4 Sleeping in Cali with packed van … Aires etc?!

[NoviceCaliOwner]

Hi all,

I am a recent Cali family member (3 weeks) and planning on a trip to France next august for a couple of weeks. My family of wife and 2 kids 10 and 12 will be going across.

I was just wondering what people do or how people pack when you have a van full and still need to use the fold down lower bed if you stop off at an Aire on the way to somewhere ?! Assume you can’t dump the stuff outside to allow you to lower the bed so wondered if anyone has some good tips for this?

Going to be thinking of what we need to take and what we DONT need to take to reduce clutter and increase space etc.

Also - is it possible to put the rear cage bed support thing and cushion in the roof and lower it down for storage or is this not advisable??

Thank you

 

[Ch1pbutty]

You can do it with careful / minimal packing. Or put a roof box on the top (+ Thule luggage bags for clothes are good as they are shaped to fit the box)…Or take a small trailer if you have a lot of kit.

4 of us travel to France with surfboards / SUP’s & bikes etc….but tend to stay in a hotel on the way down but that’s more to do with ferry timing (hotel leaves a key out as arrive at 2am, have breakfast there and drive onto destination). Used to sleep in m/way services or aire but gets a bit tense with the family moving gear around when tired etc…so not the best start to a holiday!

 

[kave]

That is why you dont pack full in the first place. Everything that goes in needs to have a place during sleeping. We usually use the left front seat and below it to store backpacks etc that have no other place than on top of bedding stuff. We have been away 4 people in a Beach with four bikes and four helmets for three weeks. It works quite well.

 

[Bellcrew]

Hi all,

I am a recent Cali family member (3 weeks) and planning on a trip to France next august for a couple of weeks. My family of wife and 2 kids 10 and 12 will be going across.

I was just wondering what people do or how people pack when you have a van full and still need to use the fold down lower bed if you stop off at an Aire on the way to somewhere ?! Assume you can’t dump the stuff outside to allow you to lower the bed so wondered if anyone has some good tips for this?

Going to be thinking of what we need to take and what we DONT need to take to reduce clutter and increase space etc.

Also - is it possible to put the rear cage bed support thing and cushion in the roof and lower it down for storage or is this not advisable??

Thank you

Please don't store anything on the upper bed other than a sheet, you will bend the roof.

 

[subthree]

That is why you dont pack full in the first place. Everything that goes in needs to have a place during sleeping. We usually use the left front seat and below it to store backpacks etc that have no other place than on top of bedding stuff. We have been away 4 people in a Beach with four bikes and four helmets for three weeks. It works quite well.

Totally agree. We are a family of four - kids are 10 and 8. Just spent a month in Norway. We invested a lot of time working out how to reduce the junk that usually ends up in the van. There were a couple of adult rucksacks (empty) that went in the passenger footwell. Some shoes in the driver's footwell and the rest in the cupboards or overhead locker. Too much stuff drove us mad on previous trips, finally got it right.

 

[B J G]

For maximum space in the Cali both whilst travelling and ability to sleep 4 would be to have a trailer.

 

[westfalia]

With a packed van on the way for a 2week camping
holiday, I would make it easy on the first stage and book a nice
Chateau.

Pulling up in an Aire I would do alone but not with kids involved,
on the way home would be easier, as everyone is used to sleeping
in the van.

 

[Amarillo]

We often do this - and have three methods.

#1 adult + 2 children in the roof; second adult sleeps on the bench seat.

#2 any gear on top of the extended multiflex goes on the bench seat and the two boys sleep on a mattress 1.0 x 1.5 size on the extended multiflex and the two adults upstairs.

#3 any gear on top of the multiflex stows on the front seats, in the footwells and on the floor behind the front seats. The lower bed is made by removing two shallow crates/trays, from the lower boot area and these are stowed under the van (the trays usually only contain shoes).

We have a Beach. Methods may vary for an Ocean.

 

[chockswahay]

For maximum space in the Cali both whilst travelling and ability to sleep 4 would be to have a trailer.

True, but then not allowed on Aires?

 

[NoviceCaliOwner]

True, but then not allowed on Aires?

Didn’t know this so thank you

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Didn’t know this so thank you

But allowed on Motorway Way services on the toll roads if you should run out of options.

