A different kind of teardrop-inspired trailer for a different kind of outdoor mission, the new IcePro trailer is a versatile toy hauler and ice hut ready to brave the coldest, iciest conditions North America can hurl its way. Whether you use your chained-tire ATV to tow it or use the IcePro to carry the ATV, the fully winterized fiberglass trailer makes a comfortable ice fishing hut. Simply drop the floor down to ice level using the winch-adjustable wheels and you can drill a hole in the ice, drop a line in the water and enjoy a day of fishing in air-heated comfort.
While we've seen ice fishing tents before, we were fairly in the dark on ice fishing houses, trailers and skid houses prior to stumbling on the IcePro. Hard walls certainly make more sense in weather that's cold enough to turn water into drivable solid ground, and it's hardly surprising such structures exist in a world that's also hosted amphibious ice-grade moto-shelters and foldable fishing huts made from actual ice. We guess we just don't live far north enough in ice fishing territory to have previous familiarity.
After poking around a bit on the web, we noticed that the majority of towable ice houses seem to be large, boxy travel trailer-style rigs, some tall, some long, some on a single-axle trailer chassis, some on multi-axles.
IcePro breaks that mold with glossy fiberglass construction and small trailer sizing and styling. Technically more a squaredrop than a teardrop, the IcePro looks to us more like a small camping trailer than a typical ice house. But while it's comparable in length to other tears and squaredrops at 17 feet (5.2 m) even, its 9.5-foot (2.9-m) height is taller than even the standing-height Bend Tall Boy we looked at the other day. That extra height helps make the IcePro a capable toy hauler and also opens 6.8 feet (2 m) of interior headroom so that anyone who measures in below NBA-center height can comfortably stand inside.
Upon arrival on the ice, the trailer's aluminum chassis drops down by just over a foot (30.5 cm) to ice level by way of the special cranking-winch adjustable wheel system. Once inside, users remove one or more of the round floor plugs and drill into the ice to create their fishing hole(s).
IcePro stresses that its fiberglass body construction and molded-plastic interior offer a superior combination of lightweight towing and on-ice insulation. It reinforces that weatherproofing with insulated acrylic windows and a 25,000-BTU ducted LPG furnace. The trailer comes ready to carry two 20-lb LPG tanks and is also equipped with an electrical system with Group 27 12-V battery; 45-A converter; interior dome, exterior and fish hole lights; and a selection of 120- and 12-V electrical outlets.
The IcePro isn't furnished for overnight camping but does include a cushioned bench, a countertop cabinet, overhead cabinets and under-bench storage. The standard four-speaker Bluetooth radio provides some much-needed entertainment between nibbles, and the trailer is also wired for cable and over-the-air TV. A 32-in 12-V smart TV is available optionally, as are a pair of swivel captain's chairs, Onan and Honda generator models, and a Garmin Livescope fish finder system.
The IcePro trailer also comes with a set of ramps for rear loading through the double doors and a large front storage box. The trailer weighs 1,800 lb (816 kg) and offers 1,200 lb (544 kg) of payload. IcePro figures owners will tow it to the lake with an ATV stored inside, then use the ATV to pull it into place on the ice.
IcePro launched its trailer in January and is offering it for a base price of US$24,995. It builds the trailers at its headquarters in Backus, Minnesota, deep in prime ice fishing territory within the Land of 10,000 (frozen) Lakes.
Source: IcePro Trailers
