Wheel House build

[HUJU]

Hey everyone, I've been working on building my first ice shack for this year's ice season. I've gotten a lot of awesome ideas from some of the other guys posting on here and wanted to return the favor for those who might be building one as well. Mine isn't going to be as nice as some of the others I've seen on here but hopefully it helps get your wheels turning on ideas for your own. Also, this build is on going and i'd love any feedback on ideas for the house moving forward. I had a lot of help so far and have many favors that i need to re-pay. 

Pre - Build -

Prior to starting the build i had mocked everything up in google sketch up. It worked really well to get window placement measurements and a rough idea of the interior layout. Kicker here was my subscription expired prior to starting the build so I only had a few of the drawings the i had exported as PDF's. The most helpful thing i did is  printing out a layout of other ice houses on the market and using some ideas from the amazing builds on here to decide on the layout of the floor.  

During the google sketchup phase i also priced out materials and kept a spreadsheet going of all of the estimated costs. I figured for about $4k i could have a rolling enclosed chasis and from there the interior cost would be variable depending on finishes. The interior work is going to be done in phases that i mapped out so i don't drain my bank account all at once. 

Build - Phase 1 - Rolling Chasis

My goal for the first phase is to get a rolling enclosed chassis. I purchased the 8x17' with a 4' "V" frame online from an auction at a decent price. it's 2x4 tubing all the way around with a mix of angle iron and tube cross members. It was finished from the factory with Herculiner and cam with trailer brakes installed. The guy that i bought it from said that it is the one that Ice Castle uses but who really knows. 

I used 5/8" treated for the flooring. I wanted to use 3/4" but due to the hurricanes our local Menards was (and still is) out of stock. it's weird to think we're effected by the storms all the way up here in MN. 

Another angle

 

After I finished the flooring i contemplated how to insulate the floor. A lot of people on this (and other forums) sandwich 1.5" 250 expanded foam board between plywood. Plywood is heavy and I wanted to save a little weight so i opted for closed cell spray foam insulation. A buddies cousin does it for a living so I was able to get a reasonable price. It turned out really nice. With the thinner plywood on the floor it really stiffened it up and apparently rodents don't like it. The beams on the trailer were thick enough and we were able to get about 1.5-2" average foam depth and still have plenty of clearance between the foam and the ice to prevent it from freezing down. Because of the clearance i'm skipping a sheath on the bottom, some people recommend them but the added weight wasn't worth it to me.  

 

Once the spray foaming was done we started framing the walls. For this I used 2x3's purchased at Menards. I picked through their entire pile and was able to salvage around 80 good ones. It took forever. In the future a guy might rip down 2x4's or 2x6's to save some time. The walls are framed so that the inside ceiling will be at 7'. If you have a simple knowledge of framing up a house you should be good to go. I opted for 16" on center for the stud spread.

This is the part that using the google sketchup drawings really helped. We framed in the windows as we went to save us a step and having to cut the studs with a sawsall. 

 

Measure twice and cut once, I realized after I built both the side walls that i incorrectly measured the wall and had to go back and move all the Studs lol not ideal but that's what happens at midnight after a few BL smoothies. 

 

We mocked up all the walls and tack'ed them to the trailer in a few spots with screws to make sure everything fit properly. Ended up that there were a few adjustments needing to be made that we were able to catch before final assembly relatively easily. 

A picture from my future fishing spot. At this point we were pretty certain that the structural support pole would perfectly fit in the middle 

 

After another 12 Menards runs we pulled the trailer to the middle of the shop and started leveling and squaring the walls in their final resting place. We took the time to level the trailer on the floor with shims so we could use a level to square everything. With the bent lumber its more of an art than a science but we were able to get it setup just right. 

 

For the roof I used 1/2" green treated. I realized after i purchased it that it was probably over kill but didn't want to run back to Menards again. I ran a perimeter of 2x4's around the top of the wall frame stood up and screwed the truss 2x4 to that. There is no pitch to the roof. My buddy and i had a long debate about whether or not it will sag, he thinks it will but we will see. 

A picture of the finished framing job. For the wheel wells a guy would want to finish the exterior of the large part before final placement. It would be nearly impossible to sneak the diamond plate behind the wheel with the trailer i have.

Another closer picture attempting to get the interior. 

 

I currently have the DL-3 steel siding ordered from Metal Sales it looks similar to the siding used for ice castles. If you want a look other than the "Pro Rib" you can purchase at Menards I would recommend looking around. There are a ton of different styles available that are much more interesting. 

 

Link to the siding page is Here: http://www.metalsales.us.com/agricultural/products/metal-panel/dl-3-panel#.WdKBPluPKC

I'm still trying to decide wheather or not to spray foam the interior walls. Let me know what you would recommend!

