Wheel house vs aluminum skid house vs portable your thoughts

While I sit at the house waiting to hit up the night bit this afternoon it got me thinking about the different types of houses for ice fishing and which one is the best. I had a 7×14 wheel house that I built off a miltona frame for about four years. I liked the house and it was nice to ice fishing in slippers, but it had some major draw backs. I wanted atleast 12″ or solid ice at a min to pull it out with my truck. I would not leave it out over the week if there was snow predicted during the week. In ND when it snows even a few inches it leads to nice size drifts by your wheel house due to the wind always blowing. The years we did get a lot of snow you couldn’t get it on the lake, because you would spend half a day digging out your truck and putting chains on. Also I feel that they are way over priced. A lot of people say they use wheel houses so they can take there kids out ect. I use a otter lodge now and take my 7 year old out all the time. I buy good winter cloths for my kids so that they don’t get cold. once the heater it on the portable is really warm and I end up turning it off for a while anyways.
I have never used a aluminum skid house, but it does interest me. A light house that I could drag behind the ATV and move it fast and easy. My only draw back to them would be trailing them to and from the lake and also putting it on the trailer when done for the weekend. Also I would have to buy a bigger trailer to take the ATV and skid house out at the same time. From what I have seen I would have to get a 18′ to 20′ trailer to haul both of them together. Which would bring up the price of the total package to what a wheel house would cost.
Right now I use a 14′ aluma trailer, Can-Am outlander 650 with tracks “which was expensive, but I can use it all year”, and a otter lodge. I can fit everything on the trailer and it takes about 5 minutes to tie everything down and get going. I don’t have to lift the otter in the back of the truck. Either I’m getting weaker or portables are getting heavier in my older age. Also I don’t have to drive my truck on the lake, because I never really carried to do that. I get a lot of fish this way and my kids are learning to how to ice fish and we are safe about it.
I do feel that a good set up would be a smaller wheel house 10′ to 12′ that is a toy hauler. It would have to weight about 1500lbs or less. I could put the ATV inside and pull it out with the ATV. I would want it light enough that you wouldn’t have to use a toy dolly to pull it out with your ATV. I feel that tow dollies make your lose traction, because your don’t have enough tongue weight on the ATV to help you out with traction. you would have to have a set a skies for when the snow was deep you could still use it. I can’t justify the cost, but a snow bear would be great. Maybe once I see more used units out there, the price goes down, or someone else starts to make something like it i would be able to afford one.
What are your guys thoughts on the best unit?

I did the wheeler/portable run n gun for a long time. Then the big shack for a couple years and now am down sizing to pretty much what you are talking about. A very light toy hauler that you can still get on and off without a ton of ice. The problem is I haven’t found one that I like that doesn’t cost as much as my big shack did!

I have 3 houses. Perm Toy hauler so we can stay out when the ice is thick enough. An otter resort with atv/trailer and a clam popup for the kid when he wants to bring friends. My plan was to bring the toy-hauler with the otter and atv and that way we can have a set place if its slow with a mobile during the day. IMO having one of each is the way to go!

Here is one option; https://theblackholeiceshack.com/
Also remember seeing (online) a wheelhouse built with skids and retractable wheels, that was a toy hauler style. For the life of me, can’t remember the name.

It is Core Ice ; https://core-ice.com/6511st/

I am with ya 100%. For years I was convinced I wanted an 8×16 fish house I was just waiting for my finances to be right. I also agree they are way over priced. This year though I’ve started to think otherwise. I have friends who have 21 and 24 ft ice castles. Watching the work and effort they have to go through jet to fish is eye opening and that’s if everything goes according to plan. I’ve been out there with them digging a fish house out of the snow and it’s not fun at all. Then their is maintenance and storage… So I fish out of portables which is all I’ve ever had. I’ve researched a lot about sleeping in a pop up and I want to try it but I have reservations about that too. I think having a simple toy hauler 6.5×12 or even 8×12 would be awesome. Only problem with that is I have a wife and 3 boys and something that small wouldn’t fit all of them very well and if that were the case convincing the wife that we should buy it would be much harder. Long story short I’m leaning toward just fishing out of portables for the foreseeable future and occasionally fishing with a buddy in their fish house.

I looked pretty long at the Black Hole ice shack at the Duluth Ice show a few weeks back. Very impressed and a decent price point. There’s a video where they interviewed a couple guys who fished one overnight at 40 below on cots and claimed they slept like babies. I sleep on a cot in my small wheel house and it’s not ideal but not bad either.

