Beach or Ocean

[daveyboydanger]

No problem for " Normal " sized people and you can make a cup of tea without getting out of bed. Maybe not a problem in summer, but in the depths of winter with it lashing down - nothing better.

Haha. What is “normal” sized when it comes to people?

 

[WelshGas]

Haha. What is “normal” sized when it comes to people?

Whatever VW decides.

 

[Amarillo]

Haha. What is “normal” sized when it comes to people?

4'8" average Bolivian female to 6'1" average Bosnian male. (Interesting that the shortest and tallest are neighbours alphabetically).

The normal range depends on definition. 5th centile US female 5', 95th centile US male 6'1. But as the California is not sold in the US this is of limited help.

 

[daveyboydanger]

4'8" average Bolivian female to 6'1" average Bosnian male. (Interesting that the shortest and tallest are neighbours alphabetically).

The normal range depends on definition. 5th centile US female 5', 95th centile US male 6'1. But as the California is not sold in the US this is of limited help.

Looks like I’m an average Bosnian man then. Who knew!?

 

[Borris]

Ah I see now. The red thing carries all the Gas cartridges, gas burners, water container, fridge, cooking utensils and clothes etc: Do you tow it behind?

Only when you go camping. For the rest of the year you can leave it at home!

 

[WelshGas]

Only when you go camping. For the rest of the year you can leave it at home!

Only when you go camping. For the rest of the year you can leave it at home!

I'd be forever hitching it up then!

 

[MarkVw2017]

Well supppse @WelshGas 2 x 'normal' size people would fall in the bracket of a double bed of 135cm wide, an ocean being somewhat 20cm smaller than that at 115cm and bearing in mind, a single bed is 91cm so its between a single and a double. I feel beacheos have the 5* hotel luxury of a FULL king size bed which is 150cm wide. In terms of a cuppa, suppose a a mini gas stove, and a foldable kettle in bottom drawer set up on the folding table and you got a brew, no hardship!

 

[Jonathan Duke]

And for "naps" the 3-seat bench seat is handy!

 

[MarkVw2017]

And for "naps" the 3-seat bench seat is handy!

View attachment 36189

View attachment 36190

That looks so comfy without it even being a bed yet ;-)

 

[WelshGas]

Well supppse @WelshGas 2 x 'normal' size people would fall in the bracket of a double bed of 135cm wide, an ocean being somewhat 20cm smaller than that at 115cm and bearing in mind, a single bed is 91cm so its between a single and a double. I feel beacheos have the 5* hotel luxury of a FULL king size bed which is 150cm wide. In terms of a cuppa, suppose a a mini gas stove, and a foldable kettle in bottom drawer set up on the folding table and you got a brew, no hardship!

Have to get the milk out of the Fridge as well and fill up the kettle
Of course you can do all that in the Beach as long as you set it all out the night before.

Been in plenty of places that have a 5* bed, as you say, and that is the ONLY thing they have.

 

[MarkVw2017]

Have to get the milk out of the Fridge as well and fill up the kettle
Of course you can do all that in the Beach as long as you set it all out the night before.

Been in plenty of places that have a 5* bed, as you say, and that is the ONLY thing they have.

Thats a very big ONLY thing though and deal clincher for some when its one of the main points of buying a California, the beauty of sleeping in it so can see why some people would prefer a proper sized bed rather than a large single bed with a cupboard, fridge, sink, gas stove aka a VW kitchen). you can add and remove all them individually to a beach if you want, you cannot take them out a Ocean. Versatility! and of course, a beach is about £10,000 cheaper, so lets not forget that!

 

[Jonathan Duke]

When I spec a Beach & Ocean to my ideal/similar config..... and then add the costs of a sliding table, window bags (wardrobes) and compressor fridge to the beach..... the difference between the two is only ~£3500

The powered-roof on the Ocean, is a concern of mine, as is the narrrow lower bed (and sofa!)

I also prefer to spin the passenger seat and have leg room, as spinning the drivers seat is more cumbersome. I often leave the passenger seat facing aft for short journeys whilst in semi-camp / lounge mode also (passengers buckle-in on the rear bench if this is the case.)

However, I certainly will still consider a Coast and/or Ocean if/when I renew. I’ll definitely hire an Ocean, for a long weekend..... to weigh up the realities. The Ocean does look lovely to sit and in, the interior quality is excellent especially with the wood effect flooring (which sadly isn’t an option on the Beach.)

