Any advice on getting 3rd rail & seat for SE(2012)

[Cali-Dreaming]

Hi all,
Firstly, apologies if this thread is in wrong place!
We currently have 2 children (12yrs & 7mnths) (I know massive gap!) & a 4 year old Springer Spaniel which works fine in our SE now but we have just found out we have another ‘unexpected’ arrival on the way in May!! (Lockdown has a lot to answer for!) Anyway, we are now needing to consider a 5th seat or will have to think seriously about getting rid of ‘Victor’
I just wanted some advice on a couple things;
1. How easy/costly is it to retro fit 3rd rail?
2.Will VW do this?
3. Also how is easy/costly is it to source 5th seat?
4. How much of an effect does this have on camping experience? (Packing room/setting up on site/removing & storing seat whilst camping etc)?
(I totally understand that it’s not going to be as straightforward as it is now but we love the ease of setup in the Cali & my hubby hates taking an awning if he can help it, (so we can easily move sites if we want to travel around) but now I’m thinking we will need additional gear for 2 babies under 1 & storage for this 5th seat whilst camping as well as thinking about the room it will take up for packing when installers & now I’m panicking about how it will work logistically.
Finally, apologies for the really long post!!

 

[Camperfamily]

I can’t help with your question about cost of adding 3rd rail as our van came with it. Picking up a 5th seat is relatively easy if you are prepared to travel to pick up - they come up on here fairly frequently and also on eBay.

However, I can help with being in a similar situation - see my thread here:

3 kids - what to do?

We bought our SE last summer (via this forum) and have loved getting away in it pre-COVID with our 4 year old and 2 year old kids, particularly to west coast of Scotland. We now have our third child on the way and I’m wondering whether the Cali SE/Ocean can be enjoyable for a family of 5. We...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

We haven’t yet camped with all 5 of us (our new family addition arrived end August), but our SE is performing brilliantly for day trips.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi all,
Firstly, apologies if this thread is in wrong place!
We currently have 2 children (12yrs & 7mnths) (I know massive gap!) & a 4 year old Springer Spaniel which works fine in our SE now but we have just found out we have another ‘unexpected’ arrival on the way in May!! (Lockdown has a lot to answer for!) Anyway, we are now needing to consider a 5th seat or will have to think seriously about getting rid of ‘Victor’
I just wanted some advice on a couple things;
1. How easy/costly is it to retro fit 3rd rail?
2.Will VW do this?
3. Also how is easy/costly is it to source 5th seat?
4. How much of an effect does this have on camping experience? (Packing room/setting up on site/removing & storing seat whilst camping etc)?
(I totally understand that it’s not going to be as straightforward as it is now but we love the ease of setup in the Cali & my hubby hates taking an awning if he can help it, (so we can easily move sites if we want to travel around) but now I’m thinking we will need additional gear for 2 babies under 1 & storage for this 5th seat whilst camping as well as thinking about the room it will take up for packing when installers & now I’m panicking about how it will work logistically.
Finally, apologies for the really long post!!

Unlikely to get a VW Dealership to fit the extra rail, but these people will.

Oxford VW T4 T5 caravelle and kombi Conversions and seats sales. - Home Page

Visit us for Volkswagen T4 & T5 caravelle and kombi Conversions and seats Sales,

www.oxfordt5.co.uk

5 th seats often come up for sale on here and eBay. T5/5.1/6 and 6.1 seats will fit, as nothing has changed apart from the colour/material used for different models/years.

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

I can’t help with your question about cost of adding 3rd rail as our van came with it. Picking up a 5th seat is relatively easy if you are prepared to travel to pick up - they come up on here fairly frequently and also on eBay.

However, I can help with being in a similar situation - see my thread here:

3 kids - what to do?

We bought our SE last summer (via this forum) and have loved getting away in it pre-COVID with our 4 year old and 2 year old kids, particularly to west coast of Scotland. We now have our third child on the way and I’m wondering whether the Cali SE/Ocean can be enjoyable for a family of 5. We...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

We haven’t yet camped with all 5 of us (our new family addition arrived end August), but our SE is performing brilliantly for day trips.

Thank you that is a big help in answering some of my worries! I really don’t want to have to get rid of our van so desperately hoping this is the ideal solution. Congratulations on your new arrival! I hope when you do get away you find you can have an enjoyable holiday with the 5 of you...

With regards to day trips does the 5th seat make making a cup of tea & bacon sarnie difficult?

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

Unlikely to get a VW Dealership to fit the extra rail, but these people will.

Oxford VW T4 T5 caravelle and kombi Conversions and seats sales. - Home Page

Visit us for Volkswagen T4 & T5 caravelle and kombi Conversions and seats Sales,

www.oxfordt5.co.uk

5 th seats often come up for sale on here and eBay. T5/5.1/6 and 6.1 seats will fit, as nothing has changed apart from the colour/material used for different models/years.

