I sincerely appreciate all of the commentaries. I am targeting a higher-end skid house after reading other forums and reviewing the offerings. At this time I have reduced the offerings to ProFab, PolarFox, and a custom-built unit by a forum member.

Aluma-lite honestly seems like the best value overall. The finished interior walls is a feature I am willing to splurge on so that removes them from contention.

Ambush certainly has a lot of inventory out there. They aren’t priced according to fitment. I bet in 2-3 years they get the features and bells and whistle figured out.

My next step is to set up the house with tape (on the floor) and start designing the layout. Since the three manufacturer options I have selected are all custom built. I will also work up an options list that I want to be included. I’ll share my requirements and design ideas.

norge wrote:

I have an 8X12 Aluma Lite with a V front. Bunks were added, a vented heater and a solar panel. I pull this with my Bearcat snowmobile. I am in the Upper Peninsula so there is a lot of snow. Not fancy but functional and about as light as possible. I have found that I use ropes to tow when there is any amount of snow to deal with. Difficult to break them loose with the rigid tow system. I have had some fun campouts with the Granddaughters in this rig.

That sounds awesome. Is the solar panel to tend a 12v battery? I assume its for lights but can this also keep vexilars/flashers charged up?

I used my Striker Climate bibs and jacket for the first time this weekend. It is no bulkier than the Cabelas Goretex pro guide bibs and jacket setup and they of course float. I love the pocket configuration and found them to fit just right. I went large top and bottom, I’m 6’0, 178lbs. Perfect size for me. Very happy with the build quality and features.

Bob D wrote:

No problem. Its amazing what a coat of paint will do! A couple of other things I just thought about that will save you the head aches I went through in learning how to move mine. Getting the house moving is the key. When I am going to move I put some PVC pipes under it so the house doesn’t give any resistance. With a 6×10 this stuff may or may not be an issue. It is also important to keep ice/debris off the bottoms of the hyfax skids. The first time I went to move my last house there was ice/snow built up on the bottom of the skids. All this did was add friction that made it difficult to move. Once I figured that out I make sure not to push a lot of the snow when banking the house directly under the skids. If I am going to let the house sit anywhere for more than a day I put it on blocks. I also block it up on a couple 2×4 when storing in the off season so that mud/leaves don’t stick to the bottom. No matter which route you go you will love the light weight of an aluminum house.
Good luck.

Your passion is obvious. Thank you for the tips and tricks.

Bob,

Your house looks awesome. Thank you for the great information. The interior finish is a struggle for me. I also appreciate the details on moving your house. I’m leaning towards 6×10 and I’m really hoping to use a wheeler to drag it. Good news I don’t have to run far and we have snowmachines to create a packed path after significant snow events.

I have heard good things about these units too. I don’t think they are as heavy duty but the price reflects a lighter manufacturing design. By a bear do you mean to move around or to get it out of the ice after a freeze etc..

Lost wrote:

It’s a 6.5×10 model. My neighbor got the same size as well (he is the one in the Menards shirt on the ProFab page, my shack is the black one shown on there as well). I don’t think there will be much of an issue breaking through snow with the model as is – I would be concerned with having a center ski freezing in if not blocked well during a thaw/refreeze. And it would cause additional weight.

Can I ask what you are moving your skid house with? I’m hoping to use either a snowmobile or a sportsman that I have currently.

Lost wrote:

My skid will not leave my cabin very much, if at all. I’d rather have the extra length of a box vs an awkward V-front. I didn’t notice any difference when towing the empty trailer vs the trailer with the shack on it either.
Pro fab and Polar Fox will both add vented heaters, unsure of some of the other brands. They will also add furniture options if you desire. I decided that I will add heater and jacknife sofa to mine sometime in the future, in order to manage the initial cost.

What size ProFab did you elect for? I really like the looks of your unit. I have seen a design with a Vfront that had a larger center ski I could see being valuable for breaking fresh snow but I like the rectangular form for storage. I am in a similar situation where I’ll just be pulling it from my cabin to my spot and so forth. No trailering commonly.

Fowldream,

Some offer a v-front. I have seen the v turned into a nice storage area for propane, and a lock box etc…

All the manufacturers offer an externally vented heater option.

JoeMX,

I like the Ambush brand construction but they seem to have the least amount of integration. Polar Fox and Pro Fab look like they have been doing this a lot longer based on the fit and finish and integration of accessories. My first reaction was that Ambush is over priced based of their basic design.

The quote feature isn’t working. This was in reply to Elkrivermn, you stated you have shopped them all.

Can you elaborate on what makes them the best? I don’t mind a premium fee for a premium product. At least what makes them Polar Fox better than Pro Fab would be helpful.