How much ice is needed.....

[Swiftswamper]

just built a new 12ft wheel house, it weighs in at 2200 lbs. How much ice is needed to take it out with a four wheeler?

[JeffB]

I would feel good with 8" but only you can answer that. Mine is a bit lighter and I take it out on 6"

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I wouldn't take it out with less than 6". 8" would be even better.

[WalleyeSlayer21]

at least7

[openorice]

Does it float? If not I wouldn't try it with less than 6 inches!

[Chad Holst]

Yikes guys. Slow downa bit.

There are ALOT of things to consider, before we can go spouting off numbers to such a question.

Is this guy fishing on a lake or back waters to a river, or a river? Is it 6 inches of clean ice or 8 inches of white ice? I would rather drive a semi accross 8 inches of clean ice than 16 inches of white ice.

The point im trying to make is that you need to use your own head when looking at driving or walking on the frozen water. Alot can effect the strength of ice, along with the depth from one spot to another.

Heres an example. Its -15 degrees out. Walker Bay, Leech lake, MN. Mid Feb. The ice is between 28 and 32 inches EVERYWHERE, with a few random spots pushing +3 feet deep. Its cold, its been cold and the ice is solid... We had a cabin on agency bay. driving through the narrows meant "thinner" ice, but the thinnest we found in 4 days was 18 inches, under much snow cover. Safe to drive on. Yet...at 3AM with a wind chill of -25, we found a way to break a small SUV's Rear end through the lake...to open water. Why? we had driven this exact route, along with about 100 other full sized truck all week long...infact we watched a guy pull a 5th wheel over that exact spot, earlier that week, and it was colder now. There should be MORE ice, right? WRONG! our front tires in the blazer were sitting on 27 inches of great ice, the back wheels were to the hub in water. Even on lakes, a small current can do amazing things.

Know your ice, know your lake and know your vehicle.

Heres one last thing to consider. If you get your perm out with a wheeler, how do you get it off the lake if a short thaw comes? if we lose only 2 inches of ice, your not going to get out on your wheeler and your house is stuck. what if we lost just 4 inches of ice...say good bye to the perm. If you wait for 12 inches you dont have to worry about it. It takes too long for 4 inches of ice to melt, that you couldnt get your wheeler out on 8 inches of safe ice to save the house.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I mean this, not to sound like a jack-donkey, but out of concern for your own and lots of others safety....driving through the Agency narrows with a truck is one of the dumbest things you can possibly do. Honestly, I do a lot of dumb things, but you couldn't pay me to drive anything through there other than a snowmobile going 50mph. You are extremely lucky to not be fish food.