T5.1 Cali - What are the WORST things about travelling with 2 kids?!

[Spunyarn]

Hi all,

Like most new people to the forum I feel like I've consumed about half the content on this site in the past few months. Have been lurking in the background and now find myself in the same position as a lot of others asking for advice before jumping in and purchasing a used cali. I'll keep it brief as I know these opening posts can make for hard reading sometimes.

Budget of about £35K which looks like it will get me a reasonable late T5.1 Cali SE. T6 are just slightly out of reach for my budget and I'd rather buy a good T5 than the cheapest T6. I'm steadfast on grey, black, dark blue or silver, and the 140 engine. I'd much rather an auto but will settle for a manual, and reliability is my main concern given that I've plans to take my other half and our 2 children to the continent in this thing. Not a complete newcomer to VW vans as 10 years ago I converted a 2008 T5 panel van with 190k miles on it, into a camper. Most reliable vehicle I've ever owned, and sold it 3 years later for about 30% more than I paid. Have missed owning a camper ever since, and so started flirting with the idea of a brand new California at the start of this year. I don't like the shape particularly, they have less space generally although I know that is a contentious topic for some, and there certainly appeared to be less room between the bed and seats (we have a labrador who needs somewhere to sleep). Those things plus the cost made me look at used Calis, and with interest rates not brilliant on used approved T6.1s, I'd rather pay cash for something a bit older and atleast if I fancy changing the wheels or adding a solar panel then it's mine to do as I please. Knowing my luck, I will buy one and the rock solid residuals that T5s and 6s have will collapse!

Reason for the post is not about my potential van choice (although if you have opinions please share as I'll take all the advice I can get) - my post is about what the REALITY of using a Cali SE will be like with a mrs, a 5 year old and a 2 year old. And the dog! Obviously space is at a premium in a cali, but they are designed to sleep 4 after all and we have experience of a VW camper so know what it's like living out of one for a few days at a time. Obviously with kids (car seats, potties, etc.) it might be completely different. So if you can offer an alternative point of view, good or bad, and have any experience to share - then I am all ears!?

You know what it's like - you buy one of these vans with your heart, based on the dream and I'm just keen to keep myself grounded so that I'm not going into this new venture with my head in the clouds!

 

[Sad]

I have no personal experience, but this family of 5 on youtube used to travel in a T5 SE. You might find some tips there?

 

[Wish]

Me (no longer a young man), Mrs and a 4 & 9 year old…. Wouldn’t swap it for all inclusive (maybe Sandals possibly). Enjoy and keep us posted - fun times ahead… ps prices I suspect at this time of year are only going up?

 

[pchmlk]

My kids are teenagers and so no need for car seats etc. however they have more clothes etc to take! We also have a dog.

Honestly, it’s not too bad. Space is tight so pack accordingly. An awning/air shelter/ pup tent or whatever makes a big difference. Just somewhere to put bits other than the van really helps.

 

[andybeary]

I have a cali ocean T6.1 now for 4 years - We found when kids were young you had less clothes but more other items like pram etc now they are 5 and 8 nearly then it means more space needed for clothes / toys etc. I find using the under seat storage for the 2 kids clothes and now thinking about the rear window bag as the clothes are harder to fit as now bigger . We use the wardrope between me and the mrs (she has 2 shelves and i have the top one) - video here for shelves we use.

We have a pop up tent for car seats and just to dump a few bags of things like cycle helmets etc this has worked a treat when staying a couple of days somewhere.

If travelling around Europe and only stopping one night somewhere then we do not get the tent out but just stack the car seats on drivers seat.

I think my fav addition was the awning sides as this essentially creates a weather proof area to put things, stop wind and rain and is very compact i.e. just shove into the rear compartment that houses the camper chairs.

more recently we have even removed the 2 rear camping chairs and use that area now for storage which is huge as we do have seperate more comfortable seating. this is the one we use https://amzn.to/3GXHfLG

one of these is great for the kids and even us to eat dinner outside https://amzn.to/44MVmxB

oh and we have the small porta poti 335 or something - we just keep that out at night will be at the end of the downstairs bed for anyone to use at night.

Just adapt your set up to optmise space and get rid of things you know you will never use

Happy Camping.

 

[Kimbo]

Our solution was to sell the kids on EBay and buy a newer van

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Hi all,

Like most new people to the forum I feel like I've consumed about half the content on this site in the past few months. Have been lurking in the background and now find myself in the same position as a lot of others asking for advice before jumping in and purchasing a used cali. I'll keep it brief as I know these opening posts can make for hard reading sometimes.

