Snowbear Trailer Chassis

[fornesto]

I built my teardrop on a Snowbear 8000 trailer chassis. This chassis offers many benefits, such as a removable tongue; heavy, tube-steel construction; and better weight capacities. I built my teardrop at a width of 54", which cost a lot more. This unique width allows me to have a real full-size (double) mattress inside the teardrop. It also allowed me to fasten the walls to the outside of the frame, concealing it entirely. After I cut off the "box-style" turn signals and gate-sleaves, I had little tabs left which I set the sidewalls on, providing much greater strength. I built my trailer 10 feet long, though the frame is just under 8 in length. To do this, I simply centered the sidewalls front to back and framed in the extra floor with heavier-than-normal stock.

Snowbear trailers are readily available at many Home Depot stores and Costcos and cost around $750. They are often for sale in the classifieds. I have been very happy with my Snowbear chassis and would recommend it for anyone with reservations about a lighter-weight chassis.

Outside Frame Dimensions 54" x 92"
Fender to Fender Width 70"
Trailer GVWR* 2090 Lbs
Trailer Payload ** 1592 Lbs
Tire Description 5.3 x 12 Class C 80 PSI
Tire Bolt Pattern 5 Bolt Pattern
Pre-Wired
Built in Load Bearing Tailgate
Tiltable
Adjustable Axle
Heavy Duty Light Covers
Extendable Tongue
Automotive Powder Coat Paint

http://www.snowbear.com

[TomS]

I have a Snowbear utility trailer that I use as a utility trailer. I considered building my tear on a Snowbear frame. Its a nice solid platform to build a tear.

And, with my piss-poor trailer-backing skills, the armor around the tailights is a nice feature.

However, Snowbears are expensive compared to other utility trailers. The empty weight of my Snowbear is 500 pounds. Stripping off the tailgates and sides brings the weight down to about 350 pounds. That's still 100 pounds heavier than my Red Trailer frame. The Snowbears are 54" (4-foot 6-inches) wide. Just wide enough to make you double your plywood estimate and not as wide as a five-footer.

The trailers sold at the Home Despot are the Model 8000. The Snowbear website also shows a Model 7000. It is the same trailer, except it doesn't have the sides or tailgate. However, I've never seen one for sale in my area. Snowbear is a Canadian company, so it might not be available in the U.S. If you can find a Model 7000, it might be worth considering.

[bledsoe3]

I too have a Snowbear. I thought about using it for my tear but I didn't want to give it up as a utility trailer. That thing is the best $500 (I bought it 2+ years ago) I ever spent. I've used it a lot.