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

[AlanC]

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

I am glad I am not married to you then

That is a nice way to spend the year and supplement the pension too. I teach film sound so highly unlikely to get called back to the bar once I give up. Academia is not what it once was. All student head count, politics and money now, just like big corporations. I doubt you would enjoy it as much, I don't.

Having spent the longest time away ever this summer and collecting 3 doz bottles of wine on the way, Liz and I are are slowly considering where to go with Wilf next year. Will have more time then too and can miss August. If it is too long though I may need a small trailer for the wine!

Alan

 

[Calincolnshire]

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

Thanks Granny Jen for the positive words.
I'm sat in Northern France with 4 of the most precious things I have. My wife , 2 kids and the Cali. I just love it and the things it lets me do.
So one weekend we were sat on Filey Brigg drinking tea and looking out to sea and now I'm on my way to Disneyland Paris. Next week who knows. It's just the dreaded W word (work) that gets in the way.

Dispute the Cali issues that are well documented (we just seem to have the steering klonk) I still love it. For every Cali sold there must be 6 converstions or more made and all at similar money. These will have the same issues (not roof rot) but bellow pinch all the same engine issues etc. etc. the difference is we can take ours back to lots of dealers and the converstions can only take them back to the point of purchase . There is the odd exception to this but by and large the customer service from VW should be better. As a forum we have a voice and my hat goes out to the members that have tackled VW.
So people can hate the Cali all they like but the alternative could be lots worse .

John

 

[Isa Neal]

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

Well I'm so deluded that I've traded in my 2 1/2 year old Cali for a NEW one, same colour same specs but has DSG 4WD 180 instead of the DSG 180.
Thank you so much to Hugh at SMG for arranging such a prompt new build and delivery :clap :crazy :lol:
I've already had 2 months touring Scandinavia this year, another 2 months touring Italy, Sicily and Spain. Many more places to visit yet in Europe with the new Cali as well as all the beautiful places in the UK.

 

[KernowLad]

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

Isa: awesome! You'll like 4motion!

GrannyJen; how does liking a Cali make you a tart BTW?!!

 

[robo]

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

Congratulations. Does your new van have a name yet?

rob

 

[muttley]

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

And don't forget that kids and grandkids (and their friends) will think it is the coolest vehicle ever. Parents in the playground are always asking where we are planning to go next.

Simon

 

[GrannyJen]

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

Isa: awesome! You'll like 4motion!

GrannyJen; how does liking a Cali make you a tart BTW?!!

Oh goodness I was judged to be an old tart long before I had my cali

The title has been, unfairly and totally unjustly, bestowed upon me by family and close friends for my determined efforts to grow old disgracefully

I am now simly an old tart with a cali and living every minute of it ...

 

[Paulro]

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

Just seen this. Exactly right.
I look at the the many things it gets right and what it offers opposed to the the other side.
It's an amazing piece of kit.

 

[Rob H]

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

You've created a telling string Jen,

Life is a compromise, vehicles certainly are, if you're enjoying your Cali carry on, ..

Rob H.

 

[ospreys23]

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

My first post – Granny Jen’s passion has incited me to write! I am in the state of eager anticipation many on this forum have described, having placed an order for a Beach in the last days of October. By which you can correctly infer that the positives more (much more) than outweighed any negatives I might have spotted here and there

The decision to buy came after a year or so’s deliberation and extensive reading of the excellent discussions in this Forum, for which may I thank all the contributors! It’s also pleasing to see there are so many like-minded folks driving round Britain and wider Europe. It feels like I will be passing many of you on our travels (when it finally arrives anyway – it’s so far away)…

One question before we name it – are they ‘boys’ or ‘girls’ – we have a difference of opinion here at home??

 

[GrannyJen]

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

I have compromised on names.

My Van is called Albert, named after the techno-savvy German who was a loyal and steadfast companion to someone who could be headstrong, stubborn but ever so sweetly regal when the occasion demanded it ....

The bitch that always argues, always telling me where to go and often getting me lost is called Victoria.

I get lots of stares that traffic lights when I'm seen to be arguing with the sat-nav :crazy

 

[GrannyJen]

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

Oh,

and I'm currently parked up on an Aire in Bergue, near Dunkirk.

The weather is absolutely foul so instead of toodling off to the reasonable brasserie in town I''ve had to cook. The van smells like a little chef on wheels, the rain is hammering down, the winds are rocking the van,

and ..

