Outdoors

Sub-zero-grade teardrop trailer uses trick axles to get down low

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The IcePro's manual winch axle system drops its floor down to the ice for drilling and fishing
IcePro
The IcePro's manual winch axle system drops its floor down to the ice for drilling and fishing
IcePro
IcePro uses fiberglass construction and a camper-like shape to stand out from the typical ice fishing house
IcePro
Inside, the IcePro trailer is a largely empty garage/fish hut with a bench to sit on, a countertop to work and store on, several cabinets, a stereo and, of course, several fishing holes with removable covers
IcePro
The IcePro trailer is meant to carry the ATV on the road, then ride behind it on the ice
IcePro
The IcePro trailer has a base weight of 1,800 lb and GVWR of 3,000 lb
IcePro
The IcePro trailer lights the night with its blue accent lighting
IcePro
Four-speaker Bluetooth audio system
IcePro
Augering through the ice to start fishing
IcePro
The new IcePro trailer starts just under $25K
IcePro
Plunk your bait right down into the icy water
IcePro
IcePro builds its trailers in Minnesota
IcePro
Dropping the towbar down before cranking the wheels up
IcePro
The front storage box holds the propane tanks, battery, load ramps and more
IcePro
Overhead lighting and storage
IcePro
IcePro trailer in toy-hauling mode
IcePro
The fishing begins
IcePro
Towing over some glassy ice
IcePro
View gallery - 17 images

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.

IcePro uses fiberglass construction and a camper-like shape to stand out from the typical ice fishing house
IcePro

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.

Inside, the IcePro trailer is a largely empty garage/fish hut with a bench to sit on, a countertop to work and store on, several cabinets, a stereo and, of course, several fishing holes with removable covers
IcePro

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 trailer is meant to carry the ATV on the road, then ride behind it on the ice
IcePro

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.

IcePro trailer in toy-hauling mode
IcePro

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

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6 comments
Chase
Sooo.... Why does it need a set of ramps to get the quad inside? Just drop the trailer to load it.
CarolynFarstrider
Sitting inside a metal box with a line down into a hole in the ice? Why would anyone want to do that even if you do have some entertainment from the TV? Is it an exclusively masculine thing?
Username
NOT. A. TEARDROP.
John
Weird, I’ve been researching RVs and campers for over 25 years, I just ran across “fishhouses” last week. They are one of the types you can search for on Rvtrader.

Carolyn: I haven’t ice fished much, but sometimes it is helpful to be in the dark. Let’s you see underwater better. And it gets more interesting when they bite. You can keep busy watching your line, pulling them in re-baiting etc

Look at a picture of a sturgeon, imagine pulling up a four foot one. There is typically one day season on a lake near me in Michigan. Total take is five fish, they sound a boat horn when the limit is hit . I think 100’s of people participate. This is the first year ever that it was cancelled due to lack of ice.

How cool would that be to spear or hook one!

Typical ice shanties here are like tents or DIY plywood boxes. Probably in the $150 to 500 range. This one at $25k seems high 🙂
Karmudjun
Apparently I've done my fishing all wrong all my life - out in nature, floating in a rowboat or jon-boat, catching dinner or catching flies or both - I guess I need to drop $25-30K and equip myself. Then purchase an ATV, then purchase a power auger (we called them "post hole diggers", I guess they are "Ice Drills"), oh, and a 4 wheel drive off-road vehicle to pull the loaded "not a teardrop" trailer to a frozen lake. I don't know CC, I think I'll stick with fishing where I don't have to haul a house around with me. Cheaper, and probably safer for those of us in states where the lakes don't freeze across anymore.
Nelson
With climate change, this thing's market is shrinking quickly.