It’s usually a combination of things that work. I have a flip over that mounts on the back of my Ranger. I use that until they let single axle houses out. Here’s the thing. In most cases a single axle is a single axle as far as the resort is concerned. I have a 8X16 home brew wheelhouse that is probably around 1500lbs loaded. They are not going to let me out before any other single axles that weight twice that. It just opens a can of worms for the resort and I understand that.

Now if you are accessing the lake on your own then anything goes and it’s your call.

crappie55369 wrote:

For years I was convinced I wanted an 8×16 fish house I was just waiting for my finances to be right. I also agree they are way over priced. This year though I’ve started to think otherwise. I have friends who have 21 and 24 ft ice castles. Watching the work and effort they have to go through jet to fish is eye opening and that’s if everything goes according to plan. I’ve been out there with them digging a fish house out of the snow and it’s not fun at all. Then their is maintenance and storage… So I fish out of portables which is all I’ve ever had.

Yes, I would say it’s a lot of money for the 2 months you’d use it for ice fishing. And as you have seen, a lot of work at times to just get out there and setup and then have to dig out if there’s snow.

That’s why for the relatively much less cost, I rent a resort sleeper house a few times each winter. No work, just drive up and start fishing. But then I’m an older guy now and can’t do near what I could 20 years ago.

I won’t judge the wheelhouse folks though, for many of them (experienced) guys…perhaps part of it is having worked for something. And some use them for summer camping too.

Something different for everyone.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Check out canvas by the stitch. Similar to black hole but the come in several different lengths up to 21ft I believe. Couple cots and and a grille could stay out there all weekend. It floats 900lbs or less and easy to get the canvas off if you just want to use as utility trailer.

Those are interesting. And the price point along with the fact that they double as a utility trailer are definitely appealing. My issue is the lack of a heater. Personally I don’t want to sleep using a big buddy and while a guy can sleep using a cot and a sub zero sleeping bag that doesn’t sound much fun when you are spending 5k on a house. If a guy just wanted to use one for a day house I can see that being a nice option

I gave up on the wheel house concept last year due to the deep snow. This year I custom built an aluminum skid house that I will pull around with my Can Am Defender. I was just up at Red Lake last weekend and saw all of the guys stuck with their wheel houses. Been there done that…
I will post some more pictures of my setup another day but here is one showing the inner framework during the build.

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Jason–would like see/know more about your house. I have debating for 2 seasons about an aluminum skid house. Best size, manufacturer, etc.
Did you build your own?

Fish Trap to an Otter Cottage to a Quickfish 3i,I just picked up a early jigger Ice Castle 6.5 X 8, sofa /bed furnace, stove / air , many lights, stereo. I read somewhere you can ger skies for the wheels. Oh plus a magnum Otter sled for trout fishing. Still have it all… maybe I am a hoarder. And the wheelhouse is still in the yard. DK. Yes, I am single.

I have what was the “big” ridgeline (14′ heavy hauler) spray insulated with wiring only that only weighs 1300-1400 if just set up for fishing (no additional cots, etc). A tracked atv could pull it around fine.

They make many smaller ones seem to be in line with what you are looking for. I am one of the people who did a wheelhouse for kids, both for camping and fishing which averages 2x a month all year. With infants it was a no brainer, but even with a 3 yr old it is a lot to haul everything out, set up a pop up, heat, etc, and have them get bored in less than 1hr. Flip overs seem way better suited for kids.

I will say that even if I got a smaller one I would want a service door + ramp door instead of the split back doors.

@snowtower – I’m curious about your shack and how the setup worked for you. I’m working on plans for a 6.5X8 aluminum skid shack and have some questions about the framing you did. Thanks

Mainly – what size are the verticals as well as the floor supports?

With the canvas houses on the trailer how does that work with slush and wet roads and it freezes when you want to set it up? I would think that might be a problem.

Canvas by Stitch stay set up….Black Holes are stored in a boot.

I have a 10 ft/Vee aluminum Ridgeline that hauls my Wheeler.

I have a wheel in my receiver so I don’t bottom out,Slip skis on my trailer wheels and take off.

Jason wrote:

I gave up on the wheel house concept last year due to the deep snow. This year I custom built an aluminum skid house that I will pull around with my Can Am Defender. I was just up at Red Lake last weekend and saw all of the guys stuck with their wheel houses. Been there done that…
I will post some more pictures of my setup another day but here is one showing the inner framework during the build.

