Aluminum Skid House Info.

Hello, I have been looking into possibly purchasing an Aluminum Skid House. I have talked to all the different manufactures on there products. Trek, Alumilite, Ice Cave but i would really like to hear from people that actually own one or have owned one and get there take on the Pro’s and Con’s before i jump into something. I currently use a Tracked ATV on the ice and plan to use that to pull the skid house. Any advise someone can throw my way would be great! I also seen seen some skid house that are made by Pleasure Land RV does anyone have any info. on those?
Thanks,
Dennis

I used to have an Aluminum house. It seemed like it was built light enough yet still well built. I was excited to use it… turns out after 3 yrs of trying to get good at moving it around I gave up. It was just horrible to move. On glare ice or light snow it was a breeze. Get 8″-12″ of snow and it took 2-3 atvs or snowmobiles hooked together to move it.

My house was an 8’X 8′. It had 1″ X 1″ aluminum tube walls no interior sheeting. No wheels = to heavy for me.

Joe,
Thanks for the info. I was thinking about an aluminum skiddy for my lake. Do you think a 6 x 10 v front with a middle ski would pull any easier? Probably 600 lbs or so.

I was thinking an 8′ wide would be a bit much to pull with a ATV.

I have x 6×12 ice trek weighs 700 lbs have no problem pulling with a polaris ranger 900. It’s well built sits on 6×6 aluminum runners.
Doesn’t take much to heat and would buy again.Looked at alumalite ice trek is built a lot stronger.

Do you guys pull them out each time or leave them out all season and move them like a traditional house?

First couple of years I would pull it on and off last year and this year only moved it a couple of times.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Joe,
Thanks for the info. I was thinking about an aluminum skiddy for my lake. Do you think a 6 x 10 v front with a middle ski would pull any easier? Probably 600 lbs or so.

I was thinking an 8′ wide would be a bit much to pull with a ATV.

Just make sure it’s light. Like I said it pulled fine when there wasn’t much snow. Once it started to plow snow I had a much harder time. 600lbs sounds light enough to me though. I wish I would have weighed mine. I was just happy to get rid of it.

Thanks for the input! I think i might run into a problem using the skid house i would want to finish it off on the inside and i think it might get to heavy if there is any kind of snow. I have guys i fish with that all have wheeled houses and when we had 10-12″ of snow on the ice everyone was limited on where they could go and i was hoping to avoid that with the skid type house. I will have to keep thinking! Thanks Again.

Here is a picture of my setup. I have yet to put the tracks on this year.
The side x side as shown will pull it through 8″ snow with no issue as it floats pretty well with the 8″ wide runners. The house is 82″ x 150″ x 90″ tall and pulls from either end with the removable hitch. I used to have an Ice Castle and I struggled with the deep snow and a one ton diesel with ice thicknesses and getting stuck.

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That looks like a nice house. the 8″ skids should help with the float over the 6″

Thanks Jason, I will keep this in mind.

Jason,
Does that have a middle skid? What brand is that?
I like the Can-Am that’s the same one I would be using, do you use any tire chains?

Jason wrote:

The side x side will pull it through 8″snow with no issue as it floats pretty well with the 8″ wide runners.

That’s the key right there. The problem is it’s hard to know how many luxuries you can put into the house and still have it float. Next question is what happens when you hit 6in of slush. Are you stuck because your vehicle slows down or does it keep floating across and have no problem. Lots of questions when you’re dealing with a house and no wheels. Not saying it’s a bad idea. Just have to have a really light house.

I might get another one someday but it’s going to be extremely light.

Joe Scegura wrote:

I used to have an Aluminum house. It seemed like it was built light enough yet still well built. I was excited to use it… turns out after 3 yrs of trying to get good at moving it around I gave up. It was just horrible to move. On glare ice or light snow it was a breeze. Get 8″-12″ of snow and it took 2-3 atvs or snowmobiles hooked together to move it.

My house was an 8’X 8′. It had 1″ X 1″ aluminum tube walls no interior sheeting. No wheels = to heavy for me.

Not sure what kind of skids were under that, but that sounds like there was a ton of drag. My buddy has a Big Bite skid 8×12 and he pulls it around on LOW with a two up snowmobile no problem. He has a widetrack snowmobile too which he says pulls it better. He doesnt move it daily or anything, but still sounds like you had a serious friction issue. I think he has some plastic material under the skids which would certainly help.

That’s the key right there. The problem is it’s hard to know how many luxuries you can put into the house and still have it float. Next question is what happens when you hit 6in of slush. Are you stuck because your vehicle slows down or does it keep floating across and have no problem.
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Well I can tell you this much. After having a smaller wheel house for many years and getting stuck and or wishing that I could go over “there” and not have to stick to the plowed roads I sold it and went this direction. So far Im very happy.
I do feel 100% confident that I can go through more snow and or slush than any large 4 wheel drive truck pulling a wheel house while feeling safe on approximately half the ice thickness.
I do not have chains but I do have the Cam AM Lt tracks.
My company built the house to my own specs for my personal use.

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I have done a ton of research on this, when eel house versus skid house. Either way you go the wider and longer your house the harder it is to pull down the Hwy or out on the lake. As years go on and the ice is thinner along with a shorter season it baffles me why the houses keep getting bigger every year! The smaller your skid house the easier they are to move. In deeper snow an 8′ wide is too difficult to move, a 6 or 6.5 wide is much better. Remember to just spray foam the interior and do not finish off the inside to save on weight. The best house I’ve seen is the ridge line with plastic lined skis. Their house is beefier which adds 100# But we’ll worth it. The last issue is a row vehicle, a wheel arc is the worst. A tracked machine is much better! The best of course is a 20″ or 2 4″ wide Ski Doo Skandic/ Expedition they have a low heat and will pull 1500# with ease. My friends in Alaska and Canada use them for hauling logs or skid houses in the woods and across the lakes for many miles thru way deeper snow than Minnesota will see.

Do a search on here, I’ve written about mine before. I won’t go into it as much, but I really liked mine. 8×12 aluma lite. Honda Foreman with tracks pulled it no problem.
I have since sold it, but would buy another one when I am ready again.

I own TR Aluminum Designs and we manufacture aluminum skid houses out of Lumsden, SK. It is no doubt an investment to purchase an aluminum shack as opposed to building one of your own out of wood, an old camper, etc. That said, there are so many benefits to purchasing one of these.

We make aluminum shacks on drop down axles so they can be easily used for ice fishing in the winter or hunting in the summer. They can also be made light enough to be pulled behind an ATV.

Check it out here!

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