 

[Amarillo]

That looks so comfy without it even being a bed yet ;-)

I've slept about 5 full nights on the bench with Clare and the boys in the upper berth.

 

[Borris]

Thats a very big ONLY thing though and deal clincher for some when its one of the main points of buying a California, the beauty of sleeping in it so can see why some people would prefer a proper sized bed rather than a large single bed with a cupboard, fridge, sink, gas stove aka a VW kitchen). you can add and remove all them individually to a beach if you want, you cannot take them out a Ocean. Versatility! and of course, a beach is about £10,000 cheaper, so lets not forget that!

When we had our SE we found the downstairs bed to be absolutely fine for the two of us. Yes, it's narrow and there isn't much room to spare but the plus side is that you can't be kicked out of bed! However, if either of you are the restless type who likes to toss and turn or spread out during the night then you're likely to find the SE/Ocean setup rather restrictive.

Also, IMO the so called VW Comfort mattress suffers from the same firmness in both models. You can Improve the level of comfort to suit with a Zonesleep and/or self inflating mattress. I have no experience of sleeping in Beach fitted with the two seater rear bench setup but have a fair bit with both the SE/Ocean and three seater Beach. Whilst you could probably get a reasonable nights sleep in an SE/Ocean without the Comfort Mattress, I suspect you wouldn't in the Beach. Whilst I have never tried sleeping in either of our vans without these mattresses, the rear seat in the SE/Ocean is flat when in bed mode whereas the three seater bench seat in the Beach is contoured for seating comfort. So when made up into bed mode it would be a rather undulating bumpy affair. When deployed, the VW Comfort mattress has in effect, mirror image contouring on the underside to provide a perfectly flat sleeping surface. So for what its worth, to anyone considering a Beach with the three seater bench seat, my advice would be to specify the VW Comfort mattress. Some people do use other products but they won't have the mirror contouring so will almost certainly not produce a perfectly flat result.

The other thing to note is that the surface of the downstairs bed in the Beach with the three seater bench is higher off the floor than either the SE/Ocean or the Beach with the two seater rear bench. So there's less head room. This is only an issue if you've not put the roof up or have others sleeping upstairs. I've not found that a particular problem because when the bed is made up we are usually horizontal not vertical. In fact it's actually a good compromise. As the bed is higher, there is more room under the MultiFlex board. I've read comments on here that those with the two seater Beach find the their Mutliflex to be neither multi anything or flexible. Some camping items (fridge, toilet) sometimes won't fit beneath it as the storage space is much more height restricted when compared to the space beneath the three seater Beach Multiflex. So there are pros and cons to either bed setup however I feel that the three seater Beach provides the best bed/storage compromise.

We'd be happy to sleep in either vehicle as long as it had the VW Comfort mattress and a Zonesleep. However, having owned both we prefer our Beach with it's huge king sized bed. It's sheer luxury. I can appreciate the fact that you can make a cupper whilst still in bed and that's great but it's not something that either of us has every been that bothered about. Anyway at our time of life we usually need to get up for a more pressing priority in the mornings.

Finally, ease of use. The SE/Ocean requires the bench to be slid forward and the headrests dropped to the stowed position before the bench seat back is dropped into the bed position. All that remains is to pull the mattress forward and the bed is ready. With the Beach (three seat bench version) the process is almost exactly the same except the three headrests have to manually removed. However, if we are away camping or touring and there's just the two of us we usually leave the rear head rests at home. In fact sometimes if the weather is good enough to eat and relax outside we just leave the bed made up. So in practice there is little difference in the ease of use.

 

[MarkVw2017]

When we had our SE we found the downstairs bed to be absolutely fine for the two of us. Yes, it's narrow and there isn't much room to spare but the plus side is that you can't be kicked out of bed! However, if either of you are the restless type who likes to toss and turn or spread out during the night then you're likely to find the SE/Ocean setup rather restrictive.

Also, IMO the so called VW Comfort mattress suffers from the same firmness in both models. You can Improve the level of comfort to suit with a Zonesleep and/or self inflating mattress. I have no experience of sleeping in Beach fitted with the two seater rear bench setup but have a fair bit with both the SE/Ocean and three seater Beach. Whilst you could probably get a reasonable nights sleep in an SE/Ocean without the Comfort Mattress, I suspect you wouldn't in the Beach. Whilst I have never tried sleeping in either of our vans without these mattresses, the rear seat in the SE/Ocean is flat when in bed mode whereas the three seater bench seat in the Beach is contoured for seating comfort. So when made up into bed mode it would be a rather undulating bumpy affair. When deployed, the VW Comfort mattress has in effect, mirror image contouring on the underside to provide a perfectly flat sleeping surface. So for what its worth, to anyone considering a Beach with the three seater bench seat, my advice would be to specify the VW Comfort mattress. Some people do use other products but they won't have the mirror contouring so will almost certainly not produce a perfectly flat result.

