First Night together

[spitzie]

I made a promise to my 7 year old that he could sleep in the camper van and I wanted to check the topper out, so we did.
OK, it was on the drive and my wife said she was not going to when there was a perfectly good house 10 yds away.
I have learnt a lot in the last 9 hours, which will be useful for future proper trips. The heater sounds like a jet engine when it starts, but is reasonable quiet on lv1, except for an annoying click every second.
We used sleeping bags, and I definitely need something on the lower bed as there was a hard bit right on my hip.
The front blinds are ok but will have to look at alternatives as the security light kept going on and shone through some of the gaps.
I need to remember the remote for the heater, so it can be turned off from bed.
Have to look at some sort of night light arrangement, so little one can see how to climb down at 4am, instead of shining a torch in Daddy's face.
Also have learnt all the sounds the Cali (still no name) makes, so the next night will be better.


Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[Days out]

Sounds like you had a good learning experience.

On the night light point did you know that the led lights in the top bunk can be dimmed by holding the buttons down and the light will cycle between bright and dim. (Same as the load bay led lights too)

As for the down stairs bed we used ours for a few trips before buying a topper for the bed. We went to BandN bargains and bought a memory foam topper for £35.00 which was about 1 1/2 inch thick and that made all the difference. Plus having two pillows each.

You won't have a problem with the front blinds when you are on a dark campsite.

You will have lots of fun. And you learn stuff every time you go away in it.

Best regards.....

 

[Alibee]

Would agree with all of the above, albeit from T4 experience.

Almost everyone seems to end up with a topper of some form. We started with a memory foam one in the T4 and changed to a normal medium-density foam one after a few months. Bit of a faff but well worth it for a good night! Without one it felt like Mike Tyson had been going at my kidneys all night...

As DO says, I wouldn't worry too much about the front blinds unless you're going to be sleeping in urban areas regularly. There are numerous occasions when we don't bother with anything in the windscreen (although only when parked pointing West!).

I'm afraid visits from above in the night are probably going to be a feature for a while but we gave the kids some very cheap and, importantly, weak head-torches and the seem to do the trick. To be fair, they rarely come down now and we tend to sleep in the drive-away awning once in summer/autumn (using the topper as a mattress) as it gets too hot in the Cali.

And I've come to hear the heater ticking as reassuring rather than annoying, but I'm not sure my campsite neighbours would say the same!

 

[thehorse]

I've read quite a lot of people mention the heater clicking, but the Cali we hired recently definitely made no clicking at all. Anyone else have a click free Cali? Hoping when mine arrives it won't do this.

 

[bigmac77]

Campsites maybe be dark but in the summer it has a habit of coming light pretty early. We use a Comfortz thermal wrap it gives pretty much complete blackout.

 

[T6 CFO]

Campsites maybe be dark but in the summer it has a habit of coming light pretty early. We use a Comfortz thermal wrap it gives pretty much complete blackout.

I'll 2nd that. Not bothered with the front blinds or even unwrapped the magnetic side blinds. Wrap takes no time to put on.

Mike

 

[WelshGas]

Our heater is quiet, barely audible in fact. At least the California blinds don't get wet and it's possible to provide adequate ventilation via the front windows.
As far as a Topper is concerned we just use the thin or thick duvet, in a cover, depending on the season. Thick on bed and thin on top of us +\- the heater or just a sheet in summer. Maybe the thin on the bed in winter. Everything fits in a Duvet bag on the back shelf when travelling.

 

[spitzie]

Thanks for all the advice

 

[bigmac77]

Our heater clicks pretty loud, it's the lift pump, it is noisier inside the vehicle than out. We rented a van before we bought the Cali its heater sounded the same so I'm assuming there is nothing wrong. Maybe WelshGas' ears aren't as good as some of the younger forum members

 

[Lewis]

The heater sounds like a jet engine when it starts

Slightly reassured that someone else reports this. The clicking is very quiet and not a problem at all but what sounds like the fan is very loud. Definitely quieter on the lower levels but was surprised to hear very few other reports of this on the forum.

