Cali Beach kitchen / cooker Pod options

[CALI FATE]

Having ordered a 3 seat Yellow T6 Beach (predicted delivery date of 1/3/16) i have been researching the various bits of kit i will need to buy. I am particularly interested in buying a kitchen pod that can slide in / out of the van as required. I thought it might be fun if we created a directory of the various amazing solutions that are available on the www.

Here are my findings to date

http://slidepods.co.uk/
http://www.ququq.info/en/homepage/
http://www.vanessa-mobilcamping.de/
http://www.camper-van-fun.com/camping-box.html
http://www.yatoo-concept.com/ensemble-yatoo
http://www.maxxcamp.de/en/modules/index.php

Please add any other you know off and any comments / reviews if anyone is using the kit.

I want the best of both worlds - a usable MPV for day to day family transport, with the option to go camping / MTBing at the drop of a seat.

Have fun

 

[SlidePods]

Hi Tim I might be a little biased regarding reviews!

However I just thought I would let you know the latest thing we are doing with our Slidepod customers.

We have had a couple of customers ask if we can make them a second pod which is just a storage space that slides in and out for carrying shopping, tools and in one case professional camera equipment. This means they can use their boot space for practical day to day / work things during the week and then replace it quickly and easily with the kitchen pod at the weekend. We are obviously more than happy to do this and will soon have it nailed down as a fixed price option for all of our future customers.

 

[T6Beach]

We are currently looking at the pod options and have been in contact with Maxxcamp, we do like the look of the compact pod http://www.maxxcamp.de/en/shop/products/20_variomodule-compact.php and with the good EUR exchange rate this is quite good value. Has anyone purchased a Maxxcamp Pod?

 

[CALI FATE]

We are currently looking at the pod options and have been in contact with Maxxcamp, we do like the look of the compact pod http://www.maxxcamp.de/en/shop/products/20_variomodule-compact.php and with the good EUR exchange rate this is quite good value. Has anyone purchased a Maxxcamp Pod?

Hi I too like the Maxxcamp kit - not made made mind up on the internal kitchen vs the under flexi slide out boot options. If it was just the two of us sleeping upstairs the internal pod would win - but if you want to sleep kids /others downstairs the boot option probably fav -

 

[Dave bee]

We use a ikea cupboard with a washing bowl and gas stove we lift out and put on the top. I have looked at most and think the maxxcamp compact would suit us the best. The rest seem to big for our needs as 5 of us in the van, need lots of room for the family. I see slidepods are possibly going to do something for inside the van. Hope they do something similar to maxxcamp as their( slidepods ) kit looks very well made and thought out. Something not too big with a can fl1323 hod/sink would be great, fingers crossed they make one.

 

[blondebier]

Hi Tim,

We're going through the same dilemma. Planning adventures is far too much of a distration at present.

In the short term we've got a Smokey Joe and that serves us well when we're out and about. I like cooking on wood/charcoal. It's not much fun in the rain. Although I can't imagine cooking anywhere in the wet will be very enjoyable.

We've got 2 little people with us (currently 6 and 3) and the space is quite important consideration for us too.

Thankfully we've got until at least March to make up our minds.

 

[CALI FATE]

Hi Tim,

We're going through the same dilemma. Planning adventures is far too much of a distration at present.

In the short term we've got a Smokey Joe and that serves us well when we're out and about. I like cooking on wood/charcoal. It's not much fun in the rain. Although I can't imagine cooking anywhere in the wet will be very enjoyable.

We've got 2 little people with us (currently 6 and 3) and the space is quite important consideration for us too.

Thankfully we've got until at least March to make up our minds.

haha blonde - similar spec same colour mutual dilemma - bet our mrs's look the same ..... i like the ququq kit seems well sorted and ticks my boxes - but the maxx vario unit is cool too - just a bit concerned there is little worktop space. A chopping board over the sink would do the trick but not sure if the tap lays flat. Have asked the question cheers

 

[zeratul]

There's this one
http://www.california-camping.de/t5...ia-beach-startline-mulitvan-kuechenmodul.html
It's looks exactly the same as one of the Vanessa Camping products, but cheaper.

