Selling Wheel house, need conversation on Skid House options

[perchking]

I have a really nice little 6x10 wheel house that I keep at my cottage in N. Wisconsin.  Not sure why I bought a wheel house as I only fish my lake and really have no chance of driving on the ice with vehicles where my cottage is.  I am pulling it with a tracked 825 gator, it pulls nice when I have the homemade skis on or low snow (which doesn’t happen often) , but I think a skid house with a deep snow package would fit me much better.  I would like an all-aluminum unit, but I am worried about the durability.  I do not need a sleeper, just 6x10 or 12 or maybe a 8x10 with 4-6 holes.  I want it to be fairly light as I need to stay on top vs breaking through and getting caught in the slush.

I may just buy one, or I may have one fabricated up not really sure yet.  Does anyone have a skid house that is similar, if so are you willing to show some pics and give your opinion?

 

Thanks

[huntercj]

I  have a 6x12 alumalite I pull it all over  lake of the woods . So far its been great, where I use it there are no ice roads every thing goes behind a snowmobile. I have pulled it up to 40 miles in one day.   Very warm it is  spray foamed . If I got smooth conditions I can pull it 40 mph easily.

Edited January 25, 2016 by huntercj

[perchking]

Thanks Huntercj, I have been really considering the alumalite.  Any issues with cracked welds? 

[huntercj]

So far no cracked welds. When its rough  on the lake I just go slow instead of beating the fish house.  I got mine with plastic on the bottom of the skis would highly  recommend that pulls much easier. I just use a big buddy heater to heat it. Very easy to heat even the floor is spray foamed. Fished the other weekend  minus  35 nice and warm.

[gunner55]

Looked at these at the Duluth show last year, they looked very well built. Made in Cromwell, Mn by Jay Soderbloom., I believe. Not many here have anything BAD to say about these.

[huntercj]

The only trouble I have had with the fish house it has a simple eye bolt for attaching the hitch.   I straightened  the stock eye bolts by jerking on the hitch with a stretch rope. Long story don't try fishing in a huge slush hole. Easy fix replaced eye bolts with a heavier size cost 6 dollars and zero problems since. And I also stopped parking in super deep slush. One nice thing you can move the hitch from the front to the back and pull from front or back.

[Walleyehooker]

I think I saw that house last year on LOW. Did you go out of Springsteel

[huntercj]

No I only fish on the Canadian side of lake of the woods. I have a cabin at morson Ontario, lake of the woods.

[Walleyehooker]

OK. I saw one very similar to that one on the trail last year heading up towards Oak Island. I was surprised at how fast and how well it towed behind a snowmobile.

[YettiStyle]

If you go to a reputable manufacture (Soderblooms, Yetti, Ridgeline) you should have no worry about aluminum.  If you're scared about aluminum I would suggest you never fly again.  Nearly every plane these days is made of mostly aluminum and Boeing or Airbus surely aren't going out of business anytime soon from planes falling out of the sky.  Featherlite trailers have been making all aluminum trailers for 40 years and surely wouldn't be in business that long if aluminum welds cracked as much as people on these forums cry about. 

At the end of the day both aluminum and steel fish houses will have their problems and some failures.  I would bet 75% of these failures aren't due to the manufacture or the material they are made of, but a direct result of how the owner treats them.  Many of owners just don't know the limits/capabilities of their shacks or just completely disregard them.  You can't just expect an Ice Castle to not have any problems after you cruise down the interstate going 75mph and then drag it on a rough lake going 20mph, that's the definition of denial.  My Yetti has stickers all over the shack stating "do not exceed 55mph".  Guess what, I'll never exceed 55mph and more than likely will never have a problem with it and I won't ever have to deal with rust. 

[huntercj]

I agree  if its rough just slow down I have no worries about cracked welds. The only time I broke anything on my fish house was mostly operator error.  I have pulled my fish house 40 plus miles in one day many times zero issues . I use it on some remote areas of lake of the woods where  there aren't  any  plowed roads or groomed trails .

[Princeton]

I have a alumalite, here is my house.  

 

The only issues I have had have been some leaks in the roof that needed to be recaulked and the eye bolt issue allready mentioned.  Otherwise it has been a great shell.

[perchking]

My lake is only 1100 acres and I am pulling it with a tracked machine that maxes out at about 25 so beating is not an issue.  I am more asking opinions on the quality of the craftsmanship of the unit you have.

 

Thanks,

[DSWMN]

I have an all aluminum Ridgeline skid house. I think that the Alumalite is a good unit but isn't built with the same strength components as the Ridgeline. 1" wall studs VS 1 1/4".   1/2" floor vs 5/8" floor, etc...

I opted for the slightly heavier Ridgeline because I wanted the additional strength because it is also a toy hauler.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Princeton]

Ridgeline came out a year after I had my house built.  In looking at the difference to Alumalite I would agree they are built stronger than Alumatilte.  If Ridgeline was available back then I likely would have went with Ridgeline.

[perchking]

Legend brand houses make a deep snow package which is basically a 12 inch lift kit, anyone have details or experiences with this vendor? The biggest house they build is a 6x10 which is what I have now and is usually big enough for my needs. I may have to choose the ridgeline or alumalite if I want to go bigger.

[fishing 101]

I've been pondering skid house as well with a bunk for my son and I to pull w Ranger. One of my concerns is the runners or skis freezing in.  Is it possible to just have a small bottle Jack to pop it loose?  Any other things to consider?

[huntercj]

As far as skis freezing I have never had a problem. I just carry a couple of blocks in the fish house I put one block on each corner under the skis.  I have only left my house in one spot for maybe four days at a time so maybe that helps.