School me about Pelican cases - the different generations

John E Davies

Adventurer
I scored a couple of Pelican 1650 cases, one brand new and one experienced (two tours in Iraq) for $100 cash plus about $150 worth of reloading components that I didn't need any more. Here's the thing: I thought they were identical, but it turns out that they are different generations.

Old one - small handles, wheels indented into body, funky handle latch, wheels and handle not removable:

Pelican 1650 Old.jpg

New one - big handles, nice handle latch, entire wheel/ handle unit is removable, 0.5 inches shorter in the smallest dimension:

Pelican 1650 New.jpg

I would like to acquire another box so that I have two identical ones. I plan to use them in my Ram 3500 as a platform for my two doggies, set end to end where the rear seats used to be. I can store all my recovery gear and emergency spares plus have room along the back wall for stuff like the high-lift or a cased long gun..... I'll build a pair of hinged plywood platforms to go on top of the boxes for the dogs, and to hide everything from bad guys.

Are there any advantages to the old style Pelican vs the new style? I prefer the features of the new, but if I could get an old used one for half the price, I might go that route. It's very confusing since both sets of pictures are floating around the retail sites, listed as the same case, with no apparent accuracy.

Are there any Pelican experts here who can comment on the pros and cons of the two versions? Should I just order one and take whatever version arrives at my door?

Am I being too darned anal? Probably.....

Thanks.

John Davies
Spokane
 

quickfarms

Adventurer
Pelican is located in Torrance CA. They have great customer service. They warranty everything but the foam. I was given an old, ancient, case and I took it to them to get a replacement latch. They no longer had the parts to fix it so they exchanged the case for a brand new one and they gave me a flashlight for my trouble.
 
I have three different versions of the 1650. When I find one at a good price I grab it. Doesn't really bother me that they are designed different. The overall dimensions are the same and they will all take the abuse.
 

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