Accessories that are a waste of money

[ArunAlec]

12 volt kettle.

But it is probably the only accessory we have that has been a waste of money.

The driveaway awning has probably been used for 200 of the last 320 nights. The awning panels for 100 nights (yes we use both together quite often. The solar panels have paid for themselves, the roof topper has kept us snug and warm. Window vents are used nighttime to reduce condensation and daytime to allow the dog to breath. The fridge is always full. We use both the double burner and the Cadac. The loose fitting Jackyards seat covers keep the seats below looking like new, and personalise our van; washing them is easy. The Muji stackable draw boxes are a *perfect* fit under the multiflex, and stack in the driveaway awning or safari tent.

We left the tow bar cargo rack and luggage bag at home, but the cargo rack has been used and will be used for transporting the petrol mower to do my parents' lawn.

We have an unused Brandrup sliding door mosquito net that we have hauled 45,000Km around Europe. But being unused doesn't make it useless, just untried.

What we would like to get:

We position the bench seat in the position it needs to be to make the bed and leave the multiflex in the position it needs to be for the bed. I want to make three plywood boxes with lids to fit in the boot in front of the multiflex, and at just the right height to fit under the made up bed.

We will be upgrading the safari tent to the Thule G3 residence to give us ~30% more awning space when not using the driveaway awning.

I want to permanently fit lights to the awning, powered from the leisure battery.

I want to hardwire the fridge to the leisure battery as the 12 volt socket is unreliable (the fridge often unplugs itself when the sliding door is closed).

Thinking of buying electric bikes and how their 36 volt batteries might be charged by the van's solar panels, and how the battery capacity could be added to the leisure battery capacity.


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I think your 12v kettle paid for itself in the entertainment value for the rest of the forum. Has it boiled yet?

 

[andyinluton]

I think your 12v kettle paid for itself in the entertainment value for the rest of the forum. Has it boiled yet?

Kettle hasn't but the batteries have....

 

[clarinetbcn]

In order of most useless...

1-Tailgate Bike Rack
2-Roof Topper
3-Awning Tie Down Kit

The tailgate bike rack was brilliant for 5 weeks 3000km around Scotland last summer.

 

[soulstyledevon]

View attachment 54287

The tailgate bike rack was brilliant for 5 weeks 3000km around Scotland last summer.

It’s ugly and not fit for purpose.
Lifting the tailgate with bikes attached, is a total PITA. Check for compression dents under the rack. We had two creases under the rack on our last van.

You couldn’t give me one of those racks. One of the best things I did, was remove it and get a sliding towbar rack.

 

[Amarillo]

It’s ugly and not fit for purpose.
Lifting the tailgate with bikes attached, is a total PITA. Check for compression dents under the rack. We had two creases under the rack on our last van.

You couldn’t give me one of those racks. One of the best things I did, was remove it and get a sliding towbar rack.

Love our rack.

Boys will be home from school today at 2.30. We'll load the bikes on the rack and go for an afternoon cycle ride along NCR1 between the Thames Barrier and Greenwich - and back.

Toodle pip...

 

[Amarillo]

Love our rack.

[...]

Toodle pip...

15m later and bikes loaded and ready to go.

 

[Amarillo]

What is there not to like about the bike rack?

Quick and easy to load and unload for a short meander along the Thames with the family...

Outside the O2

 

[soulstyledevon]

It restricts access to the boot when loaded.
We camp with just the van, no awnings or tents and hence need access to the rear.
You don’t have easy access to that area with the bike rack.

Plus it’s an ugly contraption to leave on the van permanently and I don’t like how high the bikes sit when attached to the rack.

I can fit the towbar rack within 10 seconds and leave stored clean and dry when not in use.

 

[Amarillo]

It restricts access to the boot when loaded.
We camp with just the van, no awnings or tents and hence need access to the rear.
You don’t have easy access to that area with the bike rack.

I guess we camp in a different way.

