Newcomer to Vw California camper

finnegan · Oct 6, 2015

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for a great forum, it's been very helpful and has already saved me hours of time with most questions already answered on previous threads.

We have ordered a California Ocean and have been told it will be with us in January.

Hope I get these description/options correct. Any tips or extras any of you experts can think I should have ordered or missed. I haven't gone for a 203 ps or 4 motion as I don't think we will need them but always open to suggestions.

Spec is:

Ocean
Pearlescent white
150 ps
DSG
Detachable/lockable tow bar with stabilization
17" wheels with 17" chassis and brakes
Sat Nav large screen with the works
Electric sliding FULL auto side door (new option now become available)
Full Bluetooth integration plus WLAN
Heated front screen
Laminated front glazing which includes privacy glass in rear area
Gloss Black awning and cartridge
Shower at rear
Net storage (includes sliding drawer?)
Heavy duty Anti roll
Headlamp asset
Sensors and reversing camera
Tailgate privacy tent
Cruise with side assist
Led lights
Lights and vision
Servotronic steering
Safe
Roof bars
Bed extension
Mud flaps
Multi function leather cruise control

Any further suggestions welcome. This is my first California and I haven't done one nights camping to date but looking forward to it......

Hotel California · Oct 6, 2015

Hi and welcome , looks like a long list of options...talking plenty money here ...
Save some for the other goodies you need to have.
Myself had not camped that much before i bought my Cali SE in 2012 ... just go with the flow .
Plan your first trips to some nice campings where you don't have to worry about much and everything is within reach.
Freecamping is the second step.
But first, the long wait....

Meoncoast · Oct 6, 2015

Hello Welcome

JohnnyP · Oct 6, 2015

finnegan said:
Electric sliding FULL auto side door (new option now become available)

Its a good spec, you have everything except the kitchen sink.

Please let me know the code for the electric sliding door and the quoted cost. I was hoping this would be an option for the T6.

Did you try an order an uprated alternator and battery?

kave · Oct 6, 2015

Congrats to a nice van.
JohnnyP: The ocean comes with kitchen sink and fridge as standard if I am not totally wrong

finnegan · Oct 6, 2015

JohnnyP said:
Its a good spec, you have everything except the kitchen sink.

Please let me know the code for the electric sliding door and the quoted cost. I was hoping this would be an option for the T6.

Did you try an order an uprated alternator and battery?

Thanks everyone. I did try and order the alternator & battery option but something I've ordered stopped them putting it through and the system wouldn't take it. I don't know the code or the price yet but it's been put through the system because it's a "must have" for us. Will speak to dealer to find out.

Just picked up a brand new Cali SE T5 for a demo a couple of hours ago! Dealer has let us have a play for a week

kave · Oct 6, 2015

Nice gesture.

JohnnyP · Oct 6, 2015

kave said:
Congrats to a nice van.
JohnnyP: The ocean comes with kitchen sink and fridge as standard if I am not totally wrong

What will they think of next, a 2 burner gas hob

kave · Oct 6, 2015

Or two beds inside

jim_ie · Oct 7, 2015

Always good to see another south walean. Recognise that cardiff plate. I guess you ordered from cardiff van dealer? Fancy putting a review in the relevant forum section as I am interested to know about your experience with your dealer. Fancy a very similar spec van myself.
Did they let you have the van for the week for free? before or after you placed the order?
Ta

finnegan · Oct 7, 2015

jim_ie said:
Always good to see another south walean. Recognise that cardiff plate. I guess you ordered from cardiff van dealer? Fancy putting a review in the relevant forum section as I am interested to know about your experience with your dealer. Fancy a very similar spec van myself.
Did they let you have the van for the week for free? before or after you placed the order?
Ta

Hi Jim,

We are in sunny Porthcawl. Ordered van beginning of Sept and VW Vans Cardiff took the order (Sinclairs). I asked on Saturday if we could have a play and the Manager said no problem, try it for a week?!? Usually they let people use it for a couple of days or a weekend I think. Very helpful salesmen and have given me date of Dec 8th build at factory. No sure of their criteria for loaning. Must surely let people try them out first. A big purchase!!! The T5 Cali they lent us drives really well. DSG and a 140, plenty of enough power and used the saving on the engine to put some more toys on it. I'm going 60/40(me) with him.

