Toy Hauler Fish House What Brand is the Best Bang for the Buck

Originally I was looking at getting an enclosed trailer to haul my 4 Wheeler and Otter Lodge. That got me to thinking, for not a whole lot more $$$ I could get a Toy Hauler Fish House. I have looked online at a bunch of different makes and would like your opinions on which brand is better and why.

I have looked at Ice Castle, Yetti, Firebrand, Ridgeline, Custom Cottages, Elite Premium Custom, am I missing any that I should look into? I like the Ridgeline, it’s light, easy to raise and lower. Ice Castle is the only one that is not all Aluminum and I’m leaning toward all aluminum construction for lighter weight and longer lasting.

I just want a 6.5 X 10 or 12 foot basic setup with a Ramp door, 2 Windows, Side Door, propane holder, and 4-6 holes. Trying to find more info on Mission trailers but it’s seems difficult to find and fish houses by them.

what aspects do you value? low cost, durability, quality of craftsmanship, features, customer service…? probably could recommend any number of houses but which ones probably depends on what you value more. For low cost I would go ice castle but if you want quality craftsmanship I would not recommend that brand based off of what ive seen.

Not Ice Castle since it is a steel frame. As stated bang for the buck but not a steel frame. I’m looking low end simple with all Aluminum frame.

I’ve never owned a wheelhouse so this is purely based on what see, but the Ridgeline looks awesome. I love how quickly the setup and takedown. The only thing I would question is the durability. The tires seem awfully small considering the weight if you carry an atv inside.

You could find one somebody made there are some real nice ones on craigs every now and then.

Not to divert the conversation but do any of the ice house manufactures offer axles with speed ratings over 55 MPH?

Glacier Ice Houses makes a good one. I’ve also got a buddy with one for sale 8×16 toy hauler with a couple bunks and a lot of open space. IDO has also used these houses on the show one season, I believe it was in Winnipeg, it wasn’t a toy hauler model.

I would seriously look the Team Lodge fish house….they started the toy hauler aspect in the fish house world. They are a lil more expensive than an ice castle, but 100x better quality. The size you are needing, I would look at the Team Lodge Jr. modle.

Realtree…yes I can pull my Lodge 80 down the interstate no problem!

I spent a night in a brand new Yetti last winter, and was thoroughly impressed. If I were in the market, I would definitely go aluminum frame. I know J&K Marine in Walker has a ton of Yetti’s, and rent one (maybe some) out. So that would be a good, affordable way to really check it out in advance… on one of the best lakes around!

We have had two ice houses now. The first was a Lodge which we had issues with. The roof leaked because the screws used at the top of the house rusted out allowing water in. This was a very poor design. I will admit that was a 2007 Lodge and I do think they improved the design since. Our second shack is an Elite Premium shack and so far we are very happy with it. One of the main reasons we went with this shack is because the floor is a composite not wood so it will never rot. I also liked the fact that they are truly custom and you can build them how you want. I will say that Fred is not the greatest at communication along the way. Also expect that it will take longer to get than is said. I was willing to wait in order to get a quality product. PM me if you have any questions.

I have a Yetti “toy hauler”…maybe mine is an exception since it’s one their first ones, but it leaves A LOT to be desired. I bought mine as a shell and finished the inside myself. Biggest word of advice is ensure the axle rating is good enough to actually haul your ATV or Snowmobile…

I had all sorts of cable and axle issues for the first 2 years I owned mine. The rear doors have never sealed good no matter what Yetti recommends I try. The new Yetti houses are much better designed and are of a much higher quality. Be sure to get the drop down door, the double doors are terrible.

At the end of the day, I’m happy with my Yetti as an ice house…not a toy hauler…

What did you end up going with IceNutz? I know this is old, but if you didn’t pull the trigger, check out Ice Country Fish Houses, He uses a galvanized steel frame, and uses a barrier fastening an all aluminum structure. You get the strength of steel in the frame, with a rust free frame for many years, plus the light weight structure out of aluminum. I think this is a great concept and the best of both worlds, so if you’re still in the market take a look. I don’t know too much about them but Black Bear FH are fairly new to the market making an all aluminum house. They actually use a 2×8 aluminum for the frame which seems overkill in a good way. Give them a look, plus Lodge and Big Bite have houses that seem high quality. Big Bite does a steel or aluminum frame which is nice. Good luck and I hope this helps.

You might look at https://core-ice.com/ made in litchfield mn.