10 Months Into Ownership

[montyburns1982]

I picked up my 2015 180bhp DSG Bluemotion SE from VW Oxford in June 2023 with 68,000 miles on the clock. Since then I've covered 14,000 miles and I've had over 30 nights away (both for work and leisure). The van is my daily drive/work vehicle as well as a camper.

Stuff I like:

1. Owning a camper, especially as one as versatile as the Cali, is great! I can camp, use it to get to work use it as a mobile office etc, great vehicle and I'm totally sold on having a camper van forever now.
2. The van handles well for a 3 ton vehicle, especially now I've sorted the ride and had it remapped.
3. I like having the door on the 'wrong' side, it actually makes more sense for me, I regularly use it to exit in a tght parking space, for example.
4. The DSG box is great - smooth and fun to use.
5. The van looks great even though its nearly 9 years old - keeping it clean on the outside is a hassle though!
6. The interior looks so much better than a conversion IMHO - I very much like OE looking stuff, and the stretch carpet and exposed woodscrews on the conversions (some which cost way more than a Cali) and cheap MDF cupboards kinda left me cold.
7. The parking heater is awesome, especially with the remote and the programme function.
8. Having access to this awesome forum and the wealth of knowledge and experience is great.

Stuff I like not so much:

1. The interior blinds are a pain because they stick and just feel fragile and ready to break at a moments notice. I use insulated covers on some of the side windows now.
2. The electric roof is a bit of a gimmick and feels like its a system waiting to fail and cost me a couple of grand!
3. The sliding windows leak and the design sucks. I can see why they get changed on conversions.
4. The dash of the 5.1 is starting to feel a bit dated and 'van like'. Unfortunately I couldn't justify the large jump in price to a T6 Ocean at the time, maybe one day.
5. The DSG selector labels being on the wrong side - I know its from the Euro van but such laziness on VWs part - could have been changed for pennies.
6. The upholstery sucks - who would make such a light coloured and easy to stain set of seats for a camper! Use of covers is almost mandatory, ditto for the carpet in the front of the van.
7. The tambour doors on the cupboards feel flimsy (already taped them up once). I can see why they got changed on later vans.
8. Stock headlights suck - even with Nightbreakers fitted.
9. The 'comfort' matress! (removed and stored)

In 10 months of ownership I've done a lot to the van (and bought a lot of stuff), some of which didn't work out.

