Advice please

[Lost Boy]

Looking at a 6.1 Ocean from 2022 with O3S bellows and having read the threads on bellows and the options such as Aquatex etc. It would be good to get some advice on how bad the situation is with the O3S version, option to get upgraded to 06S under warrantee or are they not so bad and hence go for topper and or Aquatex? Anything else I should be looking out for? Thanks in advance

 

[WelshGas]

Looking at a 6.1 Ocean from 2022 with O3S bellows and having read the threads on bellows and the options such as Aquatex etc. It would be good to get some advice on how bad the situation is with the O3S version, option to get upgraded to 06S under warrantee or are they not so bad and hence go for topper and or Aquatex? Anything else I should be looking out for? Thanks in advance

Private or Dealership sale? Warranty?

 

[TripleBee]

How much warranty is on the vehicle?
If still under factory warranty, just try to get water inside and make a claim.
If not, and you buy from a company, they must provide you with at least 1 year of warranty. Then you will have to try to get the 06S bellows from that company.

 

[Lost Boy]

Sorry, should have given more info. Its a purchase from a main dealer and yes several months warrantee left so I guess I could get them changed if its an issue, but wondered how accomodating the dealers are with this and from the threads i read, even the 05S has issues, albeit up to 06S now?

 

[CannonDale]

I would not be messing around with aquatex when spending north of 50k on a van, speak to the dealer and see if they will change it before you take delivery. Series 3 bellows leak more than others but I am sure some have had them without issue.

 

[Lost Boy]

Are 06S watertight then?

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

Yes. So are my 03S bellows.

 

[Lost Boy]

Thanks team, great guidance as always, will view the van and ask some questions, if I get it, I'll test and go from there. Cheers

 

[Andy C Berks.]

If you are buying from a main dealer, then I would suggest making any purchase conditional on them replacing the bellows with 06S, under warranty.
We had two sets of 03S on our 2023 Ocean - the first set leaked like a sieve under torrential rain conditions and whilst Aquatex may have helped, the volume of water ingress was such that I wouldn’t want to rely on it. The second set of 03S still leaked but less severe. Currently we are on 04S with Aquatex and they have been fine, but still yet to have exposure to a really prolonged heavy storms. My plan remains to get a swap out to 06S ahead of warranty expiry. Unless you have 06S it feels like whenever the forecast says rain then you will sleep with one eye open - that’s how it feels having been through the first major leak that we had.
Not sure how easily the dealers can now convince VW to pay for the swap out, but there was a reason that VW made 06S and didn’t stop at 04S !
A topper will help of course - also with insulation - but I have yet to use the one that VW gave us including in a couple of recent trips when slept up top in -1°c without any real discomfort thanks to a good Outwell duvet.

On the plus side the issue we had with the leak, whilst horrendous at the time, has absolutely not diluted our love for the van and the experience of owning it - it really is a superb piece of kit

 

[Lost Boy]

Thanks so much, with my old van we had the anorak and so as long as the weather was forecast never an issue. But as you say it should still be fit for purpose. Will talk to the dealer tomorrow and see where I get to. Anything else I should on the lookout for when viewing/driving?

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Just get an older van, then no need to worry about a leaky canvas. If it leaks, it’s not fit for purpose!

(….Luck shouldn’t come into it given the amount of money spent.)

 

[dspuk]

Thanks so much, with my old van we had the anorak and so as long as the weather was forecast never an issue. But as you say it should still be fit for purpose. Will talk to the dealer tomorrow and see where I get to. Anything else I should on the lookout for when viewing/driving?

You’ll be fine. Either you will be lucky and it will be some of the few 3S that are fine or just get the swap done asap. It’s under warranty, so use it if needed. Not all 3S leaked but given the lack of ranting on here about bellows for some time, they finally got to grips with the issue.

 

[Steve9911]

Looking at a 6.1 Ocean from 2022 with O3S bellows and having read the threads on bellows and the options such as Aquatex etc. It would be good to get some advice on how bad the situation is with the O3S version, option to get upgraded to 06S under warrantee or are they not so bad and hence go for topper and or Aquatex? Anything else I should be looking out for? Thanks in advance

I purchased my 2023 Ocean last September from main dealership. Condition of my purchase was they replaced the bellows with the latest 06s version. They did this without hesitation.

 

[Lost Boy]

Planning on test driving in the next few days (my old one was a manual so want to see what the DSG feels like) and I'll certainly see what they say. Are they all double skin now, I think the 06S is but unsure about the 03S?

 

[WelshGas]

Planning on test driving in the next few days (my old one was a manual so want to see what the DSG feels like) and I'll certainly see what they say. Are they all double skin now, I think the 06S is but unsure about the 03S?

Yes, All double skinned on the T6.1.
The DSG box can also be used in Manual mode but you cannot over rev the engine as it will change gear anyway to protect the engine.

 

[reserves]

For what’s it’s worth i find the DSG amazing, coming from an older manual Cali.

I’ve had the DSG with the flappy paddles and sport mode. I never used either so I wouldn’t miss this on that T6.1 which doesn’t have sports mode or flappy paddles.

With DSG I don’t think about the gears at all

 

[Lost Boy]

Thanks my current car has DSG and it’s a VW and it’s great but quite a power difference so want to check there is no hesitation etc. I agree on my current car I do use the modes but never the flappy paddles

 

[Lost Boy]

Has anyone extended their warrantee with VW when they got to the end of the 3 years? I donut with my car for a few hundred quid per year but it won’t let me get a price online as the van still has 6 months warrantee left, anyone got an idea on prices?

 

[dspuk]

Thanks my current car has DSG and it’s a VW and it’s great but quite a power difference so want to check there is no hesitation etc. I agree on my current car I do use the modes but never the flappy paddles

Zero issues on any of my DSG’s, this one nor the Tiguan. We have the 204 Cali so so hesitation on our side, more wheel spin if I’m a d1ck sometimes!

 

[Georgeo]

Has anyone extended their warrantee with VW when they got to the end of the 3 years? I donut with my car for a few hundred quid per year but it won’t let me get a price online as the van still has 6 months warrantee left, anyone got an idea on prices?

About £1000 for 2 years. This includes servicing, MOTs and roadside assistance from AA VW team.

 

[reserves]

About £1000 for 2 years. This includes servicing, MOTs and roadside assistance from AA VW team.

I’d advise to read the T&C’s

The all in one plan / dealer warranties are no where near in comparison to the factory warranty.

I read through one of them and it had a £5,000 claim limit.

No good if your engine goes pop.

 

[andyinluton]

The all in one plan is as close to the original warranty as you are going to get & has no claim limits and is good value for money if you would get the van serviced by vw anyway.

Some of the non-vw warranties are not worth the paper they are written on.

 

[Lost Boy]

Thanks chaps, I am not overly worried about the really big mechanical stuff, its the camper side of things or the roof, I am most concerned about. appreciate the knowledge. Andy, all in one is the one thats about £1000 for 2 years?

 

[andyinluton]

Yes. The £1000 includes servicing, breakdown cover and MOTs as well as the warranty.

 

[reserves]

The all in one plan is as close to the original warranty as you are going to get & has no claim limits and is good value for money if you would get the van serviced by vw anyway.

Some of the non-vw warranties are not worth the paper they are written on.

My point to any buyer is to make sure they know what warranty they are buying.

I spoke to a VW Dealer yesterday about a pre reg T6.1 cali regarding if the VW factory 5 year extension could be taken out on it.

He told me not to worry as the sell one (dealer warranty) that’s ‘exactly the same’. What a load of nonsense.