 

[MattBW]

Zeratul, how are you getting along with your Ikea based DIY job?

 

[zeratul]

I've only been away with it one weekend. It took 6 months to get the Camper procedure finished and to get my plates. Then the first weekends we went with 7 seats without pod to be able to spread the 3 kids ( so they can't fight wilde driving, a real problem). Last week I removed the middle seats. The IKEA pod does the Job fine. It's okay for washing hands or brushing teeth. Not for doing dishes(too small). I might adapt it a bit to look more like James for the water bottle location though. Then I can store all food and cooking stuff inside.

 

[MattBW]

Also found this which looks ideal, if you could put it along the opposite side to the slider it may work... https://www.reimo.com/en/11006-t5_kitchen_cooky_with_cushion_for_bed_without_technic_granitto/ Wonder if it can fit...

650 euros is very good price I think, works out at just £476 although the UK importer is selling it for £799.

 

[cleve]

We have the reimo pantry which is great to store a few essentials, cook and I've even washed my hair over the sink when necessary! We have ours fitted behind the drivers seat so we can cook outside under the canopy but you can get them with the cooker mounted on either side. Fresh water & waste tanks stored behind the pod & accessed by sliding front seat forward. Had one for several years now & haven't seen one I'm tempted to replace it with.

There's 5 of us so we use the single burner in conjunction with bbq in summer & halogen oven for long trips or cold weather camping.

We couldn't imagine a tailgate option as it would leave us with very little storage.

 

[SlidePods]

any chance of a pic of it with the bed down please?

 

[CALI FATE]

We have the reimo pantry which is great to store a few essentials, cook and I've even washed my hair over the sink when necessary! We have ours fitted behind the drivers seat so we can cook outside under the canopy but you can get them with the cooker mounted on either side. Fresh water & waste tanks stored behind the pod & accessed by sliding front seat forward. Had one for several years now & haven't seen one I'm tempted to replace it with.

There's 5 of us so we use the single burner in conjunction with bbq in summer & halogen oven for long trips or cold weather camping.

We couldn't imagine a tailgate option as it would leave us with very little storage.

View attachment 11399

thats neat - inside unit but cooking outside ..... does the reimo unit fit onto the beach rails - thanks

 

[cleve]

Will post pic when I can find one I have already taken to save me removing all the car seats! It basically has about an inch clearance of the cupboard when multiflex fully extended. There's still enough floor space next to cupboard for our waeco fridge & portaloo at night but that's it. Like I said, works really well for us & surprising what we can fit in the cupboards & drawer.

It clamps into beach rails easily, could be removed if you want easily enough but we never feel the need. Burner can be clamped onto shelf but we leave it freestanding so it can be used outside on a table or inside van if really windy.

There's quite a few pics on Google images, a lot of them ours as we had one in our caravelle first.

We bought from cmc reimo, really helpful if you ring, just make sure you order the right configuration & specify which side you want cooker on.

 

[MattBW]

Thats good to know, so it will fit in a beach, CMC when I talked to them thought it might fit but couldn't be sure.

 

[SlidePods]

I would be surprised if it fits the 2 seat configuration due the the longer bed.

 

[zeratul]

Hi cleve,

You seem to have a different table than the standard Cali table? Is that required for use with this Reimo unit? Or is this just an older Beach model?
Can you still walk between the front seats?
I'm also still struggling with where to store porta potti, fridge, kitchen module.
I like the cooking outside aspect, but the module is a bit in the way of the entrace door. Kitchen unit on the other side and porta potti or fridge on this side seems a bit more convenient to me.
Still experimenting though .

any chance of a pic of it with the bed down please?

I found this pic on google images

 

[zeratul]

So here is my self made "IKEA Alex" kitchen pod in use on our christmas holiday trip. Not the best pictures. But it did work fine! Still need to invest in a waeco fridge.
What's fun is that we can cook inside and outside (the cooker can be taken out of the drawer). And the california table height is exactly the height of Ikea alex, extending it nicely for eating or playing games.

