Lighter, faster and flashier. Whitefish Winter Carnival has unveiled plans to build a new and improved parade float to haul the Royal Court, and the nonprofit is seeking a little help in reaching its fundraising goal.

The current float built in 2002 has become increasingly unreliable in recent years, said Carnival board member Paul Johannsen. The four-cylinder gasoline engine that powers the float can be noisy and slow with a top speed of only 3 mph, and requires considerable maintenance just to keep running.

“It’s 14 years old — it’s getting tired,” said Johannsen. “The biggest concern is the reliability. We’ve had a couple breakdowns that required us to get pulled through a parade. Something went wrong in Spokane this year and we never did figure out what happened.”

The current float trailer is constructed of heavy tube steel and plywood and weighs about 8,000 pounds, requiring a one-ton truck to tow to events across the Northwest.

“It’s a bugger to haul around,” Johannsen said, making note that Carnival attends six parades a year, from Calgary to Spokane.

Other issues that have come up include a suspect braking system, rusting parts and failing electrical components.

About a year ago the nonprofit Carnival board started working on proposals to build a new float.

A new aluminum construction trailer designed by Nomad GCS in Columbia Falls will be half the weight and could be towed with a half-ton pickup or SUV. Powered by an electric propulsion system, it should be more reliable, quiet and environmentally friendly. Top speeds are estimated to be 25 mph and the float should last 20 years or more, Johannsen said.

Another advantage, while the current float takes three to four people to set up and take down, the new float will roll into an enclosed trailer for storage.

The look will be familiar, but new additions include side panels to display the Carnival theme, and LED panels to display photos and messages.

“The Carnival float is always a huge hit when we travel,” Johannsen said. “You can only watch so many horses go by, then our float comes along and we’ve got costume characters and music bumping — people get on their feet.”

He describes the float as a traveling billboard for Whitefish.

“It’ great exposure, not just for Winter Carnival, but for the city and the Flathead Valley,” Johannsen said.

Estimates for the new float are at $105,000, and so far $40,000 has been raised. The Carnival board is applying for a Montana Tourism Bureau grant that will match funds one to one, but they need to hit the $58,000 mark to qualify for the funding.

“There’s been a lot of support for the project,” Johannsen said, noting that some “significant” donations have helped get to this point. “Now we just need to get that last $18,000.”

Contributions of all amounts are being accepted. Contact Johannsen at 212-4678 to make a donation or visit the Carnival on Facebook for more information.