Permanent with skids: Pros and Cons

[huntingislife]

Hi All!

After listening to all the permanent talk and seeing all the pictures I decided that I need to get one. Unfortunately I dont think a drop-down is in my price range. So I am stuck looking at skids. I was probably just gonna put it on Mille Lacs and have a resort store/move it for me anyway. What are the pros and cons of doing this? From info I have gathered it looks like they charge $300-400 a year to do this. Or am I better off trying to find a smaller drop-down that I can move on my own? Thanks for the help. I cant wait for the ice!

[wolf]

300-400 a year ouch i would spend the money towards a wheel house and move it myself after two years you paying that fee you could have a new frame sitting in yyour garage

[hanson]

Hey Matt-

I really do like my permanent on skids. I was able to build it for less than half the cost of a wheeled shack. Its not too bad to move around on the lake unless the snow is deep. When the snow is deep, I'll give Jerry at Rogers a call and he'll move it with the plow and make me a road for about $20. Summer storage with a pull on & off the lake costs me $100. (This is on Red of course, not ML)

I use my shack as a "basecamp" as I'm more of a mobile angler anyway. I always have my snowmobiles and Otter shacks up there to move around and can daytrip up to Lake of the Woods as well. Continuously moving the perm. shack to stay on fish can be a pain in the butt, even if it is on wheels.

If you are going to put it on Mille Lacs and leave it there, why not put it on skids. You will be able to build an ice shack for half the cost since you aren't dropping over $1,500 on a trailer. Most of the resorts up there really do cater to skid houses.

[huntingislife]

Chris,

$100 from Rogers, that sounds cheap. I think I will just call some resorts on ML and get actual prices. Maybe some are more reasonable. I plan on using it as a basecamp also cuz the wheeler and otters will come with every trip.

Another thing is that my truck isnt that big and I would have a tough time moving around even a smaller sized perm on the ice. Thats why I figured there also isnt a point of having a wheeled house if I cant pull it around after the snow builds up a little. I also don't have room at my place to store the thing in the summer. I did find an 8'x16' on ML for a good price. I will have to do some more number crunching and see what I can afford. Thanks for the help.

[Reynolds]

I have an 8x16 on the SE side of Mille Lacs. I would be surprised if you can find someone to store it for $300-400. I think you would be looking at closer to $500 or more a year which would probably would include two vehicle passes and a plowed road to your house. It's a bit disheartening to think that I have already spent more on storage in three years than what I payed for the house.

[huntingislife]

Ouch $500. That would be tough to swing.

[deepportage01]

I'm going to disagree with you guys on the skid house thing, you will pay for a drop down frame in 3 years just from storage fees, and your ice fishing season is shorter with a skid house you have to wait for them to put your shack out? and they tell you when they are takeing it off, who's house is this any way? IMO.

If you ever have to repair or you want fix it up well somtimes you can't even work on them cuz they store them so close. "Oh you want it moved so ya can work on it well thats gona cost ya"

Unless you find a good resort that wont suck you dry I '[do the math for 5 years]would save up for the drop house and enjoy fishing what ever lake you want when ever you want.

[Reynolds]

Like Hanson mentioned above, it is nice to have a house on Mille Lacs to use as a basecamp. I know a lot of people that head out to the flats during the day and drop down the rattle wheels in the permanent in the evening. A lot of the houses you see on Mille Lacs are so big that it is impossible to have them on wheels. A lot people have 10' wide houses, some even have 12' wide. These of course would be too wide to haul down the road, so skids are your only option. If you feel like you will be fishing Mille Lacs all winter, then having a house without wheels isn't such a big deal. I do like the fact that I can head up to the lake and know that there will be a road already plowed to my house and that I don't have to spend time banking it up. If the fish aren't hitting in my house, then I head out on the four wheeler with the portable.

[huntingislife]

Hmmm, maybe I should lean towards a drop-down. Do drop-downs have a suspension or are they just solid?

[love to hunt]

Most have a suspension of some kind.

I would just caution you to go with something that has a tube style frame. There are some angle iron frames out there and it is my opinion that they are just not up to the task. Lakes are anything but smooth and a tube frame is a must. Voice of experience here.

Do your home work and ask a lot of questions when investing in a wheel house.

[chris63]

Hello,most resorts on millelacs (if not all)charge by the square foot on house size.I have a 10x16 on the north end and i get charged around 500 a year.That includes move out/in 2 road passes and storage on shore.If i had the cash i would have a permanent and a pull behind........oh well a guy can dream........the boss says too much fun makes momma mad........can you say too many shoes????think ice guys......c63

[huntingislife]

Thanks for the heads up on the frame. I found a drop-down in my price range. The frame is made of 2x4 tubing, so that should be good. I have learned a lot from reading people's posts and looking at manufacturers websites. This site is great. It made me think of things I hadnt even thought of before. I am so pumped for ice season!!!

[deepportage01]

Huntingislife, when you get it done show us some pics!

Personaly I think you made the right choice if you plan on fishing diferent lakes like URL,ML,LOW,Winni, drop frame is the way to go IMO,you won't be tied down to one lake and you can get those drop houses just as comfey as the perm's,Maybe not as big but comfey none the less.

Who's frame did you buy?

[huntingislife]

It is actually a completed house. It will need some work but it should turn out nice. I have a zillion ideas running through my mind for mods.

[JaySt.cloud]

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[JohnMickish]

One thing to keep in mind is for that $500 you get two vehicle passes. Now, figure how many times you and your buddies are going to go on Mille Lacs. At $10 each day that adds up as well. If you fish 30 times a year they really only charge you $200 to store and move, and besides I have heard rumblings about the resorts charging more than the $10 access fee for wheel houses this year, so the prices will probably change.

Just something to think about.

[chris63]

The resorts are charging more than 10 a day now for pull behind houses!!!!!!!I dont think they are out of line.......if you want to go on public for free you can......be carefull though the non plowed areas can be slippery (no pun intended)if you are in a heavy vehlcle........come on ice!!!!!!!!!!!!c63

[Gordie]

The biggest pro for and skid house on mille lacs is that you have a place to stay in the boating season and many resorts can (for an addional fee) set you up with eletric and and a place to park your boat. good luck tring to find a resort to store it for 300-400 bucks, its more.I had an 8x16 on the north end and that was what I paid in the early 90's The cons pretty much every one has sumed it up with there comments. A wheeled house is the way to go now a days but if not in the budget build a house that will fit to a wheeled frame in the future, talk to places that build them and get some type of idea for measurements,mounting,weight, etc.

[wolf]

Not to stir the pot to much here but there are some cheaper alternatives to tube frames granted you may not want 1/16 in angle but consider c channel. My frame has been used for the last 10 years and only one spot is bent, the very last support to the rear caught at an axcess and bent just the bottom of the c channel out word. Kinda like hooking a chain to the bottom of the bumper and yanking real hard. the nice part about c channel is you can get two different sizes my has two eleven foot sections with a size smaller 6 foot sections for cross members. Two guys can pick the frame up light weight means more time on the ice.