I just happened upon this forum as a new member, and to anyone in the market for a new aluminum fish house I would like to offer my personal experience.. About three years ago I started my research with the intention of purchasing the best manufactured fish house to suit my needs. I wanted something light weight, comfortable, user friendly, and also with all the features one should expect from a high end fish house. One major factor ultimately lead me to the brand I chose… I needed a toy hauler version big enough to haul my Polaris Ranger with tracks.. I started at the local Ice Castle dealer. I was absolutely appalled with the construction and fit and finish details of their houses! I immediately checked them off my list. I then looked at the Yetti. They seemed to be of very nice construction, but at that time they offered only unfinished models. That same year a friend bought one and finished the interior himself. He was really excited to take me out fishing that winter. I decided to wait and see how he faired in his new Yetti before making my purchase. The first day on the lake we had just gotten set up when we realized we had forgotten bait. I ran home a few miles away to retrieve it. On my way back onto the lake there was another truck with a very similar Yetti stuck in the access. I waited for a minute and the driver came to the back of the hitched fish house and began looking underneath. He stood up shaking his head and yelling some unpleasantries. I got out to offer my help. He said “The frame fell apart!”. I looked at the ground and there laid the aluminum tube that spans the back of the fish house on the bottom. He had hooked it on an ice heave and it literally ripped the tube beside the welds.. I spoke with the gentleman for a while and he explained to me that he had narrowed his choice between the Yetti and an Elite Premium. The Yetti was a couple thousand dollars cheaper so he went that route. “I obviously made the wrong choice”, he said.
After this encounter I began researching the construction of the two brands. I discovered some major differences in materials.. The Yetti uses 2″ X 4″ X 1/8″ wall aluminum tubing for its base frame. The Elite uses 2″ X 4″ X 1/4″ wall aluminum tubing. Elite also uses a through axle design with a 2 1/2″ diameter zinc played axle shaft compared to the Yettis much smaller shaft. I was also impressed with the floor substrate in the Elite, the Yetti uses 3/4″ treated plywood which is heavy and only holds up so long in a fish house.. The floor material in the Elite is made of a nylon/ fiberglass reinforced composite used in the construction of floors in city busses as well as high end watercraft. The Elite comes standard with rigid spray foam insulation which is an upgrade option on the Yetti I understand. Elite is also the only manufacturer to offer a model wide enough to accommodate my Ranger with tracks. Everything about the Elite down to finest details are meticulously crafted to meet the highest expectations of any fisherman. Me included..