1. Superchips Remap from 180bhp to 215bhp and hydroclean - Made a big difference to how she drives, more power in the mid range and because I drive like an old duffer since I got a camper I've actually improved fuel economy!
2. EGR blanked off using Darkside kit and EGR mapped out - No more EGR disintegration worries!
3. ABS Sensors on the rear replaced - one failed causing the dash to light up like a christmas treee.
4. Upgraded all headlight bulbs to Osram Nightbreakers - Make a difference although the headlights are still shite!
5. Van lowered 40mm on Eibach adjustable Lowering Springs, also fitted upgraded polymer spring mounts as the OEM rubbers were shot - Van looks and handles so much better!
6. Powerflex bushes fitted to reduce brake thud. - Make a big difference, no regrets.
7. Fitted THQ Side bars in gloss black - These look great, no regrets.
8. Fitted VW Window Deflectors - look great and give ventilation when camping - no regrets.
9. Fitted VAN-X Gloss Black Comfort Dash Styling Kit - Looks great and upgrades the dash, annoyingly the surround for the hazard switch has a built in plug which I don't use instead of the coin tray like the OE part, but its a minor irritation.
10. Upgraded the boot light to LED - What I thought was a simple job turned out to be a total PITA as getting the light out is hard due to the strong spring - Worth it in the end though.
11. Failing control panel knob replaced with aluminium hi fi knob. Doesn't look quite factory but not offensive and will last forever, no longer have to worry about babying the switch! Plus it was like £5 rather than the absurd prices for the VW part (if you can even get it).
12. Bought a 2nd hand OE bike rack from a fellow forum member - not for bikes but for a storage bag for longer trips and a place to dry towels (when clean!). It lives on the van all the time and looks good. I wanted a black one but wasn't prepared to fork out nearly a grand for one!
13. Fitted inner roof liner from Thais SL - Great bit of kit makes a huge difference to roof temps, and a lot cheaper than Brandrup. No regrets.
14. Fitted window storage bag from Thais SL to the Drivers Side Rear Window - This adds a lot of stroage and costs less than a Brandrup or Vanessa bag.
15. Brandrup Flexibag fitted to the rear parcel shelf - great place to store internal window blinds. Bit expensive for what it is but as with all Brandrup stuff the quality is superb.
16. Brandrup pockets fitted to rear wardrobe - great place to store bits and pieces such as jump starter, various spare parts etc.
17. Brandrup carpets in lounge and cab fitted. - In my opinion these really finish off the van interior and give an air of luxury (unlike many I actually like the Teutonic 'grey' look of the Cali). I also fitted some over mats from Campervan Bits as the first trip in Winter made me realise how cold the rails are with bare feet! These will come out for the Summer.
18. Inka waterproof seat covers fitted. - Bomb proof but not the nicest look and the backs of the front covers are a pain when swivelling the seats. Might upgrade to second skins.
19. Purchased an EcoFlow River Pro 800w Power Bank and fitted to boot of Cali with an extension lead to the front of the bench seat as per some other posts on this forum - great for off gridding as I can use my collapsible electric kettle for a quick brew when on site for work. I can also use my small 1000W air fryer off grid which is great.
20. Purchased Vango Galli III CC Air Low awning - great awning but huge! Jurys out on whether I will keep this as you can't fit it on many pitches.
21. Purchased Vango VERSOS Air awning - yet to use but smaller than the Galli so hopefully easier to squeeze onto a pitch. Saw this awning at the NEC show, and the big draw is the flexibility of setup.
22. Purchased Comfortz awning sides - only used twice, but easy to assemble and good quality, just not sure whether I will use the wind out awning much - jury is out on these.
23. Purchased Comfortz cali topper - Great if expecting heavy rain. Saying that it does flap a little in the wind and is a bit of a faff to put on. Unsure if I will still use now I have the Thais liner. Jury is out.
24. Purchased the Comfortz external insulated screen cover - Great bit of kit and makes such a difference to cab temps when camping. Saying that, I'm not convinced the velcro will last which is annoying, a stain on an otherwise great product.
25. Fitted the 'Smutje' from Felleisen but didn't get on with it, I just felt the space it took up wasn't really justified, so I removed it. Very good quality bit of kit though.
26. Replaced the 'Comfort' mattress which came with the van with a Brandrup IXtend pad. Still not wholly satisfactory (its a bit thin) but takes way less space up than the VW mattress. I have the Comfortz topper as well for sleeping.
27. Fitted the T6.1 Kitchen drawer kit - These transform the cupboard space and are (just about) worth the eye watering price! You have to make a tiny mod to the catch if you have an SE like me, and I fitted the drawers further back than recommended in the instructions to avoid them catching the door. No regrets.
28. Amazon trays fitted to Fridge as per many posts on here - dirt cheap and stop stuff getting wet or sticking to the back of the fridge - recommended
29. Fitted the Wardrobe shelves from Campervantastic - Again, eye watering price for three sheets of cut aluminium, but make such a difference to the Wardrobe so are worth it. I fitted two shelves as I have the VW Warddrobe safe.
30. Fitted the upgraded sliding window shelf and accessory tray in the wardrobe. Two small items fitted to newer Calis and an easy retrofit. Great places to store random small stuff such as keys, 12V USB adapters etc.
31. Fitted frosted worktop protectors for the fridge and hob/sink. Because the van was 8 years old when I got it, the glass had some minor scratches. However, this will eliminate any further damage and looks good.
32. Fitted an XTRONS DAB/CD/DVD/Carplay Android Unit to replace the stock CD/Stereo. Great bit of kit, good price and easy DIY. No regrets. I fitted one without buttons before this which was good but the lack of physical buttons annoyed me.
33. Fitted a wireless reverse camera - Wanted a wired one integrated into the headunit but the thought of threading the cable through the van left me cold, went with a wireless one instead. I went with the Digi-Lite solar which is a complete unit with a built in solar panel so (in theory) never needs charging. Took about 20 minutes to install.
34. Fitted a Garmin MINI 2 Front Dash Cam. Camera is attached to a wire running to the OBDII port so is always on. The wire can be switched off if leaving the van for a long time to prevent battery drain (not really an issue as it's my daily driver).

