I most regret buying ..........

[PaulMilton]

Top regrettable buy is a ‘big’ porta potti. It was going cheap (unused!) but it’s too big. I should have paid more and bought the smaller potti!

Second most - I bought the topper for the outside of the roof tent. I just can’t be bothered to use it. We have the inner expensive topper which is brilliant. I didn’t need a second, pain-in-the-bum-to-use topper.

Such is life.

 

[Nick.C]

I think our worst buy was carpets for the three door steps, which I could not get to stick in place and were removed from the van within a week!

Second worst was a Khyam quick erect awning which I just could not get on with and found very unstable whilst putting up. I returned it just as the Khyam distributor went out of business and it then took me 3 months to get a refund.

 

[flying banana]

i used some carpet tape on my door step carpets. been in place for 2 year now. try that if you still have them.
i use my roof topper as like to winter camp and it keeps the snow out of the roof mechanism.
i hate awnings and sold my vango kella 3 after one use (it came with the van).
my worst purchase was a house in Doncaster. ha

 

[PaulMilton]

i used some carpet tape on my door step carpets. been in place for 2 year now. try that if you still have them.
i use my roof topper as like to winter camp and it keeps the snow out of the roof mechanism.
i hate awnings and sold my vango kella 3 after one use (it came with the van).
my worst purchase was a house in Doncaster. ha

I like to camp in spring and autumn but I didn’t find the difference, which I couldn’t tell anyway, was worth the faff especially putting it on in bad weather. Maybe in winter it makes a difference- I’ve still got it! But we tend not to go then because of the children and the shorter daylight hours (rather than the weather).

Yeah Doncaster, I’m not going there in every sense!

 

[johnyboy]

shelves for the wardrobe

 

[PaulMilton]

shelves for the wardrobe

Ha ha, really. I bought those too but I like them- I suppose it depends how you use that cupboard. I’m always surprised how many different ways people use that cupboard!

 

[kurienp]

Don't regret buying it ... but not sure what I was thinking #headbang



I am going out to take it out ... and bin it.

 

[soulstyledevon]

The washing line from the club shop
Awning tie down kit
VW Bike rack

Thats 3...

 

[Nick.C]

Ha ha, really. I bought those too but I like them- I suppose it depends how you use that cupboard. I’m always surprised how many different ways people use that cupboard!

We have them too and has made the cupboard so much better to use for us.

 

[Erbster]

Plastic draining board which sits on the cooker.

CaliVentures

Adventures in a VW California camper van

caliventures364847572.wordpress.com

 

[mcQ]

Plastic draining board which sits on the cooker.

CaliVentures

Adventures in a VW California camper van

caliventures364847572.wordpress.com

Cork screw

 

[Jodalo]

Inka waterproof covers back and front seats. Baggy on the front seats, very thin retaining tube keeps pulling out from between the seat base and the seat back. The rear seat cover is so tight it keeps pulling off the base when putting into ‘bed mode’. Also the Velcro attachments at the rear of the back seat are out of alignment and don’t meet. Very disappointing for £120. Would not recommend. Very pissed off!

 

[Victor]

Jackyard seat covers, we love the colours but they don't feel like they are made for the Cali, such a poor fit.

 

[kurienp]

Jackyard seat covers, we love the colours but they don't feel like they are made for the Cali, such a poor fit.

Interesting you say that - coz, for me they are a perfect fit. Yes, they are not like fitted covers, but have had no issues in terms of sliding or moving. It just stays in place, whatever we do. Yes, the colours are great.

 

[pjm-84]

Well I just bought another set of Inkas. The rear has a small split but not bad for 5years of 2no 35kg Boxer dogs.

I was struggling with the loose appearance on the Jackyards so gave them a miss. I had Melvin and Moon seat covers on an Defender and they were fantastic and a real fight to get them on after washing (but worth it).

Agree on the Inka. The rear is tight whilst the fronts are baggy.

 

[Alan]

Inka seat covers.......one of the more useful items purchased for my Cali

Alan

 

[haydnw2]

shelves for the wardrobe

I'll take them off your hands! This thread could turn into a swap-shop if we're not careful.

I thought the tea towel rail looked brilliant, but it just gets in the way and we never use it.

 

[johnyboy]

Ha ha, really. I bought those too but I like them- I suppose it depends how you use that cupboard. I’m always surprised how many different ways people use that cupboard!

The metal ones did not stay stuck long

 

[johnyboy]

I'll take them off your hands! This thread could turn into a swap-shop if we're not careful.

I thought the tea towel rail looked brilliant, but it just gets in the way and we never use it.

DONE I will fish them out!

 

[willwander]

An early 180
Gone now

 

[Ting Tong]

Repeat of a recent FB group post but ours is a MR D’s slow cooker.

