For outdoor adventurer Zachary Fowler, converting a box trailer into an ice fishing shack meant preparing for more than a typical camping trip. He planned to travel from Maine toward Minnesota, fish on frozen lakes and live inside the trailer through subzero winter conditions.
Zachary rebuilt the trailer with additional insulation, sleeping bunks, fishing holes and a diesel heater. To support the heating system, fishing electronics and other equipment, he used a roof-mounted solar system together with three LiTime batteries: a LiTime 12V 100Ah lithium battery, a 12V 30Ah self-heating ice fishing battery, and a 12V 12Ah fish finder battery.
Below, Zachary shares why he needed a dependable winter power system, why he chose LiTime, and how the batteries performed during the journey.
Why I Needed a Reliable Battery Setup for Winter Travel?
How I Rebuilt My Trailer for Winter Ice Fishing?
I started this project with a box trailer that I bought on Facebook. I first converted it into a stealth camper and used it for different adventures throughout the summer.
When winter arrived, I decided to take the trailer in a completely different direction. My plan was to rebuild it as a custom ice fishing shack and travel from Maine toward Minnesota, stopping to fish on frozen lakes along the way.
I doubled the insulation, installed bunks, added ice fishing holes in the floor and reorganized the interior for winter use. The trailer needed to do more than transport me. It had to give me somewhere to sleep, cook, stay warm, and fish as I moved from one lake to another.
Why Reliable Power Mattered?
Why dependable power matter?
Heat was one of my biggest concerns. I installed a diesel heater in a cabinet, but it still depended on reliable electrical power to keep operating.
I also needed power for my fish finder, fishing equipment and other devices used throughout the trip. A roof-mounted solar setup helped recharge the system, but the batteries still needed to remain dependable when temperatures dropped.
In winter conditions, power is not just about convenience. It affects how confidently I can travel, whether my essential equipment continues working and how much attention I need to give the system instead of the experience itself.
For this build, I needed a battery setup that could:
-
Support the diesel heater during extended use
-
Power my fish finder and other fishing equipment
-
Provide dependable energy in freezing conditions
-
Work with the trailer’s roof-mounted solar setup
-
Let me check battery status without repeatedly inspecting the system
Why I Chose LiTime Batteries for My Ice Fishing Setup？
For this winter build, I used three LiTime batteries with different capacities:
Rather than relying on one battery for every part of the build, I used batteries with different capacities to support the different power requirements within the overall setup.
The 12V 100Ah battery provided the largest capacity of the three. The 12V 30Ah battery was designed for cold-weather ice fishing and included self-heating and Bluetooth monitoring. The compact 12V 12Ah battery was used for fish finder power.
Together with the roof-mounted solar system and other electrical equipment, the batteries helped support life inside the trailer and my equipment on the ice.
What mattered most to me was simple: I needed power I could rely on. I wanted to travel, keep the trailer warm and focus on fishing without constantly wondering whether the batteries could keep up.
How LiTime Batteries Performed on My Winter Road Trip?
The first test on the road to Lake Champlain
My first stop was near where I grew up in Rutland, Vermont, on the way to Lake Champlain.
I was excited about the trip, but I was nervous too. I wanted to see how big I could make the adventure, which meant trusting the trailer and everything inside it to work as planned.
The first night gave the setup an early real-world test. I started the diesel heater ahead of time to see whether it could warm the trailer before I settled in.
When I checked inside, the space was warm, the battery was secure and everything looked stable. In freezing weather, those small signs of reliability make a significant difference.
Battery performance in subzero weather
As the trip continued, the weather became more severe. At one point, the outside temperature reached 7°F, and it later dropped to -5°F.
These were the conditions in which I could see which parts of the setup were dependable. Throughout the journey, the power system continued doing what I needed it to do.
At one stage, I ran the heater almost continuously for more than 24 hours. I had also used it heavily during the final days of rebuilding the trailer.
Based on what I observed, the battery draw stayed low and the energy drain remained minimal. That gave me greater confidence because I could see that the system was continuing to support real use in freezing conditions.
Monitoring the battery through the LiTime app
Another part of the setup I appreciated was being able to check the connected battery through the LiTime app.
Instead of relying on guesswork, I could open the app and view the state of charge, battery voltage, current and cell status in one place.
During one check, the app showed that the battery was at 99% charge and outputting 13 volts. The information confirmed that everything was working as expected.
That visibility gave me peace of mind in freezing conditions. Instead of wondering whether the battery was keeping up, I could check its status directly and return my attention to the road and the fishing experience.
Power that stayed in the background
The trip included long hours on the ice, freezing mornings, missed fish and small setbacks. I was constantly adjusting the trailer and learning how the complete setup performed under real conditions.
There were also the moments that made all the work worthwhile: getting advice from other anglers, refining my equipment, seeing fish appear on the screen and finally landing a lake trout.
For me, that is what dependable power should do. It should remain in the background and allow the adventure to stay in the foreground.
The batteries supported the heater, trailer and fishing equipment without becoming another problem that demanded constant attention.
By the end of the journey, the trailer no longer felt like just a converted box trailer. It had become part of the experience—a place where I could sleep, cook, stay warm and continue travelling from one frozen lake to the next.
What Zachary’s LiTime Winter Story Shows
Zachary’s experience shows how a carefully planned battery system can support different needs within a winter trailer and ice fishing setup.
The LiTime 12V 100Ah battery provided the largest capacity in the setup, while the 30Ah self-heating battery and 12Ah fish finder battery supported more specialized fishing applications.
Additionally, the battery capacity is only one part of a dependable winter power system. Insulation, heating equipment, solar charging, wiring, battery placement and real-time monitoring all contributed to how the trailer performed.
Most importantly, the power system allowed Zachary to focus on travelling and fishing instead of constantly checking whether his equipment would continue working.
The right battery depends on the equipment being powered, expected runtime and operating temperature.
-
LiTime 12V 100Ah Electric Outboard Motor Lithium Battery: The largest-capacity LiTime battery used in Zachary’s setup, offering more stored energy for 12V power requirements.
-
LiTime 12V 30Ah Self-Heating Ice Fishing Battery: A self-heating battery with Bluetooth monitoring for ice fishing and other cold-weather applications.
-
LiTime 12V 12Ah LiFePO4 Battery for Fish Finder: A compact battery for fish finders and lower-energy fishing electronics.
Before selecting a battery, users should calculate the power consumption and expected runtime of each device. Battery compatibility, charging equipment, wiring and operating-temperature requirements should also be considered as part of the complete system.
To see how Zachary rebuilt the trailer, tested his setup in subzero weather and used the LiTime batteries throughout the journey, watch his full winter road adventure below.
Explore more real-world LiTime installations in our customer stories.
