Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked away

[GrannyJen]

I'm worried.

I bought a California. I must be off my rocker.

It has corrosion problems. Well, if it did then so do my teeth and my teeth get fixed by a dentist as does my corrosion problems by VW.

Its plain and ugly. Well, so am I but as I benefit from a bit of make-up so does my cali. My bright red rug in the back does wonders for it.

It's not a merc. No. Sadly. I've had to change my shades from "monaco cool" to "wolfsburg functional". It just does the job that an hitherto unproved Marco Polo has yet to do. Bless it. Does not look cool at Cannes, sadly, but is supremely comfortable in Southend.

Oh my GOD! It has mechanical problems! You mean.. no...gosh.... a complex vehicle has bits going wrong with it? WOW! just like every other car I've had... "Dammit! Get rid!

It's a 50k vehicle, should be faultless? NO! You mean, it should not be like my last 5 BMW's and 2 Jaguars?

I've lived through this forum recently having a spate of "let's hate the cali, with all it's problems".

Well, my cali has a few. So did my merc, my BMW's, my range rover, and my beloved XKR.

I get up in the morning, turn on the ignition key, the vehicle works. I pull over, want a cup of tea, the vehicle works. I park up, want some headroom, up goes the roof, the vehicle works. I get cold, want to feel warm and snug in a force 10 snowstorm, then I can be warm and snug. I go shopping, want to park up, find a normal car park space, I fit in it. I feel like going 570 miles to buy a pair of shoes in Bremen (yes! True!).. I can drive all day long and feel as though I am driving a limo, not a van.

Frankly, it has it's pros, it has it's "can do better", it is not the coolest kid on the block, it just works. Love it or hate it, it works.

I love my cali, warts, foibles, roof rot, the lot, I just love it.

There.

Said it.

I've just got p*iss*ed off with all the moaning.

If you don't like it, get rid. If you haven't got one, don't slag it off until you've tried it. If you've tried it and don't like it, sell it, you will get the best resale prices of any vehicle so love it. If you have one and think it works, say so.

 

[Cooperman19]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Well said, couldn't agree more.

Now I'm very new to this game having bought mine earlier this year. Having done most the things I wanted to do in life, buying a Cali was not even on my radar until a good friend was selling his and I decided to buy it. The impact it has had has been unbelievable, this Cali has changed my world, I love every second I spend in it, and miss it when I don't go out in it for a week or two. I have to confess sometimes I just go and sit in it on my drive, I can't get enough of it.

The Cali is a superb vehicle, it has it all and is a joy to drive, I am a completely different person when I get behind the wheel, I love my cars but this vehicle has something magical, the comfort, seating position, height on the road, I feel inspired to go absolutely anywhere at anytime.

Whatever goes wrong, whatever problems it may throw up in the future, I will always cherish the great times that I have enjoyed in it, and when and if that feeling ever leaves, then I will sell it and move on, not that I can ever see that day coming.

 

[DMB9R]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Well said Jen, i agree and haters will be haters. The people who own one and constantly slag them off shouldn't really own one at all.

 

[Gasgas]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

I agree with you ,I know the Cali has some issues ,but I hate reading posts about all the negatives,if you put on one side of a scale all the adventures, days spent touring ,visiting new places,camping,meeting new people etc etc etc versus on the other side of the scale your issues then in my case the good outweighs the bad ,if it's the other way around and you have given it a good go then sell it and put down to experiance..

The most interesting posts for me are the ones where people write up their travels and experiances priceless...

 

[GrannyJen]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Lovely mr Cooperman

Like me. I just love packing it, unpacking it, sitting in it, dreaming of where next I'm going to wake up from sleeping in it.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, that I saw at the NEC had that ring of confidence about it. "Yes, I may be plain, I may be ugly, I may have my faults, I may develop problem, but.... Where would you like to go today? Come on, lets just go"....

