The $ 30.88 Snorkel !

[The Moe]

Hey there, this is Moe. Well, long story short, recently, I've been researching the heck out of the web trying to find some cheap and reliable resources for the 80s overseas... I have a lot of personal experience involving LCs in other parts of the world... You probably know this already: the LCs are very common, mostly cheap to own and operate, usually found with very basic and true-perpose oriented packages around the world... Almost all the LCs I ever owned were overseas... Anyways back to the issue.

I recently managed to locate a few mostly Chinese manufacturers... I know, I just lost you already but wait... Remember... Certain auto parts are very elementary and basic in design and function... Yet very essensial and desiered... i.e. ( Don't buy a Chinese alternator knock off... regardless of how cheap... but Chinese made aftermarket marker lights for example are pretty much the same as OEM... because they are quiet basic and not so complex. )

A snorkel system may fall under this rule... Even the OEM ones are simply a rigit plastic duct desigened in a certain shape to accomodated the body of the vehicle and other elements ( Durability, air flow, side clearance and safety. etc.. ) but that is it... If you have a good mold and a good injector with premium materials such as LLDPE... you have a snorkel as good as Safari and other top of the line...

Bottom line, this manufacterer... called Telawei 4x4 Off-road Accessories.. Just look up the Item # ( ST080A ) Its an FZJ80 snorkel I just got a couple of emails from them... they priced the kit for $ 30.88 ;p... CE certified and matches the Safari Specs and standereds. Shipping is a defferent story... They said that DHL can air freight it for $130.00 range... but if you buy 30 -35 pces you can upgrade to the sea freight option ( much much cheaper but slower of course) ... well, what do you say guys... I just want to hear your opinion first... I might gonna order a sample ( they have an option for that ) but, if you guys know anything about this whole business please tell me... We all trying to get a good deal here... this might be it...
I have a pic of that product....

 

[cody c]

Hey, good find, you will catch sheit for buying a knock off instead of supporting vendors, but for $31 bux count me in.

And just so you know, the CE mark doesnt always mean it complies with standards, especially when from china: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_mark

It can also mean chinese export...

 

[Buckru]

Id be in but would appreciate some feedback on the actual product.

Buck

 

[fjc8871]

Whoa. $31? Interesting and interested

 

[bhmmapping]

for 30 bucks it would be worth a gamble. Interested.

 

[sleeoffroad]

FWIW, here is some info on the knock-off vs ARB.

http://www.arbusa.com/uploads/downloads/safari_fb_2009_12_22.pdf

I am not one that knocks anything Chinese. Remember Japanese products used to be in the same league, yet we all drive Toyota's. However I do have something against a company that is not innovative and knocks it off without any changes or their own design.

 

[Russ in California]

Very interesting.

 

[VanGo]

Great price! But keep the money in the family. When you have associated with MUD as long as most have here, you realize just how much our vendors do for us. Personally, I would rather pay them a reasonable price for a genuine, proven, well-supported product then get a "great-deal" on a knock off from an over-seas company. Do the offer tech support? Do they drive an 80? Are they passionate about our hobby? Something to consider.....

 

[wearsabrowncoat]

I have a feeling the plastic is not up to standards. I see a lot of knock off stuff here in Afghanistan. The Chinese can reverse engineer the heck out of stuff. I saw some nice looking blackhawk serpa holsters at the bizarre but the sun had warped them so that my Beretta would not lock in. The only clue that they were not real was the web strapping. Blackhawk has some webbing with grip thread weaved in. These ones did not. I'm guessing the snorkel plastic will do the same thing once subjected to heat/cold. If not let us know.

 

[The Moe]

I agree with both of VanGo and Christo... Everyone here has a good point. And I also rather support our local vendors... at least they share us the passion... it's not only the money for them.... Regarding slee's input... Let me ask: for a cheap price like that... is it possible to TREAT the product's material with some enhansers i.e. Some penetrating U.V. stray might do the trick... Even a thin coat of fiberglass U.V. resistant resin can do... also might add strength. what do you think ?

 

[fe sus]

For $30 I'd play with one... add me to the queue

 

[Impreza]

I'm also not a basher for overseas knockoff stuff but people need to realize, if everyone decides to save money on these kits...the vendors here will stop researching and developing better/newer products whatever it may be.

You have to ask yourself, "why should a vendor make a new product when it'll be copied, sold, and undercut at a considerably lower price?". It is not the actual plastic material you're paying for.

 

[VanGo]

I hope the template is accurate... and they know which hole saw size to use.

 

[slow91fj90]

So is it $30.88 for the snorkel and $130 for shipping?

 

[94SRUNNER]

Personally I would rather spend 400 for a properly designed unit. Saving money is of course ideal, but if the quality is sub par and I have to replace it down the road, its just not worth it. Even for the fraction of the price.

 

[slow91fj90]

Whoa, just checked out their site, they have copy's of everything ARB just about. Kinda scary.

 

[The Moe]

Yep, It is scary !! they DO have many things to offer... I posted this and yet agree that quality is a priorty for all of us... ( that's why we drive Land Cruisers and not j##ps for intanse ) But to be honest some of the items are so low tech it cannot be bad in quality... I mean... a steel anchor is a steel anchor... dosen't really matter if you make it out of your garage using some reliable specs or buy it of AR&B's website... Such things are just pretty much crap-proof .... Anyways... I just email them back again to find our more details about the product, and shipping cost for sea fright...

 

[smokethedog]

you get what you pay for...

 

[Ebag333]

I'm also not a basher for overseas knockoff stuff but people need to realize, if everyone decides to save money on these kits...the vendors here will stop researching and developing better/newer products whatever it may be.

You have to ask yourself, "why should a vendor make a new product when it'll be copied, sold, and undercut at a considerably lower price?". It is not the actual plastic material you're paying for.

Oh really? You say this as you're driving a "knockoff"?

Competition drives innovation. That's been proven time and time again. It's also the standard life cycle of a product. Someone invents/designs a product, sells it for a premium. Other companies step in, "copy" the product, and sell for less.

Jeep comes out with a truck (the original Jeep). Toyota copies it.

Toyota comes out with the FZJ-80. Companies "copy" their starter, alternator, belts, hoses, wires....snorkles......

You have literally thousands of companies who are copying companies across the market. Last I head Toyota hasn't published an announcement saying "someone's ripping off our starters, alternators, etc with cheap aftermarket parts, at a lower price than what we sell them for! We're not coming out with a new Land Cruiser this year because of it!"

I highly doubt that ARB is no longer going to make snorkles because some Chinese company has decided to produce a knock off. Why? Because ARB still sells tons of snorkles, despite the fact that the Chinese company is out there. Just like Makita and Dewalt sell tons of power tools, despite the fact that some of us buy Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight) power tools.

The market is big enough to support both, believe it or not.



Put simply enough....if ARB can't compete (successfully) with a Chinese company producing a cheap knockoff that uses cheap parts, has poor QA, and little effort put into it, then quite frankly they don't deserve to stay in business. Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, and the rest have been competing with cheap after market companies for years, and doing so quite successfully (their failures can't be pinned on companies selling after market parts).

 

[lumpy70]

I'm in.

And for those who say don't buy chinese...you already are. VERY few products, and I mean VERY VERY few are actually made in North America. Even if it says made in the USE, it is often just assembled there and that allows the company to put the sticker/label on it.

Honestly, regardless of what ARB says, I doubt they don't have a TON of stuff originating in China (even if they don't know it).

Regardless, I'm in.

Craig.