The heater is set to "1" and it's 25 degrees inside, lovely relaxing classics playing on my Bose mini, a nice glass of wine perched on top of the fridge whilst I type and the weather can do what it damn well likes because I'm happy and nothing is going to stop me being happy...

it's called the Cali effect.

 

[AlanC]

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

One question before we name it – are they ‘boys’ or ‘girls’ – we have a difference of opinion here at home??

There's an interesting question. For me machines are always female, but I was overuled by the rest of the family so our Cali is male named Wilf!

 

[teeboy]

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

One question before we name it – are they ‘boys’ or ‘girls’ – we have a difference of opinion here at home??

There's an interesting question. For me machines are always female, but I was overuled by the rest of the family so our Cali is male named Wilf!

ours is called Keith!

IMHO boys names suit the modern vans and girls names suit the classics. Maybe it is because all tradesman drive t5's? ??? Other opinions are available

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

 

[KernowLad]

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

Ours is called "the van..!"
Just surfed a nice break totally alone; so nice to have the van to change in, a kettle for tea then heated seats to warm a slightly numb body.
Two nice comments from random strangers too; one rather amusingly about how much more reliable and corrosion free ours must be compared to their Bongo... :lol:

Slightly nerve racking surf (had to paddle to the middle of an estuary in big waves...!) so a comfortable van is great.

 

[simplybikes]

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

I first started looking at this forum back in August when I was in the process of buying my first Cali. I had pestered a friend of mine for a few years to sell me his. He had it from new and I always wanted it. It was my dream to own such a cracking machine. When I first looked at the forum all I could see were posts from people moaning and whining about a multitude of issues and then I saw the corrosion issues and I nearly sh*t myself. My dream had vanished as quickly as it had come. I agonised for several days about whether to go ahead and buy the van or not. I bought the van despite a corrosion issue and to hell with it. I walk out my front door every morning and see the van. And I have no regrets, I love my van and I love my corrosion. Viva le corrosion. And the good news is I have been rewarded by the VW fairy because today I got a phone call from the nice man in VW to say that they are going to fix the corrosion (same as in the UK), which given that this is a first for Ireland means that my faith and non confrontational attitude to VW has paid off handsomely. By the time they appoint a garage, tool it up and train people it may take awhile but what the heck, I don't care because me and my Cali will be just fine.

 

[calikev]

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

Great post and attitude

 

[sbmcd]

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

Ours is called "the van..!"
Just surfed a nice break totally alone; so nice to have the van to change in, a kettle for tea then heated seats to warm a slightly numb body.
Two nice comments from random strangers too; one rather amusingly about how much more reliable and corrosion free ours must be compared to their Bongo... :lol:

Slightly nerve racking surf (had to paddle to the middle of an estuary in big waves...!) so a comfortable van is great.

I am pleased we are not alone, ours is also simply called "the van"

 

[Barryjm]

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

Ours is male and called MFV pronounced Murphy, his name is on the Registration Plate so it would have been rude to name him anything else! Besides, with a house full of females I needed some male company [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

 

[Noeleen]

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

Message for "simplybikes"

Is there a workshop in Ireland that will repair roof corrosion? Please let me know because if there is, it may help me to become another old tart enjoying roaming about in a Cali.

Noeleen

 

[simplybikes]

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

Don't know I'm afraid as all of my dealing on the corrosion issue has been directly with VW HQ as opposed to a garage.

 

[Noeleen]

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

What did you mean by "a first for Ireland" then?

 

[simplybikes]

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

If you read my previous post you'll see that to undertake the sort of repairs that are presently being carried out in the UK VW have to appoint a garage here.

 

[exburstner]

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

im on my second cali and yes i could have bought my forever dreamt about porsche instead, but my van offers me possibilities..i could go anywhere, whenever and so every drive is a dream i can plan trips and weekends away and know with a quick scour on the web ill find somewhere to stay for free..whats not to love!

 

[oldmtber]

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

I agree with all the above - the Cali is a great vehicle.
It is also a very expensive vehicle if not the most expensive in it's class and I just wish VW would acknowledge various design faults which lead to corrosion on roof panels (among other things) and exert themselves a bit more to sort it all out.
Unfortunately my dealings with VW warranty dept leave me feeling a bit like this