Think he's sleeping out in it now at Rest Bay lol. Hysterical....

JohnnyP · Oct 8, 2015

finnegan said:
Thanks everyone. I did try and order the alternator & battery option but something I've ordered stopped them putting it through and the system wouldn't take it. I don't know the code or the price yet but it's been put through the system because it's a "must have" for us. Will speak to dealer to find out.

Just picked up a brand new Cali SE T5 for a demo a couple of hours ago! Dealer has let us have a play for a week View attachment 10353

Does anybody know the cost of the electric sliding door on the German configurator? This would be a good guide price for what UK customers will be charged.

finnegan · Oct 8, 2015

JohnnyP said:
Does anybody know the cost of the electric sliding door on the German configurator? This would be a good guide price for what UK customers will be charged.

Waiting for an email back from dealers with the cost. Will post as soon as I get it

Angus Morgan · Oct 8, 2015

The electric sliding door is now in the new price list on the website: https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/media/2483319/california_t6_pl_sep2015.pdf
:thumb

JohnnyP · Oct 8, 2015

Angus Morgan said:
The electric sliding door is now in the new price list on the website: https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/media/2483319/california_t6_pl_sep2015.pdf

Thanks for the link £384 for the beach and £282 for the Ocean.

reserves · Oct 9, 2015

Angus Morgan said:
The electric sliding door is now in the new price list on the website: https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/media/2483319/california_t6_pl_sep2015.pdf

I can't remember the exact details but some T5 owners regretted having the electric sliding door and would have preferred manual. There's a long discussion on it somewhere, could be worth having a search and reading up before you order.

finnegan · Oct 11, 2015

hotel california T5 said:
Hi and welcome , looks like a long list of options...talking plenty money here ...
Save some for the other goodies you need to have.
Myself had not camped that much before i bought my Cali SE in 2012 ... just go with the flow .
Plan your first trips to some nice campings where you don't have to worry about much and everything is within reach.
Freecamping is the second step.
But first, the long wait....

Thank you Hotel California, great advice

finnegan · Oct 11, 2015

reserves said:
I can't remember the exact details but some T5 owners regretted having the electric sliding door and would have preferred manual. There's a long discussion on it somewhere, could be worth having a search and reading up before you order.

I can understand that totally. Will search for the thread and take a view on it.
Lots of other questions but plenty to read on these forums. Very informative and great advice on here, thank you all

kave · Oct 12, 2015

You can also order the electric close assist so it pulls the door in the last part, all without sound and slowness of the full elelctrical door.

larrylamb · Oct 12, 2015

kave said:
You can also order the electric close assist so it pulls the door in the last part, all without sound and slowness of the full elelctrical door.

I wouldn't say close assist is without sound, quite noisy on a campsite in the middle of the night

finnegan · Oct 12, 2015

larrylamb said:
I wouldn't say close assist is without sound, quite noisy on a campsite in the middle of the night

Thanks both for the heads up on this but if you needed to open and close the door manually in a campsite at night surely there would be a slamming noise as well? Or is it something that can be done quietly?

larrylamb · Oct 12, 2015

finnegan said:
Thanks both for the heads up on this but if you needed to open and close the door manually in a campsite at night surely there would be a slamming noise as well? Or is it something that can be done quietly?

You're right there is always going to be some noise shutting a door in the middle of the night. Close assist was standard on my T5 and as others have noticed works intermittently sometimes. It makes the electric noise opening and shutting, i find it quite intrusive at nighttime, the odd time when it doesn't work ( you reset it by turning ignition on/off) i don't think the door being shut manually is that loud. This post probably doesn't help

see if you check it out on a demo in showroom :thumb

kave · Oct 12, 2015

Are we talking about the same thing?
There are two options, one that closes the door from fully open and one that just drags it the final part.
Like a bmw 7-series soft close.

Newcomer to Vw California camper

finnegan

Hotel California

Meoncoast

an Ocean by the Sea

JohnnyP

kave

finnegan

kave

JohnnyP

kave

jim_ie

finnegan

JohnnyP

finnegan

Angus Morgan

JohnnyP

reserves

finnegan

finnegan

kave

larrylamb

Cali owner.

finnegan

larrylamb

Cali owner.

kave

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