New Ice House Frame

[brian6715]

I wouldn't pull my house if it didn't have brakes, I would for sure put them on... A 3500 lb house behind a pickup in the middle of winter without brakes is just asking for trouble

[mattLi]

So let me try these links again would these parts work ok.

 

 

http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200326378_200326378?hotline=false

 

http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200365448_200365448?hotline=false

http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200477963_200477963?hotline=false

http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200365282_200365282?hotline=false

[mattLi]

A little change of subject but I plan on running a propane line from the front of the house to the back under the bunk for a furnace would I be fine running it up and over in the ceiling and what would you guys use for propane line size and type?

[Hawg]

Personally I hate the whole idea of running it that far, too many opportunities for trouble. If it was me though I would run rubber along the floor by the wall and cover it with an aluminum U channel. You want to know RIGHT NOW anytime you have gas problems and burying them in floors or walls is a problem you don't find out about till its too late. That way you know where you can and can't screw or nail, and believe me, lots of screwing and nailing happen when you think you're done. That sounds dirty doesn't it

[mattLi]

Well I got the wheel wells done this weekend I went with 1/4 inch HPDM from Men--ds and it worked really good I am happy with the results and it was way cheaper than aluminum! I will put up pics when I can every time I try to load them on my phone they are upside down.

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2016 by mattlinster
Pics upside down

[mattLi]

There we go IOS sucks sometimes.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

11 hours ago, mattlinster said:

Well I got the wheel wells done this weekend I went with 1/4 inch HPDM from Men--ds and it worked really good I am happy with the results and it was way cheaper than aluminum! I will put up pics when I can every time I try to load them on my phone they are upside down.

 

 

 

Just to clarify, because I've been trying to find this HPDM everywhere with no luck...it is actually HPD(E) and is readily available at most of the Menards and other stores.  

How is that stuff to cut? 

[mattLi]

Ya sorry it is HPDE I was confusing it with UHMW that we use for lining conveyors and pits. It is really easy to cut it has a smooth side and a rough side I just put the smooth side up and made a line on it with a razor blade and cut it with my cordless skill saw. You could use a jig saw or rip it on a table saw.

 

http://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/panel-products/specialty-panels/plastic/1-4-x-4-x-8-hdpe-panel/p-1444424094192-c-14048.htm?tid=-1282029915808556071

[mattLi]

Menards only sells white and black but looking on the internet it looks like you can get any color you want. The only thing that could be an issue is that the sheets can expand a little and it says to drill a little bit bigger hole in the sheet than your screw so it can give.

[Hawg]

But why? I'm doing my best to think of reason to use this stuff, what advantage is there. It sure isn't because it looks better. If you don't like diamond plate, I hate it, why not just get the cheaper deck steel and put POR15 on it.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Hawg

[mattLi]

Cheaper lighter easier to work with will not rust corrode and is basically a giant mud flap already. I think it looks awesome!!

Edited February 23, 2016 by mattlinster

[Moon Lake Refuge]

13 minutes ago, mattlinster said:

Cheaper lighter easier to work with will not rust corrode and is basically a giant mud flap already. I think it looks awesome!!

Would look pretty sharp with a blue LED or two in the corners of each wheel well.  We're putting lights in ours for setup and tear down at night.  lights and wire are pretty cheap in the grand scheme of the build when it comes to adding convenience.  

[Hawg]

I thought by looking it was some type of coated particle board but not the case right? HPDE means nothing to me not being in construction, is it rubber? You said mud flap so is it actually flexible or is it like a cutting board? Look up Puck Board also, it looks like a newer product but not sure of pricing. It says it's 3 times stronger.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Hawg

[mattLi]

Here is what I found to explain the product the best I could in all reality it's probably the best product that you could use and you can get it in red or yellow or any color so you could match your wall color or accent it if you want. I think you could even put it around the bottom of your house and use it instead of diamond plate because it's UV resistant and very impact resistant for rocks.

 

High Density Polyethylene Sheet (HDPE)

 

 

YOUR STRONGEST EVERYDAY PLASTIC.

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) sheet is extremely strong against impact, abrasion resistant, and exhibits a low coefficient of friction. The material is also moisture, stain, and odor resistant, and is FDA approved for use in the food processing industry (mainly for cutting boards). The material's durability makes it a perfect match for a variety of applications such as water tanks, chute linings, bottle/bottle cap production and numerous other industrial uses. Borated HDPE offers radiation protection in nuclear facility applications.

SIZES

ePlastics® carries all sizes of High Density Polyethylene sheet up to 96" x 240" and can cut to size or machine with CNC routers to any desired shape.

PROPERTIES

Rigidity and tensile strength of the HDPE resins are considerably higher than those of the low and medium density materials. Impact strength is slightly lower, as is to be expected in a stiffer material. Values remain high when compared to those of many other thermoplastic materials, especially at low temperatures.

APPLICATIONS

Mechanically ground HDPE resins are used to rotationally mold large, complex shaped products such as fuel tanks, trash containers, dump carts, pallets, agricultural tanks, highway barriers and water and waste tanks for RVs. Additionally, HDPE sheet is often extruded with a pebble finish and is used as a cutting board in a variety of industry markets such as meat packing, butchering, and more.

