do you think the competition is cutting its quality and costs.

Judging customer service by not having a display model? You could actually see the product, and QUALITY during assembly if you made a visit. Can you say that for any competitor? They have one being manufactured probably daily.

Frabill and Otters look nice? Looks like Frabill uses the same material? It appears the large company marketing dollars are working with comments like that and it will continue to knock out the small company high quality USA companies, like Canvas Craft. Now you know the probable reason why smaller companies like Canvas Craft can't afford the unproductive high rent "display areas" for all its shelters any longer.

[gonehunting]

Come on "Dave". Is it really too much to have a display model? It's called advertising. I don't doubt they have a great product but if I can't see it I'm not buying. No doubt people expect a lot of customer service. That being said customer service goes along way. Especially in the days of social media and fishing forums like these. Were they at the St. Paul Ice Show? I don't think I'm the only one scratching my head right now....

[Dave]

My thoughts.......

Which model on display would satisfy a majority of customers.

Social media, like this, also does not reflect the facts, most times. If I received an answer like bigred, to a direct question, I wouldn't think it's terrible and come on social media and blast a company.

I believe this is the 2nd year Canvas Craft wasn't at the ice show. I can understand why. Maybe the at least $3000 "advertising" price, for the space alone, would be better spent on something else, like employees benefits.

There's a huge difference in large corporation and small company budgets.

[gonehunting]

I'm not trying to pick a bone here. As I said I do believe Canvas Craft does have a good product. If they are making a portable a day in there shop I'm assuming there is enough profit margin to advertise. A person cannot even get a price of their shelters on their HSOforum. I'm just saying they could probably do a better job of communicating their product which came long before other thermal shelters. I think their biggest selling point is being American Made. Where is there a better place to sell and advertise a thermal fishhouse than MN?

[bigred1974]

Dave, im all for you guys promoting on here, but please, seriously call a spade a spade. Dont tell me "when someone says no,," I got nothing but rude. I wanna see what im buying. You gonna order a new model car from a brochure pic? Hell no. I dont wanna touch and feel parts, I wanna sit in it, picture myself using it, and then ill know its right. Ive been around quite a while and the smoke you are blowing up our back doors, save it.

[magicstix]

Dave I'd say a medium size would fit most peoples needs for a display. I was also wondering about prices being on HSOforum but I also know I can pickup the phone and call, which I haven't made the time to do yet.

I'm in the market for a new top too. Thanks for taking your time to reply.