Caddy California bits out?

[Jay586]

I'm looking for a petrol van for bobbing about in with the bikes & dogs.

It's hard to find a well-specced petrol van, so started looking at the Caddy Life or California.

Can you take all the California bits like the bed & kitchen pod out?

I think you can but all the reviews concentrate on the camping aspects, as is right really.

Any problems or things I need to think about?

 

[WelshGas]

I'm looking for a petrol van for bobbing about in with the bikes & dogs.

It's hard to find a well-specced petrol van, so started looking at the Caddy Life or California.

Can you take all the California bits like the bed & kitchen pod out?

I think you can but all the reviews concentrate on the camping aspects, as is right really.

Any problems or things I need to think about?

You can, but a very expensive way of getting a van as the California has a very high premium over a Transporter. A 3 seat California Beach would be the best choice if you decide to go this way, but petrol versions are like hens teeth.

 

[Jay586]

Ta.

Even a non-vw van is expensive now, no supply. Don't really want a diesel beater. Plus would need to line, etc as the bulkhead would have to come out due to dogs.

 

[Jay586]

From 2019 all Calis were diesel. Removing an Ocean innards would be complex. As @WelshGas said better to strip out a Beach Cheaper and easier.

It's the Caddy California I'm considering, not the T6 version.

 

[The Merle]

I'm looking for a petrol van for bobbing about in with the bikes & dogs.

It's hard to find a well-specced petrol van, so started looking at the Caddy Life or California.

Can you take all the California bits like the bed & kitchen pod out?

I think you can but all the reviews concentrate on the camping aspects, as is right really.

Any problems or things I need to think about?

Just bought a Suzuki jimny mk4 van small but petrol, cheap for new one. Plus you can carry bikes on spare wheel (about to buy bikeholder).

Looked at caddy’s too, but crazy money for 4-5yr old ones. Don’t like the shape of new ones and not keen on sitting low down like a car either.
Needed 4x4 and 4motion caddy’s are very rare!
Post your setup once you get it.

 

[Jay586]

We've got friends with a green Jimny. It's so dinky & they love it.

Very good for off-road, will be perfect for you. You can get the commercial variant again now, as it's exempt from the emissions regs.

 

[The Merle]

We've got friends with a green Jimny. It's so dinky & they love it.

Very good for off-road, will be perfect for you. You can get the commercial variant again now, as it's exempt from the emissions regs.

Yep that’s what I just got, have just removed bulkhead cage and started kitting it out.
Waiting on my front runner stuff to arrive now.
Vanessa bag fits nicely and the brandrup seat pocket too

 

[Dan and his van]

I'm looking for a petrol van for bobbing about in with the bikes & dogs.

It's hard to find a well-specced petrol van, so started looking at the Caddy Life or California.

Can you take all the California bits like the bed & kitchen pod out?

I think you can but all the reviews concentrate on the camping aspects, as is right really.

Any problems or things I need to think about?

Bed comes out really easily, just four clips then lifts out - one Person job. All backseats come out again really easily. kitchen pod is bolted in - not tried to remove.

 

[Jay586]

Did anyone ever get a discount? Any dealers particularly good with Caddys?

It's a fascinating market. So small compared even to the fairly small Cali market.

 

[MM-Seat Spades]

Did anyone ever get a discount? Any dealers particularly good with Caddys?

It's a fascinating market. So small compared even to the fairly small Cali market.

I got quoted no discount last week when I enquired about one. The dealer said they are very rarely sold which didn’t fill me with much confidence. The finance deal didn’t work for me in the end.

 

[ArunAlec]

I got quoted no discount last week when I enquired about one. The dealer said they are very rarely sold which didn’t fill me with much confidence. The finance deal didn’t work for me in the end.

I wouldn’t be concerned about them being ”rarely sold” as they are a bit of a niche market. I confess to liking them!

 

[Jay586]

They are very niche, not many around at all, if you look at registrations.

I might end up with an entire set of niche cars tho, as i have an Up tsi & a 6.1 Coast. Tho I think OH will make me sell one.

 

[MM-Seat Spades]

I wouldn’t be concerned about them being ”rarely sold” as they are a bit of a niche market. I confess to liking them!

I really like them. Suspect a coping mechanism in the deal not being achievable for me at the moment!

 

[Jay586]

I am making some progress with this.

The configurator is missing things I'd like tho, so pricing things is a bit of a mare.

 

[Ruby Mouse]

I owned a caddy cali for a couple of days and it just didn't work for me. You can take the bed out but not the kitchen pod so you lose a lot of potential space. My previous caddy camper (as pictured) was awesome - so many clever little camping things that make an in house camper so brilliant; the new one has removed almost all of these - even the windows and any ability to get out of the locked vehicle easily. In the end, the old shape caddy works better for me - as a van and a camper - so I'm doing it myself.