Cali order placed so now for the fun bit

[18ME]

Order now placed for an Ocean 204 after our 3 day rental last month. Have been told delivery could be within 3 months and all options that I ticked are available including the shower connection which dropped off the configurator.

We bought a few things for our rental but didn’t go overboard just in case it wasn’t for us, so now I’m watching more videos and reading as much as I can on here but the content on this forum is huge, so many hours can go just like that.

Handily we have Cookshop so a lot of the kitchen related items are covered apart from some of the camping specific stuff, although this got me thinking of what new accounts we can get to sell certain brands in the shop that I wouldn’t have thought about before, not knowing anything about the camping world. We do get quite a few camping and caravan people in the shop as we’re in a tourist area in the Cotswolds with a couple of camp sites nearby so might work well. Just need to do a bit of research on brands.

The rest of what we’ll need, would be great to get some recommendations on make etc.

1. Mattress (we didn’t order the comfort mattress based on posts I’ve read)
2. Outdoor cooking
3. Front window cover thingy
4. Carpets / rugs
5. Awning
6. Toilet tent (can you get one attached or matching the awning?)
7. Bike rack (I’ve ordered the towbar)
8. Seat covers
9. Second mortgage to pay for all the accessories

I’m sure there’s so many other bits & bobs but I think I’ve covered the main more costly items.

 

[flying banana]

1 yes. You should have ordered that. But i sleep up top 99 percent
2 cadac safari chef. Used mine relentlessly.
3 unless severe winter camping. Don't bother. Does nothing.
4 yes. Few companies or off the shelf.
5 awning.assume you mean drive away awning. Wind out yes. If there's 2 of you or less don't bother with those stupid massive awnings. There's a reason they are for sale saying things like used once!!!
6 toilet tents are great at festivals but generally u don't need one
7if you take bikes. Then yes
8 inka. Jack yards don't fit.
9 no comment.

 

[dspuk]

1. Mattress (we didn’t order the comfort mattress based on posts I’ve read) - we did. It’s not great but fine at a push. Up top better. We have though found comfort + duvalay down is a great combo.
2. Outdoor cooking - Cadac Safari Chef 2. There is a reason we all have it. Buy a separate lighter as it’s built in one is pants.
3. Front window cover thingy - we have used the ones that came in it just fine for the full NC500. We had a very bulky one that don’t use now and for recent trip’s highly recommend the Fuel Lagoon ones. The thicker one is cheap as chips and fits in the chairs.
4. Carpets / rugs - we had one but TBH it just became a pain moving it all the time. We now have a doormat sized one from Amazon (The Miboa Dirt Trapper) and works great in and out.
5. Awning - we have the Vango Tolga. Compact and if we staying a while or there are more than two packs between seats and the SpaceMate drawer. 10 mins up and down.
6. Toilet tent (can you get one attached or matching the awning?) - Bought one. Never used. Rubbish. The 335 goes in the SpaceMate and in the van on a night. We just back from 2 nights away and it sat in the awning vestibule.
7. Seat covers - we never saw the point. We like the seats in it and covered them with a spray to repel dirt. For any beach days we have bought the cheapish OEM black ones and that will do us fine.

Awning plus Fuel screen cover from this weekend at Stratford.

 

[18ME]

Thanks for your recommendation. I think the awning maybe the hardest thing to get right, do camping shops generally have these erected to have a look at them?
The Cadac Safari Chef is a definite then. With regard the mattress, I didn’t sleep on the one in the rental but my other did for the 2nd and 3rd night and she said it was comfortable but she’s smaller than me, so after reading a fair few comments on hear decided not to order it as it may not be comfortable for me. I guess I could order one as an accessory afterwards.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Thanks for your recommendation. I think the awning maybe the hardest thing to get right, do camping shops generally have these erected to have a look at them?
The Cadac Safari Chef is a definite then. With regard the mattress, I didn’t sleep on the one in the rental but my other did for the 2nd and 3rd night and she said it was comfortable but she’s smaller than me, so after reading a fair few comments on hear decided not to order it as it may not be comfortable for me. I guess I could order one as an accessory afterwards.

