Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Jack and DeAnn Danielson plan to pull their new fish house on wheels to any number of lakes this winter. Next summer, the Forest Lake couple may well use their ìfish houseî for some camping trips.

And they will fish and camp in luxurious comfort.

The Danielsons are the first owners of a Bobshack, a new product line that is being developed by Waldoch Crafts, Inc. of Forest Lake. The product is a new version of a travel trailer that will provide use throughout the year, not just in warm weather months.

The Bobshack Crossover RV is the brain child of two Andover men, Bob Yonke and Bob Bannister. When Yonke, a former Waldoch employee, approached his long-time friend with the concept, Waldoch saw the possibilities.

ìWeíre looking at this as a recreational vehicle,î Waldoch said on the ice of Forest Lake recently while giving tours of the Bobshack.

ìYou can utilize this year round,î he said. ìWe know there is a market. Weíre not just looking at ice fishing, but fishing is a big thing right now.î

A true ice palace

The Bobshack Crossover RV gives a new meaning to the term ice palace.

While ice fishing in Minnesota may mean a rustic old fish house with a small heater in Spartan-like surroundings, the Bobshack takes the meaning to new descriptions.

During the recent tour of the Danielsonís unit, two teens dropped lines near the warmth of the fish house fireplace.

Amazed guests watched as the unitís Marcum under water camera provided a panoramic view of the fishing area on a large-screen TV.

While the boys fished, DeAnn Danielson prepared a pizza in the gas oven. Soda and beer cooled in the refrigerator rather than on the ice outside the house.

Other guests lounged on two of the six pull-down beds that convert the fish house to a sleeper.

While sunfish slipped into view on the TV screen, the boys worked their jigs hoping for a bite. When there was a lull in the fishing, the TV was switched to the satellite dish receiver for the dayís football game.

All seemed well for the fishing gang on this day on the ice. It was just another day but a day that was far from roughing it.

Idea makes sense

Waldoch has been making a living for more than 30 years at the companyís Columbus Township plant with high-end conversions that have taken van and truck ownership to a new level in the industry. Only recently has the company moved into a new line of RV conversions with its SURV product lines.

Yonke, a longtime pal of Waldoch and a former production manager for the business, floated the Bobshack idea to his friend. Waldoch liked what he saw in Yonke and Bannisterís concept.

The two had fished for years in the winter and developed the goal of coming up with a product that would make the experience pleasurable in a way that would appeal to more people and have expanded use beyond the winter months.

ìThis makes some sense for people who want to hunt, camp and fish,î Waldoch said.

While right now the Bobshack is a luxurious fish house, the unit has possibilities year round as a travel trailer, Waldoch says.

With its winter time function, three to four months of use are possible, he adds.

As a travel trailer, the Bobshack will provide occupants all the functions needed for hunting trips, camping outings or a visit to a favorite lake.

2006 market

The unit purchased by the Danielsons is serving as the Bobshack prototype this winter. By late this year, Waldoch says he hopes to have three models in production for the 2005-2006 season.

The Bobshack concept is not new, Waldoch says, but it does take the travel trailer concept to a new level. There are 10-15 companies building high-end fish house units, he says.

ìBut no one is doing it to this magnitude,î Waldoch said.

And the key difference is the range of amenities the Bobshack will feature, Waldoch said.

The business plan calls for the construction of 14-foot, 18-foot and 22-foot models. The units will range in price from the upper $30,000 range to the lower $40,000 area.

ìIt is more money, but you get what you pay for,î Waldoch says.

Early targets now call for the construction of eight to 10 units a month in 2006, Waldoch said.

The expanded use and amenities speak for themselves, Waldoch says.

Features of the Bobshack Crossover RV include: Two televisions connected to a satellite dish; DVD, VCR and music CD players with surround sound system; the underwater camera that shows depth and water temperature; microwave oven, refrigerator, stove, kitchen sink and shower and toilet.

The 22-foot model purchased by the Danielsons is equipped with a 2800 watt gas-powered generator that provides electricity; a 40,000 BTU main furnace; and a 16,000 BTU fireplace.

Eight fishing holes provide plenty of action area.

The 22-foot model will sleep six adults or children during any season. While it isnít needed in the winter, the unit has an air-conditioning unit for the warm weather months.

The 22-foot model weighs 4600 pounds and can be easily pulled by a small sport-utility vehicle or a pickup. A hydraulic system is used to lower the trailer to the ice surface and the system has the power to keep the trailer from freezing to the ice surface. Waldoch predicts the Bobshack Crossover RV will have approval of the RV Institute.

The trailer is licensed for the road. By time the new models for the 2005-2006 roll out, Waldoch says the unit will carry the RV Institute certification.

To see the Bobshack Crossover RV in person, the Danielsonís unit will be on display this week during the 35th annual Minnesota Sportsmenís Show at the St. Paul RiverCentre. The show opened Jan. 12 and continues through Sunday, Jan. 16.

More information can also be found at www.waldoch.com.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605