Salem ice cabin

[Chad Holst]

Actually, that is not true about length.

For example i just built a 8x16 house. that means the "box" is 8x16 PLUS a V nose. So when you compair a V nose house that is advertised as a 8x16 and a flat nose 8x16 the V nose has the same room PLUS the V nose section. this is pretty standard in the industry, This is why they often advertise in the format "8x16 + 4 foot V nose" or something similiar.

So, again, you dont loose ANY interior, you simply gain some added space. If the price is the same for the 2 types, and all other things are equal, then i would take the extra space and added MPG and towability.

I'm not saying that the Ice Cabin isnt a good house..I dont know. They may have a much better product than everyone else... I'm simply asking why wouldnt they make it a V nose? It wouldnt hurt anything but it would/could help.

The analogy with the Boat manufacturers is Spot on...Those companies have a reason or "pro's and con's" as to why they choose one style over the other. So, i'm asking...whats the pro's and Con's to cabin not using a V nose?

It sounds like Daivid has answered that question. It sounds like it is because they dont make Ice houses, they make RV's and simply wanted to modify there camper to a new market. Fair enough. but they should understand that other companies are then competing with them, and those companies use a V Nose. I cant imagine that Team Lodge, Castle, Yeti... all went with V nose houses because they DIDNT work better. lol.

Just to be clear you said:

Quote:

My cabin (8x20RD) is 20 feet long, in an Ice Castle it would be a 8 x 16

That is not accurate. It would be an 8x20 + V nose in an Ice Castle.

Thats why i said, if you dont like the interior of the V nose, you could still do a house that has a squared front interior and still have the exact same sized house as the cabin. Why wouldnt you want the added little space a V nose gets you? In the one we built, that V nose allowed for a pizzer and the stove/oven/stove hood and cabinet space AND the batteries AND the converter AND the inverter AND coat hooks AND 1/2 the needed space for the furnace AND an exterior spot to attach the 2 30lb propane tank box without it making the house wider than 8 feet wide. Some people would want that added space. I't sounds like some people dont care if they have that added space. If you dont mind loosing space and having a flat nose to pull...then the Cabin may be a house to look at.

Finally, someone said they dont buy into the V nose vs Flat nose being easier to pull. Honestly i dont know which is beeter, but common sence would suggest that a pointed front would pull better than a flat front. How much better? I have no idea and really dont care. All i need to know is that i'm 100% sure the flat nose isnt BETTER tan the V nose, and that the V nose "could" be better than the flat. What do you have to loose in a V nose? Which is all im trying to figure out. If it were me, I'd either have a reason to use a flat nose front on the house i built, or go with a style that is V'ed. If the answer is simply "becuase i didnt build this to be a fish house" then i cant complane when a fish house builder makes it with a better design.

I can see why a camper company may not want a more streamlined front...the added length is an issue when camping space may be limited. Why build it longer than needed... but when we are talking about putting an Ice house on a big ole lake...who cares if its a few feet longer. room generally isnt an issue.

[Iceman1026]

I think I'm getting the Salem but I was reading more and noticed it has a 550 pound hitch weight just seems like a lot but I guess I really don't know what mine is never really said any input and has anybody had to use any equalizers

Thanks

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

That 550# is a good thing. That weight is what keeps you from swaying around, and with a long single axle, more is definitely better. General rule of thumb is 10-15% of the gross weight should be on the tongue.

If the truck sags, for $300 you can put the airbags in. One of the best improvements I've done on any truck, hands down.

[JSK76]

Is the Salem ice cabin the same as True North ice Lodge? It looks like its made by the same place.

I missed out on a rediculious deal on one last week, the one that was listed on the classifieds on here. I asked the guy if I could come see it and he said he had some errands to run but his fiancé could show it to me. I figured I give him time to do what he need to do and when I texted him back hours latter he had sold it. Someone out there is a very happy Ice Cabin owner and I wish it was me! Next time I'm going to Johnny on the spot but I really don't think I run into a deal like that again.