First thing I do when we arrive at a campsite is unload the bikes and send the boys off to explore.

The bikes get locked to the rear wheel or a tree when not in use

 

[clarinetbcn]

I do have a towbar, but there was an important reason for choosing the tailgate rack. I live in an old building (1880s) in an ancient part of the city (XII-XIII century). There is no parking near my flat. I have a space in a parking garage a 10min. bike ride away. The bike rack is always ready to be used, and folds up when not used. I have developed the fine art of taking my ski/bike/hiking equipment with me to the car in one trip. The towbar rack needs to be dismounted when not in use, and if you don't have parking near your house or storage in your parking place, that makes it impractical (I could not have taken all 7 of us to the Alps with all our equipment with the towbar rack dangling behind). Something to take into account for those who are deciding which is best for them.

Also, with my factory gas struts I have no trouble lifting the tailgate with two bikes on it, and it stays up securely. But I do work out 3 times a week...

 

[Calimili]

The tailgate rack, I also don't like that the bikes sit that high, and if, while you are enroute, happen to need to open the tailgate, it' an outright PITA.
I bought it anyway, very practical to hang wet towel or swimwear. Pros and cons on both

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Tailgate rack works great for us; gets used every other day, does not obstruct our sliding boot tray & means I can leave it on all the time and still use the tailgate as a rain shelter to get changed after a surf in the winter. Opening the boot has never caused us an issue with 3 bikes provided the roof is down.

We did have an Altera sliding towbar rack on our older T4 for a while which was also good but was a just bit too heavy for my wife to put on by herself each time & got in the way sometimes in smaller car parks; Whereas the bottom of the tailgate/boot rack when loaded is above most other car bonnets when reversing etc.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I guess we camp in a different way.

First thing I do when we arrive at a campsite is unload the bikes and send the boys off to explore.

The bikes get locked to the rear wheel or a tree when not in use

Exactly.
I’m definitely in the no tents camp. Hate the bloody things...
To be honest, we rarely stay anywhere more than 3 days as we enjoy moving around exploring.
Actually, last year at Lauterbrunnen was an exception. We did 5 days but that’s only because I love the place and we lucked out with some amazing weather

 

[Karlos]

The torch is a complete waste of 60 odd quid! Used mine once in 2 years.

I love my torch use it all the time, mine came with the van at no charge although it was a stock vehicle.

 

[Karlos]

Not a purchase but still useless, the cup holder that comes with the van. Clips onto the worktop and just gets in the way.

Ours got slung in one of the spare bedroom wardrobes in the house the day we took delivery as did the tea towel hanger.

 

[Karlos]

It restricts access to the boot when loaded.
We camp with just the van, no awnings or tents and hence need access to the rear.
You don’t have easy access to that area with the bike rack.

Plus it’s an ugly contraption to leave on the van permanently and I don’t like how high the bikes sit when attached to the rack.

I can fit the towbar rack within 10 seconds and leave stored clean and dry when not in use.

If I had the option again I would go for tow bar rather than the rack but re how high the bikes sit. I fitted hub anchors to ours for the front forks so they now sit below the roof line. Pic below was as we were setting off for southern Italy.

But yes it is a pain to get into the boot and my tail gate won't stay open like in Clarinetbcn's photo.

 

[nomisp]

Hi Karlos , can you post some close up pictures of the hub anchors and some more details on them . How did you then mount spare front wheels ?

 

[Sunstoner]

don’t you just use drivers door ?

Well no because it clips the windout awning that has the driveaway awning attached to it.

Now that you mention it though maybe the passenger door?!. . Because the sliding door is within the driveaway awning it maybe helps with sound deadening at night for other campers (in my loopy mind), so is the preference i suppose.

 

[Karlos]

Hi Karlos , can you post some close up pictures of the hub anchors and some more details on them . How did you then mount spare front wheels ?

Hi I nicked the idea from this thread on how to here..... https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...ine-with-t6-bikerack.18035/page-2#post-215651