2023 Ocean leaking roof fabric

[dspuk]

Interesting that show the Cali being blasted by rain and the bellows being carefully examined - you'd have thought this would have identified the issues that are being encountered

Fortunately the Austin days of the 70's are long gone thanks to the widespread adoption of Toyota's TPS concepts in Japan and then globally.

Back in the day cars were just "shipped" and the fix was deemed a dealer problem. Lot's of ex Ford people would tell us the horror stories of half built cars coming off the line and loaded onto lorries.

All vehicles coming off a modern production line get a full panel and gaps quality check inside and out, under check including the final wheel alignment, followed by a rolling road test and then a shower booth test. Only then will it get the "OK" stamp. Same for all OEM's (even French ones ).

The question is does the shower booth replicate a 50MPH UK wind with driving rain for 30 minutes on the joints? Not on your nelly. Do you still get Friday afternoon lemons? Unfortunately, sometimes. Does every fault get picked up? Unfortunately not. Our job in Warranty was to make sure we lowered the costs as much as possible with a 360 process and over the decades since failures have dropped through the floor.

Every so often a design issue like this may be slips through, but it's the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Joncali2023!!]

I noticed mine Leaking from The very bottom of the front section as well as the seem under the window

 

[RockinNRollin]

I noticed mine Leaking from The very bottom of the front section as well as the seem under the window

View attachment 111914

How do you differentiate between ingress and pooled water coming down from above?

 

[From tent to van]

Mine is also leaking in this weather. At the front. Below the seams where the small window is. All zips are at the top.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

I have the blue bellows. I decided to test mine as we have some light to moderate rain and no wind and (surprise surprise) it’s definitely leaking at the front seam. A lot of water too considering how little it’s raining.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Looking at mine closely it’s pretty obvious the water is coming in through the front window mesh and then pooling in the opening before either seeping downwards between the 2 layers of fabric and coming out at the bottom or coming out of the front seam. I’ll be contacting Breeze about this obviously as it’s not fit for purpose, but what’s the point in having the bellows replaced with the same faulty bellows? Any suggestions on the best course of action?

 

[Corradobrit]

Any suggestions on the best course of action?

Log the warranty claim with VW and then wait for a proper fix to be released. I see no point in having a like for like replacement at this point in time and risk potential other damage unnecessarily.

 

[Joncali2023!!]

How do you differentiate between ingress and pooled water coming down from above?

I’m not sure, but if it’s inside my van it’s Ingress. But I noticed it pooling outside at the very bottom too.
But I do think the water at the seem is pooling and coming down too.
There’s definately two seperate entry points

 

[CampervanFlattie]

Just the same for ours last night - Nov 22 supplied

 

[Grigio Van Grigio]

Just the same for ours last night - Nov 22 suppliedView attachment 111941View attachment 111942

What was the rain like? Any wind?

 

[CampervanFlattie]

What was the rain like? Any wind?

Rain was heavy but not really much wind

 

[Grigio Van Grigio]

Rain was heavy but not really much wind

Very similar to my situation then.

 

[Jabberwocky]

If your Cali is still under warranty then get your leaking complaint registered. Do not tinker to try and fix the problem yourselves unless you are prepared for VW to say that your warranty is no longer valid. Take photos and take them to your dealer as evidence. Have a discussion with them and try to map out a plan. Don't expect an early fix from VW. I am told that the bellows is "on global back order". If my information is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, then it could be quite a wait for a resolution.

 

[From tent to van]

Mine is also leaking in this weather. At the front. Below the seams where the small window is. All zips are at the top.

I took a couple of videos last night. Here are 2 stills. The first is at 20:03. I dried it all up after. The second is 27 mins later at 20:30. Pooling below the canvas around the light switches. Will be phoning the dealer.

 

[RockinNRollin]

That is not good - fast rate of ingress!

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Warranty claim lodged with dealer. So far so good. From the dealer’s perspective it must be in their interests to provide as much evidence to VW as possible to make VW rectify and pay for the issue. It seems my video evidence has been helpful to them.

 

[MarcHobbins24]

I’m away in mine for 8 days on Sunday for the first time. (27th May build date) I think I’m going to put the Vanorak on and do a rain test when I get home next week.
I need our first trip to be stress free otherwise the wife will be demanding to go home !

 

[RockinNRollin]

I’m away in mine for 8 days on Sunday for the first time. (27th May build date) I think I’m going to put the Vanorak on and do a rain test when I get home next week.
I need our first trip to be stress free otherwise the wife will be demanding to go home !

if I were you I’d pack the Vanorak and take a rolled up towel; if it starts to leak (e.g. arrive at a rainy campsite and the roof goes up), photograph it and then fit the Vanorak. You’ve got the evidence for a warranty claim then and as long as you’re not going to sleep with rain due sometime in the night, you should risk anything more than a slightly damp towel.

