Alumalite vs Ice Trek skid house

[Jigaman]

Anyone have any experience with either or both of these? Would like one in a 5x7' or a little longer for fishing devils lake, lake of the woods, and lake winnipeg. not intrested in the lil munckin short size. I would like the full height ceiling so I can stand up. Any thoughts on how well a indy trail touring (488cc fan cooled w/ long track) would work to pull a house like this? Im guessing with gear, the house would be around 500 lbs.

 

[riverview]

I have the 6x10 alumalite, I pull it with a wide track skandic pretty easily. this is my 4th year without any issues. I have had it end up on its side 2 summers ago in a big wind storm

 

[fishhunter]

Carry lots of extra belts!!

 

[Lungdeflator]

I have an 8x12 w/ v front aluma lite. I added a bunk, battery, solar panel, heater, and other small things. So all in all, I am guessing it weighs at least 1000lbs now. More with added gear for the actual fishing.

Last year I pulled it twice with a Polaris RMK 600. I only went about half a mile one way, but it pulled it. Wouldn't want to rely on the sled to pull the bigger houses. I have since sold the sled and bought tracks for the ATV.

I think you would be fine with the Indy pulling a 500lb house, once you get the house moving, they pull very easy. Carry extra belts and try not to pull it around without snow on the lake, or get some scratchers to help with cooling.

 

[Jigaman]

I have an atv for when there isn’t much snow. My only issue is how to haul everything. I’m thinking a four place snowmobile trailer. Snowmobiles on the front, house on the back. But how do I get the house on the trailer? A 5 or 6’ wide house would be wider than the snowmobile ramp for that trailer. Would have to get some kind of a custom ramp and maybe a winch on the front of the trailer to load it.

 

[KDM]

I built a skid house out of plywood this summer and my Yamaha Grizzly 700 pulled it just fine on glare ice. When I moved it with the truck with a little snow on the ice it PLOWED like crazy. I don't know if my Grizzly would cut the mustard so to speak. If I were to do it again, I would construct a sloping front on it or get some kind of ski to get the front up off the snow and KEEP it there over the drifts and such. The skid shacks you are looking at appear to be about the same design as mine so snow on the ice could make that 1000 lbs be more like 2000 if it starts to plow snow. My shack weighs about 400ish lbs as I can lift and maneuver it a little bit while on the ice. Don't know if I could do that with a 1000 lbs of shack. I used a 5 X 8 ramp trailer to haul the house and put the ATV in the back of my truck. I used the winch on the ATV to pull the house on and off the trailer. It's NOT the easiest or most convenient method, but it works for me. Wouldn't want to haul it for a hundred miles that way, but for the short stuff I do, it works. Just some thoughts on what I've had happen. Hope they help a bit. Good Luck!!!

 

[Lungdeflator]

Jigaman, I can take some pics and maybe a video of how I load my house up. I have a 4 place snowmobile trailer and can fit the 8x12 house and 2 snowmobile or ATVs on the back behind the house. I use the ATV winch to pull the house off the trailer and mounted a hand crank winch on a winch post and put that on the trailer tongue to load the house.

I made some ramps that work very well for loading/unloading the house. 20-25$ ramp kit (basically just the aluminum ramp ends) I put those on treated 8ft 2x10s. I then mounted pieces of angle iron on the bottom side of the ramps to stiffen them up. Drilled a hole in the angle iron and run a strap from the iron to the trailer to hold the ramps in place. Finally I added "Black Ice" ski guides to the trailer and ramps so the house slides better. Actually slides good without any snow or ice.

 

[Bacon]

Is it me or are those little houses spendy for what they are. It's a shell with spray foam. They are neat though and would be handier than a big ice castle.

 

[Jigaman]

They are spendy, no doubt about it. I’m to the point now though with kids activities that I sneak out to go fishing when I get some free time, not when the weather is nice. These things are supposed to be very warm and nothing to set up. I also like the idea of having all my gear inside it ready to go when I move from spot to spot.

