Flip over house Eskimo v Otter v Clam v Frabill

I finally decided I’m going to go with a flip over.
I’ll be going with the largest size the company has ie Eskimo 2800
Weight does not matter, it will be at the cabin pulled by a SxS.
1) Who has the strongest poles
2) Who’s is easiest to set up
3) Who has the most comfortable seats
4) Who has the best door / window locations
5) I would imagine all insulated fabric is pretty close with all??
6) Any place a guy could see them all side by side. (Dang i miss the St Paul show )

Does anyone sell there units ready to roll, hitch, runners?

EPG, I have a Frabill Citadel, purchased about 3-4 yrs ago.

Pros:
Thermal
Side doors (Keep zippers waxed)
Big tub
Window locations
Comfortable seats
Came with tow bar
Weight – aprox. 75 lbs, I can get mine in the Suburban by myself
Roomy (at 6’2″ I can stand up in it)

Cons:
Pole setup is a PITA (Keep them waxed) hopefully they have improved by now

Scheels in eden prairie and Joe’s had them all setup recently. I believe they both had all brands. Worth a call.

The big 3 man clam looked pretty sweet to me. I need something I can pull and load by hand so that’s too big but it looked like a sweet setup.

Since so much of this is a Ford/chevy/vexilar/marcum it’s really a personal choice. I’m sure you already knew that since you were asking where to see them in person. This is especially true for the seats and a seat angle you prefer

Since you don’t care about weight you’ll probably go Otter. However Clam has a back to back seater no one else has, the X400 or what used to be the Denali. With two heaters this can be a great option.

As far as ready to roll you’re looking for either a floor model or negotiating from the vendor for prep.

I went through this in the smaller sizes a year ago. I like the Otter x-over doors the best. Clam’s new doors are a close second and do like them better than the old front entry. Fabric, Otters may be a grade better but all are great.

fwiw – I chose the Clam Nanook XL thermal but under different criteria. Weight and size to fit in the vehicle were the primary objectives. In this size class I liked the Otter with bench seat the best but not unhappy with my choice.

I have heard nothing but good things about the Eskimo Eskape. My buddy has the 2600 (slightly smaller than the 2800) but he loves it. Only complaints are things that you detailed as not worried about.

Actually, I’ve only looked at them on line so far.
The Otter poles don’t look as nice as the Eskimo, but the Otter seats look way better than the Eskimo.
I’ll swing by Scheels tomorrow, haven’t been there yet. Now I have a reason.

BTW – I am leaning towards Eskimo because that’s what James uses.

Hopefully your store has more inventory than my local scheels. Mine didn’t have a single shack and fleet farm had one shack setup on the floor

I’m on my second season with a Clam Yukon XL. They are heavy beasts just like the Otters but tons of room for two guys. I think the seats are really comfortable and they slide back and forth and left to right on the sled which is really handy. The thumb tabs they have over the buttons for collapsing the poles are a huge benefit also. Lots of people rag on Clam for their quality (some of which is deserved) but over the last two years their quality (at least in their houses and bibs) has improved tenfold. Only complaint is that the canvas could be a bit more snug fitting. A good wind can blow your canvas in about 6 inches.

The zippers don’t even break anymore!

BTW – I am leaning towards Eskimo because that’s what James uses.
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Lol that is hilarious. Gave me a good chuckle

Otter Resort Pro or Otter Lodge Pro would get my vote. Simple setup and very comfortable seats.

I have an Otter Lodge Pro and Clam thermal 1-man. zero complaints with either in regards to quality.

I’ve been running frabill shacks for years, this shack i have now, frabill side step going on it’s 3 year, has been a disappointment. poor engineering and design. windows are so low you can’t see out of them unless you bend ( this while sitting down!) material use I would give a fair rating.customer service has been none useless for me with a couple of replacement parts I need.

Thorne bros had a bunch set up when I was there a few weeks ago.

I watched that video James had on the Eskape 2800.I really liked the looks of that pole setup.I think it looks heavier than hell but looks like a nice sled setup.

The new eskimo looks very nice. But the resort x over has my vote

I have been using a Otter lodge X-over for two years now, no complaints on my part. It is pulled behind a snowmobile. The Otters are heavy but well made.

The best advice when I was looking was to go sit in them and see what you like best. Granted finding a place that has them could be a challenge this time of year. Maybe check with Joes Sporting Goods in St Paul.

When towing behind a ATV, UTV or snowmobile the first concern in a flip over should be the tub. The other items mentioned all take 2nd priority after the tube.

In my opinion the next thing to review is the poles and what mechanism they use to collapse the poles. The colder it is outside the more irritation you will experience in take down with mechanisms and poles that do not collapse well. I have experienced more than one manufacture using a mechanism that in theory should work well but do not.

I have not looked at all of the products offerings the last few years because I have been quite content with my Otter XT PRO flip over.