The other thing to note is that the surface of the downstairs bed in the Beach with the three seater bench is higher off the floor than either the SE/Ocean or the Beach with the two seater rear bench. So there's less head room. This is only an issue if you've not put the roof up or have others sleeping upstairs. I've not found that a particular problem because when the bed is made up we are usually horizontal not vertical. In fact it's actually a good compromise. As the bed is higher, there is more room under the MultiFlex board. I've read comments on here that those with the two seater Beach find the their Mutliflex to be neither multi anything or flexible. Some camping items (fridge, toilet) sometimes won't fit beneath it as the storage space is much more height restricted when compared to the space beneath the three seater Beach Multiflex. So there are pros and cons to either bed setup however I feel the the three seater Beach provides the best bed/storage compromise.

We'd be happy to sleep in either vehicle as long as it had the VW Comfort mattress and a Zonesleep. However, having owned both we prefer our Beach with it's huge king sized bed. It's sheer luxury. I can appreciate the fact that you can make a cupper whilst still in bed and that's great but it's not something that either of us has every been that bothered about. Anyway at our time of life we usually need to get up for a more pressing priority in the mornings.

Finally, ease of use. The SE/Ocean requires the bench to be slid forward and the headrests dropped to the stowed position before the bench seat back is dropped into the bed position. All that remains is to pull the mattress forward and the bed is ready. With the Beach (three seat bench version) the process is almost exactly the same except the three headrests have to manually removed. However, if we are away camping or touring and there's just the two of us we usually leave the rear head rests at home. In fact sometimes if the weather is good enough to eat and relax outside we just leave the bed made up. So in practice there is little difference in the ease of use.

Thanks for that @Borris What a brilliant reply or should i say article

 

[Barbara]

4'8" average Bolivian female to 6'1" average Bosnian male. (Interesting that the shortest and tallest are neighbours alphabetically).

The normal range depends on definition. 5th centile US female 5', 95th centile US male 6'1. But as the California is not sold in the US this is of limited help.

No problem for " Normal " sized people and you can make a cup of tea without getting out of bed. Maybe not a problem in summer, but in the depths of winter with it lashing down - nothing better.

Have to get the milk out of the Fridge as well and fill up the kettle
Of course you can do all that in the Beach as long as you set it all out the night before.

Been in plenty of places that have a 5* bed, as you say, and that is the ONLY thing they have.

I am 5ft tall, that is 1.52m. My California (Beech) is perfect.
Driver seating position better than some cars, OK I have to have a pad on the seat belt and sometimes need to hold on to steering wheel to get in depending on if I am parked on a slope.
I can sleep on the 3 bench seat across the width without the need for the multi-board.
I have to carry steps to get the seats out of the tail gate but I can sit inside and move around with the roof down.
I have to stand on the seats to lower the upper bed and to close the roof then balance on the door steps to check it is going down OK. I only put the roof up for ventilation.
The first time I sat in a California I knew it was the van for me.

 

[Barbara]

When we had our SE we found the downstairs bed to be absolutely fine for the two of us. Yes, it's narrow and there isn't much room to spare but the plus side is that you can't be kicked out of bed! However, if either of you are the restless type who likes to toss and turn or spread out during the night then you're likely to find the SE/Ocean setup rather restrictive.

Also, IMO the so called VW Comfort mattress suffers from the same firmness in both models. You can Improve the level of comfort to suit with a Zonesleep and/or self inflating mattress. I have no experience of sleeping in Beach fitted with the two seater rear bench setup but have a fair bit with both the SE/Ocean and three seater Beach. Whilst you could probably get a reasonable nights sleep in an SE/Ocean without the Comfort Mattress, I suspect you wouldn't in the Beach. Whilst I have never tried sleeping in either of our vans without these mattresses, the rear seat in the SE/Ocean is flat when in bed mode whereas the three seater bench seat in the Beach is contoured for seating comfort. So when made up into bed mode it would be a rather undulating bumpy affair. When deployed, the VW Comfort mattress has in effect, mirror image contouring on the underside to provide a perfectly flat sleeping surface. So for what its worth, to anyone considering a Beach with the three seater bench seat, my advice would be to specify the VW Comfort mattress. Some people do use other products but they won't have the mirror contouring so will almost certainly not produce a perfectly flat result.