 

[GrannyJen]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

I agree with you ,I know the Cali has some issues ,but I hate reading posts about all the negatives,

What issues?

The roof corrosion is the biggest one, and VW's response has not been brilliant. Tell me one motor manufacturer who have responded with dignity, generosity, full acceptance of guilt and total sympathy towards the customer when things go globally wrong, as happens with depressing regularity in the motor industry.

The main issue with me is it is a totally addictive work in progress that I keep finding new uses for, keep dreaming up new adventures for and keep finding new challenges for. The cost of ownership is laughable compared to owning any sophisticated motor vehicle and the fun it returns is incalculable.

 

[Ambler]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

You are right Gran.
They all go wrong at some time or another.

But, I really think that without the fuss made by this forum the roof problem would have been fobbed off by VW.

 

[Big Bloke]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

We've had our Beach since 3rd May this year and have covered 6000 miles so far..................We can't stop smiling We're taking 2 of the grandkids to Warwick castle next week, its only about 40 miles away but we've decided that we MUST camp overnight somewhere near to it, just because we can! Then its my birthday in the middle of November and we're thinking of visiting Winchester so that I can show the wife around my old Regiments museum and my old barracks. Of course We'll have to make a long weekend of it, camping in the Calli.........And do you know what? We wouldn't be having half the fun and adventures that we're having without our Calli.
I used a third of my pension lump sum to buy our Calli, which to us, was a very significant sum.............And with our Calli, we have visited France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy & Monaco.............And we haven't stopped smiling and laughing and generally having the time of our lives.
We're already into advanced planning for a visit to Norway next september, in the Calli , of course.
In fact, our only regret about buying our Calli, was that we couldn't afford to buy it years ago. We'd of loved owning this vehicle when our children were young. However we have 4 young grandchildren to take camping with us now, 2 at a time only. Hopefully they'll look back in years to come, on the happy times they will of spent camping in Nan & Grandads Calli !
Granny Jen. If You are a deluded old tart, then We're happy to be included in that category too!

 

[AlanC]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

No you are not...

We have all bought a van. Not a roller.
Vans are built as a workhorse, perform like a workhorse and cost about 20K at best.

The rest of the 30K plus cost is the campervan bit which not many people seem to complain about by comparison.

All our cars have had faults and needed repairing, but luckily none have ever broken down on us. Modern vehicles are complicated devices and need a bit of care and attention. Wilf is about to cost us a lot because he needs a service, cam belt change and a drive shaft. I won't be complaining about it. All mechanical things need to be maintained and repaired if they are to continue working at peak performance. It is all part of owning a vehicle. The roof issue is a major problem which has been recognised and dealt with by VWUK.

We also went to the NEC last week and saw nothing we would prefer to own, and we went in a lot, except maybe a 136K enormous one that you can only park with the coaches!

I agree totally with you GrannyJen, it is a great vehicle which I admit I was resistant to buy at first, but was persuaded by GrannyLiz. She was right...always is, and we have had a great time in Wilf over the last year and hope to continue doing so for many a year to come once I leave academia.

Lets put it all into perspective and enjoy this great vehicle we have bought.

Alan

P.S. I hope the shoes were worth the trip.

 

[Barryjm]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

We are approaching our 5th year anniversary and have created some fantastic memories from travelling in our Cali! Those memories will last forever, unlike the few problems that we have had, they come, get fixed and go, just like the roof which will be fixed probably sometime early next year! I am hoping we'll grow old with our Cali, my wife and I are looking forward to 'just the two of us' travelling away as my girls are now 14 and 16! They will grow up with Camper Van holiday memories and tails to tell their children. It is a part of our lives and I cannot imagine being without it!

I read the posts from the new owners and smile when I think back to when we first got our Cali and the questions we had then; it all seems so familiar now. We still treat everything with 'kid gloves' and very little has worn out, broken, or even looks worn!

Perhaps we should create a 'happy Owners' area of the forum [WINKING FACE]

Looking forward to the next 25 years of travelling and to my Cali becoming a classic! Just like the Splitties, Bays, T2.5, T4s and...

