Picking our beach up on Friday

[CorkyCali]

Hi Everyone,

CorkyCali crew here (Shaun, Julia and Baby Stella).

We are picking our California Beach up on Friday and we are super excited to start our campervan adventures as a family.

We are based in Liverpool so will be looking to take advantage of any hidden gems on the northwest, Wales and the lakes. We will also hopefully be adventuring into Scotland and Europe once we have had our first few weekends away.

I've read a few posts online here over the past few posts and threads online on this site over the past few weeks.

We will gratefully receive any hints tips, tricks that the forums can throw at us.

Thanks

Shaun

 

[Jabberwocky]

. Yr going to enjoy your new Cali. Lots of advice here - just ask away!

 

[Hotel California]

Welcome , lots of tips and trick on this forum .
Also many posts on trips that people did ....hours of reading on a rainy evening!

 

[Perfectos]

Corkycali, Friday cannot come quick enough, congrats

Welcome to the Beach club, post a pic of the new addition when it arrives

 

[CorkyCali]

Corkycali, Friday cannot come quick enough, congrats

Welcome to the Beach club, post a pic of the new addition when it arrives

Will do. We are really excited.

 

[CorkyCali]

We've got it

 

[WelshGas]

We've got it

View attachment 45322

As a matter of interest, what “ Body Type “ is your vehicle registered as on the V5c document?

 

[Perfectos]

We've got it

View attachment 45322
Let the good times roll, congrats, super chuffed for you guys, now get and and start the next chapter

 

[CorkyCali]

As a matter of interest, what “ Body Type “ is your vehicle registered as on the V5c document?

Not sure. Will check

 

[BeagleMum]

We've got it

View attachment 45322

Nice one will keep an eye out for you, we are the opposite side of the river

 

[Perfectos]

I know what you’ll be doing all weekend, popping out side to check the van, rubbing your cheeks to stop the cramp from grinning, planning what to buy and searching this site ? How accurate am I ?

 

[Perfectos]

Not sure. Will check

They aren’t interested in bits of paper, and classifications, they just got a new life ! And a good one !

 

[WelshGas]

They aren’t interested in bits of paper, and classifications, they just got a new life ! And a good one !

Check the Marco Polo Forum. They are being classified as Body Type - MVP which means the Specialist Insurance Companies are refusing to cover them leading to higher premiums or going with Car Insurers who are refusing to cover damage to the roof and other Camper equipment.

 

[Perfectos]

Check the Marco Polo Forum. They are being classified as Body Type - MVP which means the Specialist Insurance Companies are refusing to cover them leading to higher premiums or going with Car Insurers who are refusing to cover damage to the roof and other Camper equipment.

My response was very tounge in check, you are correct to highlight the potential issue

 

[Gary&Heather]

nice looking van enjoy

 

[PAPPA J]

Great picture you look like your buzzin,Enjoy the adventure and we may see you on the road sometime

 

[CorkyCali]

Hi everyone.
Thanks for all the welcome shouts and chat so far. Really do feel like we are becoming part of a new community. We've had one outing so far (a day trip to delemere Forrest) and we are beginning to create our list of items we need to purchase for the van before we can really do a night trip.
e.g. kettle (12v or gas), cutlery (looking at the front runner set), cooker, cleaning facilities.

What would be the main items people would recommend?
And where do we get the for the best price?

Thanks

 

[Perfectos]

Hi Corky, glad your first trip went well,
You can ask 100 people what you need and get a 100 different answers.

It all depends on how you will use your van, duration of trips etc and what is important to you as a family.
Have you come from a camping back ground? If so you probably have n idea of what works and how to prioritise space?

Personally ( and all advice here is personal choice) If on electric hook up in the U.K. my set up differs from not on hook up.
Similarly if going for more than a couple of days, I bring a drive away awning, gives you some where to store all your gear/ bedding an have permanent kitchen and food storage area.
If on Hook up I usually bring : 240v kettle, toaster and Gas cooker and BBQ
Additional camping cable with 3nr 3 pin sockets, a cable splitter, I plug the van And the camping cable into the splitter and run another from the splitter to the power supply; this gives a very versatile set up. With kids of additional space to spread out.

Wind out awning can be used for additional space, coupled with cheap tarps and bungee balls.