The other thing to note is that the surface of the downstairs bed in the Beach with the three seater bench is higher off the floor than either the SE/Ocean or the Beach with the two seater rear bench. So there's less head room. This is only an issue if you've not put the roof up or have others sleeping upstairs. I've not found that a particular problem because when the bed is made up we are usually horizontal not vertical. In fact it's actually a good compromise. As the bed is higher, there is more room under the MultiFlex board. I've read comments on here that those with the two seater Beach find the their Mutliflex to be neither multi anything or flexible. Some camping items (fridge, toilet) sometimes won't fit beneath it as the storage space is much more height restricted when compared to the space beneath the three seater Beach Multiflex. So there are pros and cons to either bed setup however I feel the the three seater Beach provides the best bed/storage compromise.

We'd be happy to sleep in either vehicle as long as it had the VW Comfort mattress and a Zonesleep. However, having owned both we prefer our Beach with it's huge king sized bed. It's sheer luxury. I can appreciate the fact that you can make a cupper whilst still in bed and that's great but it's not something that either of us has every been that bothered about. Anyway at our time of life we usually need to get up for a more pressing priority in the mornings.

Finally, ease of use. The SE/Ocean requires the bench to be slid forward and the headrests dropped to the stowed position before the bench seat back is dropped into the bed position. All that remains is to pull the mattress forward and the bed is ready. With the Beach (three seat bench version) the process is almost exactly the same except the three headrests have to manually removed. However, if we are away camping or touring and there's just the two of us we usually leave the rear head rests at home. In fact sometimes if the weather is good enough to eat and relax outside we just leave the bed made up. So in practice there is little difference in the ease of use.

Great summary. Interesting differences in bed height.

Question. We need to take out the bench seat from our beech for a forthcoming trip which means we have 2 normal seats instead. The bench seat is no fun to move in and out but I use it as a bed, as I can not get in and out of high level bed. Has anyone found a way to sleep using to passenger seat and 2 of the removable seats?

 

[WelshGas]

Thats a very big ONLY thing though and deal clincher for some when its one of the main points of buying a California, the beauty of sleeping in it so can see why some people would prefer a proper sized bed rather than a large single bed with a cupboard, fridge, sink, gas stove aka a VW kitchen). you can add and remove all them individually to a beach if you want, you cannot take them out a Ocean. Versatility! and of course, a beach is about £10,000 cheaper, so lets not forget that!

You don’t have to keep on about why the Beach is for you. If it’s for you, fine. But stop trying to find reasons to support your assertion. I find the bed in my SE fine for both of us. The price differential is Not £10,000 but closer to parity when you factor in the same VW options and include the extras needed to equip a Beach for all year round use. I wild camp as well, a little more difficult in a Beach during a winter storm. Not impossible but more difficult than I am prepared to accept.
I wouldn’t be without the Electric roof and certainly wouldn’t consider a Beach just to get a manual roof.
Yes, you can carry 7 in a Beach, yes you can carry a palet of bricks if you want. I’m not prepared to move Seats in and out, or empty vehicle to carry the bricks . My SE is my camper if I want to carry bricks I’ll hire a van or get them delivered.
What I can do is top off the water if needed and just go. That’s worth £10k to me anytime. No packing, no dragging stuff from the garage, just go.

 

[Digger]

Ocean for some Beach for some. What matters is you get what suits you and that's all that matters. Personal choice.

 

[MarkVw2017]

Here here, just that welshgas stated the bigger bed was the ONLY better thing in a beach, which is not true, thats all i was saying. Each to their own, both great vehicles!

 

[Borris]

You don’t have to keep on about why the Beach is for you. If it’s for you, fine. But stop trying to find reasons to support your assertion. I find the bed in my SE fine for both of us. The price differential is Not £10,000 but closer to parity when you factor in the same VW options and include the extras needed to equip a Beach for all year round use. I wild camp as well, a little more difficult in a Beach during a winter storm. Not impossible but more difficult than I am prepared to accept.
I wouldn’t be without the Electric roof and certainly wouldn’t consider a Beach just to get a manual roof.
Yes, you can carry 7 in a Beach, yes you can carry a palet of bricks if you want. I’m not prepared to move Seats in and out, or empty vehicle to carry the bricks . My SE is my camper if I want to carry bricks I’ll hire a van or get them delivered.
What I can do is top off the water if needed and just go. That’s worth £10k to me anytime. No packing, no dragging stuff from the garage, just go.

