California Beach 5 or 7?!

drajknox · Jun 12, 2013

Hello

I'm new to the site and looking to buy a California Beach.
We want it to double up as our car for transporting the kids around and then our adventure wagon for the weekends.
Ideally we would like a 7 seater.
Does anyone know if you have to take the 2 extra seats out of the van and leave them behind in order to convert the back bench into beds, or do the 2 extras also fold down into the bed configuration?!

Thanks for helping me out!

Andy (Lancashire)

James · Jun 12, 2013

Two extra seats make the long bed (someone will need to confirm).

The three seat Beach has an adjustable multiflex board so the Bench can go further back and either give you more space for the two extra seats or two create a longer bed.

The two seater Beach is practical but leans more towards being a camping van, the three seater has MPV aspirations

. That's a simplistic way of looking at it.

James

dave&jackie · Jun 13, 2013

Hi, like yourself we are in the process of looking at a Beach or Cali. Went and had a look at the Beach this afternoon , massively UNIMPRESSED with the bed. It is nothing like the rock & roll bed . Really uncomfortable with large holes ( just where your hips would be) for the seat belts. It took TWO guys in the showroom to get it into position & you would have to empty absolutely everything from inside the van to convert it into a bed. The 2 middle seats must be spun round to fold the bed down thus leaving NO room to get in or out. Sadly changed our whole outlook on things as the Cali is just that bit to pricy, will we have to consider a conversion ?? :?

Custardtart · Jun 13, 2013

7 seater beach - middle row of seats need to go all the way forward and then the rear bench opens to make the bed (combined with the multiflex board).

With 7 seats it's tight - the bed is right up against (and slightly above) the middle row seats.

It's also fair to say the 3 - seater bench is shaped to give more comfortable seating and a less comfortable bed whilst the 2 - seater is the other way round - a flat bench but makes a nicer bed.

So it depends what you're after. For me the primary use is a people mover with LOADS of room that can also double as a camper so I got the 2 extra seats and the 3-seat comfy bench.

If I was looking more for a camper I'd have gone for the 2-seat bench (good bed).

It took us quite a while to figure all this out - it wasn't explained by the sales staff or the brochures.

James · Jun 13, 2013

dave&jackie said:
Hi, like yourself we are in the process of looking at a Beach or Cali. Went and had a look at the Beach this afternoon , massively UNIMPRESSED with the bed. It is nothing like the rock & roll bed . Really uncomfortable with large holes ( just where your hips would be) for the seat belts. It took TWO guys in the showroom to get it into position & you would have to empty absolutely everything from inside the van to convert it into a bed. The 2 middle seats must be spun round to fold the bed down thus leaving NO room to get in or out. Sadly changed our whole outlook on things as the Cali is just that bit to pricy, will we have to consider a conversion ?? :?

I would have to perhaps obviously disagree. I don't have the extra swivel seats (not needed for us) however I can put the bed down myself.

The bed is very comfortable with a topper and we love sleeping on it. With the extra seats I guess there is a limit on space but do you need the seats and if you are going away you can just take them out.

Without the extra seats there is no need to remove anything from the van to convert the bed. There is a mass of storage space. What's clever with the storage space is that it exists all over the van.

I don't think the van has really been explained to you. Have a look through the Beach section here. I don't think the salesman always use their imagination and think beyond what they are selling it's a very clever vehicle and the differences between the two seater beach and three seater alone mean their is a lot of choice in how you end up using the vehicle. As Custardtart said, the two seater Beach should be the more comfortable one.

James

dave&jackie · Jun 13, 2013

I would probably agree that the week link here is the sales man ! We are 2 adults , 1 teenager & 2 dogs ( dogs = awning) . We don’t need the middle seats but do need sleep & storage. Is the 2 seat the same set up, ie with the board behind it ?

James · Jun 13, 2013

dave&jackie said:
I would probably agree that the week link here is the sales man ! We are 2 adults , 1 teenager & 2 dogs ( dogs = awning) . We don’t need the middle seats but do need sleep & storage. Is the 2 seat the same set up, ie with the board behind it ?