I ordered one with mine, then thought perhaps I shouldn’t have bothered before we got the van. But now I’ve got it I think it’s great as a combo with a S2S mattress on top so glad we ordered it. Apparently you can pick them up quite easily secondhand though, often barely used.

 

[California Dreamer]

Thanks for your recommendation. I think the awning maybe the hardest thing to get right, do camping shops generally have these erected to have a look at them?
The Cadac Safari Chef is a definite then. With regard the mattress, I didn’t sleep on the one in the rental but my other did for the 2nd and 3rd night and she said it was comfortable but she’s smaller than me, so after reading a fair few comments on hear decided not to order it as it may not be comfortable for me. I guess I could order one as an accessory afterwards.

Campingaz party grill 400 is pretty much the same as Cadac so get whatever is cheapest at the time! We have comfort mattress as a back up but never use it as the sea to summit is so good (downstairs). The original mattress upstairs seems fine according to our teenagers but I’ve not slept on it myself. My advice would be to use the van a few times before you consider whether you want a full awning - a separate tent or side panels for the roll out could be options. Btw one of the best things I bought from a cotswold cookshop is a set of bbq skewers with silicon handles - perfect!


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[California Dreamer]

Can recommend campervan carpets - we’ve had our mats a year and they still look great


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[RockinNRollin]

Bottom line on the accessory front; the Cali isn't a massive vehicle. Space is at a premium as you're already carrying a fold-out bed, heater, 'fridge and stove. Unless you want a more significant B2B time (barrier to beer time, shamelessly nicked from elsewhere on the forum but I like the metric from arrival to cracking open a cold one) then you want to keep it simple.

Drive-away awnings (or any awnings) need to be dried before putting away properly (i.e. at the end of a trip). If they're wet during the trip, they'll be heavier and more awkward. They use up a lot of space and they're not a silver bullet to storage issues when up either.

I'd get tie-down straps for the wind-out, comfort mattresses come up for sale (there's one for sale on the FB group I think) from people who have bought a stock vehicle with one and don't want it. Seat covers I suggest are a must, you'll wait 6 weeks or so for Inka ones so get them ordered now if they're the ones you want (ignore the lead time they have on their site, it isn't accurate). Some sort of carpet or rug is a nice touch, but it doesn't have to be a Brandrup one, there are cheaper alternatives.

Dustpan and brush is probably one of the most useful things to get.

 

[pluc99]

1. Mattress (we didn’t order the comfort mattress based on posts I’ve read): I think you did well to not order it as I did. I haven't replaced it yet but you'll find many threads on here to help you.
2. Outdoor cooking: I went for the Cadac Safari based on forum feedback and am happy with the choice.
3. Front window cover thingy: I don't have one and so far don't see the need.
4. Carpets / rugs: I just use a bathroom mat from IKEA.
5. Awning: Probably useful if you stay in one place for longer which I don't. If I did get something it would probably be a kitchen tent from Decathlon instead.
6. Toilet tent (can you get one attached or matching the awning?): There are tents that attach to the tailgate but I like to close up at night and don't see the advantage of having anything attached to the van. I have a toilet/shower tent from Decathlon but hardly use it.
7. Bike rack (I’ve ordered the towbar): I have the Atera Strada for 3 bikes. I kind of regret not getting the Thule Easyfold XT3 for easy of storage but I'm happy enough with my choice to leave well enough alone. I recommend getting an additional license plate if that's an option in the UK so you don't need to switch it back and forth (I kept forgetting mine on the bike rack).
8. Seat covers: I have the Brandrup ones that look just like the original seats but so far only for the bench seat. I like that I don't have to be careful about staining but I'm still undecided about getting the same for the front seats.
9. Second mortgage to pay for all the accessories: You can easily get carried away overthinking what you could find useful but the best advice anyone can give you is to hold off until you start using the van. Remember that you are camping and not furnishing a second home.
10. A broom with telescopic handle to push snow off the roof and a foldable stool to help your reach.

