Buying a used wheelhouse

[nxtgeneration]

We are looking at a couple used wheel houses coming up and I'm just curious what are some key things I should be looking at. I figured some of you guys that have them would know what does/can go wrong and what maintenance should be done and what usually wears out on them. Looking at a couple 8x16 ice castles in the 2015-2016 range and a 2013 8x20 big bite. 1 ice castle is a crank up, 1 is hydro and the big bite is electric jacks (recently replaced)

 

[Captain Ahab]

Look for roof leaks, bent axles(abnormal tire wear), and make sure you test the furnace comes to mind right away.

 

[FishinRN]

The two biggest things that come to my mind are as above mentioned axle issues presenting with uneven tire wear, and making sure the pivot points are not seized up.

 

[Obi-Wan]

Make sure the sellers does not go by the name ice-riverfisher

 

[3Roosters]

I think most new ones have one year warranties on them(yes, some even may have 2 yr) so probably think there is a lot of buyers remorse after warranty runs out and then try to sell them for one reason or another. There seem to be a lot of them newer used models so do your homework and shop around.

 

[nxtgeneration]

All good info. Thanks guys!

 

[FishSticks]

First ice house I ever bought was a custom made POS off craigslist. I knew very little about ice houses but I did know that this was: cheap, heavy, had working electric/heat. Good enough for me at the time...In no way would I have been able to tell all the major issues I was going to have to deal with (will get to that shortly) but I did know there were a few small ones that I could live with. Biggest issue was that the frame was built with tiny pieces of wood and the cranks were attached to those and not the trailer, eventually the cranks pulled the small pieces of wood off the ice house. The axles were also slightly crooked which led to a bunch more issues and heavy welding bills. The walls/roof weren't put together very well either so the darn thing blew apart on the interstate. I resided it, used it one more season then sold it very cheap with a full disclosure.

I would in no circumstance ever buy a custom made house again. Stick to name brand stuff unless you build it yourself.

Also - the door was slightly off so I had a lot of snow blow in.

 

[Big Iron]

Beware of mold

 

[Kentucky Windage]

Check the lights

 

[Fisherman25]

The inside wear on the tires is a notorious thing on ice castles. It’s not necessarily a bent axle. They just didn’t mount the axle properly to allow for typical weights. Maybe the newer ones are better.

 

[701FishSlayer]

Don't forget to ask if it catches fish

 

[PrairieGhost]

I have a 6.5 X 15 Ice Castle. It's eight years old and I have not used it more than ten times. Ice to thin, snow to deep, no time, would rather shoot coyotes etc etc etc. It has been pulled about 50 miles total. No dings, no roof problems, furnace and everything else in perfect condition. I advertised it last year for $6500. I had four offers of $5500. I was stubborn. I think I will advertise it again on bisman for $6500, but this year I think I may take $5500. I just don't use it. At most I ice fish maybe two or three times, but I do it when I don't dare drive on the ice yet and use my portable. When the ice is thick enough coyote are a lot more interesting than walleye.

 

[raider]

i'd make sure it has tracks, skis, and an aircraft like fuselage...

tires r for trailers...

 

[espringers]

Aluminum. Spend the extra $ now. I just ain t a fan of ice castles. Maybe go into detail tomorrow.

 

[LBrandt]

Remember the old saying " if it has tits or tires sooner or later your going to have trouble with it". Just saying.

 

[espringers]

ok. will elaborate now. first, i think they are heavy as hell. second, with most models, i am generally not impressed with the layout from a fishing perspective. third, i've seen more than a few where the wheels are toed out a bit. fourth, i think their walls are still made of wood which seems to me would be somewhat prone to mold and mildew once moisture makes its way in. fifth, i believe some of the older models used bat insulation which would also be susceptible to settling and mold. finally, when i look at my friends ICs who are going on 5-10 years old, they simply look beat up... rusty frames, caulking coming apart at the seams outside, windows that don't function right anymore, etc... just a lot of little things.

caveat... new models have probably fixed or rectified a few of the things i mentioned above. but, in general they just seem too heavy, not fisher friendly and not exactly made to last for my taste and the price they command.

