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Experiences from Scandinavian owners?

D

DonOregano

VIP Member
Messages
40
Location
SE
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 150
Hi, I'm in the middle of the process of working out if a T6 Ocean is for me or not, and I need some input from owners in "colder climates", i.e. those of you who have experienced using a van like this all year round in a Swedish climate. First a bit about my intended uses, and then some specific questions:

I live a bit north of Stockholm (Uppsala). My intended uses are for spring/autumn weekend trips on my own and with my son, long summer holidays in the north of Sweden, and trips for skiing in the winter. It is really this last bit that I have questions about, since those other use cases I can find most answers to in here already.
My idea is to be able to drive into the mountains loaded up with all the skiing gear (both on my own and with my son), and to be able to stay in the van for two or more nights and ski during the days.

So, questions:
1. How does the heater fare in temps that can go below -20 in the nights? Will we freeze to death?
2. If we get a rooftop liner (or maybe two, one for inside and one for outside), will it be possible to sleep upstairs without being extraordinarily cold? (With sensible sleeping bags, of course)
3. Is the 4MO essential for driving on icy and badly scraped roads, and parking lots? I have never owned anything as heavy as this, so I don't know what to expect.
4. Any other "must haves" for northern Scandinavia, that all the "southerners" in this forum don't talk about? Both for the use as a daily driver, and for four season camping?
 
Hello and welcome.
I made a ski trip to Hemsedal with the kids a year ago
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/ski-trip-with-california-beach-with-kids.17555/
No problem with heater, although us three stayed dowstairs because we could not lift the roof with roofbox on wintertime.
With good studded tires 2wd will be ok for most situations.
I got the laminated windows, would also get the laminated rear window without wiper if I ordered today.
We have an internal Brandrup Isotop and that seems to make a huge difference, would never dream about fussing with an external one, especially in bad weather.
There is a Swedish facebook group for California.
 
DonOregano said:
So, questions:
1. How does the heater fare in temps that can go below -20 in the nights? Will we freeze to death?
2. If we get a rooftop liner (or maybe two, one for inside and one for outside), will it be possible to sleep upstairs without being extraordinarily cold? (With sensible sleeping bags, of course)
3. Is the 4MO essential for driving on icy and badly scraped roads, and parking lots? I have never owned anything as heavy as this, so I don't know what to expect.
4. Any other "must haves" for northern Scandinavia, that all the "southerners" in this forum don't talk about? Both for the use as a daily driver, and for four season camping?
Click to expand...

1. It is pretty good, I've stayed in my van in -14 (doesnt get quite so cold in the UK) and was toasty warm inside. If you have hookup I think you are good for quite a long stay. The heater on battery Im not sure on the stay time.
2. The isotop from brandrup are expensive but they are very highly regarded and good in both cold and heat. The warmest solution is to keep the roof down, as the heater doesnt manage to get much air up into the roof from my experience.
3. 4MO is good for getting traction when pulling away, but my experience is that good tyres make more difference. 4wd or 2wd they all stop the same ;)
4. Not sure if the double glazing is standard on the Ocean, I think it may be? Worth a look?
 
MattBW said:
1.
3. 4MO is good for getting traction when pulling away, but my experience is that good tyres make more difference. 4wd or 2wd they all stop the same ;)
Click to expand...

Hi Matt. What brand / type of tyre do you suggest are the best (and VW approved) tyres for winter conditions ? We want to keep going up to The highlands and Islands of Scotland during the winter months and I'm keen to know what tyre would be the best for these conditions ? Thanks.
 
I've never put winter tyres on my Cali unfortunately so I don't know, I currently have Goodyear Vector 4seasons which aren't dedicated winter tyres but a compromise and were actually ok during the beast from the east.

Last winter tyres I used on a car were Hancook RS2 ( at least I think, Im struggling to remember).
 
DonOregano said:
So, questions:
1. How does the heater fare in temps that can go below -20 in the nights? Will we freeze to death?
2. If we get a rooftop liner (or maybe two, one for inside and one for outside), will it be possible to sleep upstairs without being extraordinarily cold? (With sensible sleeping bags, of course)
3. Is the 4MO essential for driving on icy and badly scraped roads, and parking lots? I have never owned anything as heavy as this, so I don't know what to expect.
4. Any other "must haves" for northern Scandinavia, that all the "southerners" in this forum don't talk about? Both for the use as a daily driver, and for four season camping?
Click to expand...

Hi, I’m Swedish to, but live in Norway since 2010. Have had my Calli for 3,5 years now, -2006 2,5Tdi with Webasto 3500 ST auxiliary heater. I know at least 15 others with California’s. One of my passions in the winter is randonee and touring /free ride skiing. Had about 30 ski days last season (working 100%). I always live in my California when off to ski somewhere in Norway or Sweden. 9 out of 10 off grid/wild camping. I have camped in -27 degrees Celsius at coldest.

1. You will probably have no problem. The heater has good capacity.
2. I use a Calicap, for outside of the roof. Big difference, much warmer, like a hard shell jacket, break the wind and protect the fabric from water, so you don’t need to dry it later.
3. 4MO is not essential (I don’t have it), but could be nice to have in some situations. Regarding tires, I recommend Nokian Hakkapelitta R2 SUV/XL (no spikes), best grip in snow. I have now bought my third set of these.
4. A 20 liter water container that fits behind the drivers seat. You can’t use the onboard tank, it will freeze. Make sure you have propane (not mixed gas) in the gas container, or it will not work in sub zero temp. Snow chains is a must in some conditions, learn how to put them on and use them. A good shovel.