 

[BeeBee]

You’ll get oodles of opinions on here and then it’s up to you.
We didn’t initially get the Comfort mattress but ordered it later and find it really comfortable ( there are more combinations of mattress / sleeping set ups than you’ve had hot dinners lol )
We do have a drive away awning, primarily as we have a dog and thought, more room for wet clothes and wet dog ( we holiday mostly in UK ) Yes it takes up room but we’ve found even in dry, warm sunny weather it’s pleasant to have to sit in of an evening. We opted for the Vango Palm , a smaller Air beam type. Friends have the Brandup room set up, which is a much quicker, simpler set up but we were concerned about high winds and the wind out awning .
Cooking, we haven’t been overly adventurous so far just a Ridge monkey for our trips but will be investigating the Cadec.
Waterproof seat covers ( over our lovely part leather seats lol ) and rubber fitted floor covers ( club shop, fits rear passenger compartment and boot ) again the dog.

 

[BeeBee]

Just to see how well the rubber floor covering fits

 

[Pablosammy1982]

Whole reason we bought the camper was so we didn't have to keep packing up and putting away the tent and everything in it, potentially in the wind and rain. I've never understood a drive away awning - just get a car and a decent tent and save tens of thousands of pounds - but maybe I'm missing something! We're newbies after all

 

[BeeBee]

I guess like everything, it comes down to individual needs.If we only stay a night or so we don’t use the awning, so if it’s a quick get away you’re after I guess that works.
Our awning is put up in about twenty minutes and for us that works. We can leave table chairs etc and don’t have to pack them up to go ‘look about in the van’

 

[18ME]

Campingaz party grill 400 is pretty much the same as Cadac so get whatever is cheapest at the time! We have comfort mattress as a back up but never use it as the sea to summit is so good (downstairs). The original mattress upstairs seems fine according to our teenagers but I’ve not slept on it myself. My advice would be to use the van a few times before you consider whether you want a full awning - a separate tent or side panels for the roll out could be options. Btw one of the best things I bought from a cotswold cookshop is a set of bbq skewers with silicon handles - perfect!


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I found the mattress in the pop top comfortable for me so it’s just the bottom one I’ll need to sort out. I did think after i ordered the Cali that the comfort mattress might be more comfortable than just the seats if you’re in the van relaxing back with the seats down and the back panel up. I’ll have a more of a think with that one.

I don‘t recall us selling any skewers with silicone handles so probably not from our shop. What make are they?

 

[18ME]

Bottom line on the accessory front; the Cali isn't a massive vehicle. Space is at a premium as you're already carrying a fold-out bed, heater, 'fridge and stove. Unless you want a more significant B2B time (barrier to beer time, shamelessly nicked from elsewhere on the forum but I like the metric from arrival to cracking open a cold one) then you want to keep it simple.

Drive-away awnings (or any awnings) need to be dried before putting away properly (i.e. at the end of a trip). If they're wet during the trip, they'll be heavier and more awkward. They use up a lot of space and they're not a silver bullet to storage issues when up either.

I'd get tie-down straps for the wind-out, comfort mattresses come up for sale (there's one for sale on the FB group I think) from people who have bought a stock vehicle with one and don't want it. Seat covers I suggest are a must, you'll wait 6 weeks or so for Inka ones so get them ordered now if they're the ones you want (ignore the lead time they have on their site, it isn't accurate). Some sort of carpet or rug is a nice touch, but it doesn't have to be a Brandrup one, there are cheaper alternatives.

Dustpan and brush is probably one of the most useful things to get.