Regards Barry



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[KernowLad]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

I think we've had more than our fair share of issues with ours and had a proper wobble with the most recent ones. But when it came back after 8 weeks at the dealer, we were delighted.

It's given us the best holidays ever, is a brilliant daily load lugger and IMO actually looks quite good too.

Oh and that £50k car would now be worth (at three years old and 22k miles) about half what was paid for it… not the Cali though (we did a thorough check of values when we had our wobble)

So I'm firmly in the "love them" camp. That's partly why I spent a rather embarrassingly long time cleaning the thing yesterday… :lol:

 

[Fishyboy]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Hiya,

I don't post much, but look at the threads every day. Just thought I'd put a few words on for this one.

My family and I bought ours(Olive) just over a year ago, She is Ace!!!!
wouldn't change her for anything else.
They set us all apart from the boring people!

Carry on Camping posting.php?mode=reply&f=5&t=8298#

 

[Neiljbg]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

We are about to order a Cali...have done so much research, hired one, looked at alternatives....in our view nothing comes close, nice to see the positives being aired !

 

[barry]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Oh dear this is getting a bit sugary.
Can we get back to winging please.

 

[KernowLad]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Oh dear this is getting a bit sugary.
Can we get back to winging please.

:lol: :lol:

 

[DMB9R]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Also with all due respect to everyone who has the problem with the roof corrosion. I haven't even looked to see if mine has it?? The Cali is 3 years old and if it has a 6 year warranty then i may check it in a couple of years time. Someone may correct me on this but the roof and front section are aluminium and the problem is a 'reaction' under the surface of the paint. I don't personally think this is a major problem that's affecting the 'use' of the vehicle. It's hardly going to rot through and end up in a heap on the floor. When was the last time you saw a rusty Cali or T5 on the road?

 

[briwy]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

We have a massive problem with our Cali.

We use it too much, the house needs decorating, the gardens a jungle, friends are moaning because we are always away.

14k miles in our first year and that will increase now I have retired.

Don't put it away in winter, don't stay in hotels, go out and use it.
I really believe vehicles have less problems if they are used more.
All our vehicles are serviced once a year, I'm not a believer in variable servicing, perhaps a bit old fashioned but regular oil, fluid and filter changes make for long life apart from spotting any potential problems before they become major.
We are on our sixth VW group vehicle now, all diesels.
Some have done 150k miles and the only problem we have had is one DMF exploding and taking the gearbox out with it.
Not bad for a a total mileage approaching half a million miles. :clap

 

[KernowLad]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

The roof corrosion issue is due to a bit of daft design (it's fairly obvious that aluminium will react with steel if not electrically isolated properly; basic rule of materials engineering/chemistry) but as you say, it hardly makes the van explode. I'm getting ours done (again!) but it's no major drama.

When our Defender broke down almost every week, some of the issues were downright dangerous. Despite numerous warranty jobs, none have caused any major headaches; although not having it through that lovely September was a bit of a shame!

 

[GrannyJen]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

we have had a great time in Wilf over the last year and hope to continue doing so for many a year to come once I leave academia.

Lets put it all into perspective and enjoy this great vehicle we have bought.

Alan

P.S. I hope the shoes were worth the trip.

They had sold out of the shoes when I finally got to Dorverden. I was so distressed that I bought 5 other pairs instead

I quit Academia in January to spend time with my beloved Albert and forming a deep and meaningful relationship. I am an historian, Political and Military. Guess what! Recalled to the colours to help cope with the enormous leap in demand for WW1 speakers and guides.