We use three season sleeping bags that goes down to 0 degree comfort temp. It will be a little bit colder upstairs, but not sub zero. You can dry the liner boot of your ski boot under the seat in front of the Webasto heater outlet. With 2 auxiliary batteries in good condition and a Webasto in good condition you can run the heater continuously for 2-3 days. It is possible to be up to three persons in the van, if you are used to camping and outdoor sports. Remove the box underneath the seat in the back and you will have no problem traveling with 3 par of skies. But you need to store them outside at night. Buy a small trailer with a lid if you want less equipment inside the Calli.
 
@Emil Silenhag that's good to know about drying off the boot liners. Been thinking about a ski trip in the van but wasn't sure I'd be able to get the kit dry.
 
Thank you so much everyone! I think these answers have taken me one step closer to making the purchase :)
 
Oh, I thought of another relevant question: How did you sort out the loo problem? Antifreeze in the porta potty?
 
DonOregano said:
Oh, I thought of another relevant question: How did you sort out the loo problem? Antifreeze in the porta potty?
Click to expand...
Same as in ordinary camping with tent in winter or summer :)
You will develop black belt in wild land defecation.
Learn how to sing immediately when you wake up. Then you can do it in the dark, just next to the road without have to walk in deep snow. Prepare a place to take a dump in the night before. Dig a hole in the snow and enjoy the moment. Keep it simple. If you want the premium version you can dig out a complete toilet and put a smal piece of polystyrene or similar to make it comfortable. Think I have a picture somewhere if you want to se it. Look for a plowed snow for best support/strength, not a pile of snow from a snow thrower or the toilet will collapse underneath you (!). If you are not in a really remote area, then put a plastic bag in the hole and hide it, but don’t forget to bring it with you when you leave the area.
Good luck
 
Last edited:
Try and get down to the Kistamässan in Stockholm to see a few Calis, there are a few of us in Stockholm too if you fancy a coffee to discuss the finer details of ownership. We've just recently got back from a tour of the high coast and its only the toilet that you might miss in the winter as most campsites are closed.

Ours is our daily driver and we take it everywhere, shopping, days out wtcIMG_20180807_102247.jpg IMG_20180808_133958.jpg IMG_20180808_133958.jpg
 
Not tempted by the Westfalia club joker then ?
 
Thank you so much everyone for your input!

I do believe an outside topper would be essential in winter, so it seems likely that I would get that if I need to use the upstairs bed. But it sounds good that it is sleepable up there even in winter! How difficult is that topper to put on? Especially if you're the only adult around?

As for the toiletry, I am not completely sure that I can convince my son that having a poo in the snow is a great idea. Getting him to go to the loo is a struggle at the best of times :)
Then again, he is excited about getting a Cali, so maybe this is the motivation to get over that that he needs :)

As for getting the Club Joker City; I really prefer the Cali... Trying to fit a loo in there as well seems a bit too much of a compromise.
 
RodCouncil said:
Try and get down to the Kistamässan in Stockholm to see a few Calis, there are a few of us in Stockholm too if you fancy a coffee to discuss the finer details of ownership.
Click to expand...

I'm heading to Möllers bil in Eskilstuna on Saturday, since they appear to have two Calis on show. Since I have yet to actually climb around in one in person I am really looking forward to that :-D

When you say Kistamässan, what do you mean? I live in Uppsala, so getting to Kista is no problem, but do you mean for a particular tradeshow, or something else?
 
Putting the topper on is easier if you are two persons. But it is also possible if you are alone. We start by raising the roof 10-15 cm. Then from the back, with one person in each side of the car and the topper between you, just walk to the front of the car, simultaneously dragging the topper in position. Next step is important and most common cause of trouble. Correct the topper so that each corner of the topper correspond to each corner of the roof, and is tightly pulled down. Some people would consider this common sense, but still many people is not careful enough, at least in the beginning. The rest is easy, just raise the roof fully to top position and attach it to the side rails and the front window with small vacuum cups (or use longer rubber slings that reach down further). My friends and I do this in 3 min or so.

Regarding the toiletry. Yes, there are probably some barriers for most people, especially children to become comfortable poo:ing in the snow or in the wild. But at the same time, so important if you going to be able to enjoy the trip. It becomes a small challenge for many people immediately when leaving the home, also when not camping. My recommendation is to never keep it in or wait for later, you will get hard stools and disrupt your defecation pattern. When traveling for many hours by car you are immobilized which also can lead to hard stools. The three most common causes for hard stools is Immobilization, dehydration and not enough fibers. So move around, drink enough when traveling. You could also eat 10-15 dried plums in the evening which has a mild laxative effect. Aim for defecation in the morning, each day all year around. When you master this, poo:ing in the woods is easy, and sometimes much more enjoyable then visiting a public toilet along the roadside. Start wild poo:ing in the summer, then advance up to subzero poo:ing, good luck!
 
This is fast becoming a very enjoyable poo thread :thumb
Thanks Emil! I think with a bit of work we will be able to get into some sort of workable routine!
 
I was referring to the Club Joker, the hardtop version, it’s based on the LWB which gives it the extra room for toilet etc
 
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