Agreed that we need to try and keep things simple but also have the necessary or right equipment to be able to enjoy it to its fullest. We or probably I packed atrociously for our rental but that was mainly because I wasn’t sure exactly what it would come with and where.

Thanks for the heads up on the seat covers, I’ll look into them.

 

[18ME]

1. Mattress (we didn’t order the comfort mattress based on posts I’ve read): I think you did well to not order it as I did. I haven't replaced it yet but you'll find many threads on here to help you.
2. Outdoor cooking: I went for the Cadac Safari based on forum feedback and am happy with the choice.
3. Front window cover thingy: I don't have one and so far don't see the need.
4. Carpets / rugs: I just use a bathroom mat from IKEA.
5. Awning: Probably useful if you stay in one place for longer which I don't. If I did get something it would probably be a kitchen tent from Decathlon instead.
6. Toilet tent (can you get one attached or matching the awning?): There are tents that attach to the tailgate but I like to close up at night and don't see the advantage of having anything attached to the van. I have a toilet/shower tent from Decathlon but hardly use it.
7. Bike rack (I’ve ordered the towbar): I have the Atera Strada for 3 bikes. I kind of regret not getting the Thule Easyfold XT3 for easy of storage but I'm happy enough with my choice to leave well enough alone. I recommend getting an additional license plate if that's an option in the UK so you don't need to switch it back and forth (I kept forgetting mine on the bike rack).
8. Seat covers: I have the Brandrup ones that look just like the original seats but so far only for the bench seat. I like that I don't have to be careful about staining but I'm still undecided about getting the same for the front seats.
9. Second mortgage to pay for all the accessories: You can easily get carried away overthinking what you could find useful but the best advice anyone can give you is to hold off until you start using the van. Remember that you are camping and not furnishing a second home.
10. A broom with telescopic handle to push snow off the roof and a foldable stool to help your reach.

Maybe the front window cover is better for the winter months?

Is that the main two bike racks to consider? I’ve read about both of these and no mention of any others.

Thanks for the broom tip although not sure my other half wants to go camping in bad weather although you can never rely on UK forecasts. The Cali will be garaged when not used so won’t be left outside. Just going to measure the garage door height now

 

[18ME]

Garage door opening is 205cm, what’s the max height of the Cali?

 

[RockinNRollin]

Garage door opening is 205cm, what’s the max height of the Cali?

That'll be very tight. You might just get away with it if the garage floor is completely level and the drive running up to it is also completely level. If there's any step up/ramp etc. then you might struggle. You can get factory lowering springs (get the dealer to install) to drop the height slightly too. Also remember the "sweep" of the door (unless it's a roller shutter) as it drops too and factor that in for the length you need.

Have you checked width? Unless you've got a double garage door, you might find that's the bigger restriction.

 

[18ME]

You’ll get oodles of opinions on here and then it’s up to you.
We didn’t initially get the Comfort mattress but ordered it later and find it really comfortable ( there are more combinations of mattress / sleeping set ups than you’ve had hot dinners lol )
We do have a drive away awning, primarily as we have a dog and thought, more room for wet clothes and wet dog ( we holiday mostly in UK ) Yes it takes up room but we’ve found even in dry, warm sunny weather it’s pleasant to have to sit in of an evening. We opted for the Vango Palm , a smaller Air beam type. Friends have the Brandup room set up, which is a much quicker, simpler set up but we were concerned about high winds and the wind out awning .
Cooking, we haven’t been overly adventurous so far just a Ridge monkey for our trips but will be investigating the Cadec.
Waterproof seat covers ( over our lovely part leather seats lol ) and rubber fitted floor covers ( club shop, fits rear passenger compartment and boot ) again the dog.

View attachment 110663

I like the idea of getting sides etc for the wind out awning but then it‘s more things to pack up if you wanted to go out for the day. Whereas the drive away would be more beneficial then. Is it considered safe to leave things in the drive away awning on campsites when going out for the day?

