Dreaming....

Turfschipper · Jul 24, 2018

Hi guys and girls!

The moment you all have been waiting for, i am finaly here! I have lurked big parts of the forum. Love the forum by the way.

I am saving for a California, i cannot wait to go on adventure. Bringing my rods and bike and travel everywhere i want to. I registered for the future and to join this nice California chat.

First few questions that come into my mind reading this forum last week.

1. Is it really not possible to have a manual roof in the Ocean? Even if you pay for it extra?

2. Read a lot about the bike rack. But i need to have my bike inside. When i first started to think about travelling in a small van with my bike, visiting the likes of Mont Ventoux, the Stelvio etc, i thought.... there are tons of people doing that. But on this forum i can not find one post about this.

Is there any lay out possible where you can have your bike behind the backseat, and still have room for the bed below?

3. I find it almost scary the kitchen runs on gas. Dealbreaker for me. I would prefer it would be using the fuel of the car. Is that possible? Electric cooking perhaps? Or maybe in the next California they will have an electric kitchen?

4. I wonder, this car costs a lot of money. Are you guys not afraid for car theft? When hiking, cycling, fishing, having fun being away from the car?

- Does any one bring a ‘wheelclaw’ (translated from Dutch) so you can lock a wheel so the car cannot be stolen?
- the driver seat, when it is turned. Can you lock the seat in turned position? Again to prevent car theft.

So far first few things i could not find on the forum.

—

I hope i have a great time on this forum and who knows..... in a few years i will be driving, cycling and fly fishing around Europe. FRREEEEDDDDOOOMMMM!!!

Cheers

T6 CFO · Jul 24, 2018

Turfschipper said:
Hi guys and girls!

The moment you all have been waiting for, i am finaly here! I have lurked big parts of the forum. Love the forum by the way.

I am saving for a California, i cannot wait to go on adventure. Bringing my rods and bike and travel everywhere i want to. I registered for the future and to join this nice California chat.

First few questions that come into my mind reading this forum last week.

1. Is it really not possible to have a manual roof in the Ocean? Even if you pay for it extra?

2. Read a lot about the bike rack. But i need to have my bike inside. When i first started to think about travelling in a small van with my bike, visiting the likes of Mont Ventoux, the Stelvio etc, i thought.... there are tons of people doing that. But on this forum i can not find one post about this.

Is there any lay out possible where you can have your bike behind the backseat, and still have room for the bed below?

3. I find it almost scary the kitchen runs on gas. Dealbreaker for me. I would prefer it would be using the fuel of the car. Is that possible? Electric cooking perhaps? Or maybe in the next California they will have an electric kitchen?

4. I wonder, this car costs a lot of money. Are you guys not afraid for car theft? When hiking, cycling, fishing, having fun being away from the car?

- Does any one bring a ‘wheelclaw’ (translated from Dutch) so you can lock a wheel so the car cannot be stolen?
- the driver seat, when it is turned. Can you lock the seat in turned position? Again to prevent car theft.

So far first few things i could not find on the forum.

—

I hope i have a great time on this forum and who knows..... in a few years i will be driving, cycling and fly fishing around Europe. FRREEEEDDDDOOOMMMM!!!

Cheers

Hi and welcome

1. No

2. @Loz was looking at putting a bar in behind the bench seat after removing the stops enabling bench to go further forward.

3. Gas is fine. Especially in a Cali where the Gas bottle is far safer than in most being in a sealed compartment with a vent.

4. There’s loads of stuff on security on here both physical and trackers etc. At the end of the day it’s alarmed and insured. Like I said though loads of options.

Mike

Velma's Dad · Jul 24, 2018

Welcome Turfchipper. Mike beat me to it on most of those.

Re your Q3 - an electric cooker wouldn't be any use at all in a campervan. You could never carry big enough batteries, and even if on campsite hook-up the power draw would be too much.

Bottled gas is very safe if handled correctly. Remember that it's a low-pressure system, not high pressure like you'd have at home.

Re Q4 - yes it's a fairly expensive vehicle but not especially attractive to thieves, who are more likely to target high-spec BMWs, Audi RS, etc. The fact that insurance is pretty cheap on a Cali suggests that the actual risks are not very high.

parrot2 · Jul 24, 2018

Hi welcome. q2 with the downstairs bed laid flat you could fit a bike in front of it behind the front seats. Would be inconvenient though. You could take the bike to pieces to make it easier.
q3 gas is pretty safe but if on a site with electric hook up you can use up to the sites max amperage to use with an electric cooker which really is not needed.
q3 as said loads of security options available but you should not worry to much

Steve

Loz · Jul 24, 2018

As Mike said, I have removed the stop so that the rear seat slides further forward and now gives 170cm in the rear between the seat and the rear door which is just enough room for our 2 bikes with the front wheels removed and the forks mounted on a rail I am still to manufacture.
This means that the rear shelf has to be moved to behind the front seats stood on its edge and the matress and stuff then piled up on the rear set.
Not really ideal as we are pretty organised with our current setup but I can't use a tow bar mounted rack as I don't have a tow bar and I dont really want to put the 2 electric bikes on a tailgate bike rack, but may end up going this route if the inside job works out too much of a faff.