 As i progress the project i'll try and add more photos but this is all i have for now.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Dont know how high your bunk in the back will be but if it was me I would move the back window as high as possible so it sits just below the bunk.  Nice to be able to look outside while standing without crouching down.  Build looks good so far!  I would highly recommend spray foam on the walls and ceiling.  It takes a ton of the flex and bounce out of the house.

[HUJU]

35 minutes ago, Moon Lake Refuge said:

Dont know how high your bunk in the back will be but if it was me I would move the back window as high as possible so it sits just below the bunk.  Nice to be able to look outside while standing without crouching down.  Build looks good so far!  I would highly recommend spray foam on the walls and ceiling.  It takes a ton of the flex and bounce out of the house.

I've thought about raising the window but have a top bunk there I need room for. I was planning on putting a dinette in the back and it's at perfect height to see out when seated. I noticed in your build you mentioned that you opted for the bench/couch in the back. How is it working for you?

[leech~~]

HUJU, Welcome to the forum.

Looks like your off to a great start.  Not sure if the picture of your wife, she is happy your making the house or just to see you go fishing all winter? 

[Moon Lake Refuge]

10 minutes ago, HUJU said:

I've thought about raising the window but have a top bunk there I need room for. I was planning on putting a dinette in the back and it's at perfect height to see out when seated. I noticed in your build you mentioned that you opted for the bench/couch in the back. How is it working for you?

Honestly love it.  I just wasn't a fan of sitting sideways out of the dinette while jigging.  It has also opened up more floor space during the day which is huge when your cooped up for 3-5 days.  I think we will eventually look into small pedestal  tables but for now we have the arm rests and shelves along side the couches which have been great.  

4 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

HUJU, Welcome to the forum.

Looks like your off to a great start.  Not sure if the picture of your wife, she is happy your making the house or just to see you go fishing all winter? 

My wife is usually calling be back in by fishing season to look after the girls... Mind you by the time Ice comes I have usually already been gone hunting for 3-4 months.

[HUJU]

13 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

HUJU, Welcome to the forum.

Looks like your off to a great start.  Not sure if the picture of your wife, she is happy your making the house or just to see you go fishing all winter? 

Hey Thanks! No My brothers girlfriend. She's excited to send him off fishing i think LOL 

[HUJU]

11 minutes ago, Moon Lake Refuge said:

Honestly love it.  I just wasn't a fan of sitting sideways out of the dinette while jigging.  It has also opened up more floor space during the day which is huge when your cooped up for 3-5 days.  I think we will eventually look into small pedestal  tables but for now we have the arm rests and shelves along side the couches which have been great.  

My wife is usually calling be back in by fishing season to look after the girls... Mind you by the time Ice comes I have usually already been gone hunting for 3-4 months.

I may have to rethink my plan. I'm trying to decide which spot in the house will be mine AKA the most comfortable spot. Maybe that will be it lol 

I'm usually Muskie fishing in the fall so there is enough of a gap in there for me to make it up to the girlfriend before Ice Fishing season starts. 

[Moon Lake Refuge]

I don't know if I go around to posting pics recently, I'll try and get a picture of the finished bench in the next week so you can see.  Nothing to elaborate, just a wood futon type slide out.  I may be swapping it to an aluminum frame on rails at some point so its a little lighter and slides smoother. 

Definitely check into IC nutz for your winches though.  Running a drill to go up and down is really nice.  @Hawg can probably give you a good review there, he seems to love them.

[vtx1029]

Looking good keep it up the ice is coming soon! 

[HUJU]

2 hours ago, rl_sd said:

Looks good. It looks like a CW frame out of Vesta Mn. They had the IC contract for quite a few years. I have a 6.5x14 Vesta and have had good luck with it. You are correct, ripping 2x6's is a lot easier than find straight 2x3's. We ended up putting a 1" rise in the roof, but used 1/4" for the roof with rubber over the top. I am assuming you are doing rubber? Who did your spray foam?

Yea rubber roof. I had my buddy's cousin do it for me as a side job. I'm not sure what the name of the company is 

[leech~~]

Hey Mods

How bout taking one of the identical posts down so we can all just follow the progress and comment on one? 

[Hawg]

Just for info, I bought close  to 300 two by threes from home depot and only had one bad one. I took them right off the top of the pile, never sorted any. I thought that was incredible. 

[Hawg]

 When the difference is only a couple pennies a board it amazes me that people go to places like Menards and fleet farm and dig through piles to find those perfect pieces. Home Depot is light years ahead of both of them in quality of lumber. And everybody that helped me build that house was  impressed with those boards. 

[rundrave]

8 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Hey Mods

How bout taking one of the identical posts down so we can all just follow the progress and comment on one? 

I merged them together hopefully I got duplicate posts cleaned up

thanks for sharing your build HUJU I know it takes alot of effort to type it up and get all the pics posted. Good luck with the rest of your build

[btupy]

How did you upload the pictures to the thread sense photo bucket no longer supports 3rd parties?

