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By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com
Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and review of each every Thursday morning!
Travelling to and from the track can by quite a chore, all depending on your organization skills and transporting methods. Some racers choose to haul their gear using leftover cardboard boxes that their car kit was sold in, others choose household plastic storage containers, many of the pro’s use highly overpriced motocross-style gear bags, and some choose R/C specific branded bags and carriers. There is a lengthy list of R/C brands that offer bags, totes, and car carriers – yet to me they are all the same. They may change in size, shape, number of drawers or compartments, wheels or no wheels, and colors of the graphics, but in the end, I can’t say I’ve ever been wowed by and R/C car bag.
Schelle Racing Innovations, the brainchild of Kurt Wenger, has been making a strong push via social media and press releases lately regarding the all-new Schelle Car Bag. I normally pay very little attention to new bags and carriers on the market, as my eight-year-old moto gear bag (which still reeks of dirty riding socks) works just fine. Whether it be fantastic social media marketing or just pure destiny, the Schelle Car Bag has invaded my Facebook news feed, Instagram feed, and inbox enough over the past month that I decided if I was going to be forced to look at it daily, I might as well look at it in person rather than on a computer screen. On that note, the order was placed, and the Schelle Car Bag arrived just in time for this week’s Thursday Testimonials.
Schelle Racing Car Bag
SCH1500 - $68.00 (Single Bag)
SCH1501 - $175.00 (Case, 3 Pack)
www.schelleracing.com
Schelle Racing is most well-known for their hop-ups, bearings, Nova Slipper Clutch system, pit tools, etc. For those who aren’t aware, Kurt Wenger is the former Senior Design Engineer at Team Associated. Wenger was behind the design of the B4 buggy, which is one of the most successful racing buggies of all-time. After leaving AE, he spent a short time in various other places in the industry, but ultimately decided to launch his own brand (Schelle) in 2014. Given the fact Kurt is an engineer, and a damn good one at that, the products that are released from Schelle are usually well-planned, engineered to solve problems, enhance performance when possible, and look good as well. The latest engineering project for Wenger was not a replacement part or hop-up, but rather his own twist on a zip-up car hauler bag.
The Schelle Car Bag is sold individually or in packs of three. Buy purchasing a pack of three, you ultimately save $29.00 as opposed to buying each individually. The bag is 22” x 13” x 4” in size. On the outside the bag features a nylon material construction, which sports a honeycomb/carbon design. There are no outside pockets or pouches, only an ID sleeve with card to write your name and info on. The bag can be carried either briefcase style by the handle, or over the shoulder backpack/man-purse style using the padded adjustable shoulder strap.
Inside the bag you will find two removable cardboard storage boxes and a removable plastic storage box. The boxes are held in place with removable dividers, which can be re-arranged to your liking. In the “lid” of the bag is a zippered mesh pouch. The entire interior of the bag is padded as well.
Schelle states that they have “taken the car bag to a whole new level with their sleek design and unparalleled functionality.” It was time I test that statement to find out for myself.
The Test
To test out the new Schelle Car Bag, I put the new bag through a number of scenarios and drills to see how it performed. I personally have no desire to haul my car in a bag, however, since it is called a “car bag” I felt obligated to try that first.
The Schelle Car Bag provides a snug home for your 1/8-scale buggy with the wheels and wing removed. The wheels can be placed for a tight squeeze under the car, on the sides in place of the boxes, or flat in the compartment designed for manuals, however, I personally found it easier to simply carry the wheels separate. The wing fits nicely in the clear plastic container for transport. 1/10-scale buggies have more than enough room for the car, wing or wings off the car, and wheels and tires off the car. My favorite configuration for 1/10-scale buggy was putting my potentially dirty wheels and tires in the plastic container to keep debris out of the bag. My wing sat behind the buggy, and my cardboard side boxes carried my miscellaneous parts and gizmos in one, and basic tools in the other. Short course is doable, and I think with everything removed if you really wanted to fit a truggy with no wheels or wing it could be done as well (I did not have a truggy to test this theory, this is simply based off of the fit of an 1/8-scale buggy).
My next test was the travel test. When travelling by airplane, many drivers prefer to carry their car, radio, and essentials to race with them on the plane in case their checked luggage is lost or delayed. For 1/8-scale buggy I was able to fit the car, the body, the wing, backup electronics, and a 4S LiPo. For 1/10-scale buggy I was able to fit the car, the wheels and tires, the wing, two shorty 2S LiPos, spare electronics, crucial parts, and still had a bit of room. I think with the right radio and a bit of Tetris skill you could also fit a radio in the bag too by removing a cardboard side box or too.
The next test in line was misc. carrying. More than carrying my car, I need a compact bag to carry my tools, charger, parts, power supply, etc. As it turns out, I’ve found my bag. The Schelle Car Bag allowed me to pack my charger, my tools, my batteries, and miscellaneous odds and ends that would normally be floating aimlessly around my truck on the way to the track.
Last, but not least, was the fashion test. My wife has taught me that how well something works doesn’t matter, but instead it has too look good. Without mentioning a word of what it was, I simply handed the bag empty to her and said, “Hey babe, check out this new bag I got, what do you think?” She took the bag, inspected it carefully inside and out, and responded with, “Wow, that is an R/C bag? It actually looks really cool. Will all of my stuff fit in it?”
On that note, it has been approved by The Boss, and I have lost all custody of the Schelle Car Bag that I had grown so fond of.
Pros:
Cons:
Final Word:
If you are in the market for an R/C specific and/or car hauling bag, there are a lot of different options on the market. Many of them are the same basic design, with subtle changes from brand to brand. The new Schelle Racing Car Bag stands out in the crowd in my opinion, as it includes a list of helpful and innovating R/C specific design features not found in most other bags. The Schelle bag is priced in the same range as most other comparable R/C bags, it looks great, it travels on planes, trains, and automobiles with ease, and it is wife approved. Despite the product title being a “car bag”, no one says it has to be used to haul your car, and is a great option for carrying other valuables such as chargers, power supplies, etc. I have not tried them all, but of the Schelle Racing products that I have tried, I have yet to be disappointed. The new Schelle Car Bag follows suit and has impressed me from top to bottom, inside and out. With no real complaints, aside from that it looks so cool my wife stole it from me, the Schelle Racing Car Bag is a solid 5 out 5.
Rating: 5 out of 5
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