Cool Conversion

Transforming a camper into an ice fishing hut was a labour of love for this outdoorsman

- Norma Galambos

My husband, Brian, and I have been ice fishing for more than four decades. Over the years, Brian and his brother built several small ice-fishing shacks, the last one measuring eight by 16 feet. It was spacious but heavy to move so we tended to leave it on one lake all winter.

Last year, we decided it was time for a more mobile ice fishing shack. We purchased a 1972 16-foot Travelaire camper-trailer to convert into a travelling ice fishing unit. The tires had been replaced with new ones five years earlier and the camper hadn’t been used much since, so the tires were still in great shape.

This was an ambitious project and like most renovations it involved more work than anticipated. The first order of business was to gut the inside of the camper.

To achieve the open floor plan he envisioned, Brian removed the non-operable furnace, stove, sink, fridge and table. The wiring and plumbing came out next.

He took out one side window and the roof vent, and closed the openings in with plywood. The remainder of the roof and outside walls were left in their original state. The inside walls were left covered by the original panel board to preserve the retro ’70s look.