Budget of about £35K which looks like it will get me a reasonable late T5.1 Cali SE. T6 are just slightly out of reach for my budget and I'd rather buy a good T5 than the cheapest T6. I'm steadfast on grey, black, dark blue or silver, and the 140 engine. I'd much rather an auto but will settle for a manual, and reliability is my main concern given that I've plans to take my other half and our 2 children to the continent in this thing. Not a complete newcomer to VW vans as 10 years ago I converted a 2008 T5 panel van with 190k miles on it, into a camper. Most reliable vehicle I've ever owned, and sold it 3 years later for about 30% more than I paid. Have missed owning a camper ever since, and so started flirting with the idea of a brand new California at the start of this year. I don't like the shape particularly, they have less space generally although I know that is a contentious topic for some, and there certainly appeared to be less room between the bed and seats (we have a labrador who needs somewhere to sleep). Those things plus the cost made me look at used Calis, and with interest rates not brilliant on used approved T6.1s, I'd rather pay cash for something a bit older and atleast if I fancy changing the wheels or adding a solar panel then it's mine to do as I please. Knowing my luck, I will buy one and the rock solid residuals that T5s and 6s have will collapse!

Reason for the post is not about my potential van choice (although if you have opinions please share as I'll take all the advice I can get) - my post is about what the REALITY of using a Cali SE will be like with a mrs, a 5 year old and a 2 year old. And the dog! Obviously space is at a premium in a cali, but they are designed to sleep 4 after all and we have experience of a VW camper so know what it's like living out of one for a few days at a time. Obviously with kids (car seats, potties, etc.) it might be completely different. So if you can offer an alternative point of view, good or bad, and have any experience to share - then I am all ears!?

You know what it's like - you buy one of these vans with your heart, based on the dream and I'm just keen to keep myself grounded so that I'm not going into this new venture with my head in the clouds!

We bought our 2008 SE van in 2009 when my wife was pregnant. Our kids are now 15 and 12. We got to France every summer for 2 weeks. Before they were school age we would sometimes go twice. As a family we love it. They are perfect with 2 kids.

Love the tunnel, love Brittany Pont Aven ferry to Santander and love we never go near an airport.

Packing is a personal choice. Our van is always packed to the gills but not in the living area. I have a v small 3 peg pop up Decathlon tent. When I arrive this is immediately put up in 60 seconds and I empty a load of stuff into it. Everything above the bed, we have a pull out drawer below and that stuff stays there. Years ago that was car seats and prams etc. Now you can move in the van.

We take all the kids' favourite foods and a toy bag. Happy children, happy hols.

Because we camp in warm places we spend loads of time outside so the van size isn't an issue at all. We don't have an attached awning. Hate them. We go to 5 sites in a 16 night holiday so don't want one. I have a pop up Decathlon shelter (now called Cinch) we use if we are somewhere more than 3 nights our potentially wet and rainy (UK weekends).

Its so warm in Burgundy or Ile de Re, and we often catch the Ferry to Spain also, that we eat outside, cook outside.

We do long weekends with friends in the UK, occasionally 5 days in the New Forest.



These are fantastic holidays that create amazing memories. I make an album when we get back. We have been doing this for 16 years. They are what makes owning an expensive van worthwhile.

Buy a 140 T5 auto.

If your wife isn't a fan of the idea, its a doomed project.

 

[ThomasHJ]

Hi all,

Like most new people to the forum I feel like I've consumed about half the content on this site in the past few months. Have been lurking in the background and now find myself in the same position as a lot of others asking for advice before jumping in and purchasing a used cali. I'll keep it brief as I know these opening posts can make for hard reading sometimes.

Budget of about £35K which looks like it will get me a reasonable late T5.1 Cali SE. T6 are just slightly out of reach for my budget and I'd rather buy a good T5 than the cheapest T6. I'm steadfast on grey, black, dark blue or silver, and the 140 engine. I'd much rather an auto but will settle for a manual, and reliability is my main concern given that I've plans to take my other half and our 2 children to the continent in this thing. Not a complete newcomer to VW vans as 10 years ago I converted a 2008 T5 panel van with 190k miles on it, into a camper. Most reliable vehicle I've ever owned, and sold it 3 years later for about 30% more than I paid. Have missed owning a camper ever since, and so started flirting with the idea of a brand new California at the start of this year. I don't like the shape particularly, they have less space generally although I know that is a contentious topic for some, and there certainly appeared to be less room between the bed and seats (we have a labrador who needs somewhere to sleep). Those things plus the cost made me look at used Calis, and with interest rates not brilliant on used approved T6.1s, I'd rather pay cash for something a bit older and atleast if I fancy changing the wheels or adding a solar panel then it's mine to do as I please. Knowing my luck, I will buy one and the rock solid residuals that T5s and 6s have will collapse!

Reason for the post is not about my potential van choice (although if you have opinions please share as I'll take all the advice I can get) - my post is about what the REALITY of using a Cali SE will be like with a mrs, a 5 year old and a 2 year old. And the dog! Obviously space is at a premium in a cali, but they are designed to sleep 4 after all and we have experience of a VW camper so know what it's like living out of one for a few days at a time. Obviously with kids (car seats, potties, etc.) it might be completely different. So if you can offer an alternative point of view, good or bad, and have any experience to share - then I am all ears!?

You know what it's like - you buy one of these vans with your heart, based on the dream and I'm just keen to keep myself grounded so that I'm not going into this new venture with my head in the clouds!

Hi!

Our kids were 0 and 2 when we bought our first Cali (T4) and they are 8 and 10 now and we travel in a T5.1. We travelled Europe in the T4 for 4 months when they were 2 and 4. So we have some experience travelling in the Cali with kids.