There's still a few things I'm thinking of doing, or that need sorting, some of these will depend on whether I keep the van longtime or upgrade (probably to a newer Cali).

1. Few external scrapes and scratches that need sorting - nothing major but annoying. The bonnet in particular seems very vulnerable to stone chipping.
2. Some very minor bubbling on the roof cap - will need sorting eventually
3. The roof sags slightly on the left when up for a length of time. Its not major at this point but will need looking at eventually. I suspect there might be a very slight leak allowing the left side to drop slightly overtime.
4. I am considering replacing the headlights with the THQ ones with the LED DRLs.
5. I am considering replacing the tailights with the THQ T6.1 Style LED Ones.
6. Fitting a DIY Awning Light as per some others on this forum.
7. Fitting a 12V USB socket in the rear wardrobe for when the bed is down.
8. Upgrading the roof bellows to the new material with the panoramic zip off front.
9. Replace the tailgate chairs with Van Lights from Outdoor Revolution (when available). I'm mainly worried about breaking an OE chair and the horrendous price for replacements. These will be stored in the loft.
10. Leather retrim.
11. Fitting Solar panels - still not convinced I need these as at the moment I mainly stay on sites, and the Leisure batteries last a few days when off EHU anyway (and I have the Ecoflow).

Here's a recent pic from last weekend, a nice tip to the CCC site at Keswick...before it flooded!

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

All sounds great! Have you actually calculated your mpg manually? Remaps are notorious for making the computer misread and make you think mpg has improved when it hasn’t or has got worse.

 

[montyburns1982]

All sounds great! Have you actually calculated your mpg manually? Remaps are notorious for making the computer misread and make you think mpg has improved when it hasn’t or has got worse.

That all sounds terribly scientific, so of course I haven't!

Saying that, I've not noticed the van using more fuel, so if its made it worse it's not noticeable.

Motorway and Dual Carriageways comprise probably 90% of my driving.

 

[KevH]

Phew…I am exhausted just reading about what you have done, you must be cream crackered
Very impressed.

 

[colintfcolintf]

That’s impressive

 

[MarmiteBoy321]

Good to read your tips and opinions. We have a 2014 Cali SE, bought last September. Not used as much as yours, but it is our 'second' vehicle and used weekly. Have made a note of some of your extras you've fitted, never come across rear window bags before (item 14). Totally agree with item 5 'dislikes', the DSG labels being on the wrong side. I'm still craning my neck over the gear stick to change gear each time (I need to get used to using the gear display on the MFD). Useful lists, thanks for sharing.

 

[montyburns1982]

Tomorrow I’m going to take a few pics and add to the post, might help someone.

This forum has been invaluable tbh.

 

[This_one_goes_to_eleven]

Whats are the Amazon trays please?

 

[montyburns1982]

Whats are the Amazon trays please?

Home made fridge bottom trivet.

Will do but I am not using the van for a month or two since I am moving house!! It just arrived and I have fitted it - it fits like a glove. You can use with or without the tray since the grill has risers on it, absolutely perfect.

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[montyburns1982]

Few pics showing some of the kit fitted.

The ThaisSL window bag fitted to drivers side rear window. Lots of storage in here for stuff like beach shoes, waterproofs etc.
The Campervantastic Wardrobe shelves. These really have transformed the interior of the wardrobe and made it easier to organise stuff. The two dry bags in the bottom hold the dry robes (his and hers). I use dry bags to prevent mould and also they give great compression to bulky items. Also notice the little push button LED light needed when retrieving stuff at night as it’s dark hole of a cupboard!


The Club shop drawers fitted under the kitchen unit. Again these have transformed the space. I didn’t find them hard to fit, but you have to set them back further in a T5.1 so the drawers to hit the door, and shave off a few mm from the door catch, easy to do with a small hacksaw or dremel. Also note the rechargeable motion sensor LED strips which I got from Amazon. These help when getting stuff out the drawers at night.