If not on 240v UK hook up, leave the kettle ( I would not consider a 12v kettle, due to the very very long boil times) use a combination of cheap gas canister single burner, old style whilsting kettle, for main cooking a 2 / 3 burner gas cooker and my families must have depending on weather BBQ. (Charcoal)

In real terms you will find out what suits your particular style, what does and does not work for you. Speak to people on site, look at their set ups, discuss with your OH, buy what you think you need, not what you hope you will need !

Here’s a couple of photos showing one of two typical set ups for a few or more days.

 

[Perfectos]

Other useful bits

Vanessa window backs, surprising how much clothes you can fit in when packed correctly using packing cubes

tarp to extend wind out awning ( either with or without drive away awning) make sure the wind out is secured well

Washing line, forum member BIGTED

 

[Perfectos]

You could go out right now and spread an absolute fortune on gear and equipment, my tip would be to get some bare essentials, such a gas cooker, bbq, plastic storage boxes (very useful boxes with lids) and use your Cali at every opportunity, adding gear after each trip.

Consider a fridge, I would not be with out my compressor fridge goes almost everywhere with our family, even on days out ( plenty on here to read about fridge v cooler box, vs different sizes and makes)
I have a CFX35, large enough for 4 days food, beer and vino, does take up space in the rear, although I travel with mine behind the front seats, strapped to the lashing behind both front seat. I either leave it in the van on short durations or move it to the drive away awning on longer trips, highly recommend for three seater beach set up.

Ask away, if you have questions, everyone will be more than happy to give you their opinion, but remember, no one other person is you and yours ! You make it up as you see fit.

 

[Amarillo]

View attachment 45559

I’m intrigued at your kitchen setup.

We make a 150cm work surface by resting our plywood multiflex extension on our Muji drawers which in turn rest on our plywood trays.

Our fridge and gas bottles fit below the work surface.

 

[Perfectos]

Hi Tom,
The unit is a fold flat unit. Pack down to the size of the main frame only. (Cooker section) everything folds in on itself, it packs down very well.
It has a canvas storage bag, with two plywood shelves and a mesh zipped front flap, additional side shelf extends outwards and additional shelf below the cooker, holds a very useful box with all the cooking gear in.

I regularly pick up the whole unit up, with cooker in situ and fling it outside for a bit of alfresco cooking, (during higher temps) it can get too warm in the awning to be inside cooking.

I do like your innovative approach and multi use

 

[Perfectos]

Gelert Aluminium Kitchen Stand | Kitchen Stands | SportsDirect.com

www.sportsdirect.com

 

[Amarillo]

Gelert Aluminium Kitchen Stand | Kitchen Stands | SportsDirect.com

www.sportsdirect.com

The website incorrectly claims “up to 50% off”. The discount from the original price is 50.0083% which is “over 50% off”.

Sports Direct are missing a trick.

 

[Melanie Day]

Welcome to the beach life.

We have had ours for almost a year now and haven't gone crazy buying things as we were keen campers previously so use a lot of the same stuff but now organised in storage boxes that fit under the multiflex board.

So with having a baby keep hold of the safety net for the future - my boy is 4 and loves sleeping in the pop top. Keeps the downstairs free for us to stay up later.

We have a drive away awning for use of 3 nights plus (on picture below) and also got a camping room that attaches to the wind out awning for extra space for 1 or 2 nights.

We have got a thermal windscreen wrap which makes the downstairs really dark and insulated as the curtains provided always left gaps and got damp on the ends.

We have also got the isotop liner which keeps the top dark and protected from wind drafts - perfect for our boy as it helps him sleep.

To protect van floor we have the front carpet from brandrupt - there are lots of options available in a variety of formats.

On the forum there is a good thread about a smaller table that can be kept in place whilst driving and doesn't interfere with the bed set up. We find this more convenient than getting out the bigger table - which we often use outside anyway.

We had the Inca seat covers with the van when we got it. They are good for greasy little hands although they don't have isofix holes so we have to roll back of the seat cover down when car seat is in situe.

Other than that we haven't really bought anything else yet....we are still working out what suits us best. There is a lot of information in the forum about Cali with kids / babies so spend some time reading and seeing what others do.

Enjoy.

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