12 inches of ice Safe hauling.

[LODFFB]

I was wondering what you guys do and what is considered safe. I have a 3000# permnant fishhouse and am planing on taking it on its Madien fishing trip. The lake I was on tonight had 9" with small permnants and 4 wheelers pulling them. Isnt 12" considered relativley safe for a truck? My fishhouse and 4 wheeler whould wiegh in at less than 4000# but my house and truck is more like 7000# what is safe and what do you do? I know no ice is safe and to check ice conditions out

[ice_it_06]

If your truck and house only weigh out at 7,000 I'm guessing its not a full size truck.

When there has been a few days of pressure on the 12" inches I will tend to go out with a truck (Tahoe) but even then the first few days I'll unhook and move the truck away from the house 20 yards.

I'd take the house out with the wheeler for at least another week if it was me.

Getting out early is all I'd care about, with the truck being a secondary priority at this point.

[harvey lee]

I might be a big chicken but I have not taken out my wheeler yet. I have seen them pulling houses on wheels already. I was on a lake the other day with a uniform 6 inches and then 150 yards away I found 2.5 inches. This ice is a little spooky yet.

I never take my full size truck out until there is a good solid foot of ice. I would wait until there is at least 12-14 inches of ice.

[LODFFB]

I dont have a 4 wheeler Yet.. I have a Dodge dakota but there woiuld be a possibility if we had a good foot of ice and the forcast in the future was below zero or the temp wouldnt get much above 15 or 20 I could maybe borrow a friends wheeler and then move my house myself with my truck. I havent got approval in my budget requests from the boss (wife).

[DTro]

I think I heard on the news that a couple of either sleds or wheelers went through on East Rush Lake.

[Jim43]

I would not take any chances.

I remember a fishing trip when I

was 16 with my father and brother out on Forest lake early ice.

Was only 8" of clear ice not unlike today. We were pulling our

sleds with our gear out and had walked a good 200yrd out off

the launch on the east end. Low and behold a full sized Ford

van, this was back in 77 anyways comes barreling off the

landing towing a full sized wooden house. He came right towards us.

We watched the ice form a wave in front of the

van as came towards us and we all ran in different directions

away from them coming at us. Ice was popping something awefull,

but it never did go through. We were so scared that

he had ruined the ice where we were going we turned around

and went somewhere else more safe. We never did find out if

he ever got it back off or went for a swim. Sad thing about

it was he could have taken us all down with him. We were

shaking after that.

I always wait long enough into the season and watch to see

the full sized trucks pulling out their fish houses before

I even think about driving on the ice.

[LODFFB]

Yeah I am not ever going to be the first out but I am getting anxious. I've worked 3 yrs to get the house to the point at I'm at now. I NEVER drive over 15 MPH on the lake I cant belive people go Screaming across the lake like that

[riverrat56]

So I was thinking today while driving down the road, who has ever been the first guy out with a vehical?

I've been the first to walk out on a lake before but never plan on being first, second, or third with my Jeep. I usually wait till there is significant vehical traffic and someone with a bigger truck than me.

[ice_it_06]

I have a small perm about (600 lbs) so next week I'll just get it on the lake and flip someone with a wheeler or sled a $20 to pull it out a couple hundred yards.

I uses a sled to pull my auger and stuff back in and just walk out a few days until the ice gets better.

When I'm comfortable to drive the truck out then I'll bring out the big perm as well which I hope to get out the week end before Christmas. But that thing tips the scales @ 4,200 so it might not even see the ice in SE Mn till much later.

[upnorth]

Call me chicken but my vehicle doesn't see the ice until there is at least 12 preferably 14 inches of ice. Rather have that comfort zone than worry about going through.

We were out on Lake Vermilion a couple years ago about this time and as we were walking out we seen some fool driving a full sized pickup out there, 7 inches of ice . We were about 200 yds away and we could feel the ice wave up under us. You talk about nuts Our conversation drifted to how much danger someone would be in as they tried to pull someone like that out of the icy water.

Play it safe, if you don't have a sled or a wheeler, walk, most of us could use the exercise anyway.

Speaking as of which, I need to get off my lazy butt and head out to Soudan and walk out and fish Lake Vermilion

[IcemanMN]

Last year we wereout on East Rush when there was a uniform 6" and someone came cruising out in their Jeep. I thought they were nuts. Next thing I see he gets out and drills like 8 holes around his jeep.

I'm never the first one out with a vehicle I wait until January to drive out and there is a good foot of ice or better.

[hanson]

What would I do?

I think you need to be patient right now and wait for the ice to thicken up. I would sure want a minimum of 14" to have BOTH my truck and drop axle house on the lake. 12" is really sketchy if you ask me.

[john.wells]

Quote:

---

I was wondering what you guys do and what is considered safe. I have a 3000# permnant fishhouse and am planing on taking it on its Madien fishing trip. The lake I was on tonight had 9" with small permnants and 4 wheelers pulling them. Isnt 12" considered relativley safe for a truck? My fishhouse and 4 wheeler whould wiegh in at less than 4000# but my house and truck is more like 7000# what is safe and what do you do? I know no ice is safe and to check ice conditions out

---

You might remember back a couple years ago when Bald Eagle swallowed about 30 houses in the middle of January. I had mine out on North Center and I think mine was the only one to go through out there. I have an 8x12 that goes about 2000 pounds. At any rate, there was a good 12 if not more inches of ice out there. The problem lies in the fact that ice doesn't form as well under a shack, and can actually deteriorate at an accelerated rate. I can tell you that is no fun to recover a sunken house, not to mention the rot and mold that ensues down the road as a result. I have also had this house sort of "melt" in on the sunny side where the runner on that side had gotten frozen in. This is also no fun, and I wound up almost destroying the poor thing popping it out. It was on 10 inches of ice when that happened. The bottom line is, after 3 years of hard work, do you want to risk wrecking your pride and joy? I have had my house out on as little as 7 inches (will NEVER do that again) and it was fine -BUT- you never really can tell what nature will do. My best advice is to move the thing to shore when the weather warms up, especially if you have opened holes in it. Those holes will drain the water from melted snow and ice on top of the ice and form the "toilet bowl" effect that rapidly widens to the point where there is one big hole. Good luck.

[federline]

I wait for 15" of solid ice, or 18" of just decent ice, before I bring the full size truck out. I went out on 12 once, and swore I'd never do it again. Just too creepy to feel the ice jello'ing under you.

[MnIceman]

I always wait for 14" just for my half ton truck . I can't believe some of these guys with 3/4 and 1 ton diesels going out. I'd have to see more than 24" before putting all that weight on 4 little spots on the ice . When I put my Perm out , I walk or go with the snowmobile and auger to check prior to driving the truck .

[LABS4ME]

You waited 3 years....? Whats 3 more weeks? It's better than never having another chance to use it again! You have 3-4 months of fishable ice before you, don't risk it on the account of needing to take your maiden voyage to early... I bet your wife would agree.

Good Luck!

Ken