We were 3 days completely independent with 5 people with just 15 litres of water. That means cooking rice and use the boiling water to do the dishes etc. Worked out fine.
I will modify the kitchen unit a bit in the coming months - the water bottles will be outside of it so they're more easily accessible and replaceable. And then we can use the storage space in the bottom.
The idea is to select the perfect size Waeco to fit under the dinner table and on top of the kitchen unit at night in bed mode. That way we can use the toilet, go check on the children etc.

 

[SlidePods]

Hi cleve,

You seem to have a different table than the standard Cali table? Is that required for use with this Reimo unit? Or is this just an older Beach model?
Can you still walk between the front seats?
I'm also still struggling with where to store porta potti, fridge, kitchen module.
I like the cooking outside aspect, but the module is a bit in the way of the entrace door. Kitchen unit on the other side and porta potti or fridge on this side seems a bit more convenient to me.
Still experimenting though .


I found this pic on google images

That picture is taken in a caravelle (they didn't make a beach with twin sliding doors) also I would say the bench is only pushed forward enough to make the bed about 1700mm/1800mm long there
in the 3 seat beach the bed is around 1900mm long and in the 2 seat its about 2000mm long.

 

[cleve]

Hi cleve,

You seem to have a different table than the standard Cali table? Is that required for use with this Reimo unit? Or is this just an older Beach model?
Can you still walk between the front seats?
I'm also still struggling with where to store porta potti, fridge, kitchen module.
I like the cooking outside aspect, but the module is a bit in the way of the entrace door. Kitchen unit on the other side and porta potti or fridge on this side seems a bit more convenient to me.
Still experimenting though .


I found this pic on google images

Yes that's our old caravelle in the pic (just made me realise how alike my daughters are as that's my middle daughter above, not the youngest in picture below!) With the beach we found the cooker has to be mounted a bit further forward to give enough clearance for the heater outlet vent. We adapted an SE table as they are lighter, more compact and can leave in situ all the time. It gives us the table/prep space we need and allows us to use the table from the sliding door to be used outside

This is us in the beach waiting out a hail storm at the weekend...... Obviously you can't fully swivel the drivers seat with the pod there but my husband is 6'2 so said he doesn't mind sitting at an angle to have more leg room.

 

[cleve]

Thats good to know, so it will fit in a beach, CMC when I talked to them thought it might fit but couldn't be sure.

It fits the 3 seater, if you have a 2 seater the other reimo will fit but it's a different setup altogether
http://www.camperworks.com/shop/kitchen-pods/reimo-vw-california-beach-kitchen/
http://www.camperworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/11103T-720x750.jpg

 

[zeratul]

This is us in the beach waiting out a hail storm at the weekend...... Obviously you can't fully swivel the drivers seat with the pod there but my husband is 6'2 so said he doesn't mind sitting at an angle to have more leg room.
View attachment 11505

So do you go camping with a sixth seat installed? Interesting. Can you still make up the bed with that seat in place? Because when I leave those seats in, I have to fold down the latter part of the multiflex board, but that can only be done if there's nothing underneath.. little trunk space.

 

[cleve]

So do you go camping with a sixth seat installed? Interesting. Can you still make up the bed with that seat in place? Because when I leave those seats in, I have to fold down the latter part of the multiflex board, but that can only be done if there's nothing underneath.. little trunk space.

No this is us in winter mode with extra seat in, fridge & potti under multiflex. In spring we remove extra seat & put fridge & potti on the floor behind passengers seat so it keeps boot space free for packing.

 

[Joseph]

We are currently looking at the pod options and have been in contact with Maxxcamp, we do like the look of the compact pod http://www.maxxcamp.de/en/shop/products/20_variomodule-compact.php and with the good EUR exchange rate this is quite good value. Has anyone purchased a Maxxcamp Pod?