Hey Guys,
Quick question for those of you that know anything about towing capacity.
Looking to pull a 8X16 Wheelhouse out on the lake with a Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV, versus driving it out with a much heavier diesel truck.
My question is, would this particualar ATV have enough power to pull the fish house out on the lake a couple miles or am I stuck waiting for thicker ice to pull it out with the truck?
Thanks in advance! 
I’d get chains and plan to have some weight on the front end. Probably be pretty hard on it, but for a one time thing I’d try it. Of course, I’m about 90% redneck.
My brother was kind enough to offer to pull my Lodge 8′ x 16′ out onto the lake a year ago with his Arctic cat 700 (I beleive).
I followed behind in my much small ATV and I crindged the whole way out. I really thought he was going to do some severe damage to the indipendent rear suspension, if not break an axle right off!
It ended up fine but I would not have let him do it agian (nor would he have offered if he watched what I watched)
Please keep in mind, the Lodge ice houses are much heavier built than and Ice castle for instance.
He pulled his 6 1/2′ x 16′ ice castle all over the place with same wheeler and don’t think it ever knew it was back there.
You can always counter balance the tongue weight by adding things to the back but why add more weight?
Anxiousness does usually win the battle though 
I have a 6.5 x 12′ King Crow fish house which is one of the lightest fish houses on the market along with a Polaris 500. I am guessing the fish house weighs about 1,800 pounds and is not tongue heavy at all. My Polaris 500 can pull it around the lake until you get about 6 inches of snow. I would never think about pulling an 8 x 16′ fish house with a Polaris 500 and would actually be very surprised if it could pull it. Hope this helps.
Chad
Oh, it should pull it just fine, it would probably have enough power. Pulling it through snow or something though you will burn up belts. Problem is, the rear suspension won’t be able to handle it. You need to get some type of dolly to help take some of the weight off the back end of your wheeler.
We have fabbed up some heavy duty dollies that have big rubber tires on them that we hook up to the houses to make the weight on the wheeler minimal. I am sure there are some commercially made ones out there also.
Thanks for the replies guys!
For the record, if I try to pull it out, I would be pulling it on a plowed road, with minimal snow. Chains would also be used as well.
I used to pull my homemade wheel house onto the ice with a 500 when there wasn’t much snow on the ice. I used the tongue jack to ensure the suspension on the wheeler wasn’t overly abused. My house weighs over 3000 lbs and is very tongue heavy by design.
power should be there traction with chains should be good just depends on tongue weight and how much snow. we pull our decoy trailers through some nasty stuff and a chisle plowed field is alot worse then flat ice.
i pull my 7.5 x 20 out every year with a 400 arctic cat. did it once on ottertail about 3 miles w/o a front ski, just the wheeler receiver.
won’t do that again.
have since made a small platform ski to rest the front on and pull it out with a rope, chains on the wheeler. have to get it out b-4 snow. about three inches, then i have to wait to bring it out with the truck.
Quote:
i pull my 7.5 x 20 out every year with a 400 arctic cat. did it once on ottertail about 3 miles w/o a front ski, just the wheeler receiver.
won’t do that again.
have since made a small platform ski to rest the front on and pull it out with a rope, chains on the wheeler. have to get it out b-4 snow. about three inches, then i have to wait to bring it out with the truck.
The ski is a great idea!!! 
I have pulled my 19 foot boat with my 500, the pulling isn’t the issue it is the tongue weight that is the problem. I just left the tongue jack with the wheel on it take the bulk of the weight.
It has the muscle, just watch the tongue weight. I pulled my 10 by 17 all the time with my 500. The independant will sqaut, just shift your gear to the back of the house to help with weight.
DT
Looks like we’re gonna give it a go next weekend!
Anything more than 10″ on Red and it should be doable.
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