Can’t be bothered to think about prepping dinner in the morning and unless you’re unlikely to be stewing casserole beef (which probably wouldn’t tenderise in it anyway), you might as well chuck it all together in the evening over a glass of wine. Ours has travelled 22k miles unused.

 

[Eber123]

Good morning,

There is an entire industry for accessories for camping, camper vans and VW California. Of course this industry advertises and try to lure us to buy their products, promising to make camping and using the vehicle even more pleasant. But I guess this is with all "hobbies" or leisure activities.

Of course I could not resist this temptation and got a few things which looked good on the photo and the description made (theoretical) sense. But buying the product proved that in (our) case the practical usage is far away from the advertisement.

Rubber mat

For me this did not work at all. We used it during last England holiday and failed. I tried to change it a bit, which did not work. Now it is cut in pieces.

Bag for the wardrobe

To get the empty bag in and out of the wardrobe is ok, but I think it is cumbersome to get it in and out of the wardrobe if it is full. Now I have 2x of those bags brand new on a shelf in the garage.

Seat cover

Like many others I wasn't happy with the original seat covers. The are dirt magnets. I don't know why seat covers are so terrible expensive. For me it makes no sense to pay several hundered of Euro for seat covers. They are so expensive that I feel the need to protect them....
I tried to be reasonable and got them from Apona Surf. They are kind of ok, but I am not really happy (well, suits me right if I buy cheaper products) with them. The covers at the side of the front seats move up and the seating area of the back seat moves quite easily.

Water cap

I got this from the forum shop. The description sounded good. It just won't work for me so I stopped using it. I might give it another try, but I am not hopeful.

Water fill-in

I got this also from the forum shop. I still like the idea of filling the water thank of the camper this way, and I will continue doing it this way, but the turning cog is so fiddly, it makes it more cumbersome as needs be. Don't like that part.

I am sure there might be other items that I got which turned out not as practical (for me) as I thought. But before I finish I wanted to add that there are many items that worked out well like the Comfrotz Awning kit from the forum shop, the drawer for the boot, the shelf for the wardrobe, the ladder, the dash camera etc.

The next item I plan to get are the additional drawers for the kitchen. I hope they will be available soon.

Happy California.
Eberhard

 

[GillianC]

Plastic draining board which sits on the cooker.

CaliVentures

Adventures in a VW California camper van

caliventures364847572.wordpress.com

Agree!

 

[Lewis]

Good morning,

There is an entire industry for accessories for camping, camper vans and VW California. Of course this industry advertises and try to lure us to buy their products, promising to make camping and using the vehicle even more pleasant. But I guess this is with all "hobbies" or leisure activities.

Of course I could not resist this temptation and got a few things which looked good on the photo and the description made (theoretical) sense. But buying the product proved that in (our) case the practical usage is far away from the advertisement.

Rubber mat
View attachment 63650
For me this did not work at all. We used it during last England holiday and failed. I tried to change it a bit, which did not work. Now it is cut in pieces.

Bag for the wardrobe
View attachment 63652
To get the empty bag in and out of the wardrobe is ok, but I think it is cumbersome to get it in and out of the wardrobe if it is full. Now I have 2x of those bags brand new on a shelf in the garage.

Seat cover
View attachment 63653
Like many others I wasn't happy with the original seat covers. The are dirt magnets. I don't know why seat covers are so terrible expensive. For me it makes no sense to pay several hundered of Euro for seat covers. They are so expensive that I feel the need to protect them....
I tried to be reasonable and got them from Apona Surf. They are kind of ok, but I am not really happy (well, suits me right if I buy cheaper products) with them. The covers at the side of the front seats move up and the seating area of the back seat moves quite easily.

Water cap
View attachment 63654
I got this from the forum shop. The description sounded good. It just won't work for me so I stopped using it. I might give it another try, but I am not hopeful.

Water fill-in
View attachment 63655
I got this also from the forum shop. I still like the idea of filling the water thank of the camper this way, and I will continue doing it this way, but the turning cog is so fiddly, it makes it more cumbersome as needs be. Don't like that part.

I am sure there might be other items that I got which turned out not as practical (for me) as I thought. But before I finish I wanted to add that there are many items that worked out well like the Comfrotz Awning kit from the forum shop, the drawer for the boot, the shelf for the wardrobe, the ladder, the dash camera etc.

The next item I plan to get are the additional drawers for the kitchen. I hope they will be available soon.

Happy California.
Eberhard

I’ve been interested in a rubber cabin mat - can I ask if it was the fit you didn’t like or the texture? I know there are fitted rubber mats available now with the cut outs for the three rails and the material seems much easier to keep clean but wonder if there are any pitfalls I’m not thinking of?

 

[brianpilk]

The Wine Bottle Stopper I bought, I have never used it 'cause there never seems to be any wine left to save!