[icefishing7777]

I own a 8x14 fishouse with a three foot v and a frame length of 17ft plus the tongue and hitch. a 8 x 17 house with a flat front would have a frame length of 17ft as well plus tongue and hitch both would have the same distance from hitch to front of the house giving the flat front more fishable sq footage...the v front is not some hidden sq footage its added to the length of the frame and the tongue and hitch distance stays the same no matter what version you build

as far as aerodynamics goes I don't buy the fact that v fronts helps with gas that much nor do they help pulling into the wind...i've pulled a 8x20 four place snowmobile trailer with more weight and it pulls just as good and even better in situations when your driving north like most of us fisherman do...if the v front really helped im sure we would see everyone hauling for a living or making their living off of the camper industry with a v front on there rig...pretty sure they have done their homework on what really works and whats aseptically pleasing such as a v front on a fish house.

[sportfish]

I looked at a True North 20 foot model and than ordered a Ice Castle , I liked the v front it pulls Great . I also felt that the True North was built to light like a camper and wanted some thing that would hold up to winter abuse . But buy what fits ur needs

[Chad Holst]

Icefishing7777,

Are you really trying to argue that a pointed devise pulled into the wind vs a flat devise pulled into the wind will not make a significant difference?

Again, im not saying that this or that company may not make great ice houses, but lets be realistic here. A V nose is going to cut air much better than a flat front, or "flatter" front house.

You bring up commercial haulers... Yes, they do the same thing. How many flat nose long haul trucks do you see? They are all designed with some level of aerodynamics. Sure, the trailer is flat, beacuse the "v" part of the equation is the tow truck. You can argue/claim all you want about how you pulled a brick better than a needle, but it doesnt change the reality of common sense.

Alot of variables go into MPG and wear on the tow vehicle. To really see how much a "V" nose is better (it obviously would be) you would have to use the same vehicle in the same conditions to tow 2 houses that are the same in all aspects, 1 with a V and 1 with a Flat nose. I would suspect that the difference would be noticable. I would also suspect that there is no reason to PREFFER a Flat nose, when all things are equall, and thats why no one has came up with a real argument as to why a real fish house manufacturer wouldnt use a V other than ease of build and cost. (both are good reasons, if it makes the house less expensive to buy, for some purchasers)

[AlligatorDundee]

BUY THE ONE THAT CATCHES MORE FISH!

DON'T WORRY ABOUT CATCHING THE WIND!

[David Anderson]

Chad,

You are really stuck on this one! So, sitting in my Salem this weekend, having a cocktail, I'm looking at everything and thinking about your insistence on V vs Flat. First of all, my Salem is not a perfectly flat front. At about the bumper height it has a sharp angle to the bottom, I suspect close to 45 degrees. From that point, there is about a 15 degree angle to about a foot from the top where it sharply angles back to the top of the unit and is finished off at the exterior with a radius. It would appear as though the front has some subtle design that not unlike a roof deflector on the cab of a semi truck, works in conjunction with the air flow over the cab of a pickup truck to create what may in fact be a quite efficient design. We do know that air flow around an object is as critical to aerodynamics as demonstrated by the wingtips of an airliner, those little winglets add weight and additional drag yet they disrupt the airflow enough to actually make the plane fly more efficient. Although V fronts make most of us think, geez it just has to be more aerodynamic, suppose for a minute that combined with the distance of the tongue coupled with the fact that the propane tanks are mounted on one side which might cause a nonlinear airflow to create a MPG robbing suction between that side and the back of the truck. Maybe that bumper height vertical separation which starts the 45 degree angle downward somehow minimizes the suction vortex's present between the road and the bottom of the trailer which might actually give one more benefit than the apparent advantages the V front obviously brings to the design. I suspect your guess is as good as mine if you care to think outside the box, sort to speak. I also believe that tow ability is just as important to a company who makes more towable living spaces in one year than possibly all the V front ice houses ever made. Now I suppose this could be answered by enlisting the help of someone who has access to a wind tunnel but then again, who wants to be proven wrong! Therefore we are back to tomato/tomatoe, potato/potatoe. Unfortunately it looks like the season is about done anyway. Thanks

[Dozer]

They would all be more areodynamic if they where pulled backwards. The big flat rear pulling all the air is way more of a concern IMO.

[icefishing7777]

Chad Holst,

Why must you argue with every point other then your own...did you finally break out the tape measure and figure out how to measure a v-front vs a flat front? Where is your big come back for that?Ive owned both styles of houses and theres no way i can argue one is better then the other for pulling..