Great thank you! We live in Somerset but not too far to travel to get the job done. That’s very good to know about seat compatibility as well as no doubt that would have been my next question!

 

[WelshGas]

Thank you that is a big help in answering some of my worries! I really don’t want to have to get rid of our van so desperately hoping this is the ideal solution. Congratulations on your new arrival! I hope when you do get away you find you can have an enjoyable holiday with the 5 of you...

With regards to day trips does the 5th seat make making a cup of tea & bacon sarnie difficult?

Shouldn't do. Babies, at least initially, tend to stay where their put. You can also get a bed, like a stretcher to fit across the front seats, and the space behind the bench seat, on top of the parcel shelf makes a good playpen when parked up. As they grow up might become a little more difficult.

 

[Meoncoast]

I can’t help with your question about cost of adding 3rd rail as our van came with it. Picking up a 5th seat is relatively easy if you are prepared to travel to pick up - they come up on here fairly frequently and also on eBay.

However, I can help with being in a similar situation - see my thread here:

3 kids - what to do?

We bought our SE last summer (via this forum) and have loved getting away in it pre-COVID with our 4 year old and 2 year old kids, particularly to west coast of Scotland. We now have our third child on the way and I’m wondering whether the Cali SE/Ocean can be enjoyable for a family of 5. We...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

We haven’t yet camped with all 5 of us (our new family addition arrived end August), but our SE is performing brilliantly for day trips.

Have you thought about adding a double front passenger seat I have seen it on here before I think?

 

[Camperfamily]

For day trips we have removed the rear shelf and pushed the rear bench far back. This allows good floor space for day trips, with the fifth seat in. I think I’m going to buy the following Multimac seat (Superclub Junior - see photos in the thread I linked) which fits the rear bench perfectly. Not cheap, but a small price to pay to keep the Cali.

I’ve considered changing to a 3 seat Beach, but by the time you load it with a fridge and cooking facilities, I think the SE still fits our preferences better.

https://www.multimac.com/p/superclub_3_seater

 

[Camperfamily]

Ps. If I was in your position and had to fit a third rail, I wouldn’t bother and would instead buy the Multimac seat

 

[WelshGas]

Ps. If I was in your position and had to fit a third rail, I wouldn’t bother and would instead buy the Multimac seat

Would a 12 Yr old fit in it. The Op has a 12 Yr old, 7mth and new born.

 

[Bellcrew]

Would a 12 Yr old fit in it. The Op has a 12 Yr old, 7mth and new born.

They have the option of an adult using one of the seats, presumably quite slim, would suit a 12 year old fine.

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

Shouldn't do. Babies, at least initially, tend to stay where their put. You can also get a bed, like a stretcher to fit across the front seats, and the space behind the bench seat, on top of the parcel shelf makes a good playpen when parked up. As they grow up might become a little more difficult.

Yes that’s true! I had looked into the bed for front seats as an option but was reluctant to give up on the captain seat capacity. (I know I will have to compromise on some of these features eventually I’m just clinging on ) We also looked at the bunks that go across the captains seat for our 12 year old as she is autistic & can’t sleep in the pop top (Currently she is downstairs with me & baby in carrycot on front seat & husband in the pop top & dog wherever he can get ) so there are lots of things to think about to make this work for all of us.

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

Have you thought about adding a double front passenger seat I have seen it on here before I think?

Yes we did consider but we were reluctant to lose the extra seating provided by the passenger seat as a captains seat.

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

For day trips we have removed the rear shelf and pushed the rear bench far back. This allows good floor space for day trips, with the fifth seat in. I think I’m going to buy the following Multimac seat (Superclub Junior - see photos in the thread I linked) which fits the rear bench perfectly. Not cheap, but a small price to pay to keep the Cali.

I’ve considered changing to a 3 seat Beach, but by the time you load it with a fridge and cooking facilities, I think the SE still fits our preferences better.

https://www.multimac.com/p/superclub_3_seater

Thank you! This looks like a definite contender! I had never heard of a Multimac before...

As you say we toyed with Beach idea too but we don’t want to give up on the luxury of the ‘kitchen’ facilities either. That’s the whole reason we went for SE in the first instance.

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

Would a 12 Yr old fit in it. The Op has a 12 Yr old, 7mth and new born.

Looking on Multimac website you can opt to have either ‘end’ seat as an adult seat (for an additional £29 to be used with van seat belt) so looks like it would definitely work for our 12 year now & in the future.

 

[2into1]

Have you seen the calicamperfamily youtube channel? English couple based in Italy? Although they are selling their Cali now, they've had years of fun with 3 kids. They used to take SO MUCH gear but ironically found on their last trip, it was so much easier taking the absolute minimum (no drive away awning etc).
They used a 5th seat.

