Modular Hunting Cabin on the cheap. Looking to make my own.

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wikdslo

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I've thus far managed to:
-Take the course
-Acquire my PAL
-Purchase 2 rifles
-Properly store said rifles, and accumulate a couple accessories for them
-Take hunter training course
-Acquire hunting license

Next thing to do, the way I see it, is actually learn to clean and then fire these rifles! HA!
Seriously, haven't fired one yet. Haven't fired a rifle since I was about 10. But anyhoo, I've always wanted to hunt. Would love to do so for the purpose of harvesting only, not a sport type person. Finally found a hunting buddy, my uncle! Who knew.

So we've concocted this crazy idea (not really crazy) to go hunting within the first 2 weeks of November, when deer and moose season overlap. We're not 100% focused on the animals, more on going out and having some fun, and doing it properly.

Our idea is to build a modular type cabin that can be built and assembled in pieces beforehand. And then taken apart in sheets, preferably few, and strapped down into a trailer. We were looking at something simple, 8'x12', slanted roof, 1 window, direct vent propane powered wall heater.

Key here is cost and weight. We had the idea of using OSB/Plywood, lined inside with the rigid foam insulation. The floor would preferably be something that would come apart in 3 4x8' sheets, with insulation.

Building something is not hard. But I'm hoping some of you fine folks might have ventured down this road, and may have some advice and pointers, pictures, plans, etc that you can throw my way. I'm all about adventure, just not the adventure that finding out that our cabin is nowhere near warm enough at -10 C in the middle of nowhere :)

Thanks
 
Why modular? how are you moving it? 8x12 is a lot of panels have you considered buying an old but servicable trailer and gutting it for weight and design?
 
razorbeck said:
Why modular? how are you moving it? 8x12 is a lot of panels have you considered buying an old but servicable trailer and gutting it for weight and design?
Click to expand...

8 x 12 merely because the uncle said that was a good size. We are looking to build it 8 x 12 for use when we have 4 to 6 guys, crammed in, but be able to remove the middle section to make it 8 x 8 if it's just the 2 of us.

I was a big supporter of the old trailer idea. Find something that's been sitting on someone's property for too long that they just want gone. Gut the inside, where needed, service the bearings, flip the springs on the axle to give it a bit more height, taller tires, and goooooo!

But I guess he has a more adventurous side?
If I come across a free trailer, I'm just going to bring it home and tell him we're doing it, but he we also don't have a ton of room to store anything. A modular cabin could in theory be stored a bit easier than a trailer.
 
If it were me, I'd just buy an outfitters tent and a woodstove. I've been down the prefab road before, when neither myself or any of the guys I hunted with knew any better. Just an absolute PIA moving it, putting it together, tearing it down, and dragging it home again, and you'll still need to heat it.
 
I'm not sure your uncle has considered the actual structure of this. You can't just slap some plywood together and hope for the best. Even for a small structure there is quite a bit of framing involved, which will make the panels heavy, which will make them hard to move around, then adding a roof in to the mix is a whole other headache. Two uncles and two other guys tried this idea for moose hunting 4 years ago. After the first year with it they never used it again and bought a trailer. I'm not trying to push you one way or another, it's your time and money, but I hope you and your crew have a lot of patience if you tackle this. Also, if you are going this route, don't bother with a window, just get a door with a window in it. If it were me, I would go with a wall tent.
 
Not sure if you're willing to go this route (or what kind of weather you're expecting) but Google the "hexayurt". It's modular, cheap and if it's not exactly what you want, you could probably adapt the design (thicker panels, better bracing, etc).
 
Skip it, and go straight to a wall tent, and a wood stove.
Decide what size you need and go up a couple sizes, with a large porch.
Get the internal frame and don't look back.
YWVM
 
Check out deluxewalltents.com. They 're made in Canada and offer free shipping. I'm considering one myself, if I come into some money.
 
If you are going to build a hunting camping trailer from scratch, try using garage door panels. You can often find old ones at the installer, light weight, metal skin, and insulated.
 
I appreciate all of the advice folks.

I'm going to do some more research into the wall tents and see where that takes me.
I'm still very much for the idea of a trailer converted into a hunting cabin. I think it's a great idea.
I'll be updating in soon with more questions!
 
Wall tent. :)

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Grizz
 
If ya gotta have a hard roof, look at the enclosed cargo trailers. Set it up to carry the rest of your hunting gear, and a shelter to add on to the end, use the trailer for the 'bedroom space' when your camp is set up.

Gives you a place to store all yer camp stuff too. Pretty flash as far as the money side goes, but I figure you can't beat a solid roof when the weather tuns to crap.

Have seen a couple rolling hunt camps where the guys put a truck camper on to a flat deck cargo trailer, two quads on behind the camper. Propane etc. rode to a from under the wings of the camper, and a set of stake pocket mounted plywood sheets kept the mud off. Drive in, park on a level spot, roll the quads off, set up the patio furniture and BBQ on the rear of the flat deck. Instant Camp.

I figure if you need to trailer the panels there and back, use the trailer as the cabin.

Cheers
Trev
 
x3 on the wall tent and stove. Diesel stoves can be less hassle in rough conditions. I ordered a sweet custom tent from David Ellis Canvas last fall and spent the nastiest wettest week of my life in relative comfort hunting Roosevelt elk. After ~20 years of fieldwork that says something!
 
I would go with a small trailer, however if you want to build a cabin then I'd adopt some techniques used on ice huts. Solid floor, walls framed from 2x4's ripped in 3 on a table saw. Use underlay for the inside, stapled on, then aluminum sheet on the outside. It's very light, waterproof etc.
 
If you're going to go to the expense and fuss of a trailer for a shack, buy a house trailer.
8 x 12 isn't big enough for 6 guys with their kit. That's only 96 sq. ft. One fart and everybody dies.
I made a 15 x 15 x 9.5 wall tent with 6' walls that would be just big enough to sleep 6, but not for cooking, etc. Not that I'd let 'em in anyway.
Oh and -10 isn't cold. Cold starts at -30.
 
I tried it. And actually its very similar to what you're thinking of doing. It was 8x8 with a 6-8' slanted roof, 1/4'' OSB for the walls and 3/8'' for the floor. What I did was bolt the joining pieces together with carriage bolts, screw the roof down, fill the cracks with expanding foam, and volla. Only cost a couple hundred to be "imaginative".

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Never Again. Took it down in the spring and had a nice bon fire with the neighbors.
 
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