 

[nxtgeneration]

ok. will elaborate now. first, i think they are heavy as hell. second, with most models, i am generally not impressed with the layout from a fishing perspective. third, i've seen more than a few where the wheels are toed out a bit. fourth, i think their walls are still made of wood which seems to me would be somewhat prone to mold and mildew once moisture makes its way in. fifth, i believe some of the older models used bat insulation which would also be susceptible to settling and mold. finally, when i look at my friends ICs who are going on 5-10 years old, they simply look beat up... rusty frames, caulking coming apart at the seams outside, windows that don't function right anymore, etc... just a lot of little things.

caveat... new models have probably fixed or rectified a few of the things i mentioned above. but, in general they just seem too heavy, not fisher friendly and not exactly made to last for my taste and the price they command.

I think I could agree with most of this when considering Ice Castles. I'm leaning more towards the Big Bite because of the layout, supposed higher quality, spray foam all around and its 5 years old and doesn't appear to have any rust on the frame. IC of the same year look rough. It could certainly boil down to how much they've been used as well.

Thanks everyone for all the input!

 

[wby257]

ok. will elaborate now. first, i think they are heavy as hell. second, with most models, i am generally not impressed with the layout from a fishing perspective. third, i've seen more than a few where the wheels are toed out a bit. fourth, i think their walls are still made of wood which seems to me would be somewhat prone to mold and mildew once moisture makes its way in. fifth, i believe some of the older models used bat insulation which would also be susceptible to settling and mold. finally, when i look at my friends ICs who are going on 5-10 years old, they simply look beat up... rusty frames, caulking coming apart at the seams outside, windows that don't function right anymore, etc... just a lot of little things.

caveat... new models have probably fixed or rectified a few of the things i mentioned above. but, in general they just seem too heavy, not fisher friendly and not exactly made to last for my taste and the price they command.

I really dont think it matters what kind of house you buy. When you pull a house accross a lake with snow banks or plowed roads. Your going to beat them up. If you look in the mirror and watch the top of the house sway back and forth its amazing any of them hold up. Try pulling a camper accross the ice like you would a fish house and they wont make it 2 yrs.

To me most of the time the axles fail. There toed out from to much weight inside of them. If I weighted everything I have in my house I would guess close to 1000 lbs. Plus the weight of the house on Ice Castles 3500 axles bouncing something is going to move. I put 7500 lb axles under mine. I wont go thru that again.

I have seen 10 yr old Ice Castles look like new because they only get used 1 or 2 times a yr. And 2 yr old houses that have been pulled accross Devils lake 30 times in a season, that is hard on a house. If you want to know what its like just ride in one just once.

 

[Lungdeflator]

I agree they do take a beating. I would avoid "custom" built houses, unless you really know the guy who built it.

There is a difference on where they were fishing though. My dads house is out on LOTW and Red Lake all winter. They have nice plowed roads and it is very rare he is off the plowed roads. He built his house 5 years ago and it is still in great condition despite the heavy use.

A house pulled around on Devils or Sak all winter for 5 years is going to take a hell of a worse beating.

Also from my understanding, IC or other bigger manufacturers will "customize" a house for you. So there can be a ton of variations running around out there, just because it says IC on it, doesn't mean its the same as the next IC of similar size/model. I would ask every question you can about it. Check ALL the wiring, not just lights. Check how old batteries are. Try to put weight on as much of the floor as you can to check for sponge. Open all doors and windows. Furnace was mentioned, check for leaks on the lines to the furnace and the stove. Rust on the frame. Frays in the winch cables. Trailer lights and wiring.

 

[nxtgeneration]

Thanks for all the info guys. We pulled the trigger on the big bite. The additional size, spray foam all around and general quality sold me on this vs getting an IC that was a few years newer and the same price.