# Icehouse Frames



## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

Does anyone happen to know where I could find or buy plans for an icehouse frame or even perhaps the entire house. Approx. 8x16, retractable wheels. I hear the price of steel has trippled in the last several months--this could put a damper on the plans as well!


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

I've thought about this many times in the past....an ice house would be great....but the thought of having to move a big permanent house or one on wheels when the fish change locations has kept me portable. When you look into the cost of a perm. house the $500.00 you'd spends on a 6x8 portable starts to look great. Plus you can start fishing well before the ice is thick enough to drive on.


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## go4thegusto (Sep 29, 2004)

A friend of mine builds whatever you want in his garage in West Fargo. Skilled welder by trade. Loves to moonlight. Contact me for a name and number.


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## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

I've got a welder...was looking more for design information.

I have a portable as well but would like something I can sleep in when at LOW.

I should have been researching this much sooner, I know I could have saved a bundle on the steel. Does anyone know why it has gone up so much anyway?


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## Brad Anderson (Apr 1, 2002)

I've conquered that problem. Just build as many houses as you can afford, then you never have to move them. You'll have a house on every part of the lake. It works awesome.


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## Remmi_&amp;_I (Dec 2, 2003)

Brad, I like your advice. I literally have bought 3 sets of upland clothing for the same reason. One set at my dad's cabin, one set in my vehicle, and one small emergency set incase I fall through a cattail slough while hunting!


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## curty (Sep 18, 2003)

Try a search on the net, you may get some ideas there.


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## Bushwacker (Mar 30, 2003)

I find it interesting that some of you talk about using a welder as one of the tools to build an icehouse. While I understand that some metal is needed if you want wheels we also need to remember that the rule is that the house is suppose to be made of "essentially floatable materials". We should also remember that when choosing insulation. Styrofoam adds floation and it's lighter, fiberglass batting doesn't. The people that generally have the most trouble moving their shack are the ones with the biggest and heaviest ones. I have also wondered how those commercial operations building icehouses get away with it. From what I see those things would sink like a rock.


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