Cali Camper Family

www.youtube.com

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

Have you seen the calicamperfamily youtube channel? English couple based in Italy? Although they are selling their Cali now, they've had years of fun with 3 kids. They used to take SO MUCH gear but ironically found on their last trip, it was so much easier taking the absolute minimum (no drive away awning etc).
They used a 5th seat.

Cali Camper Family

www.youtube.com

Yes funnily enough we didn’t know about the 5th seat option until we watched their channel. That was what gave us hope we could still keep ours even with 3 children & also made my hubby fall in love with the nugget! (Traitor )

 

[Dylan]

Unlikely to get a VW Dealership to fit the extra rail, but these people will.

Oxford VW T4 T5 caravelle and kombi Conversions and seats sales. - Home Page

Visit us for Volkswagen T4 & T5 caravelle and kombi Conversions and seats Sales,

www.oxfordt5.co.uk

5 th seats often come up for sale on here and eBay. T5/5.1/6 and 6.1 seats will fit, as nothing has changed apart from the colour/material used for different models/years.

I had the 3rd rail fitted to our 2012 Cali T5 by Colin at Oxford t5 several years ago. Colin’s work is first class with great attention being paid to the alignment of the additional rail. He knows what he is doing.with genuine VW parts.

Delivered the van in the morning from Birmingham, took the bus into Oxford to sightsee and returned around 4pm to collect.

 

[westfalia]

Maybe the cost of fitting a 3rd rail for a 5th seat + the ball ache of camping with one
in an Ocean could lead to getting a Beach

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

Maybe the cost of fitting a 3rd rail for a 5th seat + the ball ache of camping with one
in an Ocean could lead to getting a Beach

To be honest if we had a Beach we may not need the 5th seat as we would have full width bench seat but wouldn’t have a ‘kitchen’ I think if we seriously consider going for a Beach I’ll have to talk my hubby out of the Nugget!

 

[westfalia]

To be honest if we had a Beach we may not need the 5th seat as we would have full width bench seat but wouldn’t have a ‘kitchen’ I think if we seriously consider going for a Beach I’ll have to talk my hubby out of the Nugget!

The Nugget is a great camper if it works for you, i maybe wrong
but i think there will be more sleeping room in a Beach though.

The Nuggets that i have seen have all been high roof ones though,
the new tranny is also a good drive, without my Vw glasses on, it is a
tough choice.

 

[Camperfamily]

Despite being advertised as having 3 seat belts on the rear bench, the bench width on the Nugget is only circa 10cm wider (I can’t remember precisely) than SE/ Ocean rear bench - so it’s not going to work for two baby seats, plus an older child (without a multimac). I also considered that route.

The reality is accommodating 3 kids is much trickier than 2 when it comes to vehicles and campers in particular. We are getting rid of our other cars to get a VW Touran, to accommodate 3 Isofix seats.

The 3 seat Beach would be better than SE/ Ocean for an every day vehicle with 3 kids. However our Cali is not our daily drive and I’m not convinced the Beach would be nearly as good for our preferred camping style (ie. avoiding campsites as much as possible and camping all year round).

Prior to purchase, we rented a Beach, for 5 days (with 2 kids at that stage). We subsequently rented an Ocean and that suited our needs much better, hence we bought our SE.

 

[Cali-Dreaming]

The Nugget is a great camper if it works for you, i maybe wrong
but i think there will be more sleeping room in a Beach though.

The Nuggets that i have seen have all been high roof ones though,
the new tranny is also a good drive, without my Vw glasses on, it is a
tough choice.

I’m not convinced by the Nugget myself. I think even though it is 5 seater I’m not sure rear seat would accommodate 2 infant car seats as well as our older daughter, but to be fair I’ve never seen one in the flesh. The high roof ones are the Nugget Plus I think with toilet on board which I’m not worried about also I like the beauty of being able to park anywhere with our SE as it is also my daily drive.
I think you are right about extra sleeping room with Beach. I would really like to find a solution for our van though as I love it!

 

[Bellcrew]

I’m not convinced by the Nugget myself. I think even though it is 5 seater I’m not sure rear seat would accommodate 2 infant car seats as well as our older daughter, but to be fair I’ve never seen one in the flesh. The high roof ones are the Nugget Plus I think with toilet on board which I’m not worried about also I like the beauty of being able to park anywhere with our SE as it is also my daily drive.
I think you are right about extra sleeping room with Beach. I would really like to find a solution for our van though as I love it!

All the high tops are obviously great when camping but IMHO are odd looking from many angles particularly when mounted on narrow base vans, the extra height required for upper beds just makes it worse. Owners never seem to comment on how planted they are, strange that.
Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Camperfamily]

Hi @Cali-Dreaming what did you decide to do in the end on seating options versus changing Cali?