We are always on the lookout for quality products we might sell and earn a commission upon so that we can help to defray the costs of running the site.
We have been looking to sell a handbrake extender to Funsters as I am aware that plenty of people struggle with the handbrake, especially in many European models based on the popular base models like the Ducatto and Mercedes etc. These vans were essentially made for builders and delivery drivers and the degree of flexibilty required to apply and release the handbrake is considerable. Add to the fact that most motorhomes have raised seats and this can make that handbrake a real pain.
We looked first at the Kobran. WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE OUTDOOR BITS WHO ARE THE SOLE DISTRIBUTER OFFERED THEM TO US AT THE WHOLESALE PRICE OF JUST £32 AND INSISTED WE STICK TO THE RRP OF £49.99 This could have made motorhome fun a healthy profit of £17.99 for each sale. However the excitement ebbed somewhat when we actually got our hands on the product! The kobran proved to be vastly inferior to the The Rare Spares extender which would cost Funsters £20/£25 more and on top of that MotorhomeFun would only earn a tiny £5 commission on each sale, BUT GUESS WHICH ONE WE WENT FOR!!
Our findings are below.
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With the Kobran fitted, most motorhomes cannot operate the swivel seats, its just gets in the way. Fitting. We found that this had very lttle clamping leeway before clamping gap is non-existent, so less range of tightening available this made it quite difficult to fit on some Models. The tiny cross head screws are very difficult to tighten up. The screws tend to rotate in the moulding so that in reality you need to get a screwdriver on both sides at once ....which we found almost impossible on some vehicles due to lack of space against the seat! The Kobran is operated with the thumb pushing away action takes some getting used to and certainly not easy for an older or arthritic funsters. Or Someone like myself with digits missing. Because the lever does not fold down, they have not been able to make it high enough. My wife for instance still found it still way too low, It is not enough of an extension to the handbrake to make it practical, but just enough to stop the seat swivel. It look and feels cheap. IT DOES NOT FIT THE NEW DUCATTO COST £49.99 |
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The Rare-Spares handbrake extenders are individually hand made by a clever and very knowledgeable guy called Nigel. We were initially put put off by the high price but when he sent us a sample we were blown away with the quality of the product. This really is Easy to fit and to use. With the supplied allen key we had it fitted in minutes and with a lot less hassle than it took to fit the Kobran. It extends the handbrake so even the shortest among us can apply and release it very easily It is a natural action, you take hold of the lever and lift to apply or release, hardly any effort is required. ITS EASY You can apply the Handbrake, and then when you are parked up on site you quickly remove the pin and the lever folds over the front so YOU CAN USE YOUR SWIVEL SEATS AGAIN. COST £70 and £75 for the new Ducato inclusive of postage and packing. |
On the premise that you would only want to buy one of these, we chose the one that worked and that had the best build quality and was going to out live any number of motorhomes. After testing both products I would be liying if I did not consider the healthy profit that MotorhomeFun could earn if we sold the Kobran. However I cannot reccomend such an inferior product. We will sell the "Rare Spares" even if the commission we will earn is considerably less.
If you would like to buy The Superior Rare Spare Handbrake extender, and earn us a fiver commission at the same time, the please do so here. Thanks.
| Old style Ducato type vehicle (to October 2006). £70 This has a handbrake grip that is effectively parallel sided. |
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New style Ducato type vehicle (from October 2006). £75 |
Most orders are fullfilled within the week, but please allow a couple of weeks. These are hand made to order. Thanks..
Jim