 

[Drpps]

There is some space under the folded backrest when you make up the bed. You can travel with the bench seat slid forward to the bed position and then pack in that space behind. Rear seat passengers still have plenty of room and you can pass stuff to them from the front seats. If you remove the front rail positioning stopper in the rail by the kitchen cupboards, you can slide the seat all the way forward to access what is packed there from the side door. If there is slightly too much stuff in that space then some can go in the front footwell for sleeping. This does limit access to the left hand bottom cupboard so make sure you don't want easy access to any of that, (including the waste water valve.) although you can slide the seat all the way forward and get to it from behind the seat.
We have done this on a few occasions when we know we will arrive very late at a campsite and don't want to put the awning up until the morning. We pack it exactly this way so we can just put the bed down as is and sleep.( 2 adults and 2 children Ocean/SE)
Less is more.

 

[soulstyledevon]

If you can’t setup the bed with everything packed. You’ve packed to much and need a little sort through.
The only thing I need to move to make the downstairs bed, is the booster seat, which transfers to the passenger footwell.
Trail and error, you have plenty of time to work out what’s required and where to put it. Get in some local camping trips and experiment

 

[dgbeale]

We pack all misc items in plastic boxes with lids - one for bike stuff (helmets, lights, locks etc), one for shoes, one for less frequent clothing (swimming stuff, coats) .
As soon we we arrive at a site - these boxes go under the van.
For longer stays - we put up Awning - and boxes go in there.

 

[bvddobb]

Here are our measures, when we need to do a stopover like you are planning (generally, we try to avoid having to do so):
1. Put stuff in the footwells and on the front seats, slide seats max to the front;
2. When you prepare the bench bed, there is a lot of space below where the backrest comes; it is a good idea to make the headrests removable (see elsewhere on this forum), gives you more storage space down there;
3. Some stuff (boots, mountain shoes) can be in low crates, and be put under the van;
4. Most important: less stuff, less stuff, less stuff; no you don’t need all the stuff you think you will need! It is difficult: after all our years in our Cali, we still have sessions checking things like: “Have we used this since last year? No? Out it goes!”

 

[edocali]

I'm afraid with a full van I'm afraid the Cali only sleeps two (upstairs).
Done many times stopping at aires, but it would have never worked with additional passengers.
I would not attempt it

 

[2haw]

We’ve slept 5 of us overnight with full luggage and 3 kids bikes inside!

For single nights whilst traveling through France, we fold the rear bench backrest forward and put the mattress over, sleeping diagonal with one of my daughters.

Partner was upstairs with son and younger daughter.

 

[kave]

For maximum space in the Cali both whilst travelling and ability to sleep 4 would be to have a trailer.

Then why not a normal car and caravan?

 

[Amarillo]

We’ve slept 5 of us overnight with full luggage and 3 kids bikes inside!

For single nights whilst traveling through France, we fold the rear bench backrest forward and put the mattress over, sleeping diagonal with one of my daughters.

Partner was upstairs with son and younger daughter.

But probably much easier with a Beach than an Ocean

 

[2haw]

But probably much easier with a Beach than an Ocean

Sorry.. I’d say it would be impossible in an Ocean!

The versatility is just what makes the Beach so much better than the Ocean!

Edit… only joking! we all know the Ocean is top dog.

 

[andyinluton]

Sorry.. I’d say it would be impossible in an Ocean!

Far easier than in a beach actually. Purpose built cupboards to store everything in, so nothing to move out the way.
The only thing we used to carry above the rear bed board was the bedding.
Just park up, pop the roof & fold the bed down. If you do have stuff stored on the bed, once its folded there is extra space under what was the seat back to store it along with the front footwells.

 

[2haw]

Far easier than in a beach actually. Purpose built cupboards to store everything in, so nothing to move out the way.
The only thing we used to carry above the rear bed board was the bedding.
Just park up, pop the roof & fold the bed down. If you do have stuff stored on the bed, once its folded there is extra space under what was the seat back to store it along with the front footwells.

Not with 2no 16” Specialized kids bikes under the multiflex and a full size Specialized mtb inside aswell! The mtb was against the rear door without the front wheel.

 

[andyinluton]

Not with 2no 16” Specialized kids bikes under the multiflex and a full size Specialized mtb inside aswell! The mtb was against the rear door without the front wheel.

What relevance is that?
The original poster asked about camping in a SE with a kitchen in it, not a Tour de France support vehicle.

 

[Mehdime]

Everyone's mileage will vary here of course depending on how your family work and what you need.

But for what it's worth, we recently came back from a 7 week trip in France in our brand new Ocean (not all of it camping...) with two kids of similar age as yours and the van was nowhere near full (except on the way back when we packed with it wine and cassoulet tins of course). That was including swim gear (inc. wet suits), hiking gear, a portaloo-style toilet and a rather large booster seat. You'd be surprised at the huge amount storage space you get in an ocean - it's very deceptive.