I dont need to type paragraph after paragraph to prove anything...your a loud mouth sitting behind a computer. A guy oringal posted about a salem ice cabin, not what does chad think is the best!

[Iceman1026]

Got the ice cabin today to my surprise pulls better than the ice castle I had

[JSK76]

I just bought a 8x16 with the rear doors and if I drive over 54 mph it starts to sway pretty bad anyone else have this issue? I'm thinking because of the weight of the queen bed and all the metal hard wear for lowering and raising it in the back is taking weight of the hitch. It didn't seem to squat my truck much at all so I'm thinking its lack of tung weight.

[Iceman1026]

I drove 60-65 the whole way home on Friday and it was pretty windy and it didn't sway at all I thought I did really good and I got the 8 x 20 I was also going to ask what people have done for modifications in their house or what they added rather just to get some ideas seems like a guy could do a lot on the inside

[AlligatorDundee]

I altered one for my style

Of fishing. I put a tip up at

Each end. Under glass so you can step on them. Like a glass bottom boat.

[JSK76]

Alligator, your Salem is insane! By far my favorite I've seen.I've actually seen these pics before and when I bought my Salem my GF didn't think it was very homey being a toy hauler,rubber flooring and lift up bed. I showed her your pics and she saw the potential in ours. I hope over the summer I can get mine 50% as homey as yours!

[Iceman1026]

Wow that is a nice set up inside got me thinking

[Gus]

I've mounted a TV/DVD and installed the Wii for my son.

Built cedar coat rack by the front door.

Built a Cedar rod holder for the wall.

Mounted an under cabinet LED light under the queen drop bed. (it can be dark in the back after light)

I had the dealer upgrade all of the lights to LED's. Love them.

If you haven't gotten the insulator pillow type things for the ceiling vents, do that. They generate a lot of condensation if you don't. I tried just one in the main cabin and left the closet without at first. The first warm day it was raining in the closet from all the frost on the vent. I now have two of them.

I had AC put in for the summer.

I wired in a connection point for my Big Volt auger.

Camo curtains for the windows.

I'd like to come up with a shelf system for inside some of the cabinets. If anyone has done this let me know.

I'll try to take some pics of some of my mods, but I haven't taken any yet.

I've used a silicone wax/lube around all of the door gaskets and surfaces and haven't had any freeze up issues. A bit of frost, but nothing that got anywhere close to freezing the door up. Spent several nights at -30. Never a propane issue at all and I'm still running the stock 20# tanks.

I love the 20SV and the open fishable layout it provides. Many other brands have hole placement so ridiculous a guy could only ever fish a rattle reel out of them. I prefer to be actively fishing so a fishing layout was one of my main considerations.

[AlligatorDundee]

I showed her your pics and she saw the potential in ours. I hope over the summer I can get mine 50% as homey as yours!

Uh oh... hide the credit cards or she will be calling NEIMEN MARCUS!

I am sure that if you incorporate her help it will be so cozy even the fish won't want to leave.

[Iceman1026]

Anyone looked to see if you can use the space under the couch ?

[AlligatorDundee]

I make Thermo Grain Window Covers.

-23 degrees frost free.

58 days and nights straight

in the cabin this season.

I would not do it with out window covers.

[Gus]

Anyone looked to see if you can use the space under the couch ?

Under the couch is easy to access. It's just a 1/4 luan pannel dropped into place. Mine wasn't even screwed down. You can get at the inverter/converter there and also at the battery. Towards the front is open and free for making use of, but it's not easy to get into because the couch stays put. You could do a cabinet door in the wall of the bench or you could just use it for emergency type supplies. I keep a few things in there.

[Gus]

The window covers look like a great addition!

I got quite a bit of frost on the wind blown side of the ice cabin especially. The cedar will soak up that water when it melts and cause some staining. That is one bad thing so far I guess.

[Gus]

Has anyone done a snap or velcro on screen door for the ramp access? I'm considering that for the summer.

[Iceman1026]

Do the TV mounts lock in the wall position and if so where do you find them this weekend I'm going to pull the couch out I think my power cord is loose in there too just for storage