Wife just gave me the heads up to look into Ice Castle style fish houses/ Rv. Any one have any input on the best time to buy.
I have an F150 with the 2.7L so weight might be an issue. Is now a good time or would spring be a better time to buy?
There is probably a deal on one in the Red Lake area.
There is probably a deal on one in the Red Lake area.
<div class=”ido-oembed-wrap”><iframe title=”Ice shack goes through ice on Upper Red Lake MN” width=”850″ height=”478″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/z7VD3vgl9wY?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen=””></iframe></div>
Lucky it only went through a a bit!!
If your really serious about room and creature comforts I would also factor in a more capable tow vehicle. Especially if doing longer distances and steeper grades, both up and down.
How many people?
How far are you towing?
How many people?
How far are you towing?
2 Adults two kids. Not sure on the tow distance although I would say we would for sure do 5-6 hours. Live in the metro area would like to hit up some northern lakes.
From what I am seeing the 16-18 ft units can weigh up to 6k.
A 21′ LOTW Extreme tandem axle w/hydrolics weighs 5800lbs
I have been looking at the RV hybrid 18ft extremes and they are listed at 6600 
At least it would be a tandem axle though.
I’d get a bigger vehicle and go bigger on the house. My 8×21 RV Hybrid is 7000# dry. With the 2 kids, you’ll appreciate the extra room and not much heavier.
I’d get a bigger vehicle and go bigger on the house. My 8×21 RV Hybrid is 7000# dry. With the 2 kids, you’ll appreciate the extra room and not much heavier.
I would love to but I am not sure that would work. How do you store yours when not in use? Outside, pole barn etc
If you buy the right one you’ll use it year round. It was so hard for me to justify the expense just for ice fishing when I first contemplated mine, but now I use it all four seasons and it’s been one of my most used and best purchases.
If you buy the right one you’ll use it year round. It was so hard for me to justify the expense just for ice fishing when I first contemplated mine, but now I use it all four seasons and it’s been one of my most used and best purchases.
Which model are you running?
[Begin Stanard IDO Response]
To comfortably fish 2 adults and 2 kids, you’re going to want to max it. Most guys now are going with the 48 to 52 foot models. That gives a family of 4 space to spread out their stuff and fish, as long as you don’t bring pets or the mother in law along. Also, having separate bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is basically a necessity.
As far as a truck, well if you got a big nail you need a big hammer, eh? For the new fish house, the decision is pretty straightforward: Semi tractor. Obviously. Best upgrade I ever made has Peterbilt on the hood. Blowing by some dude in a little 3/4 ton dragging his miniature 32-foot ice castle up a long grade where he’s got her tapped out doing 75 is actually more fun than fishing. Basically, if it ain’t got at least 475, you just ain’t alive.
All of this really makes sense if you consider resale value.
[/End Standard IDO Response]
[Begin Stanard IDO Response]
To comfortably fish 2 adults and 2 kids, you’re going to want to max it. Most guys now are going with the 48 to 52 foot models. That gives a family of 4 space to spread out their stuff and fish, as long as you don’t bring pets or the mother in law along. Also, having separate bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is basically a necessity.
As far as a truck, well if you got a big nail you need a big hammer, eh? For the new fish house, the decision is pretty straightforward: Semi tractor. Obviously. Best upgrade I ever made has Peterbilt on the hood. Blowing by some dude in a little 3/4 ton dragging his miniature 32-foot ice castle up a long grade where he’s got her tapped out doing 75 is actually more fun than fishing. Basically, if it ain’t got at least 475, you just ain’t alive.
All of this really makes sense if you consider resale value.
[/End Standard IDO Response]
Sounds like a standard response 
I usually fish 2 adults and at least one kid, sometimes 2 and 2. I have an 8×17 Ice Castle. It has Stinger Logos on it, but it’s set up exactly like the Trophy Hunter. It has the 2 pencil beds in the front by the bathroom. The kids a lot of times will go back there and play on their tablets when fishing gets slow. I like it because they’re up front and kind of out of the way. Do I wish it was 20+ feet? Yes. Do I need it to be? No. Once you go a few times you learn how to utilize the space you have.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>castle-rock-clown wrote:</div>
If you buy the right one you’ll use it year round. It was so hard for me to justify the expense just for ice fishing when I first contemplated mine, but now I use it all four seasons and it’s been one of my most used and best purchases.Which model are you running?
I have a very simple 6.5×14 Firebrand Osakis. It’s a toy hauler and I’ve transported motorcycles, my ATV, and my snowmobile in it. I ice fish out of it, I took my 9y/o twin granddaughters out to the Black Hills and Yellowstone in it. I use it as a hunting shack and sometimes just hang out in it when the house gets noisy, lol.
A29ABB5C-789F-46D1-8831-E57187F6C260.jpeg
CC55942A-C6F0-4FDE-A9CD-38D8227A26B1.jpeg
[Begin Stanard IDO Response]
To comfortably fish 2 adults and 2 kids, you’re going to want to max it. Most guys now are going with the 48 to 52 foot models. That gives a family of 4 space to spread out their stuff and fish, as long as you don’t bring pets or the mother in law along. Also, having separate bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is basically a necessity.
As far as a truck, well if you got a big nail you need a big hammer, eh? For the new fish house, the decision is pretty straightforward: Semi tractor. Obviously. Best upgrade I ever made has Peterbilt on the hood. Blowing by some dude in a little 3/4 ton dragging his miniature 32-foot ice castle up a long grade where he’s got her tapped out doing 75 is actually more fun than fishing. Basically, if it ain’t got at least 475, you just ain’t alive.
All of this really makes sense if you consider resale value.
[/End Standard IDO Response]
Ok that’s funny!