I got some more tin on last night now for the back wall and then for the rubber roof. I did end up adding another window to the front. I have decided to put up a dividing wall across the front for a bathroom but not all the way across so there wont be a door in it this new window will give the front some more light.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

looking pretty sharp!

[mattLi]

Well I got the roof on last night and pulled it out of the garage and weighed it. It weighs 2500 lb with 400 on the tongue so if I keep the weight on the back I have 1000 pounds to work with. I took it down the road and it pulls great so far..

[randingo]

looks fantastic. can I ask how much you've invested in the house so far? looking into doing something very similar

[mattLi]

I'm thinking around 3000 but I haven't touched the inside yet and I built my own trailer.

[Old Dewjabber]

Nice shack. Is that going to be legal.? I was reading in the the 2016 regs. page 60 says in fish house design, the door must open outward towards the outside. What would be the reasoning behind that?

[Billy G]

Maby to be pryed open in case of emergency?  Not sure either

[mattLi]

For safety the back window is plenty big to get out of and as far as prying the door open it is actually way easier to kick the door in so I'm not sure. And if you want to talk about being legal all ice houses are supposed to float I'm not sure there are any houses except maybe the Zack shack that will float.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

On February 22, 2016 at 1:31 PM, mattlinster said:

 

If we're talking safety to get out in case SHTF, an inswing door is going to be safer.  Most houses will at least partially float, and if you are inside and the house is 5 of 7 feet under and your door swings out, you are fish food!  

Edited March 8, 2016 by Lip_Ripper Guy

[papadarv]

Just a tidbit of information:

Federal and State laws state "Small Mobile Living Space" i.e. trailers, RV", Wheel Houses etc. need egress exit door access. Egress exit means door needs to open in the direction of exit. Its listed under Fire safety. That means they must open to the outside. (Every home also needs at least 1 egress door which are most garage doors.)

I built a DIY 6.5x12 V front wheel house 2 years ago, used a "house" door - big mistake - warping, expansion, trailer twist, all caused the door not to shut or open. I replaced it last summer with a Steel Framed RV/Travel trailer door. They all come with a tempered frosted window in case someone needs to get in. You can find them used at RV dealers. Egress door is why every RV, Trailer, Wheel House have outside opening doors.

As stated in some reply's the foam on the bottom will be an issue as it will freeze to the ice. Almost every commercial built Wheel House uses high density (pink poly) 1/2 or 3/4" sandwiched between 2 sheets of plywood inside the house. I put plywood on the bottom of mine with insulation in-between, big mistake. At -20 (often happens at Devils Lake) the bottom freezes in the center of the house. Very difficult to get it off the ice. I am changing mine this summer.

It looks like your using a single cable from your 1500# wench through one pulley to the spring. Some part of it will most likely break after a few uses. Most commercial wheel house use a double or quad pulley system on the wheels. Find a recent built Ice Castle, Yetti, Cabin and look at the wheel wench/pulley/cable system. I also modified mine last summer, major improvement and my house fully loaded is only 1740#. You may also want to increase the weight of the wench. Even if you use a powered ATV wench, add the pulleys.

Always lift the wheels before lifting the tongue. The 500" tongue weight is dependent on rocking on the axel. And keep your feet away from under the tongue and your head, arms, hands to the side when turning the crank. When that cable breaks, it will sever body parts.

If you decide to use non-vented heat, plan to have your door and widows freeze shut on next use. Propane heat produces an unbelievable amount of moisture and is advisable to vent it outside. Put some protection under the outside heat exhaust as there will be a large frozen ice cycle formed under the exhaust.

Two essential tools on the ice, a 6' Crow Bar and a 4 ton hydraulic jack. (black jack style). A crow bar is a 1 1/4" steel shaft 6' long with one ground to a flat. Every farmer has one they use to pry things up and apart. Also take a few cut ends of your wood framing 1 foot long with you. They really come in handy on the ice.

Grease your axel's frequently as steel on steel will rust. Last fall there were many threads on another forum about Ice Castles not going down because the wheel axels were rusted together. I also had the problem last fall but was able to overcome the rust frozen axels. I plan to modify mine this summer with a thin layer of copper around the axel shaft.

Your house is looking great, excellent job. Just thought I would share some experience I have had with mine.

Edited March 12, 2016 by papadarv

[mattLi]

Minnesota law states

Subd. 3. Door must open from outside. A person may not use a dark house or fish house unless the door is constructed so that it can be opened from the outside when it is in use. .  

And one thing I am sure of is sandwiching foam between plywood in your floor is a horrible idea it will seal in moisture and rot your floor that's why all commercial houses are spray foamed from underneath.

As far as the winches go I have two friends with houses heavier than mine with one cable system and with regular replacement of the cables have never broken one if you are smart about not putting too much stress on it there shouldn't ever be a problem.

Thanks for your input..

So I finished my wiring and I had a partial Froth-pak so I decided to start foaming I got the back wall and half of one side done and ran out. It worked awesome I would highly recommend them don't waste your money on a pro. One problem I had tho was I set the tanks in front of my shop light to warm them up and one of the hoses got too close to the guard and exploded and sprayed the A chem all over the place NOT COOL..

[mattLi]