RC enthusiasts don’t need to stay indoors when the weather turns icy—winter is the perfect time to create unique, snow-ready vehicles. One of the most popular recent DU-BRO 101 projects is the Snow Buggy, built by converting a 1/10-scale off-road truck into a prop-powered snow machine using DU-BRO Snowbird Snow Skis. After the project appeared on social media, hobbyists flooded DU-BRO with questions, so this guide breaks down exactly how the Snow Buggy was assembled and how you can build your own.
The concept is simple: take a standard 1/10 off-road buggy (in this case, the beginner-friendly ECX Amp), replace the wheels with DU-BRO Snowbird Snow Skis, swap the rear transmission for a propeller drive, and enjoy a fast, highly maneuverable RC vehicle built specifically for snow.
Mounting the DU-BRO Snowbird Skis
The ECX Amp uses 4mm axles—an exact match for the Snowbird Ski mounting holes—so the skis bolted on with no modification. Simply keep the 12mm hex hubs in place, slide the skis onto the axle, and secure them with a lock nut. If your model uses larger axles, you can carefully drill out the ski mounting holes. If your axles are smaller, aluminum tubing, brass tubing, or heat-shrink tubing can be used to build the diameter up to 4mm.
To increase ground clearance, spacers made from 3/8" basswood square stock were added between the skis and their mounting hubs. This required longer mounting screws—specifically DU-BRO 4-40 x 3/4" socket-head cap screws.
Lock nuts are also needed; the build used DU-BRO 4-40 Lock Nuts, a staple of many RC projects.
Why the Buggy Body Matters
The Snow Buggy originally came from a monster truck chassis, but the monster-truck body trapped too much snow and blocked airflow to the rear-mounted propeller. Swapping to a low-profile buggy body solved both problems:
-
It hugged the chassis tightly to keep snow out
-
It allowed clean, unobstructed airflow to the propeller
This improves performance and helps protect electronics—even waterproof components benefit from reduced snow exposure.
Adding the Propeller Drive System
The project intentionally used the ECX Amp's stock brushed motor and ESC to keep the build simple. The motor was mounted to a custom plywood pylon made from 1/4" hobby-grade plywood. The pylon included a notch for the motor and used clamshell mounts for secure attachment.
To attach a propeller to an electric motor, you need a prop adapter sized to your motor shaft. Choosing the right propeller is critical—you must match it to your motor and battery voltage to avoid overheating or under-powering the system. For this build, a 7x4 three-blade propeller performed best on 2S LiPo and 6-cell NiMH packs.
DU-BRO offers a full line of precision propeller accessories, adapters, and tools to support these kinds of conversions.
Start Your Own Winter RC Project
The Snow Buggy shows just one of countless ways DU-BRO Snowbird Skis can be used beyond model airplanes. With creativity and a few simple materials, you can turn nearly any 1/10-scale RC truck or buggy into a snow-ripping winter machine. DU-BRO encourages hobbyists to modify, experiment, and share their results—so when you build yours, post photos and videos on DU-BRO’s social pages!
- 1/10-scale off-road RC car/truck.
- Du-Bro Snowbird Snow Skis (Du-Bro part #825, quantity: 2 pairs) Available in Black, Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow.
- Du-Bro 4-40 x 3/4" Socket Head Cap Screw (Du-Bro part #3117 or #572, quantity: 1 package of 4)
- Du-Bro 4-40 x 1/2" Socket Head Cap Screw (Du-Bro part #3115 or #571, quantity: 1 package of 4)
- Du-Bro 4-40 Lock Nut (Du-Bro part #170, quantity: 1 package of 4)
- Master Airscrew 7x4 3-blade propeller (reverse-rotation, part #MAS0740TP)
- Propeller Adapter (Maxx Products part #ACC372, quantity: 1)
- Maxx Products Clamshell Motor Mount for 36mm motors (Maxx Products part #ACC3936, quantity: 1)
- 3/8" Basswood square stock (approximately 9" length)
- 1/4" Hobby-grade plywood (approximately 6" x 3")
See DuBro.com for our full selection of amazing RC hobby accessories!