The Digilite solar powered wireless reverse camera fitted. Great bit of kit and a doddle to install.




The extension lead Velcroed to the beach seat which runs to the Ecoflow River Pro in the boot. The Ecoflow is permanently wired to the van via the boot 12v socket and the charging rate is set to 4A for safety (all this can be done via the ecoflow app). This gives me basically a lithium battery and 800w inverter in the van which is good enough for off grid air fryer, hair dryer, electric blanket etc. I also use a 230v folding electric kettle from Kampa. This uses about 10% of the battery for hot water for two brews.


Garmin Mini2 dash cam “hard wired” into the van via the OBD port. The cable has a switch so you can turn it off if leaving the van dormant.

 

[Perfectos]

I picked up my 2015 180bhp DSG Bluemotion SE from VW Oxford in June 2023 with 68,000 miles on the clock. Since then I've covered 14,000 miles and I've had over 30 nights away (both for work and leisure). The van is my daily drive/work vehicle as well as a camper.

Stuff I like:

1. Owning a camper, especially as one as versatile as the Cali, is great! I can camp, use it to get to work use it as a mobile office etc, great vehicle and I'm totally sold on having a camper van forever now.
2. The van handles well for a 3 ton vehicle, especially now I've sorted the ride and had it remapped.
3. I like having the door on the 'wrong' side, it actually makes more sense for me, I regularly use it to exit in a tght parking space, for example.
4. The DSG box is great - smooth and fun to use.
5. The van looks great even though its nearly 9 years old - keeping it clean on the outside is a hassle though!
6. The interior looks so much better than a conversion IMHO - I very much like OE looking stuff, and the stretch carpet and exposed woodscrews on the conversions (some which cost way more than a Cali) and cheap MDF cupboards kinda left me cold.
7. The parking heater is awesome, especially with the remote and the programme function.
8. Having access to this awesome forum and the wealth of knowledge and experience is great.

Stuff I like not so much:

1. The interior blinds are a pain because they stick and just feel fragile and ready to break at a moments notice. I use insulated covers on some of the side windows now.
2. The electric roof is a bit of a gimmick and feels like its a system waiting to fail and cost me a couple of grand!
3. The sliding windows leak and the design sucks. I can see why they get changed on conversions.
4. The dash of the 5.1 is starting to feel a bit dated and 'van like'. Unfortunately I couldn't justify the large jump in price to a T6 Ocean at the time, maybe one day.
5. The DSG selector labels being on the wrong side - I know its from the Euro van but such laziness on VWs part - could have been changed for pennies.
6. The upholstery sucks - who would make such a light coloured and easy to stain set of seats for a camper! Use of covers is almost mandatory, ditto for the carpet in the front of the van.
7. The tambour doors on the cupboards feel flimsy (already taped them up once). I can see why they got changed on later vans.
8. Stock headlights suck - even with Nightbreakers fitted.
9. The 'comfort' matress! (removed and stored)

In 10 months of ownership I've done a lot to the van (and bought a lot of stuff), some of which didn't work out.