[HUJU]

10 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Hey Mods

How bout taking one of the identical posts down so we can all just follow the progress and comment on one? 

Yea sorry, I must've double clicked the post button lol looks like they took care of it. 

2 hours ago, Hawg said:

Just for info, I bought close  to 300 two by threes from home depot and only had one bad one. I took them right off the top of the pile, never sorted any. I thought that was incredible. 

Wow. I'm going to Home Depot. I was in the Menards store for at least an hour.  

34 minutes ago, btupy said:

How did you upload the pictures to the thread sense photo bucket no longer supports 3rd parties?

There was an option to "attach other media" I just clicked it and dragged the picture file from my computer into the upload box. It was pretty slick. 

Edited October 3, 2017 by HUJU

[HUJU]

15 hours ago, rl_sd said:

I have a 30" bunk in the back and wish that I would have went with a dinette instead- mostly for the boys to sit and play games or to sit and play cards with the guys. That being said, we seldom sit on the rear bunk when fishing. Usually it is either on the new side bunk or  in chairs. Much of it is dependent on you layout. With it only being a 6.5' wide house, I didn't want any holes out in the middle.  I can comfortably fish and sleep 3 adults or me, dad and the two boys. Here is a link to my build. 

 

I was think paying cards with the guys when fishing is slow would be ideal on a dinette. So far the votes 1-1 dinette to bench. 

Your build looks awesome! I like the yellow siding.

[Hawg]

I'm against he dinette.  They are uncomfortable all the time instead of just part of the time.

Edited October 4, 2017 by Hawg

[vtx1029]

On 10/3/2017 at 7:32 AM, Hawg said:

 When the difference is only a couple pennies a board it amazes me that people go to places like Menards and fleet farm and dig through piles to find those perfect pieces. Home Depot is light years ahead of both of them in quality of lumber. And everybody that helped me build that house was  impressed with those boards. 

I've seen it both ways. I stopped buying lumber from home depot for a while because it was dried so much that framing nails would split the 2x4's 3 feet down.

I'm a firm believer now that quality or lack there of is pallet by pallet at most all consumer home improvement stores. If you want quality lumber you have go to places contractors do.

[HUJU]

Been a busy few weeks trying to find time to work on the shack. We've made a little head way but there is still a long way to go. 

We completed framing all of the exterior walls. I've been on the fence about getting the whole thing spray foamed still so I opted to wrap the house with a moisture barrier. 

We installed the  double pained windows that were purchased at Menards and the RV door purchased from Miltona. I called around to a few places and even with the drive the Miltona was still a lower cost option. At this point with the rear window placement i think i'm stuck with a dinette in the rear. It will be nice to have to play cards with the guys when the fish aren't biting (aka most of the time).  

It's starting to look like something! 

 

On Thursday last week i picked up the siding. That night we spent way too much time trying to decide on the details. Mainly, the standard corner caps were WAY too wide and I really wasn't satisfied with the way they looked. I should've had them bend a narrower custom corner piece specifically for this application, but hind sight is always 20-20. 

After about 3 hours of contemplating our options and 5 ft of "test" siding we decided to simply bend the tin around each corner. This would avoid a corner seam which are always tough to seal and also give the house a really clean look.  

Once we made the decision it actually went a lot smoother than we thought. The tin bends extremely easily once the ridges are crimped slightly. We jimmy rigged a press brake out of a piece of angle aluminum, a 1 inch square bar and 4 - 2x4's . Naturally, by the time we got the process setup it was already too late and all my help had to leave for the day. 

It ended up fitting like a glove. The ribs don't deform as much as you would think. There ends up being a really clean bend around the  corners. If we end up screwing up any bends I might end up having to make some diamond plate corner caps to cover everything up. 

 

I'll keep posting pictures as we finish the siding.

[vtx1029]

Wow them bends look pretty nice!

[Hawg]

Foam the whole thing, moisture wrap is a debate whether good or bad. I don't like it but that's just me. 

[HUJU]

12 hours ago, rl_sd said:

So...I agree that the bends look pretty nice, but why not just cut the siding and have diamond plat bent for the corners? I think either way you are going to want to have something on there to protect them corners. 

I'm not sure i'll have anything to protect the corners, that's really the purpose of doing the bends. I might do a real thin strip of diamond plate to cover the corners if it ends up that were off on any of the bends. Depends how my math skills are the day we do it i guess LOLOLOL

15 hours ago, Hawg said:

Foam the whole thing, moisture wrap is a debate whether good or bad. I don't like it but that's just me. 

Yea, Its a done deal, spray foam it is. I'm thinking i'll use the fiberglass on the roof in case i get any sags or leaks. 

[Hawg]

Foam the roof too, and for sure the floor..

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Foam is pretty darn rigid when dry, it may actually help prevent sagging if your worried about it.