Durability question

[andanotherthing]

Hi all,

I'm deliberating on a new Cali. From the many threads I have read I can't recall an owner who doesn't treat their vehicles delicately, ie dont wash up in the sink, rarely sleep or cook inside, permanently use seat covers, don't use glass tops as work surfaces, etc. I can see why as they are an expensive purchase.

My current camper is my primary transport. I use it almost every other weekend for trips away: sleep, cook, wash up, lounge in it, etc. I would be interested in similar use by Cali owners to hear how durable a campera Cali is as a result of wear and tear?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Stu]

I don't think anyone would try to convince you that the Cali has durable fixtures & fittings, it does require gentle treatment but they aren't too bad. The van itself is pretty robust apart from the odd niggling common faults.

 

[m4rky]

Well we use our Cali as our everyday transport and we use it to its full capabilities

We wash up in the sink; cook in the van; eat in the van; we sleep both upstairs and downstairs and I guess we use it as was intended

So far we have had no issues with the van except for a noisy sliding door which was sorted by the dealer

Yes we do treat our Cali with respect but not with kid gloves and it works fine for us so don't be put off if you want one - we love ours

 

[Ewan]

I agree with Stu and m4rky. It's not really about treating a Cali delicately but sensibly. It's a big investment so you need to look after it. There are a few things that may that might break if you don't take care (eg the upstairs light, the sink tap) but then again, all the advice and knowledge exists here on the forum.

We have used ours as daily transport to school, regular camping, longer overseas trips, to the dump etc for the last 2 years with no problems.

 

[Meoncoast]

CONCUR
not treating ours delicately but sensibly as I would with any car/van

 

[ExploreCampers]

Most of the fixtures and fittings are lightweight for obvious reasons, but well designed latches and catches etc. If someone who doesn't know how everything works (ie friends and family) jumps in and starts messing about, something might get broken, but it would be more about abuse than quality.

 

[Hubert]

Hi all,

I'm deliberating on a new Cali. From the many threads I have read I can't recall an owner who doesn't treat their vehicles delicately, ie dont wash up in the sink, rarely sleep or cook inside, permanently use seat covers, don't use glass tops as work surfaces, etc. I can see why as they are an expensive purchase.


Dan

I can see where you're coming from. I must admit that reading some of the posts on this forum gives me the impression that some people spend more time cleaning and polishing their Calis rather than using them for what they were built for.
Our's is our everyday vehicle and we go on extended holidays (up to 5 weeks at a time) three or four times a year and have no problems in doing so. We do use site facilities when available especially for washing up ( why struggle with the small sink and boiled kettles ?).
I don't think they are any worse than other conversions and purchase cost wise can work out cheaper than most.
I think Rilla has summed it up perfectly, knowing how to operate it correctly is the key to a long van life.

Hubert

 

[andanotherthing]

Thanks everyone for your comments. It's nice to know how people use their Calis.

They seem to have their flaws, especially after reading the thread on blistering paint work. But the fall back of the VW warranty is reassuring.

I can't find anything more suitable to my requirements so need to pull my finger out and order one!

 

[JockMacMad]

Mine gets a mileage beating 6,000 miles per month.

Cook inside. Use the water, tap and sink etc and to travel to work etc.

It's had it's second wash in 2 months this week so the feet of dead flies and dirt have gone again.

It is a workhorse.

 

[sidepod]

I must admit the first time we looked at a new Cali we found ourselves doing a "Compare and Contrast" exercise with our T4 version.
Our joint conclusion was that the new version didn't quite give us that Germanic "take a direct hit from an RPG" feeling.

That said, I've never broken anything under normal use and I tend to be very mechanically sympathetic and we don't have any "bin lids" to worry about.

I had to read the part about people not using sinks or cooking in their vans at least three times.
Really? And the reason you bought the van is......??

S.

 

[John]

I had to read the part about people not using sinks or cooking in their vans at least three times.
Really? And the reason you bought the van is......??

S.

Everyone to their own.

I guess the point is if a easier option is available why wash up in your Cali sink. Some campsites offer great facilities with hot water big sinks and draining boards. A CC site, I recently stayed at, even had a inside heated washing up room with music, Gold FM, to do your washing up with.

As for cooking we cook and heat up most things in our Cali but again use our common sense if we are frying up a cooked breakfast or say cooking fish and do this in the awning. It saves a lot of messy cleaning and horrid smells in what is, not only your galley, but is also your living and sleeping space.

John

 

[sidepod]

Ah, perhaps I was a little hasty there. We certainly never bother trying to wash up in the sink, why would you? As you say pretty much all campsites have wash up facilities.
We do use the sink for general stuff though which does entail rinsing the waste tank through
after each trip (open the drain valve and pop the hose pipe in the sink for a few minutes).
I find when driving along with the window open the air pressure can suck a slight pong up through the waste pipe of the sink if I forget to empty the waste tank before departure.

For cooking the default setting is BBQ so outside. Breaky is always, without exception, the full English cooked on the hob though.

S.

 

[choplee]

Use everything .... Well apart from sink,as others have said its part of the campsite scene & prefer hot water to wash up in ....jock has a good idea fill the tank up with red wine then u have it on tap :/) lol perfect

 

[John]

Use everything .... Well apart from sink,as others have said its part of the campsite scene & prefer hot water to wash up in ....jock has a good idea fill the tank up with red wine then u have it on tap :/) lol perfect

If he keeps his red wine in the water tank where does he keep his wee dram :?: :?

John

 

[sidepod]

That's a mighty fine idea to use the water tank for wine. Adds an extra 50 litres to the anual French payload.

S.