 

[Lungdeflator]

Here you go, some pics of how I load mine up. I was by myself, and I think in total it took 15-20 minutes. One thing I want to do is put some angle iron on the sides of the ramps so the house stays centered as it comes up. Usually have to walk back and push it over one way or the other to make sure it doesn't fall off one side of the ramps.

 

[huffranger]

That drug behind my jeep on Winnipeg would kick butt. Cool shack

 

[riverview]

lungdeflator what do you do to tie it down to the trailer after it is loaded? when I hauled mine there isn't much to hook to on the house. .

 

[Jigaman]

I wish I had that for lake winnipeg this weekend. It's going to be cold! nice setup!

 

[DirtyMike]

That drug behind my jeep on Winnipeg would kick butt. Cool shack

 

[Jigaman]

lack of funds and enough free time to justify it at the moment due to kids hockey and figure skating...

My ideal setup (other than a snobear) would be a tracked ranger and a 5x10 skid house on a 24' car trailer. Unfortunately, I do not have any of these items.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=24&v=7h1kIcX12H4

Beberg Outdoors in MN has some cool videos of how they set up their alumalite houses. The video shows how they setup a 5x7. I want one like that, but a 5x10 with the full height ceiling. all I fish is big water (lake winnipeg, LOW, DL area) where you make long runs and I think this would be a great option for around 1/2 of what a snobear costs.

- - - Updated - - -

just realized you were peer-pressuring huffranger and not me

 

[MarbleEyez]

What do those fancy Aluma-Lite shacks run?

 

[Jigaman]

What do those fancy Aluma-Lite shacks run?

http://www.bebergoutdoors.com/

they are not cheap.

- - - Updated - - -

http://www.rothrv.com/product/fish-and-ice-houses-for-sale-in-minnesota

Ice Trek are nice too.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.facebook.com/Ice-Cave-Outdoors-270783966617966/

Ice Cave makes a really nice one too with some cool options

 

[Lungdeflator]

The skis stick out on the front and back so when it is loaded on the trailer, I just run 2" heavy duty straps over the front and back skis. Holds it down and keeps it from moving back and forth. I'm watching the forecast for Winnipeg, and if it is going to be really cold, I'll pull this up there to fish out of during the day. Should be more comfortable that way for my dad and uncle.

I looked around for a long time on classified sites before buying this one. There are some houses for sale out there. I almost pulled the trigger on one from Bebergs, but it is a long drive down there and back. Finally found this one from a guy that used to be a dealer in Pollock, SD. Brand new, basically a holdover once he stopped carrying them. I think I paid 4,200$ for it. No fancy options or anything, I've added everything but the hole covers myself.

 

[Jigaman]

- - - Updated - - -

The skis stick out on the front and back so when it is loaded on the trailer, I just run 2" heavy duty straps over the front and back skis. Holds it down and keeps it from moving back and forth. I'm watching the forecast for Winnipeg, and if it is going to be really cold, I'll pull this up there to fish out of during the day. Should be more comfortable that way for my dad and uncle.

I looked around for a long time on classified sites before buying this one. There are some houses for sale out there. I almost pulled the trigger on one from Bebergs, but it is a long drive down there and back. Finally found this one from a guy that used to be a dealer in Pollock, SD. Brand new, basically a holdover once he stopped carrying them. I think I paid 4,200$ for it. No fancy options or anything, I've added everything but the hole covers myself.

do you have any pics of the inside?

 

[wby257]

Here you go, some pics of how I load mine up. I was by myself, and I think in total it took 15-20 minutes. One thing I want to do is put some angle iron on the sides of the ramps so the house stays centered as it comes up. Usually have to walk back and push it over one way or the other to make sure it doesn't fall off one side of the ramps.

I see you have plenty of room in back of your shack. I would build a full ramp that lays flat behind your shack and loading and unloading would be much easier and you wont have to worry about one ramp slipping out of place. Have it pinned so when you dont need it 2 or 3 pivot pins to take out and store by your garage or some place out of the way.