Good luck finding one. I’ve seen the Otters still in stock, but Eskimos and everything else all gone. As expected, just like in summer, stuff cleared out early this year.

Queen,
Unfortunately it’s looking like you are correct.
I’m hoping to get my hands on a XT Pro X-over Resort. There seem to be the smaller ones available but I really want the resort. I might have to wait until next year.

I’d go with an Otter. Quality wise I think that’s the best house on the market.

If you want to come look at my pro resort x-over give me a call. It’s not for sale. I haven’t even used it yet. But your welcome to come take a look.

I spent the better part of the day at the Sioux falls show last November and sat in every 2 man or bigger shack in the place. Wound up with an Otter Lodge. It checks all the boxes for me.

The eskimo does too but it seemed to me the seats sat lower to the ground and seemed like after a few hours they would get uncomfortable. They also did not seem to be as strong. They are not week but I just felt the otter was build a little better. Either way you cannot go wrong. I did feel that the clam shacks were nice, but just up to the new eskimos or the otter line.

Anyone ever check out Canvas Craft? I bought a double flip over cabin around 2010 and it’s been great. Fish off both sides of the sled. They also make single flips like the majority of the fish houses. They have maybe the best insulation available in a fish house. They are in Rogers and use Otter sleds, at least at that time. Another option.

Oh yeah. Canvas craft is top top notch. Very nice but I believe you supply your own sled. The old man used to have a 8 x8 fold open insulated that was great

Just got back Scheels.
Got to compare all SxS
Otter is head and shoulders above the rest.
Now I just need to find a resort.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Oh yeah. Canvas craft is top top notch. Very nice but I believe you supply your own sled. The old man used to have a 8 x8 fold open insulated that was great

I had them make a replacement canvas for my first shack I bought when I first started ice fishing. They make a great product. Not cheap, but quality.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Just got back Scheels.
Got to compare all SxS
Otter is head and shoulders above the rest.
Now I just need to find a resort.

I have the Otter Pro XT Resort 3 man with 3 seats and all the bells and whistles, hitch, cover, runners and could not imagine a better flip out there. The one and only drawback I have with this large flip is it is pretty hard to set up and take down by myself. With a friend on either side it goes up and down simple. I left the middle seat out and there is plenty of room for 2 in the sled seats and 2 others in folding chairs. The thermal cover is great and with just a small buddy heater it gets warm inside quick. It is large and it is heavy but you sure get what you pay for with the Otter line.

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I have been looking at all the discussions of flip overs, and how people recommend putting a Smitty sled underneath the tub to save the bottom from wear and puncture, and to make them easier to pull. I was wondering if anyone decided to eliminate the tub entirely and build the structure on to the sled directly. If the tub is not used as a sled, it seems like most of the value of having it there is lost.

That simply won’t work! The tent and frame are designed along the height of the sled tub. The Smitty sled would have to be the same height plus it would have to be enclosed on 3 sides to keep the wind and snow out and allow the flip to touch the ground out front. It would end up being much heavier and probably cost more to build than the price of a new tub. With the optional runners Otter sells for the sled tub I have no worries of it ever wearing through and the sled itself is pretty thick and heavy duty to begin with. Lets face it, big flips like the XT Resort pro are not meant to be pulled by man power especially if you load them up with all your other gear. It could be done on glare ice but never ever on 6 or more inches of snow. I pull mine with a Snowdog machine and it pulls real easy no matter how loaded I get it as long as I am not going through deep slush.

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Eelpoutguy wrote:

Just got back Scheels.
Got to compare all SxS
Otter is head and shoulders above the rest.
Now I just need to find a resort.

Eelpout,
I think I saw the Otter Resort at the Woodbury Cabelas late last week. You might try calling them to see if they still have them in stock. When I saw it, I thought that is one BMF.

Gary Lothrop wrote:

That simply won’t work! The tent and frame are designed along the height of the sled tub. The Smitty sled would have to be the same height plus it would have to be enclosed on 3 sides to keep the wind and snow out and allow the flip to touch the ground out front. It would end up being much heavier and probably cost more to build than the price of a new tub. With the optional runners Otter sells for the sled tub I have no worries of it ever wearing through and the sled itself is pretty thick and heavy duty to begin with. Lets face it, big flips like the XT Resort pro are not meant to be pulled by man power especially if you load them up with all your other gear. It could be done on glare ice but never ever on 6 or more inches of snow. I pull mine with a Snowdog machine and it pulls real easy no matter how loaded I get it as long as I am not going through deep slush.

Fished with Dave Genz last week. Turns out the original fish traps were built on wooden sleds. My problem with tub sleds has never been wear, but punctures. The surface of our lake gets cut to pieces with 4 wheelers when it is slushy, then that freezes and you have ice lumps and spikes that have punched holes in my sled. Even Hyfax strips are not thick enough to keep the sled tub from being bashed. Maybe I need to build a steel bash guard on the front curve of the sled to prevent that.