WelshGas · Jul 24, 2018

Turfschipper said:
Hi guys and girls!

The moment you all have been waiting for, i am finaly here! I have lurked big parts of the forum. Love the forum by the way.

I am saving for a California, i cannot wait to go on adventure. Bringing my rods and bike and travel everywhere i want to. I registered for the future and to join this nice California chat.

First few questions that come into my mind reading this forum last week.

1. Is it really not possible to have a manual roof in the Ocean? Even if you pay for it extra?

2. Read a lot about the bike rack. But i need to have my bike inside. When i first started to think about travelling in a small van with my bike, visiting the likes of Mont Ventoux, the Stelvio etc, i thought.... there are tons of people doing that. But on this forum i can not find one post about this.

Is there any lay out possible where you can have your bike behind the backseat, and still have room for the bed below?

3. I find it almost scary the kitchen runs on gas. Dealbreaker for me. I would prefer it would be using the fuel of the car. Is that possible? Electric cooking perhaps? Or maybe in the next California they will have an electric kitchen?

4. I wonder, this car costs a lot of money. Are you guys not afraid for car theft? When hiking, cycling, fishing, having fun being away from the car?

- Does any one bring a ‘wheelclaw’ (translated from Dutch) so you can lock a wheel so the car cannot be stolen?
- the driver seat, when it is turned. Can you lock the seat in turned position? Again to prevent car theft.

So far first few things i could not find on the forum.

—

I hope i have a great time on this forum and who knows..... in a few years i will be driving, cycling and fly fishing around Europe. FRREEEEDDDDOOOMMMM!!!

Cheers

Your Avatar says you are from the Netherlands. The California Coast is available in some European countries and it has a manual roof.

Hotel California · Jul 24, 2018

Welcome , if i would buy new now an Coast (with as standaard a manual roof ) would be the starting point.

Amarillo · Jul 24, 2018

Q1. I think some people have converted an electric roof to manual.

Q2. If you buy a 2 seat bench Beach it may be possible to remove the side storage for a bike.

Q3. Buy a Beach and cook outside.

Q4. Swivelling the front seat before reclining it, moving it fully forward, putting up the arm rests and putting on the handbrake then deadlocking the doors are pretty good security measures.

Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

sapto · Jul 24, 2018

Welcome here!
I guess you can convert everything into something different however I would go for the Coast or Beach. Especially if you really want to take the bikes inside.

Hope you find the right California/van!

Turfschipper · Jul 25, 2018

Thanks guys!

Hope you all enjoy your Cali or de road to one of them. Gonne follow all new stuff and topics now.

Drive save, ;-).

Ps. Yep, i am Dutch. Ain’t my fault.

BerndRos · Jul 25, 2018

Turfschipper said:
Thanks guys!

Hope you all enjoy your Cali or de road to one of them. Gonne follow all new stuff and topics now.

Drive save, ;-).

Ps. Yep, i am Dutch. Ain’t my fault.

Go....MAX.....

Holland is a lovely country, so understated.

Wobble’s Mum · Jul 26, 2018

Izzi · Jul 28, 2018

Turfschipper said:
Hi guys and girls!

The moment you all have been waiting for, i am finaly here! I have lurked big parts of the forum. Love the forum by the way.

I am saving for a California, i cannot wait to go on adventure. Bringing my rods and bike and travel everywhere i want to. I registered for the future and to join this nice California chat.

First few questions that come into my mind reading this forum last week.

1. Is it really not possible to have a manual roof in the Ocean? Even if you pay for it extra?

2. Read a lot about the bike rack. But i need to have my bike inside. When i first started to think about travelling in a small van with my bike, visiting the likes of Mont Ventoux, the Stelvio etc, i thought.... there are tons of people doing that. But on this forum i can not find one post about this.

Is there any lay out possible where you can have your bike behind the backseat, and still have room for the bed below?

3. I find it almost scary the kitchen runs on gas. Dealbreaker for me. I would prefer it would be using the fuel of the car. Is that possible? Electric cooking perhaps? Or maybe in the next California they will have an electric kitchen?

4. I wonder, this car costs a lot of money. Are you guys not afraid for car theft? When hiking, cycling, fishing, having fun being away from the car?

- Does any one bring a ‘wheelclaw’ (translated from Dutch) so you can lock a wheel so the car cannot be stolen?
- the driver seat, when it is turned. Can you lock the seat in turned position? Again to prevent car theft.

So far first few things i could not find on the forum.

—

I hope i have a great time on this forum and who knows..... in a few years i will be driving, cycling and fly fishing around Europe. FRREEEEDDDDOOOMMMM!!!

Cheers

Re question 1
There is a ready made option to put the roof up or down manually if the electrics do not work. Shown to me by dealer and in the handbook somewhere. Not sure about the use of this on a regular basis.