Ice House/Camper Feedback - Preventing ice hole freezing

[ice_l0rd]

Hey all,

Seems too early to big bringing this up, but I have a project to tackle this summer. I am looking for some ideas on how to prevent ice hole freeze up.

I have taken a 20' travel trailer and converted into an ice house. I cut holes and installed 17" sleeves which drop to the ice. I have wrapped each sleeve in some lite insulation and usually bank around the outside of the sleeves. I setup computer fans on the ceiling to push the heat to the floor but the holes continue to glaze over.

Here's an idea I am kicking around. The camper had an air pump which connected to the water tank. I am thinking if I can run some rubber tubing down into the hole, and create a ring where the air diffuses and creates kinda of an areator effect it might do the trick. I haven't quite determined the configuration (ie how to mount it, keep it afloat, prevent line catch, etc).

Does anyone have suggestions or other ideas?

Thanx

[iffwalleyes]

Holes freeze over when there is a draft between the house or sleeve. I wouldn't do to much with computer fans trying to direct heat I think it would be a waste of money and probably wouldn't work too well. Your areator idea is a good idea. If you circulate the water it wouldn't freeze as to how you would do that I am not sure but it should work well. The other easier thing you could do was to make sure to leave enough ice shavings on top of the ice so that you can get you sleeve pushed down into the ice and get a good seal that would help to reduce drafts and glazing of ice. Good luck with the aerator idea I think that would work well for you.

[walleyeaddict]

used to have a converted camper...get bigger fans. any automotive parts store carries them..I got mine at napa. worked great and i did not have sleeves...I used plywood skirting all the way around the bottom.

[deepportage01]

I have had a couple of cameper fish houses over the years and the best way I have found to help this proplem,get the shack as close to the ice as posible you might have to remove the tires and bank realy good that is the true fix.I have tried lining the holes and puting fans in like you said but nothing ever worked, sometimes those camers are just to high of the ice. we used a batery powered touqe wrench speed things up a bit.

[ice_l0rd]

I have put up some cardboard skirting, but haven't brought along enuf to cover the entire perimeter. I suspect that would surely help.

I am hesitant to pull the wheels to lower the house, when mama's ready to go, gotta minimize the tear down

I have located a device called the holee molee.

This looks interesting as it circulates water. I may have to give one a try and see how it works.

It would be nice to keep the rattle reels down overnight and not wake up to the holes completely froze over.

Thanks everyone for your input

[Wiskers]

Well I got some info for ya. Like every one else said is to get the trailer down as far as you can. We took our camper and took out the bolts holding the suspension and replaced them with pins. jack it up pull out the pins and drag out the whole axle and springs. let it down on blocks so it is only about 6" off the snow. The process takes a bit but very much worth the time. No more stiff neck trying to look down the hols all the time and no more loosing fish trying to pull them up the long hole. As for skirting, That is a must. Cardboard does not work too well. Freezes in and gets wet and just makes a mess. When it comes to the holes, we take that large black plastic culvert with ridges, cut them to length and they work very well. you can pound on them to get them out of the ice and they do not break.

As far as the holes freezing, get your self a simple and cheep battery operated bubbler for an aquarium or minow bucket. Mine runs on D batteries. lasts a long time. put the bubbler stone in the hole and walla.. I put the stone down about 6 inches and the holes will not freeze over. Pending on how many holes you plan on keeping open you might have to get a few. the bubbler will take the water from down below the freezing surface water and keep it just warm enough.

[Dave]

Wiskers, ever try using a T in the air line and running two bubblers off of one pump? Might work and save a few bucks.

[ice_l0rd]

The reason I was using cardboard for skirting was to minimize the cargo. I do agree, it has a lot of disadvantages as whisker has mentioned. What are people using? I have approx 56' to cover.

TIA