Despite having read a number of bad reports on the shuttle ( bad welds, wheels falling apart), it looks like there has been a lot of work done on the latest 2012 model, so we took the plunge. Well we really needed something after making 2 trips to our pegs at Aldington, and I could hardly move my shoulders for 2 days.
The welds all look good with no cracking, the front support now incorporates the XS angles, and the wheels look a lot sturdier. The shuttle breaks down very easily and in to enough pieces that it fits in to a reasonably sized car boot. Once the XS footplate is extended, and in position on the front, there is still plenty of room for a large carryall to sit on the extended footplate. The bag has enough room for a good sized bait bag, jackets and pole rollers. By laying the keepnet bag across the top of the carryall, it leaves a nice large flat area for the holdall and extra rods to be laid on with plenty of support. With the weight of the seatbox over the wheels at the front, it takes little effort to lift the load and get rolling.
Although most of the places we fish are fairly level, you do notice that when you go over a pothole it wouldn’t take a great deal to tip over due to the narrow wheel base, but I guess extending the wheel base would mean the frame would have to be wider, and that would mean more boot space required. The 4 wheeled version would probably suit better if you know you will be travelling over a lot of rough ground, but I have seen people selling extender kits on ebay for the 2 wheeled version.
One small recommendation is to either tighten all the thumbscrews when it is dismantled, or try and get some spares from your local dealer/ebay.
Overall
An extremely useful piece of kit, and would suit anyone with a preston seatbox.
Score: 8/10
Update 12/08/2016
Purchased the extra wheels to make it into the 4 wheel version, and what a difference. With the wider wheel base it is so much sturdier and doesn’t strain your back trying to keep the barrow level. Highly recommended mod 🙂
Update 1/03/2019
Well it has been one of the best pieces of kit, but with the straps on the bag ripping, and the bearings staring to go, it is time to retire this shuttle. Has been a fantastic investment for the amount of use over the last 7 years, and hope the new 4 wheel one does as well.