1. Superchips Remap from 180bhp to 215bhp and hydroclean - Made a big difference to how she drives, more power in the mid range and because I drive like an old duffer since I got a camper I've actually improved fuel economy!
2. EGR blanked off using Darkside kit and EGR mapped out - No more EGR disintegration worries!
3. ABS Sensors on the rear replaced - one failed causing the dash to light up like a christmas treee.
4. Upgraded all headlight bulbs to Osram Nightbreakers - Make a difference although the headlights are still shite!
5. Van lowered 40mm on Eibach adjustable Lowering Springs, also fitted upgraded polymer spring mounts as the OEM rubbers were shot - Van looks and handles so much better!
6. Powerflex bushes fitted to reduce brake thud. - Make a big difference, no regrets.
7. Fitted THQ Side bars in gloss black - These look great, no regrets.
8. Fitted VW Window Deflectors - look great and give ventilation when camping - no regrets.
9. Fitted VAN-X Gloss Black Comfort Dash Styling Kit - Looks great and upgrades the dash, annoyingly the surround for the hazard switch has a built in plug which I don't use instead of the coin tray like the OE part, but its a minor irritation.
10. Upgraded the boot light to LED - What I thought was a simple job turned out to be a total PITA as getting the light out is hard due to the strong spring - Worth it in the end though.
11. Failing control panel knob replaced with aluminium hi fi knob. Doesn't look quite factory but not offensive and will last forever, no longer have to worry about babying the switch! Plus it was like £5 rather than the absurd prices for the VW part (if you can even get it).
12. Bought a 2nd hand OE bike rack from a fellow forum member - not for bikes but for a storage bag for longer trips and a place to dry towels (when clean!). It lives on the van all the time and looks good. I wanted a black one but wasn't prepared to fork out nearly a grand for one!
13. Fitted inner roof liner from Thais SL - Great bit of kit makes a huge difference to roof temps, and a lot cheaper than Brandrup. No regrets.
14. Fitted window storage bag from Thais SL to the Drivers Side Rear Window - This adds a lot of stroage and costs less than a Brandrup or Vanessa bag.
15. Brandrup Flexibag fitted to the rear parcel shelf - great place to store internal window blinds. Bit expensive for what it is but as with all Brandrup stuff the quality is superb.
16. Brandrup pockets fitted to rear wardrobe - great place to store bits and pieces such as jump starter, various spare parts etc.
17. Brandrup carpets in lounge and cab fitted. - In my opinion these really finish off the van interior and give an air of luxury (unlike many I actually like the Teutonic 'grey' look of the Cali). I also fitted some over mats from Campervan Bits as the first trip in Winter made me realise how cold the rails are with bare feet! These will come out for the Summer.
18. Inka waterproof seat covers fitted. - Bomb proof but not the nicest look and the backs of the front covers are a pain when swivelling the seats. Might upgrade to second skins.
19. Purchased an EcoFlow River Pro 800w Power Bank and fitted to boot of Cali with an extension lead to the front of the bench seat as per some other posts on this forum - great for off gridding as I can use my collapsible electric kettle for a quick brew when on site for work. I can also use my small 1000W air fryer off grid which is great.
20. Purchased Vango Galli III CC Air Low awning - great awning but huge! Jurys out on whether I will keep this as you can't fit it on many pitches.
21. Purchased Vango VERSOS Air awning - yet to use but smaller than the Galli so hopefully easier to squeeze onto a pitch. Saw this awning at the NEC show, and the big draw is the flexibility of setup.
22. Purchased Comfortz awning sides - only used twice, but easy to assemble and good quality, just not sure whether I will use the wind out awning much - jury is out on these.
23. Purchased Comfortz cali topper - Great if expecting heavy rain. Saying that it does flap a little in the wind and is a bit of a faff to put on. Unsure if I will still use now I have the Thais liner. Jury is out.
24. Purchased the Comfortz external insulated screen cover - Great bit of kit and makes such a difference to cab temps when camping. Saying that, I'm not convinced the velcro will last which is annoying, a stain on an otherwise great product.
25. Fitted the 'Smutje' from Felleisen but didn't get on with it, I just felt the space it took up wasn't really justified, so I removed it. Very good quality bit of kit though.
26. Replaced the 'Comfort' mattress which came with the van with a Brandrup IXtend pad. Still not wholly satisfactory (its a bit thin) but takes way less space up than the VW mattress. I have the Comfortz topper as well for sleeping.
27. Fitted the T6.1 Kitchen drawer kit - These transform the cupboard space and are (just about) worth the eye watering price! You have to make a tiny mod to the catch if you have an SE like me, and I fitted the drawers further back than recommended in the instructions to avoid them catching the door. No regrets.
28. Amazon trays fitted to Fridge as per many posts on here - dirt cheap and stop stuff getting wet or sticking to the back of the fridge - recommended
29. Fitted the Wardrobe shelves from Campervantastic - Again, eye watering price for three sheets of cut aluminium, but make such a difference to the Wardrobe so are worth it. I fitted two shelves as I have the VW Warddrobe safe.
30. Fitted the upgraded sliding window shelf and accessory tray in the wardrobe. Two small items fitted to newer Calis and an easy retrofit. Great places to store random small stuff such as keys, 12V USB adapters etc.
31. Fitted frosted worktop protectors for the fridge and hob/sink. Because the van was 8 years old when I got it, the glass had some minor scratches. However, this will eliminate any further damage and looks good.
32. Fitted an XTRONS DAB/CD/DVD/Carplay Android Unit to replace the stock CD/Stereo. Great bit of kit, good price and easy DIY. No regrets. I fitted one without buttons before this which was good but the lack of physical buttons annoyed me.
33. Fitted a wireless reverse camera - Wanted a wired one integrated into the headunit but the thought of threading the cable through the van left me cold, went with a wireless one instead. I went with the Digi-Lite solar which is a complete unit with a built in solar panel so (in theory) never needs charging. Took about 20 minutes to install.
34. Fitted a Garmin MINI 2 Front Dash Cam. Camera is attached to a wire running to the OBDII port so is always on. The wire can be switched off if leaving the van for a long time to prevent battery drain (not really an issue as it's my daily driver).