Things that worked for us:

• Only pack what you really need. France has shops - you won't be stuck if you forgot something essential.
• You don't need a lot of clothes. There are easily accessible self-service laundrettes everywhere in petrol stations, supermarkets and in completely random places (and of course, in campsites). The Park4night app will tell you where they are. 5 days worth of clothes is all you need.
• These packing cubes are a godsend for clothes. Everyone gets one small cube and one medium or large one. And that's it - you're not allowed to pack any more clothes than this. Then throw them all in the wardrobe.
• Use those to turn the huge drawers under the bench into useful storage spaces.
• Use plastic boxes or strong cardboard boxes for the boot. Only store in the boot the suff you don't need for eating or sleeping as it's a right pain to keep having to go get stuff from the boot (only store outdoor gear in the boot).
• You don't need a lot of kitchen stuff. 4 plates, 4 bowls, 4 stackable glasses, a stackable cooking set like this one and a roll of kitchen paper is all the gear you need. Your kitchen cupboards will be mostly empty.
• Don't pack loads of food. Take a few tins of easy-to-reheat stuff that can keep you going for 2 meals and that's it. Buy food as-you-go - again France has shops (and much better ready-made fresh and tinned food than what you'll find in a British shop). Don't overthink the cooking.
• Towels: you only need 4 towels. Get micro-fibres one that come in carrying boxes like these ones. They take no space at all, dry almost instantly and can be easily thrown in a cupboard (like the one above the bench).
• Don't store anything on top of of the bed shelf at the back of the bench. The only thing that goes there are the pillows and duvets. That way, making the bed doesn't involve shifting loads of stuff around.
• Don't store anything on the floor at the back. The living area is kept clear at all times.
• At night, the driver's seat is used to store the booster seat and any bit of random stuff clothes. The passenger seat is kept clear to climb up and down the upstairs bed.

All worked just fine. We always all slept in the van (kids upstairs, us downstairs) with the portable toilet neatly set between the bed and driver's seat (toilet absolutely essential BTW).

 

[subthree]

Everyone's mileage will vary here of course depending on how your family work and what you need.

But for what it's worth, we recently came back from a 7 week trip in France in our brand new Ocean (not all of it camping...) with two kids of similar age as yours and the van was nowhere near full (except on the way back when we packed with it wine and cassoulet tins of course). That was including swim gear (inc. wet suits), hiking gear, a portaloo-style toilet and a rather large booster seat. You'd be surprised at the huge amount storage space you get in an ocean - it's very deceptive.

Things that worked for us:

• Only pack what you really need. France has shops - you won't be stuck if you forgot something essential.
• You don't need a lot of clothes. There are easily accessible self-service laundrettes everywhere in petrol stations, supermarkets and in completely random places (and of course, in campsites). The Park4night app will tell you where they are. 5 days worth of clothes is all you need.
• These packing cubes are a godsend for clothes. Everyone gets one small cube and one medium or large one. And that's it - you're not allowed to pack any more clothes than this. Then throw them all in the wardrobe.
• Use those to turn the huge drawers under the bench into useful storage spaces.
• Use plastic boxes or strong cardboard boxes for the boot. Only store in the boot the suff you don't need for eating or sleeping as it's a right pain to keep having to go get stuff from the boot (only store outdoor gear in the boot).
• You don't need a lot of kitchen stuff. 4 plates, 4 bowls, 4 stackable glasses, a stackable cooking set like this one and a roll of kitchen paper is all the gear you need. Your kitchen cupboards will be mostly empty.
• Don't pack loads of food. Take a few tins of easy-to-reheat stuff that can keep you going for 2 meals and that's it. Buy food as-you-go - again France has shops (and much better ready-made fresh and tinned food than what you'll find in a British shop). Don't overthink the cooking.
• Towels: you only need 4 towels. Get micro-fibres one that come in carrying boxes like these ones. They take no space at all, dry almost instantly and can be easily thrown in a cupboard (like the one above the bench).
• Don't store anything on top of of the bed shelf at the back of the bench. The only thing that goes there are the pillows and duvets. That way, making the bed doesn't involve shifting loads of stuff around.
• Don't store anything on the floor at the back. The living area is kept clear at all times.
• At night, the driver's seat is used to store the booster seat and any bit of random stuff clothes. The passenger seat is kept clear to climb up and down the upstairs bed.

All worked just fine. We always all slept in the van (kids upstairs, us downstairs) with the portable toilet neatly set between the bed and driver's seat (toilet absolutely essential BTW).

Great post, almost exactly what we do. Is this the inside of your van?