Could a Cali manage this?

GrahamBland · Jul 24, 2012

It would be fun trying

- a real adventure
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18910560

caligraphy · Jul 3, 2013

A T4 Cali might but not a T5. German car reliability peaked in the 80s and has slowly gone downhill since. My old 1988 Golf GTi took us across 3 continents and never gave a spot of bother. Things healed themselves on the next bump. Services were irregular and only when something screamed 'I need some lubrication'. Our T4 LHD Cali drove like a new car when we sold it with 260,000 kms on the clock. It had been driven over 2 continents and only a power steering pump failure to blemish its record. Our T5 has had all sorts of niggly problems (hopefully now all sorted under warranty) but they are ones built in rather than from age. Shoddy engineering (like the classic earth shunt fault or wrong glue used on the fridge cover) through to over-complexity (why an electric roof ? It's even slower than a manual one). Parts have also gone alarmingly north in price. When the roof catch wore out on the T4 it was replaced by a 10 quid part (it's actually a VW golf bonnet catch). I'd hate to buy bits for a T5 roof. Leisure battery in the T4 was replaced for under 100 pounds. T5 leisure batteries (both of them) replaced after dying due to earth shunt fault cost 700 quid for original parts (thankfully I didn't pay).

VW and other German manufacturers have worked out that reliability just means no new car sales. We only sold our T4 Cali to get a RHD otherwise I'd have stuck with it. Simple, strong, well engineered. Mercedes & VW used to be know for such cars.

I'd like a no nonsense camper using tried and tested components. A diesel stove (camping GAZ is very western europe specific), minimum electrics and big lump diesel with a manual gearbox (of course).

Ramscali · Jul 3, 2013

Amen brother, amen !!

TwentyOneThirtyFive · Jul 3, 2013

Millage or the adventure itself?

There's Cali's, Westy's and similar out there having big adventures.

Here's a Cali, think they posted on here a while back? http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/j ... /tpod.html

Not quite a Westy, the Winnie equivalent doing South America: http://seventeenbysix.wordpress.com/

A bit off topic as it's a T3, but this couple are taking a T3 Westy around the world: http://www.drivenachodrive.com/

I did read about a Westy Smurftop that did the Netherlands to Australia, but can't find the link.

All 2wd as well I think.

Personally, I'd take my Westy Cali anywhere...that there was a road. I'm not convinced about it's offroad capability, but that may be the current tyres or just my driving (which is pretty poor!).

Early T4 Calis had alcohol stoves (meths) as standard, think you'd get that most places (maybe not Islamic countries?).

fredster · Jul 3, 2013

Prior to perusing this forum I'd always drooled at passing T5 Cali's and saw them as for my needs one of the most desirable vehicles on the road. But on reading various threads on here I have to say I would now need a great deal of persuasion to buy one. I realise that forum's often highlight the negatives, and that for every, say, roof component failure there will be countless happy Cali owners that haven't had that part fail.What puts me off though is the endless amount of complexity built in to them that is really not necessary. Electric sliding door that beeps. Why? You just can't imagine Westfalia feeling the need for it can you? T4 Westy for me now. LHD a small price to pay for simplicity and longevity of design.

Californiaman · Jul 3, 2013

That's what people said about the internal combustion engine. Abs, traction control, abs, cruise, air con, sat nav, fuel injection, turbos. Etc!

James · Jul 3, 2013

fredster said:
Prior to perusing this forum I'd always drooled at passing T5 Cali's and saw them as for my needs one of the most desirable vehicles on the road. But on reading various threads on here I have to say I would now need a great deal of persuasion to buy one. I realise that forum's often highlight the negatives, and that for every, say, roof component failure there will be countless happy Cali owners that haven't had that part fail.What puts me off though is the endless amount of complexity built in to them that is really not necessary. Electric sliding door that beeps. Why? You just can't imagine Westfalia feeling the need for it can you? T4 Westy for me now. LHD a small price to pay for simplicity and longevity of design.

The latest Westy will be as complicated as the current Cali. Everything has to be in context, there are issues with the Cali but many people drive round without any issue and many are more than happy with their vehicle.

I'll keep saying it but you could buy a basic Beach and have kitchen pod and you'd have a basic Cali experience.

The T4's that survive are the ones that have done just that, survived, sure the electric roof on the T5 Cali is complex but the Cali range is available in Beach edition with the idea of simplicity in mind.

I think these posts are a bit wistful, the good old days, when things were made properly etc etc and their is an element of truth to the idea that cars are made to a price nowadays but you can still own a Cali and be happy with life and the world around you.

I am almost certain that in the early years of the T4 people bemoaned them and wished for the good old Westy T25. I know that because when I owned my Westy Vanagon people talked about how the split and T2 Westy's were better made.

It's human nature.

James

caligraphy · Jul 3, 2013

Nostalgia ? I can only say that having owned both a T4 Cali and a T5 Cali I'd pick the T5 for sophistication, power and the smugness of a beautiful interior which makes other campers look back yard built. Then I'd pick the T4 any day for reliability. Mine really was as solid as new when I sold it at 260,000kms (losing only 5000 euros in 6 years). It'd originally had a hard life as a travelling salesman's mobile office/accom before I bought it and used it as a daily driver in heavy winter snow in Amsterdam, London traffic and Brussels school runs. We travelled for months at a time, took it to places like Morocco and Tunisia on awful roads, bogged it in the Sahara and bashed it through Eastern Europe, all with it's puny 102HP engine. At any time I would have happily turned that one around and headed for Australia without a second thought. It would simply have got there.

Maybe the T5 would get there too and I'd be happy to try it but Murphy's Law would be dogging me all the way. At least I don't have DSG (Doesn't Sound Good !)