There's still a few things I'm thinking of doing, or that need sorting, some of these will depend on whether I keep the van longtime or upgrade (probably to a newer Cali).

1. Few external scrapes and scratches that need sorting - nothing major but annoying. The bonnet in particular seems very vulnerable to stone chipping.
2. Some very minor bubbling on the roof cap - will need sorting eventually
3. The roof sags slightly on the left when up for a length of time. Its not major at this point but will need looking at eventually. I suspect there might be a very slight leak allowing the left side to drop slightly overtime.
4. I am considering replacing the headlights with the THQ ones with the LED DRLs.
5. I am considering replacing the tailights with the THQ T6.1 Style LED Ones.
6. Fitting a DIY Awning Light as per some others on this forum.
7. Fitting a 12V USB socket in the rear wardrobe for when the bed is down.
8. Upgrading the roof bellows to the new material with the panoramic zip off front.
9. Replace the tailgate chairs with Van Lights from Outdoor Revolution (when available). I'm mainly worried about breaking an OE chair and the horrendous price for replacements. These will be stored in the loft.
10. Leather retrim.
11. Fitting Solar panels - still not convinced I need these as at the moment I mainly stay on sites, and the Leisure batteries last a few days when off EHU anyway (and I have the Ecoflow).

Here's a recent pic from last weekend, a nice tip to the CCC site at Keswick...before it flooded!
View attachment 120426

What a great write up.

 

[AcapulcoLoco]

I picked up my 2015 180bhp DSG Bluemotion SE from VW Oxford in June 2023 with 68,000 miles on the clock. Since then I've covered 14,000 miles and I've had over 30 nights away (both for work and leisure). The van is my daily drive/work vehicle as well as a camper.

Stuff I like:

1. Owning a camper, especially as one as versatile as the Cali, is great! I can camp, use it to get to work use it as a mobile office etc, great vehicle and I'm totally sold on having a camper van forever now.
2. The van handles well for a 3 ton vehicle, especially now I've sorted the ride and had it remapped.
3. I like having the door on the 'wrong' side, it actually makes more sense for me, I regularly use it to exit in a tght parking space, for example.
4. The DSG box is great - smooth and fun to use.
5. The van looks great even though its nearly 9 years old - keeping it clean on the outside is a hassle though!
6. The interior looks so much better than a conversion IMHO - I very much like OE looking stuff, and the stretch carpet and exposed woodscrews on the conversions (some which cost way more than a Cali) and cheap MDF cupboards kinda left me cold.
7. The parking heater is awesome, especially with the remote and the programme function.
8. Having access to this awesome forum and the wealth of knowledge and experience is great.