The good news is that I am currently spending most of my time in France and Belgium with Albert

He was so thrilled when I took him to the Somme and he found a town named after him :crazy

 

[normg]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Our Cali, bless it, is now just over one year old and has done just over 11k. We use it as our daily use car. Have done some discreet wrapping to it by way of personalization. Spend days/nights/weeks in it and love it. No sign of corrosion on the front roof panel. Think it must be the modified one. I have found bubbling under the seal on the pop up roof and will mention this to the dealer sometime in the new year as well within warranty. No other warranty issues thus far. :goodone
This is the first time I have ever owned a VW and have absolutely no regrets whatsoever about purchasing it. :cool. Love it. What more can I say.

 

[swigle]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

+1 to everything everyone is saying on this thread!
Like Fishyboy, I don't post much but do keep tabs on the forum on a daily basis.
Had Cali for 2yr 8m; daily driver, done 39k miles. No sign of roof rot - but as DMB9R says, warranty is 6 yrs now so I'm not fretting - I'll check again in a year or 2. Just back from a 2 week tour if France. Managed to gather 12 dozen bottles of wine along the way (maybe I should review my alcohol consumption !) without really realising the amount - huge boot space meant we could just 'carry on camping'! I cook in it, sleep in it, use it for holidays and popping down the shops. I'm not precious about it - I know it will get a few bumps and scratches through its life, and that, with age, there will probably be problems (esp with the electrics, given the amount and complexity of them) but, hey, they'll be dealt with if / when they happen. I'm not going to worry about things that might not happen. Or things that do happen (airbag warning light came on last Sunday, and thanks to the forum I know what the issue is, and how to get it resolved). I'm too busy enjoying owning and using my Cali to worry about all these little things.

Steve

 

[Maud]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Just wanted to say thanks, GrannyJen, for starting this thread. I'm really enjoying reading all these posts and all the positive tales of Cali adventures - and especially how enjoyable a Cali is as a daily drive too

Keep them coming!

Maud

 

[doug]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

I totally agree with what has been said. I am also part of the "silent majority" who doesnt post much but reads a lot. I have had my cali for over two years and have not had a single problem (which wasnt of my own making ). I do have the roof issue but I am not worried about it at all - I have asked SMG to look at it when my new Kenwood 525 is fitted next week. Having owned a Chrysler Alpine in the distant past I really know what real corrosion issues look like! Hands up everyone who has had a jacking point give way due to rust and headlights that move around because their mounting has rusted away :crazy . Dont recall seeing anything like that on any Cali / T5.

I too looked at all of the other campervans at the NEC last week and as others have said none of them match the flexibility of the Cali. We have two large dogs who fill the space between the front and rear seats. On a trip the "boot" is full of walking boots / wellies, wet/drying water proofs, dog food etc. No other campervan that I could see had as much space. I think the idea of having a shower / loo in a van the size of a T5 just takes up too much precious space. We have a Qube loo in the boot which I always take out and put behind the passenger seat at night but we have never used it. True we dont do real wild camping, and I am sure that the Qube will come in handy when we do, but to me I would rather have the storage space than a permanent loo.

The dogs just discovered a new feature - when one of the front seats is turned around at night they can reach up in the morning and rest their front paws on the upstairs bed and nudge us in the head as a wake-up call - so they love the Cali too! It is good that we have the Berghaus seat covers.

Doug

 

[Pete Wilkins]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Nice to hear some positives, was starting to think I should sign into the local madhouse for buying one. I love mine. All the negative comments, makes you worry about owning one instead of enjoying the good,well said Jen for bringing this up.
:goodone

 

[nclarke8]

Re: Am I a totally deluded old tart who should be locked awa

Well Done G Jen.

We love our Cali. It looks cool, drives lovely and is pretty 'quick', we wouldn't be without it. I persuaded the wife to try camping a few years ago and we moved onto the Cali last year. Its so nice to be able to drive somewhere at a good speed (caravans and motorhomes cant do that) set up quick (tents can't do that). It doesn't matter how cold the weather is with the heater and if it is hot then the Fridge can hold so much beer and wine its never an issue.

Bad things can happy to any vehicle, but not many vehicles can make you smile as much as a Cali.