Ice house Complete

[Biggerfish]

Thanks to all for the advice and help from this site.

Its complete and ready to go.

14’ drop down with 6000 # axles.

Double doors for the 4 wheelers.

Forced air heater.

All LED lighting.

Stove and oven.

Bunks etc.

6 holes.

I will post the interior in the coming days.

Frame building...

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/STEVEP_03/th_2682-R1-03-4A.jpg

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/STEVEP_03/th_2682-R1-02-3A.jpg

Insulating....

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/STEVEP_03/th_2680-R1-07-8A.jpg

Finished House...

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/STEVEP_03/th_S40201721.jpg

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/STEVEP_03/th_S4020173.jpg

[dodgeman]

dont forget to go get a license if you plan on hauling a wheeler in it going to the lake I have heard that the state if going to get really sh*&y on these this year anyone trasporting wheelers ect ect w/rear door

[marine_man]

Looks like a great house! Good work!

marine_man

[Biggerfish]

I did not know that? I need a trailer license to haul my wheeler in it? I may just have to haul it in my truck bed.....

[ice_it_06]

They are getting tight on haulers designed for transportation purposes Axle capacity & such seems to be a issue people decide to ignore.

*** Your house looks very nice. Like the unique design ***

[hovermn]

A fish house does not need to be licensed as a trailer, as long as it's being used as a ice house. The second you start hualing stuff in it, even too the lake, it's considered a trailer and must be licensed as such. A wheeler, snowmo, lumber, etc, all qualify as hualing. To license a trailer, it's usually around $100 for a life time tag. In reality, it's really a small price to pay to be able to use the house for more then just a house if that's the intention, IMO.

Hope this helps clear up any confusion

[Biggerfish]

Thanks for clearing that up Hoverman.

Now what are the reg. on axle size? Mine are 6000# so do I need trailer brakes? Is 3500# the line for not requiring them?

[hovermn]

Axle size and capacity have nothing to do with it. If you license it, you must give your trailer a capacity. I'm 90% sure that it has to be under 3500 lbs to qualify for a life time license. I'll check with this later. However, isn't the limit for no brakes 3000 lbs? Either way, if you go over the limit that you've set for your trailer, you can get a ticket. As far as weight before brakes, it doesn't matter what you said yours can carry, if you're over it, you will get a ticket.

I'll check on the regs in a minute or so

Just checked, anything over 3000 lbs will need brakes. I've built several trailers from fish house to utility and I always give them a 3000 lb rating.

Hope this helps!

[dodgeman]

How about if it has i walk in door and you are just hauling your fishing stuff rods tackle box small things like that then???

[woodyjdh]

I would think you would be ok with just your fishing gear. But when you begin to haul a 4 wheeler, or snowmobile then you would need a license. IMO

Btw-nice looking fish house, could you post larger pics so I could see the details?

[hovermn]

You'll be fine with the usual fishing gear. What I'm not sure about, and I guess it would be up to the disgression of the officer is if you can put a portable fish house in the trailer. That came up at the Portable get-together. What you want to avoid is putting things in your house that a person may use a trailer for, like wood, toys, the new sofa, etc... As I said before, if you think you may do that sometime, license the house as a trailer and you'll be fine.

[love to hunt]

I have checked into this issue extensively and here is what I was told by DOT.

If you have 5000# axels under it then it is truly capable of a capacity in excess of 3000#. If your rig is capable of weight over 3000# it has to have brakes. End of story.

Here is the fix.

You always base your capacity off the weakest point in the trailer. You are not using a 5000# axel, you are using 5000# axel parts. You may have 5000# spindles, hubs and tires on your frame, and that is what the manufacturer says they are capable of.

However the pivot point is the key to this issue. Since you have built the pivot point, you can rate that shaft to 3000# and you now have a 3000# trailer. Perhaps you are using a standard 2" ball coupler rated to 3500# which is standard on a 3000# trailer (you are allowed +-10%) and again you have a 3000# trailer.

Here is what I did. I weighed my house and took out insurance on the fish house and showed the insurance guy that it weighs less then 3000# and I keep a copy of you policy in the house for proof of rating. I also keep the weight ticket in the house.

Also, for now, if you use the rig exclusivly as a fish house no extra licenses are needed. As soon as you put a wheeler, new sofa, or something not ice fishing related you are in posetion of a enclosed utility trailer. Also if you are using your shanty in the summer it is now a camper and needs to be licensed as such.

Some of my have seen mine at the mod get together and may have noticed a license plate on the back. I use mine as a camper.

I hope this makes sense to you, and don't shoot the messanger.

[Kaz]

I got a different answer from the DOT. Mine is a 7.5 x 16 drop down. I wanted to license mine as a camper trailer, but I was told it didn't have the necessary equipment to make it a camper. They said it had to have some type of water supply, sink and holding tank I suppose, 120VAC hard wired, and a couple of other things also. I asked about the use in the summer too. I was told I could pull it down the Hiway, unrestricted anytime of the year and use it for camping too.. I've had mine for 12 years now and never been questioned. True, mine does not have a gate door in the rear, and I can't haul a lot of stuff inside, but I do have a couch, table & chairs, TV, cabinets, and other thing that are not necessarly used for Ice Fishing. As for the breaking system, I don't have any. I was told, as long as the tow truck has a gross weight limit not exceeded by the trailer, then your good to go.. I guess it's who you talk to and what their oppinion is. In any case I think you have a good case for not licensing the drop down fish house, even when it's used for camping, etc... Kaz