A bit strong WG! The chap hasn't even got his van yet. He is probably going through the, Have I done the right thing? phase.

The Beach v Ocean rivalry is amusing but completely irrelevant. The Beach isn't for everyone nor is the SE/Ocean but that doesn't matter. Who really cares as long as an owner ends up with the van that suits their needs. Both vans are superb but totally different in both character and their practical abilities. They suit different life styles and needs. Cost comparisons are pointless as are comments about the differences in standard spec. VW chooses to market them that way. They could easily produce both versions with identical standard spec but for some reason they don't. That doesn't make one version better than the other.

So for anyone currently looking to buy a California, if you are spending your time comparing the levels of spec and the corresponding value for money of each version before choosing, then unless each version is equally suitable for your long term needs, you are barking up the wrong tree. I've said this before but THE MOST IMPORTANT issue to decide when buying is what you are likely to want to use your California for over both short and long term ownership. If you get that bit wrong it won't be a disaster but you won't be getting the best from your hard earned.

So to end this continual rivalry I propose that VW change the name of both versions:

California Ocean to the California Teasmaid

California Beach to California Tea bag Plus Plus Plus

That should end the bitterness

 

[Amarillo]

You don’t have to keep on about why the Beach is for you. If it’s for you, fine. But stop trying to find reasons to support your assertion. I find the bed in my SE fine for both of us. The price differential is Not £10,000 but closer to parity when you factor in the same VW options and include the extras needed to equip a Beach for all year round use. I wild camp as well, a little more difficult in a Beach during a winter storm. Not impossible but more difficult than I am prepared to accept.
I wouldn’t be without the Electric roof and certainly wouldn’t consider a Beach just to get a manual roof.
Yes, you can carry 7 in a Beach, yes you can carry a palet of bricks if you want. I’m not prepared to move Seats in and out, or empty vehicle to carry the bricks . My SE is my camper if I want to carry bricks I’ll hire a van or get them delivered.
What I can do is top off the water if needed and just go. That’s worth £10k to me anytime. No packing, no dragging stuff from the garage, just go.

Which of the two does this word describe:
Supercalisevenseaterbedisextraspacious?

 

[T6 CFO]

Deleted

 

[MarkVw2017]

A bit strong WG! The chap hasn't even got his van yet. He is probably going through the, Have I done the right thing? phase.

The Beach v Ocean rivalry is amusing but completely irrelevant. The Beach isn't for everyone nor is the SE/Ocean but that doesn't matter. Who really cares as long as an owner ends up with the van that suits their needs. Both vans are superb but totally different in both character and their practical abilities. They suit different life styles and needs. Cost comparisons are pointless as are comments about the differences in standard spec. VW chooses to market them that way. They could easily produce both versions with identical standard spec but for some reason they don't. That doesn't make one version better than the other.

So for anyone currently looking to buy a California, if you are spending your time comparing the levels of spec and the corresponding value for money of each version before choosing, then unless each version is equally suitable for your long term needs, you are barking up the wrong tree. I've said this before but THE MOST IMPORTANT issue to decide when buying is what you are likely to want to use your California for over both short and long term ownership. If you get that bit wrong it won't be a disaster but you won't be getting the best from your hard earned.

So to end this continual rivalry I propose that VW change the name of both versions:

California Ocean to the California Teasmaid

California Beach to California Tea bag Plus Plus Plus

That should end the bitterness

Brilliant @Borris !!!!!! Both are amazing, freedom and adventure in both!!!! People get passionate on here somsometimes dont they . All friends now @WelshGas

 

[M88GAV]

Thanks for that, thats a great reply and nice to hear an imparial review with you having owned both!

Im not getting the Kitchen and will want that when camping, but will love the wide bed at night. So Ocean for Daytime, beach for Nighttime, hmm, im not joiner or magician, but anyone able to design a folding kitchen for beach owners who want the best of both worlds, if only hey?

I’m new to the forum and reading over some old posts. Just read this and its like you predicted the future with the new slide out/folding gas burner in the new Beach!