Frabill R2-TEC Update

I now have a full month of fishing on my new portable, the Frabill R2-TEC 7080.  So far this portable is living up to all the hype.  As I said after I assembled it, it is very well made.  There are a lot of features that make you say "finally someone did it right" and I believe Frabill got it right with this house.

I was very skeptical about an insulated portable before I ran this one.  In fact, I could not find a reason you would ever want one.  I assumed they were very heavy and would be a condensation nightmare.  I have no problem admitting I was wrong on both accounts.  The house weighs roughly 160 lbs and I can easily load it in my truck or trailer by myself.  The hitch attachment at the front makes it very easy to load as it hooks your tail gate and won't slide off making loading by yourself very easy.  As for the condensation, well, there is none.  I have not had one problem with condensation yet this year, and it was VERY cold early ice, when condensation can be an issue.

I have only towed this fishhouse behind my snowmobile about 100 miles so far, so it is hard to judge the hitch system.  I do know it tows easy, does not bind and you can make sharp turns without tipping the portable.  So far I would  say it tows like a dream.  By the end of the ice season I should have another 250-300 miles on the portable so I will know more if it passes the test, but things are looking good.

Overall it is a very comfortable portable to fish out of.  The padded seats are very nice and don't give you a sore back or butt at the end of the day.  The sled has plenty of room to haul all my gear and the fabric is VERY strong.  I don't see wear or burns being an issue with this house.  The Zippers are very heavy duty and there is two of them, which is always nice.  It has been a little different getting used to the zipper system, as they both go the same way versus opposite like I am used to.  But, even I can learn to open a zipper the correct way, so I will adjust.

So far this has been the best portable I have used.  I am looking forward to the remainder of the testing season as there are lots of miles to travel and lots of fish to catch yet!