Slightly different.

The 2 Seater Bench interior layout is the original Beach layout. The board at the back is lower the rear seat/bed is the same as that fitted to the full Cali. The advantage is that it is flatter to sleep on and folds out lower - increasing headroom if you keep the roof down. It also has the large storage chest. You can have one additional seat in the 2 Seater.

The 3 Seater acts more like an MPV. The rear Bench here seats 3 but because it is a Caravelle seat when folded out into the bed it sits higher and despite not having a rear arm rest without a mattress topper it is quite uncomfortable. The advantage of the 3 seater Bench is day to day practicality, more so if you need to carry people because you can put in two additional seats. The rear board is high and part of it adjusts. The aim here is to push the bench back and create room if you have the extra seats or if you keep the seats in, make up the long bed by swivelling them round.

Storage in the Beach is good - the pockets and the cupholders provide a lot storage. You haven't got the large storage chest in the 3 seater though. If you have the roof up there are little shelves near the back of the van to keep things and plenty of storage up front. You do need to have a place for everything and you need a routine but it is not horrendous.

James

dave&jackie · Jun 14, 2013

Thanks for that.I think a visit to my 2nd nearest dealer is in order. I could not have been less impressed with the guy yesterday. I think the 2 seat set up sounds like the one for us especially with the option of a middle seat "when needed"

James · Jun 14, 2013

dave&jackie said:
Thanks for that.I think a visit to my 2nd nearest dealer is in order. I could not have been less impressed with the guy yesterday. I think the 2 seat set up sounds like the one for us especially with the option of a middle seat "when needed"

Keep us updated

The 2 seater version has its own qualities - there's not a 'one is better than the other', it is just down to what you want and how you use them.

James

Bigbud · Jun 14, 2013

We have the 2 seat bench with the 5th seat which lives in our garage should it ever be needed, one thing to note is its VERY heavy. I struggle with in on my own, wheel barrow is need to move it :crazy

I dislike the rear shelf as its fixed, its also in the garage at the moment and we sleep up top :thumb

The five seater was defiantly the better option for us, all camping gear goes in storage box which leaves the big draw for other stuff and the boot free for the dog crate and everything else

We have our coolbox on top of the storage box but can still open it, works well

dave&jackie · Jun 14, 2013

Ah, now we are talking, ROOM FOR A DOG CRATE !, So this is with the rear shelf OUT ? Would it be possible to have it ON the shelf for traveling ? ( Short haired pointers , by the way)

Bigbud · Jun 14, 2013

I wouldn't, ours is tied down to the load eye. Some photos

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/98674611/5.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/98674611/4.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/986 ... .11.48.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/986 ... .16.48.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/986 ... .20.42.jpg

dave&jackie · Jun 14, 2013

Many thanks. That has just answered many questions !

drajknox · Jun 16, 2013

Wowzers! Thank you for such a thorough discussion. I was also disappointed with our nearest dealer. Does anyone know any good ones in the north west?!

Bigbud · Jun 16, 2013

drajknox said:
Wowzers! Thank you for such a thorough discussion. I was also disappointed with our nearest dealer. Does anyone know any good ones in the north west?!

Manchester is supposed to be good but we had issues, in the end we bought from Sheffield but again had issues.

It's sad that as a customer I knew more about the beach than the sales men.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

dave&jackie · Jun 17, 2013

It's sad that as a customer I knew more about the beach than the sales men.

SNAP ! And I know practically nothing !

dalzios · Jun 23, 2013

Hi Andy

We have the beach as a 7 seater and use as mpv. For trips away we take the middle row seats out. The downstairs bed does need a topper but on the plus side is massive. Is possible to make the beds with the seats in but is a tight squeeze. Seats are heavy but if you had the 4+1 you'd still have to take out one.

The multiflex board is higher giving you more space underneath too.

Good luck choosing. A lot depends on your specific situation.