Stuff I like not so much:

1. The interior blinds are a pain because they stick and just feel fragile and ready to break at a moments notice. I use insulated covers on some of the side windows now.
2. The electric roof is a bit of a gimmick and feels like its a system waiting to fail and cost me a couple of grand!
3. The sliding windows leak and the design sucks. I can see why they get changed on conversions.
4. The dash of the 5.1 is starting to feel a bit dated and 'van like'. Unfortunately I couldn't justify the large jump in price to a T6 Ocean at the time, maybe one day.
5. The DSG selector labels being on the wrong side - I know its from the Euro van but such laziness on VWs part - could have been changed for pennies.
6. The upholstery sucks - who would make such a light coloured and easy to stain set of seats for a camper! Use of covers is almost mandatory, ditto for the carpet in the front of the van.
7. The tambour doors on the cupboards feel flimsy (already taped them up once). I can see why they got changed on later vans.
8. Stock headlights suck - even with Nightbreakers fitted.
9. The 'comfort' matress! (removed and stored)

In 10 months of ownership I've done a lot to the van (and bought a lot of stuff), some of which didn't work out.

1. Superchips Remap from 180bhp to 215bhp and hydroclean - Made a big difference to how she drives, more power in the mid range and because I drive like an old duffer since I got a camper I've actually improved fuel economy!
2. EGR blanked off using Darkside kit and EGR mapped out - No more EGR disintegration worries!
3. ABS Sensors on the rear replaced - one failed causing the dash to light up like a christmas treee.
4. Upgraded all headlight bulbs to Osram Nightbreakers - Make a difference although the headlights are still shite!
5. Van lowered 40mm on Eibach adjustable Lowering Springs, also fitted upgraded polymer spring mounts as the OEM rubbers were shot - Van looks and handles so much better!
6. Powerflex bushes fitted to reduce brake thud. - Make a big difference, no regrets.
7. Fitted THQ Side bars in gloss black - These look great, no regrets.
8. Fitted VW Window Deflectors - look great and give ventilation when camping - no regrets.
9. Fitted VAN-X Gloss Black Comfort Dash Styling Kit - Looks great and upgrades the dash, annoyingly the surround for the hazard switch has a built in plug which I don't use instead of the coin tray like the OE part, but its a minor irritation.
10. Upgraded the boot light to LED - What I thought was a simple job turned out to be a total PITA as getting the light out is hard due to the strong spring - Worth it in the end though.
11. Failing control panel knob replaced with aluminium hi fi knob. Doesn't look quite factory but not offensive and will last forever, no longer have to worry about babying the switch! Plus it was like £5 rather than the absurd prices for the VW part (if you can even get it).
12. Bought a 2nd hand OE bike rack from a fellow forum member - not for bikes but for a storage bag for longer trips and a place to dry towels (when clean!). It lives on the van all the time and looks good. I wanted a black one but wasn't prepared to fork out nearly a grand for one!
13. Fitted inner roof liner from Thais SL - Great bit of kit makes a huge difference to roof temps, and a lot cheaper than Brandrup. No regrets.
14. Fitted window storage bag from Thais SL to the Drivers Side Rear Window - This adds a lot of stroage and costs less than a Brandrup or Vanessa bag.
15. Brandrup Flexibag fitted to the rear parcel shelf - great place to store internal window blinds. Bit expensive for what it is but as with all Brandrup stuff the quality is superb.
16. Brandrup pockets fitted to rear wardrobe - great place to store bits and pieces such as jump starter, various spare parts etc.
17. Brandrup carpets in lounge and cab fitted. - In my opinion these really finish off the van interior and give an air of luxury (unlike many I actually like the Teutonic 'grey' look of the Cali). I also fitted some over mats from Campervan Bits as the first trip in Winter made me realise how cold the rails are with bare feet! These will come out for the Summer.
18. Inka waterproof seat covers fitted. - Bomb proof but not the nicest look and the backs of the front covers are a pain when swivelling the seats. Might upgrade to second skins.
19. Purchased an EcoFlow River Pro 800w Power Bank and fitted to boot of Cali with an extension lead to the front of the bench seat as per some other posts on this forum - great for off gridding as I can use my collapsible electric kettle for a quick brew when on site for work. I can also use my small 1000W air fryer off grid which is great.
20. Purchased Vango Galli III CC Air Low awning - great awning but huge! Jurys out on whether I will keep this as you can't fit it on many pitches.
21. Purchased Vango VERSOS Air awning - yet to use but smaller than the Galli so hopefully easier to squeeze onto a pitch. Saw this awning at the NEC show, and the big draw is the flexibility of setup.
22. Purchased Comfortz awning sides - only used twice, but easy to assemble and good quality, just not sure whether I will use the wind out awning much - jury is out on these.
23. Purchased Comfortz cali topper - Great if expecting heavy rain. Saying that it does flap a little in the wind and is a bit of a faff to put on. Unsure if I will still use now I have the Thais liner. Jury is out.
24. Purchased the Comfortz external insulated screen cover - Great bit of kit and makes such a difference to cab temps when camping. Saying that, I'm not convinced the velcro will last which is annoying, a stain on an otherwise great product.
25. Fitted the 'Smutje' from Felleisen but didn't get on with it, I just felt the space it took up wasn't really justified, so I removed it. Very good quality bit of kit though.
26. Replaced the 'Comfort' mattress which came with the van with a Brandrup IXtend pad. Still not wholly satisfactory (its a bit thin) but takes way less space up than the VW mattress. I have the Comfortz topper as well for sleeping.
27. Fitted the T6.1 Kitchen drawer kit - These transform the cupboard space and are (just about) worth the eye watering price! You have to make a tiny mod to the catch if you have an SE like me, and I fitted the drawers further back than recommended in the instructions to avoid them catching the door. No regrets.
28. Amazon trays fitted to Fridge as per many posts on here - dirt cheap and stop stuff getting wet or sticking to the back of the fridge - recommended
29. Fitted the Wardrobe shelves from Campervantastic - Again, eye watering price for three sheets of cut aluminium, but make such a difference to the Wardrobe so are worth it. I fitted two shelves as I have the VW Warddrobe safe.
30. Fitted the upgraded sliding window shelf and accessory tray in the wardrobe. Two small items fitted to newer Calis and an easy retrofit. Great places to store random small stuff such as keys, 12V USB adapters etc.
31. Fitted frosted worktop protectors for the fridge and hob/sink. Because the van was 8 years old when I got it, the glass had some minor scratches. However, this will eliminate any further damage and looks good.
32. Fitted an XTRONS DAB/CD/DVD/Carplay Android Unit to replace the stock CD/Stereo. Great bit of kit, good price and easy DIY. No regrets. I fitted one without buttons before this which was good but the lack of physical buttons annoyed me.
33. Fitted a wireless reverse camera - Wanted a wired one integrated into the headunit but the thought of threading the cable through the van left me cold, went with a wireless one instead. I went with the Digi-Lite solar which is a complete unit with a built in solar panel so (in theory) never needs charging. Took about 20 minutes to install.
34. Fitted a Garmin MINI 2 Front Dash Cam. Camera is attached to a wire running to the OBDII port so is always on. The wire can be switched off if leaving the van for a long time to prevent battery drain (not really an issue as it's my daily driver).