 

[flying banana]

I noticed California Chris,(him that tells you how to turn the lights on and off) was at camperjam ,it rained heavy there. He slept in the red ocean he said with the new bellows. No mention of a leak though,he even mentioned the belows and how good they were. Funny that. Thought I would add a comment on his u tube video of the event

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

if I were you I’d pack the Vanorak and take a rolled up towel; if it starts to leak (e.g. arrive at a rainy campsite and the roof goes up), photograph it and then fit the Vanorak. You’ve got the evidence for a warranty claim then and as long as you’re not going to sleep with rain due sometime in the night, you should risk anything more than a slightly damp towel.

Where possible I’d get video evidence rather than photographs because you can show how quickly the water is leaking through the bellows and also show the weather conditions outside in the same video to demonstrate it’s not excessively stormy or windy. You can always take some still images from your video if you need them. As our contract is with the dealer the onus is on them to put it right. In extreme cases some people could use their “right to reject” if the vehicle is not fit for purpose and isn’t fixed by them. I tend to think you’ll have more success with a warranty claim with the dealer you purchased through because of this. Of course the more evidence that is provided the more it helps everybody else’s case too, not just our own individual cases.

 

[Jeaniethecali]

So, as the initiator of this thread, I thought I'd give a quick update.
My van has been in the workshop since Monday and they have just phoned me to say that they have been in touch with VW who have advised that this is not a fault and that this is due to the fact the rain was 'heavy' . So there you have it folks, VW are NOT admitting that there is an issue with the bellows. So it would appear to be my fault for having the audacity to camp when it rains...
I've told them to get back in touch with VW and tell them that is unacceptable.
I will keep you all posted on their response.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

So, as the initiator of this thread, I thought I'd give a quick update.
My van has been in the workshop since Monday and they have just phoned me to say that they have been in touch with VW who have advised that this is not a fault and that this is due to the fact the rain was 'heavy' . So there you have it folks, VW are NOT admitting that there is an issue with the bellows. So it would appear to be my fault for having the audacity to camp when it rains...
I've told them to get back in touch with VW and tell them that is unacceptable.
I will keep you all posted on their response.

Absolutely terrible. Keep us informed how you get on.

This website is well worth a read as it details consumer rights with what you should do if you buy a vehicle with a fault that the manufacturer/dealer will not fix:

Rejecting a car – your consumer rights | The Car Expert

The Consumer Rights Act provides buyers the opportunity to reject a new or used car if it is faulty or not fit for purpose. But how does this work in the real world? Read The Car Expert's comprehensive guide to your consumer rights when rejecting a car.

www.thecarexpert.co.uk

It mentions about getting an independent inspection.

 

[Jeaniethecali]

Absolutely terrible. Keep us informed how you get on.

This website is well worth a read as it details consumer rights with what you should do if you buy a vehicle with a fault that the manufacturer/dealer will not fix:

Rejecting a car – your consumer rights | The Car Expert

The Consumer Rights Act provides buyers the opportunity to reject a new or used car if it is faulty or not fit for purpose. But how does this work in the real world? Read The Car Expert's comprehensive guide to your consumer rights when rejecting a car.

www.thecarexpert.co.uk

It mentions about getting an independent inspection.

Thanks for this. I'm hoping that it doesn't come to rejecting that van because it isn't fit for purpose (which has far as I'm concerned it isnt), but if it it does I will seek legal advise with a view to getting my money back.
A camper van that you can't use in the rain? Who'd have thought!

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Thanks for this. I'm hoping that it doesn't come to rejecting that van because it isn't fit for purpose (which has far as I'm concerned it isnt), but if it it does I will seek legal advise with a view to getting my money back.
A camper van that you can't use in the rain? Who'd have thought!

Yes exactly. I have no intention to reject my van, but the process to getting it put right is the same as the process to rejection. And like you, ultimately I would reject it if it wasn’t put right because it’s ridiculous, a campervan that can’t be used in the rain…! I have full faith Breeze will sort this so not too concerned, but still worth knowing your consumer rights in a situation like this.

 

[yossarian]

So, as the initiator of this thread, I thought I'd give a quick update.
My van has been in the workshop since Monday and they have just phoned me to say that they have been in touch with VW who have advised that this is not a fault and that this is due to the fact the rain was 'heavy' . So there you have it folks, VW are NOT admitting that there is an issue with the bellows. So it would appear to be my fault for having the audacity to camp when it rains...
I've told them to get back in touch with VW and tell them that is unacceptable.
I will keep you all posted on their response.

I note that this is classic "he said, she said" broken telephone. You have party 'A' claiming to quote party 'B' but typically unwilling to provide details to their quotes.

Right now you probably need to try get clarity directly from VW UK and of that doesn't work VW AG.