The first advice that comes to mind is don't have third kid ;-) 2 adults in a California works great. 2 adults and 2 kids works fine if you are the camping type.

You ask for the worst things about Cali-camping with kids?

1. Lack of space
2. Rainy days (resulting in more lack of space)

If you will stay for longer periods at the same spot, (as many people with kids tend to do), and even more so if you aim to 'travel', (so stay at the same spot for 1, 2 or max 3 nights), bring less! Bring less, and make sure everything you do bring has a dedicated place in the van and is as easy to reach and store again as possible.

Go camping several times (and enjoy it) to find out what stuff you need, what stuff you don't and which stuff you can get a smaller version of. Try to find the optimum way for your family to store everything in the van as to make the lack of space as workable as possible.

Head for warm destinations. The Cali is to sleep in and perhaps have breakfast in or spend hald a rainy day in. The living occurs outside the van. There's people who like (drive-away-) awnings to create more space, but that depends on whether you stay longer in teh same spot or 'travel'.

Try not to bring a buggy (but perhaps a bag to carry the youngest on your chest). Child seats can be stored in vertical 69-position (sorry, easiest way to describe it) on one of the front seats. A smaller one sometimes fits under the lower bed. We often stored the child seats in a large, sturdy garbagebag-like bag outside the van.

A kitchen rack to place all small stuff lying around and a slide out drawer (both DIY in our case) have turned out to be 2 really usefull space savers, which have made the Cali much more functional to us.

Our kids sleep in the lower bed -without- any extra matress topper (takes up lots of room) and have never complained or not slept well.

Hope this helps. If you have any other, specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Drpps]

We first camped in a pop-top VW when the youngest was 3. In spite of putting him in the far back corner wedged with pillows he still managed to fall out of the roof in the night.(He bounced!) That wasn't a Cali and didn't have a child roof net - use it if they are sleeping upstairs. It also keeps your pillows up top at night. You might each have to sleep with a child initially if youngest is 2, or have them both downstairs. Get them both upstairs as soon as possible as it means you have a downstairs space for the evening once they have gone to sleep.

Get a small very easy to erect tent to put the car seats and clobber in. We have a small 2 man tent with 4 pegs which we used for the car seats, toilet, potty, pushchair during the day etc. even if you are only staying one night it makes all the difference. If that isn't possible (an Aire or pub stop for example) then quite a lot will fit in the front footwells and the cars seats or pushchair can go under the van in a bin bag.
We use a Decathalon Base seconds/Cinch tent for 90% of our trips now as it is a standing height changing room which can double as a bedroom. (15 & 13 year old boys so still tolerate each other in the roof but who knows for how long!) Goes up in only a few minutes. wouldn't be without it. It doesn't attach to the van so isn't a 'drive-away' just drive off!

We have a folding box each, with our clothes in specific coloured packing cubes in the tent, which helps tame the chaos, and a shoe box. Wind out the awning to provide weatherproof access to that with foam mats and you have a free flow space that takes no time to put up. The children can play in that area while you are cooking even if it is raining. Alternatively the inside of the van is lovely and cosy with the seats swivelled and we have played many hours of board games at the table while it is chucking it down. Both of ours when they were smaller loved being behind the bench seat on the bed extension and used to make a den there so we always kept that area clear. If you have to relent then a nebula capsule projector onto the side blind or front of the pop top makes a great family film night.

We have a massive awning which we take maybe once every 2 years if we are staying put for a week or more but it takes up loads of room in the van and is a faff to put up. It does provide loads of storage for bikes and surf board though. We have also used it as a wet weather cinema room for a group of families.

We have a T5.1 SE 140 manual. Auto would have been nice but at the time we bought there was quite a premium. It is a lot closer now. The advantage of the T6 is they are Euro 6. The extra tech/complexity for the emissions may of course be an issue in the future but if you want to go somewhere there might be restrictions that is worth thinking about. Not been an issue yet.

All of us are still excited by the prospect of going away in 'Poppy' even after 8 years of ownership and we have made priceless memories. Enjoy.

No experience of adding a dog to the mix but works well with 4.

As @ThomasHJ says, don't acquire a 3rd child.

@Amarillo has extensive experience of travelling with children but in a Beach.

The usual drive off type set up.

 

[ThomasHJ]

Get a small very easy to erect tent to put the car seats and clobber in. We have a small 2 man tent with 4 pegs which we used for the car seats, toilet, potty, pushchair during the day etc. even if you are only staying one night it makes all the difference. If that isn't possible (an Aire or pub stop for example) then quite a lot will fit in the front footwells and the cars seats or pushchair can go under the van in a bin bag.
We use a Decathalon Base seconds/Cinch tent for 90% of our trips now as it is a standing height changing room which can double as a bedroom. (15 & 13 year old boys so still tolerate each other in the roof but who knows for how long!) Goes up in only a few minutes. wouldn't be without it. It doesn't attach to the van so isn't a 'drive-away' just drive off!

Solid advice, and it sounds like your experiences are very much like ours. The fact that your boys are still up there together at age 15 & 13 made me smile today. I hope and believe that mine will be as well.