There's still a few things I'm thinking of doing, or that need sorting, some of these will depend on whether I keep the van longtime or upgrade (probably to a newer Cali).

1. Few external scrapes and scratches that need sorting - nothing major but annoying. The bonnet in particular seems very vulnerable to stone chipping.
2. Some very minor bubbling on the roof cap - will need sorting eventually
3. The roof sags slightly on the left when up for a length of time. Its not major at this point but will need looking at eventually. I suspect there might be a very slight leak allowing the left side to drop slightly overtime.
4. I am considering replacing the headlights with the THQ ones with the LED DRLs.
5. I am considering replacing the tailights with the THQ T6.1 Style LED Ones.
6. Fitting a DIY Awning Light as per some others on this forum.
7. Fitting a 12V USB socket in the rear wardrobe for when the bed is down.
8. Upgrading the roof bellows to the new material with the panoramic zip off front.
9. Replace the tailgate chairs with Van Lights from Outdoor Revolution (when available). I'm mainly worried about breaking an OE chair and the horrendous price for replacements. These will be stored in the loft.
10. Leather retrim.
11. Fitting Solar panels - still not convinced I need these as at the moment I mainly stay on sites, and the Leisure batteries last a few days when off EHU anyway (and I have the Ecoflow).

Here's a recent pic from last weekend, a nice tip to the CCC site at Keswick...before it flooded!
View attachment 120426

Great post Montyburns, really helpful and insightful for me as a prospective new owner, thanks for that.