 

[Days out]

Clicking from heater on ours too but very very quiet. Think it's totally normal.

One thing I'm going to try on our next camping trip to the lakes in February is to use a tumble dryer hose to feed warm air from downstairs to the upper bunk. I've seen a thread where this is mentioned so fancy rigging up a test soon. It does get much colder upstairs as we don't have a topper on our roof yet mainly because we use all the stowage space when travelling and don't have any spare space for such things.

 

[bigmac77]

Clicking from heater on ours too but very very quiet. Think it's totally normal.

One thing I'm going to try on our next camping trip to the lakes in February is to use a tumble dryer hose to feed warm air from downstairs to the upper bunk. I've seen a thread where this is mentioned so fancy rigging up a test soon. It does get much colder upstairs as we don't have a topper on our roof yet mainly because we use all the stowage space when travelling and don't have any spare space for such things.

We like others store the topper with the fold up chairs in the tailgate. It slides in easily next to one of the seats and the thermal windscreen wrap fits in with the other chair. Making the most of available space it become an art form.

 

[Days out]

We like others store the topper with the fold up chairs in the tailgate. It slides in easily next to one of the seats and the thermal windscreen wrap fits in with the other chair. Making the most of available space it become an art form.

Thanks for the idea. We use that space for our awning! Every inch of space seems to be filled!!!

 

[GillianC]

Silver screens for the front windows.
We have had them for every camper we have had and they are fab.
Keep the van warm in cold weather, cool in warm weather, can be lifted at the front to let light in. Not cheap but worth every penny,

 

[Speleo62]

Cali cozy is the thing to get to keep upstairs warm in winter cool in summer, a bit costly but worth every penny.
For extra comfort we use a double cheap version of a thermarest. It fits upstairs and down( albeit slightly a bit big for downstairs)
Definitely a windscreen thermal cover is a must.
Have fun experimenting

 

[sbmcd]

Try sleeping up top, it is by far the most comfortable place to sleep.

 

[Verity]

Campsites maybe be dark but in the summer it has a habit of coming light pretty early. We use a Comfortz thermal wrap it gives pretty much complete blackout.

A lot easier and cheaper: a sleep mask. We always have loads kicking around as my husband does loads of business flights, but the best I've found so far came from Tiger - £2!

 

[sidepod]

I do find it bizarre how many people use sleeeping bags.

What's wrong with a big cozy duvet?
You're not in a tent. You don't have to carry it. Make life comfortable!

 

[Verity]

I do find it bizarre how many people use sleeeping bags.

What's wrong with a big cozy duvet?
You're not in a tent. You don't have to carry it. Make life comfortable!

I prefer a sleeping bag because then my husband can't pinch all the duvet and leave me in the cold.

 

[sidepod]

I prefer a sleeping bag because then my husband can't pinch all the duvet and leave me in the cold.

Speaks volumes

 

[Teejay]

I do find it bizarre how many people use sleeeping bags.

What's wrong with a big cozy duvet?
You're not in a tent. You don't have to carry it. Make life comfortable!

I find it bizarre why you use a duvet ! I use a sleeping bag with a silk liner I'm never uncomfortable or cold.

...message ends...

 

[sidepod]

I find it bizarre why you use a duvet ! I use a sleeping bag with a silk liner I'm never uncomfortable or cold.

...message ends...

Because I like to cuddle up with my better half perhaps?

It's not about thermal properties. It's about the van being an extension of the home and nice and comfortable.

 

[bigmac77]

Sleeping bags are horrible IMO, your feet and legs get hot and you have to unzip them to get air in. Duvet is far more civilised.

 

[sidepod]

This could go big , Beach/SE style punch up

 

[Wind Witch]

This could go big , Beach/SE style punch up

Some people like sleeping bags, some prefer duvets - as long as we're all comfy in our campers, who cares?