What have you done with your California today?

[AdamsFamily]

Made a little tool to crack open the lid for the fresh water tank. Not sure how it's supposed to be done but I did it over the gas bottle. Worked a treat!

Excuse the ignorance, but what reason would we need to access the water tank?

 

[Corradobrit]

Excuse the ignorance, but what reason would we need to access the water tank?

To replace a broken pump would be the usual reason to get in the tank.

 

[Kennnyboy]

Excuse the ignorance, but what reason would we need to access the water tank?

I was really curious and wanted to take a look inside!

 

[mr pg]

Installed some rugs into living area. Tapped together and cut in around kitchen unit. Not bad for £24.

 

[acer]

Installed some rugs into living area. Tapped together and cut in around kitchen unit. Not bad for £24.

View attachment 142065

Very nice! Yes, very cost effective too
Just to clarify, they are taped together? So, do you not move the bench (you sleep in the roof bed)? Or are they taped in such a way that you can still put one on top of the other?

 

[mr pg]

Very nice! Yes, very cost effective too
Just to clarify, they are taped together? So, do you not move the bench (you sleep in the roof bed)? Or are they taped in such a way that you can still put one on top of the other?

Yes taped together. We haven't slept in van yet (still new to us) and intend sleeing up top. We can roll it if sliding bench. We may need to roll it to open drawer also as I found there is a roller on underside of drawer.

 

[hlobban]

Made a Coffee in while waiting for my Son to finish a Scout Hike

View attachment IMG_7287.jpeg

 

[Cali Phillip]

Took my partner out for coffee and a view only to have 4 coaches turn up at the monument.

 

[sidepod]

A quick oil change before the Xmas trip. 20k. Third oil change so far. Exactly 7 Ltrs came out so fairly happy there’s no regen/fuel dilution.

 

[Canary]

Made a Coffee in while waiting for my Son to finish a Scout Hike

View attachment 142520

Nice view!

 

[Canary]

Took it to get washed so now atleast it looks blue & white again.

 

[giarra86]

Ho costruito il mobiletto d'ingresso e installato l'illuminazione ambientale sul cruscotto, oltre alle luci del vano piedi.
L'illuminazione si accende e si spegne insieme alle luci esterne del veicolo!

 

[Blanco]

Discovered these the other day in a draw. Now fulfilling their destiny.

That's Rauri after a soggy walk, definitely not hoping to have his teeth picked.

 

[jts46]

Fitted 2 new spotlights as inner chrome lifting off, and new headlight bulbs

 

[Goingontour]

Sold it!

 

[chockswahay]

Sold it!

Hope you got a good price! Is that it? Are you over the 'no regrets'? Or are you holding back and getting a T7?

 

[Goingontour]

Hope you got a good price! Is that it? Are you over the 'no regrets'? Or are you holding back and getting a T7?

Only owned it for 6 months. Not the price we’d have liked but acceptable.
Definitely no interest in the T7!
It wasn’t the van per se, but just found camping isn’t for us. Too many awful campsites, too close to other vans, shower and toilet blocks resembling school recreation centres etc, Apart from Concierge Camping (fantastic) but that was the price of a decent hotel! We had a couple of good trips but really not sorry to see it go.
We’ve got a tonne of stuff to sell (very little use) that I will post on here when I get my arse into gear!

 

[Hawthorn37]

Only owned it for 6 months. Not the price we’d have liked but acceptable.
Definitely no interest in the T7!
It wasn’t the van per se, but just found camping isn’t for us. Too many awful campsites, too close to other vans, shower and toilet blocks resembling school recreation centres etc, Apart from Concierge Camping (fantastic) but that was the price of a decent hotel! We had a couple of good trips but really not sorry to see it go.
We’ve got a tonne of stuff to sell (very little use) that I will post on here when I get my arse into gear!

Fair enough, it’s not for everyone, and you’re owning your decision. I’m sure it will go to a new home! Hope you had a Cali Club sticker on it

 

[pchmlk]

Only owned it for 6 months. Not the price we’d have liked but acceptable.
Definitely no interest in the T7!
It wasn’t the van per se, but just found camping isn’t for us. Too many awful campsites, too close to other vans, shower and toilet blocks resembling school recreation centres etc, Apart from Concierge Camping (fantastic) but that was the price of a decent hotel! We had a couple of good trips but really not sorry to see it go.
We’ve got a tonne of stuff to sell (very little use) that I will post on here when I get my arse into gear!

That definitely resonates a little with me. There have been some sites I’ve been to that made me question everything. However, and too late now for you of course, more research beforehand makes a big difference. So does good weather.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Just spent an hour checking over the leisure battery connections after reading comment 17 - mine's been draining quicker than usual too. That wrapped Cali looks amazing, proper jealous of that finish!

 

[Goingontour]

That definitely resonates a little with me. There have been some sites I’ve been to that made me question everything. However, and too late now for you of course, more research beforehand makes a big difference. So does good weather.

I know this is all going off the subject of this thread, but in answer to your comment I spent absolutely hours looking for decent campsites. Some have great reviews, one we booked with pretty fab reviews was so awful and grotty and unkempt when we got there we just left!
I think one of the problem with the California is the right hand rear door opening, some sites are very specific which way you park (we ignored some), but often we’d be facing another van with no privacy. One of the CAMC sites at Broadway (quite nice) someone pulled up on the next pitch in a huge Motorhome, instead of using their side area, they put up all their chairs etc at the rear looking right at our van, they sat watching everything we did and that wasn’t us getting paranoid.. they litterally watched us!
I can only think of 3-4 good campsites we stayed at, one we went to twice (Pen y Llyn Anglesey) as it was so good the owners take great pride.
We’d stayed in a van before we bought it and had a great time, but really sadly the whole thing was a very costly mistake. I still love the California, it’s a fantastic Camper but just not for us.

 

[Flower Power]

Fully understand this. For almost 17 years I have used a VW T4 camper van Winnebago (LWB) version in the US and Canada. That was Camping! Especially in all National and State parks there. Space, nature, views, free fire wood in Canada, low cost, etc. In Europe is not camping but parking at the expensive rate. We still like California Coast but view it as an excellent vehicle to travel in comfort and have the place to sleep, and make breakfast when other options fail. Will keep it.... but it is not Camping for sure.

 

[colintfcolintf]

So ours is a workhorse not a show pony or just a camper. Carpet in the back, rubber mat in back to put shoes on and outdoor shoes aren’t worn in the back. Rubber mats in front. But, for the first time since we bought in Sept’23 the inside got a good hoover out just now. I don’t have power near where it’s normally parked, so took advantage of where we are staying’s hoover and close by PowerPoint! It might even get a wash later and the window drains checked / flushed through again

 

[pjm-84]

Changed the rear coil springs (on sat afternoon) ready for the MOT (yesterday) - all good, so worth the 90mins of grumbling........ The finish on the Bilstein coils is poor and they started to rust at 3yrs old. Now at 5yrs, it was time to swap them out......I hate the VW torque requirements .......120nm + 180 degrees.

 

[colintfcolintf]

So ours is a workhorse not a show pony or just a camper. Carpet in the back, rubber mat in back to put shoes on and outdoor shoes aren’t worn in the back. Rubber mats in front. But, for the first time since we bought in Sept’23 the inside got a good hoover out just now. I don’t have power near where it’s normally parked, so took advantage of where we are staying’s hoover and close by PowerPoint! It might even get a wash later and the window drains checked / flushed through again

Well that went well. My little pump syringe thing no longer works for the window drains, outside tap water supply is off, and I got a wet sock in the process