Jason,
I would love to see progress pics especially the floor to wall transition. Do you put backing in?

Brian
I did the same thing for 2 years trying to decide which way to go wheel or skid. both have pros and cons. loading unloading, moving ect. Finally decided to go with the Polar Fox skid house 6-1/2″ x 12′ the house is amazing the composite panels with no seems the thing is air tight holds heat in and cold out very very efficient. I purchased a PJ 22 trailer and had to add 15″ extension on the front so the Tracker 800 and house all fit. loading and unloading is super easy. The house weighs in at about 1100 lbs. and pulls like nothing behind you. I did do all the cabinets myself but other then that it comes finished off inside. easy to wipe down and keep clean.

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I really like my IC Little Jigger, and for a wheelhouse that size, has plenty of storage and is comfortable for 1-2 people. I had to get a bit creative to put a small table in it, that pivots, so the table top can be positioned over the center of the sofa. Luckily, I got it in 2019 when it was just over 10k new. Had 3 of us and a dog last weekend – we just fished two holes in the house, with a Quad cam in the middle. If action was hotter, we would’ve put tip-ups out.

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Dennis Fritts wrote:

Brian
I did the same thing for 2 years trying to decide which way to go wheel or skid. both have pros and cons. loading unloading, moving ect. Finally decided to go with the Polar Fox skid house 6-1/2″ x 12′ the house is amazing the composite panels with no seems the thing is air tight holds heat in and cold out very very efficient. I purchased a PJ 22 trailer and had to add 15″ extension on the front so the Tracker 800 and house all fit. loading and unloading is super easy. The house weighs in at about 1100 lbs. and pulls like nothing behind you. I did do all the cabinets myself but other then that it comes finished off inside. easy to wipe down and keep clean.

Reviving an old thread and hoping you see this. How is pulling that setup with your RAM 1500? I have a 8×17 wheelhouse and thinking about switching gears to a Polar Fox and SxS. Just curious if that involves buying a bigger truck.

Hello Nodakk, it pulls fine no problems at all. The house is around 1200lbs and the tracker is around 1600. So it was under 3000lbs and the trailer is a medium duty PJ 22’. I did decide to go back to an ATV the Tracker was an awesome unit and we thought we would use it more but never did had it for a year and sold it with 32 miles on it pretty expensive rig just sitting around. If you decide to go with the Polar Fox you will not be disappointed this house is incredible! I love this house no matter how cold or windy it is the whole house stays warm no drafts or leaks very solid. Windows don’t fog or ice up you will love the polar fox. After having one season with it and getting the system down on unloading and loading two buddy’s I fish with have toy hauler fish houses it takes about the same time for me to get unloaded and load as them. But when it comes time to move to a different spot just unhook the generator, set the cooler in the house and I’m ready to roll. You have anymore questions let know.. thanks. Dennis

Reviving an old thread and hoping you see this. How is pulling that setup with your RAM 1500? I have a 8×17 wheelhouse and thinking about switching gears to a Polar Fox and SxS. Just curious if that involves buying a bigger truck.
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I have a simular setup that I use and here’s my thoughts. I run an all aluminum 14k deck over 8.5′ x 24′ trailer that I drive my Can Am Defender cab and 12′ aluminum shack up on. With the sxs tight all the way to the front of the trailer I run around 1600-1700lbs of tounge weight. Adding the tracks on the sxs doesn’t help since it increases the sxs weight to approx 2100 lbs.
Total trailer weight is around 6000lb loaded. Backing the setup onto the trailer is a no go. I run a 1 ton so the tounge weight isn’t an issue but with a half ton it definitely would be.
What I enjoy the most is going out with just a heated sxs setup with a topper and a portable. Can go almost anywhere and fish out of the cab if need be.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Dennis- I know there wasn’t much snow on the ice last year in ND, at least on Devils when I was there. Have you pulled your Polar Fox through any deeper snow?

We had the same issue on Sakakawea last season not much snow but i did manage to find some larger drifts i pulled it over the SxS plowed thru and the house went over the top. I can’t wait to get some snow and put it thru a good test but i don’t think it will be a problem it pulls very easy on both snow and ice. Plus having the 2 x 2 cross members instead of 1 x 3″ or 1 x 4″ like most Aluminum skid houses you have a lot less to grab snow.

Hey @snowtower Jason here also haha. Was wondering what you used for the bottom of your skids and where u got that from. Also where you got the aluminum for the framing and what you used to cut and weld with? Thanks for the help.