[Begin Stanard IDO Response]
To comfortably fish 2 adults and 2 kids, you’re going to want to max it. Most guys now are going with the 48 to 52 foot models. That gives a family of 4 space to spread out their stuff and fish, as long as you don’t bring pets or the mother in law along. Also, having separate bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is basically a necessity.
As far as a truck, well if you got a big nail you need a big hammer, eh? For the new fish house, the decision is pretty straightforward: Semi tractor. Obviously. Best upgrade I ever made has Peterbilt on the hood. Blowing by some dude in a little 3/4 ton dragging his miniature 32-foot ice castle up a long grade where he’s got her tapped out doing 75 is actually more fun than fishing. Basically, if it ain’t got at least 475, you just ain’t alive.
All of this really makes sense if you consider resale value.
[/End Standard IDO Response]
You need one this size to have room for the gun safe. You don’t want to leave ALL your Magnum rifles at home.
You need one this size to have room for the gun safe. You don’t want to leave ALL your Magnum rifles at home.
Mine has the gun safe behind the secret sliding bookcase in the study. It’s the third shelf from the left in the picture.
Wow! Check this house out!
Oh what money can buy???
I love that thing, but need my fishhouse to also be a toy hauler capable of hauling 1 ATV and an otter flip.
For a family of four I’d recommend at least an 17′ x 8.5′ if you’re doing multi-day trips.
21′ would be better, but those start to get sketchy pulling with a half ton on winter roads.
After fishing in a 16 x 6.5 Yetti for the last seven seasons (about two seasons too many when the boys were 4 and 5 years old), we’re going Grouse’s route with a custom 27′ with 2′ vee and slide out 
Hoping it gets finished soon. We placed the order in early September.
For a family of four I’d recommend at least an 17′ x 8.5′ if you’re doing multi-day trips.
21′ would be better, but those start to get sketchy pulling with a half ton on winter roads.
After fishing in a 16 x 6.5 Yetti for the last seven seasons (about two seasons too many when the boys were 4 and 5 years old), we’re going Grouse’s route with a custom 27′ with 2′ vee and slide out
Hoping it gets finished soon. We placed the order in early September.
That sounds awesome! Not going to lie I am jealous :). I still need to figure out where to store and how to pull.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mike Tichy wrote:</div>
I’d get a bigger vehicle and go bigger on the house. My 8×21 RV Hybrid is 7000# dry. With the 2 kids, you’ll appreciate the extra room and not much heavier.I would love to but I am not sure that would work. How do you store yours when not in use? Outside, pole barn etc
I have an apron to the side of my garage where I park it outside. We like it close to the house because it gets used on the weekends for movie nights / driveway camping all the time
Congrats on your future purchase! I just bought one this spring, a 6.5×14 Ice Castle Stinger Toy Hauler. Toy hauler was a necessity for me – I’m surprised they aren’t more common.
It’s currently me, my wife, a 5 year old son, and our Springer Spaniel. We’ve only camped out of it so far. No, it’s not extremely roomy when all of us and our gear are in it. When fishing for a full weekend maybe it will even feel tight. But I know with some organization it will work.
With what we have, it’s the size I want. I tow with a half ton and wasn’t going to upgrade my truck for something that usually stays close to home and ocassionally takes a longer trip. I didn’t want a 21 foot tandem rig. Yeah the size would be nice but then towing it out with an atv or even snowmobile gets more challenging, and if going out of Red Lake or some other resort, you can tow a smaller rig with ATV out much earlier in the seaon than the big tandem axles towed with a heavy diesel truck. It’s gotta be the difference between maybe 10 inches of ice vs, what 18 or 20+? On a year like this, some lakes might hardly even get there.
If you wanted that big RV unit and hooked up to it for a 4 to 10 hour drive, yeah you probably want a big diesel. If you get a smaller unit and usually tow it an hour or 2, your 1/2 ton should handle it fine provided you drive for the conditions.
You’ll get a lot of different answers. Best thing I could suggest is look at some, and decide what suits your needs and budget best all around for how you want to use it, how far you tow it, if you want a new big truck, etc.
Oh, I bought mine in the spring and feel like I got a good deal, but availability can be a little less too.
Congrats on your future purchase! I just bought one this spring, a 6.5×14 Ice Castle Stinger Toy Hauler. Toy hauler was a necessity for me – I’m surprised they aren’t more common.
It’s currently me, my wife, a 5 year old son, and our Springer Spaniel. We’ve only camped out of it so far. No, it’s not extremely roomy when all of us and our gear are in it. When fishing for a full weekend maybe it will even feel tight. But I know with some organization it will work.
With what we have, it’s the size I want. I tow with a half ton and wasn’t going to upgrade my truck for something that usually stays close to home and ocassionally takes a longer trip. I didn’t want a 21 foot tandem rig. Yeah the size would be nice but then towing it out with an atv or even snowmobile gets more challenging, and if going out of Red Lake or some other resort, you can tow a smaller rig with ATV out much earlier in the seaon than the big tandem axles towed with a heavy diesel truck. It’s gotta be the difference between maybe 10 inches of ice vs, what 18 or 20+? On a year like this, some lakes might hardly even get there.
If you wanted that big RV unit and hooked up to it for a 4 to 10 hour drive, yeah you probably want a big diesel. If you get a smaller unit and usually tow it an hour or 2, your 1/2 ton should handle it fine provided you drive for the conditions.
You’ll get a lot of different answers. Best thing I could suggest is look at some, and decide what suits your needs and budget best all around for how you want to use it, how far you tow it, if you want a new big truck, etc.
Oh, I bought mine in the spring and feel like I got a good deal, but availability can be a little less too.
Thanks for all the details! Still doing some digging on my end. Potentially leaning towards a Yetti now just for the weight savings. A bit more corrosion resistance is ok as well.
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