How many in your Cali?

[marshian70]

Interested on how many people you generally have in your Cali in normal use, so excluding occasional grandchildren, parents (and dogs) etc.

 

[Freeley]

Just the two of us and it can feel cramped at times, especially when we have to put the roof down at night due to bad weather, as we had to one night this week. We had stuff piled on the front seats so we could put the bed down.
No idea how people with children manage!

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[WolfPack]

One human and two dogs – just right.

 

[Alan]

I think the Cali must come into its own with larger families if a drive away awning is used,especially when static for a couple of days or more
Ample room for myself and Ruby ( paterjack terrier) who likes the passenger footwell

Alan

 

[2into1]

Given the other thread on selling up, this should be interesting. Almost every motorhome I see seems to have just two occupants, pointing to the fact they are bought for comfort rather than beds or space for kids. Probably all the kids have flown the nest given the typical demographic.
I suspect there will be quite a few Cali's carrying 3 or 4, meaning on average they typically carry more folks than motorhomes.

 

[CYCLOPATH]

We are three, travel light, and it works fine as long as we stay tidy.
As a child we had the smaller T1, a home made conversion with fixed seats, engine in the back, and 6 of us.
As far as I remember we managed fine.....I slept under the bed, so must have been small. We would travel for the whole summer holidays, down to Yugoslavia, and back.
Perhaps that is where my love so small spaces came from

 

[Meoncoast]

works fine as long as we stay tidy.

+1 for this and "systems of work (camping)"

 

[andyinluton]

We've had 6 in an SE for a couple of one nighters!, for more than one night 2 adults & the 2 youngest children is the max but we do use a driveaway awning to give a load more room.

 

[zeratul]

We are 5 in a beach. We manage fine. 3 children sleep upstairs. Once we had the bad weather experience (extreme winds) and had to move the car in the middle of the night.
We can cook inside, we have self made kitchen unit on board. We all sit around the table inside for breakfast, no problems. No drive away awnings, no external toppers, .. we travel light and eliminate unnecessary stuff.
We used to camp with a small car and a tent. Then the california really feels like luxury camping.
Just don't try to make a motorhome from it.

 

[GrannyJen]

Mostly when used as a camper, just me.

When used as a long distance tourer stopping in hotels, 2 of us.

 

[marshian70]

Four of us (plus dog) - very interesting this summer overnighting at the ferry port in driving rain. Had to put all the luggage from the boot on the front seats so the bed could be made up, then back again in the morning. I can smile about it now but was rather cursing my choice of van at the time!

 

[Alan]

Four of us (plus dog) - very interesting this summer overnighting at the ferry port in driving rain. Had to put all the luggage from the boot on the front seats so the bed could be made up, then back again in the morning. I can smile about it now but was rather cursing my choice of van at the time!

If you look behind the passenger seat after pulling it forward to make up the bed there's some decent storage space to store items that otherwise gets probably put on the front seats
Take care to allow clearance for the bed to lay flat if doing this!
Thought this worth mentioning for newbies that hasn't sused this yet

Alan

 

[marshian70]

If you look behind the passenger seat after pulling it forward to make up the bed there's some decent storage space to store items that otherwise gets probably put on the front seats
Take care to allow clearance for the bed to lay flat if doing this!
Thought this worth mentioning for newbies that hasn't sused this yet

Alan

Thanks and yes, that space was full too! If I could work out how to add a picture I'd show you!

 

[2into1]

Thanks and yes, that space was full too! If I could work out how to add a picture I'd show you

If you are on a PC, underneath and to the write of where I'm typing now is an 'upload a file' button. Just next to the Post Reply button. Hit the upload a file button, and show browse to the image on your PC.

 

[marshian70]

If you are on a PC, underneath and to the write of where I'm typing now is an 'upload a file' button. Just next to the Post Reply button. Hit the upload a file button, and show browse to the image on your PC.

Ah got it! Apologies for the hairy leg!

 

[Dottie]

Just me and the dog....any hangers on get upgraded to a tent outside!
My hangers on are keen to try van life, but the mere mention of sharing with a dog deems a tent an upgrade!

 

[phsdv]

2 adults sleeping below and 2 kids sleeping under the popup roof. On longer trips we bring a bustent. For short trips and weekends we leave the tent at home.

 

[Californiaman]

We had four in ours over Xmas for food, card games etc. only two for sleeping though. We used the big table inside for the first time and it worked out brilliantly.

 

[hewittd]

We have six in our beach, 2 adults and 4 children aged 9,7,5 and 1.5.

The two older children sleep upstairs, the 5 year old sleeps in a hammock across the front two seats and my wife and the baby sleep in the back. We have a little popup tent that we use to store the two middle seats and various childrens seats in,

It's cosy and certainly not our long term plan to travel like this. We are looking into buying a driveaway awning for this summer holiday season

 

[dannosail]

4, 2 adults up top, 3 year old on the back shelf and so far baby on the floor! Warm after a long journey.

Did 2 weeks of moving daily in Germany this summer plus static week in France with driveaway awning. All great!

 

[bvddobb]

Four is our max, us 2 and two 'young adult' children. But then we used a pop up tent to sleep the two children, and we in the Cali.

Three is the max we have slept in the Cali, one child 'in the attic', and us two downstairs.

 

[Maud]

One human and two dogs – just right.

Same here - whilst camping, just me and two dogs and it is perfect

Maximum for travelling, three adults, four dogs - all comfortable but a bit of a squeeze if we stop to make tea!

 

[GeoffB]

Two humans and one cocker spaniel, who sleeps on the double seat. Think that's enough for comfort. We once parked next to a Dutch Cali in France which slept five - they seemed happy with that.

 

[Slovenia]

Two adults, two kids of 10 and 12 and two dogs: a Rhodesian Ridgeback and an American Staffordshire Terrier.

 

[hannah]

Interested on how many people you generally have in your Cali in normal use, so excluding occasional grandchildren, parents (and dogs) etc.

We bought our Cali SE in November so are very new to the game. we always have 2 grown ups, 2 kids, 1 dog and a wheelchair in the boot. We had loads of space travelling to Devon for Christmas, thanks to those amazing roll up storage bags that everyone recommended. Kids upstairs, us down, dog in the passenger footwell - 'Scout', the offroad wheelchair for our youngest did have to go in the pop up tent, along with the christmas presents.

Our first night camping was in horrendous gales and torrential rain, great fun though, due to the gales, pop up tent looked more like a marshmallow and the dog chewed through the guy rope - a very smug man in his huge motor home asked if it was our 1st night camping - we clearly looked so amateur. He gave us a 30 minute, kind lecture on what we needed to buy, including a drive away awning, agree indeed but not for a 1 night stay - the marshmallow tent did a great job.

Just had a great dog walk on a sand dune beach today followed by hot chocolate in the van - and we were able to drive as far as we wanted as our wee van still fitted through the width and height restrictions barriers. Love the fact that its so small yet so beautifully perfect in every way.