 

[NessL]

I like the idea of getting sides etc for the wind out awning but then it‘s more things to pack up if you wanted to go out for the day. Whereas the drive away would be more beneficial then. Is it considered safe to leave things in the drive away awning on campsites when going out for the day?

Yes, people certainly don’t pack up the contents of their tents when they go out for the day. An awning is just a tent that connects to the van.

 

[andyinluton]

Garage door opening is 205cm, what’s the max height of the Cali?

Should be under 2m but may be slightly higher on delivery. You need to load it up and do a few miles & you will find it settles a bit.

 

[bgg1b]

Despite all the great warnings on this site, like a lot of people I got sucked into buying everything for my Cali and am now in the process of sorting out what I really need. It does depend on whether I’m travelling solo or whether there are two of us and a dog and time of year.

1. I ditched the (un)comfortable VW comfort mattress and bought a Duvalay topper (5cm freshetc) - always had a great nights sleep on this downstairs

2. I have the Cadac Safari Chef 30 Compact which I’m really pleased with. I’ve also just bought a Ridgemonkey BBQ as it folds down flat (yet to try!)

3. Rainbow thermal screen - external. Keeps us snug on cold days and cool on hot. Also have the Brandrup internal which we keep flat under the mattress, good space savers

4. Campervan carpets two piece set, lots of fab designs or custom options to choose from, covers the rails and quickly pop one on top of the other when need to slide bench forward

5. We have the comfortz awning room and love it. Compact size, quick to put up and take down and adds some nice useable space.

6. Toilet tent - occasional use (as we pop the thetford 335 in the awning room at night) but i highly recommend the Colapz shower/toilet tent. Umbrella style very easy and quick to put up / take down and no fighting to get it back in the bag. Disadvantage is it’s larger than other toilet tents when packed.

7. Bike rack - I’ve the Thule Wander Way 2 - as we only have two bikes

8. Brandrup second skin, fit perfectly and no longer need to worry about the seats

9. Best advice, don’t make the mistake I did and buy too much stuff to start with.

My best purchases to date are the external windscreen cover, the awning room, the duvalay topper, campervan carpets and brandrup seat covers.

I would also recommend getting a tray for the bottom of the fridge to elevate your food away as some water tends to gather in the bottom and makes things soggy. There’s a more expensive option in the club shop, or I bought this from Amazon (SOSMAR Drainer with Drip Tray - 39 x 22.5cm recommended by someone on here which fits well). My other recommendation is some hanging wardrobe condensation removers (also on Amazon) - I have one hanging just behind the passenger seat and it’s amazing how much condensation it traps in 6 months.

Enjoy your new purchase

 

[RockinNRollin]

Should be under 2m but may be slightly higher on delivery. You need to load it up and do a few miles & you will find it settles a bit.

Isn't the awning rail slightly proud of the roof and not included in the vehicle height?

 

[18ME]

That'll be very tight. You might just get away with it if the garage floor is completely level and the drive running up to it is also completely level. If there's any step up/ramp etc. then you might struggle. You can get factory lowering springs (get the dealer to install) to drop the height slightly too. Also remember the "sweep" of the door (unless it's a roller shutter) as it drops too and factor that in for the length you need.

Have you checked width? Unless you've got a double garage door, you might find that's the bigger restriction.

I have been in out out the garage this morning measuring everything

The length of the garage is a bit over 6m but have units running across the back so about 5.5m parking. The garage door width is just over 2.4m and about 2.35 clearance and the R8 goes in without having to fold the mirrors but as the Cali mirrors are huge in comparison then once folded I don‘t there’d be a problem.

However because they are up and over and not a roller there are rails inside which I’ve just measured and as you can see they slope down so there‘s only about 195cm clearance

 

[andyinluton]

Isn't the awning rail slightly proud of the roof and not included in the vehicle height?

no