First trip in our second Cali

[CaliCarol]

Just back from a couple of nights in Kent in our new (to us) second Cali. Our first was a 2011 T5 Ocean which we sold a couple of years ago, regretted pretty quickly and so have now returned to the fold with a 2017 T6. Lots more bells and whistles on the new one, like an electric sliding door, so we're really enjoying these. We bought it from Campersales in Burgess Hill, Sussex, who were absolutely excellent. We paid for it at the end of December 2020 and were due to pick it up in January when along came the inevitable lockdown. So they kept it safe until we picked it up a week or so ago. Stayed in New Romney so we could go and visit Dungeness Nature Reserve. Sunny most of the time but super windy so no outdoor cooking and cold at night. First time we've camped in April and we made the mistake of sleeping upstairs the first night. Ffffffreezing! Also our first time using a porta potty as we never bothered in the other van. A good investment and thanks to all who have recommended the cheap and cheerful Dunhelm cover for it - works a treat. Absolutely loved Dungeness - we were lucky to have a sunny day so it's bleak beauty was showcased rather than just being, er, bleak. Lots more UK trips planned this year. A couple of photos attached including a lovely coaster made in cross stitch by my clever sister in law.

 

[Baldrick]

Welcome back ! Sure you’ll love it again despite the delayed delivery.
A iso-top pop up liner makes a big difference to a comfortable temperature when sleeping upstairs, though the price tag is eye watering. At the other end of the financial scale, a cheap extending pipe from the heater outlet upstairs is also a really effective diy modification and takes up about the same space as a pint glass when not in use. I’ll try to dig out the link

 

[Bumble The Van]

Just back from a couple of nights in Kent in our new (to us) second Cali. Our first was a 2011 T5 Ocean which we sold a couple of years ago, regretted pretty quickly and so have now returned to the fold with a 2017 T6. Lots more bells and whistles on the new one, like an electric sliding door, so we're really enjoying these. We bought it from Campersales in Burgess Hill, Sussex, who were absolutely excellent. We paid for it at the end of December 2020 and were due to pick it up in January when along came the inevitable lockdown. So they kept it safe until we picked it up a week or so ago. Stayed in New Romney so we could go and visit Dungeness Nature Reserve. Sunny most of the time but super windy so no outdoor cooking and cold at night. First time we've camped in April and we made the mistake of sleeping upstairs the first night. Ffffffreezing! Also our first time using a porta potty as we never bothered in the other van. A good investment and thanks to all who have recommended the cheap and cheerful Dunhelm cover for it - works a treat. Absolutely loved Dungeness - we were lucky to have a sunny day so it's bleak beauty was showcased rather than just being, er, bleak. Lots more UK trips planned this year. A couple of photos attached including a lovely coaster made in cross stitch by my clever sister in law.

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lovely shots carol i can see you for sure have a photographers eye thats a superb boat shot

 

[Baldrick]

Heating upstairs

Toppers are great for improving the heat loss upstairs. We have a Pucer cover and love it in winter, having used below zero Celsius. Nevertheless, there can still be quite a significant heat imbalance between upstairs and downstairs when running the overnight heater. This only matters if you’re...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[CaliCarol]

lovely shots carol i can see you for sure have a photographers eye thats a superb boat shot

Thank you - it's a very photogenic place!

 

[CaliCarol]

Thanks for the suggestions re improving heating upstairs. Any other suggestions welcome too. An Iso Topper came with the van. We also have a topper to put over the roof but we didn't use that. I think it was just a very cold night and we were out of practice! We like to keep the downstairs clear so it's easy to just pop down and make the morning coffee, but we went downstairs on night two. The campsite owner was so kind. When we told her we'd been cold she even offered us extra blankets. We had a duvet with us this trip. We've used Duvalays in the past which are warm but bulky to store. So space efficient sleeping cover suggestions also welcome. Thanks everyone. It is so nice to be back in a Cali

 

[karen a r]

I can't tell you how happy we are to be back in a Cali. We looked at lots of other conversions and asked for advice on here - but the first time we sat in a Cali again it was like coming home. Not that others vans are bad - there are some very clever and creative converters out there - but the quality of California just shines through. And now with lots of extra gizmos too. Very lucky gals

 

[Polomint]

Welcome to the Acapulco blue club. Re sleeping solutions. I started using sheet and wool blankets but found that when I turned over in the upstairs bed the canvas was very cold if I touched it. I then tried a cheap sleeping bag- yuk horrible texture and too long my feet ended up freezing. Hubby bought a new sleeping bag from Alpkit so I tried it. Other than being long, obviously it was warm and comfy. I took the plunge and got a good quality one from trekitt. It’s for shorter ladies with a specific ladies fit a thicker toe box to keep feet toasty and a lovely internal lining. Tried it last weekend and an extremely pleased with it, I actually overheated in it downstairs, so it should be great upstairs where we usually sleep. Give us a wave if you see us around Worthing/Brighton way. Happy adventuring.

 

[Bumble The Van]

I think im having one of these looks really simply and smart? anyone got one and waht do they think?

 

[66tim99]

I can't tell you how happy we are to be back in a Cali. We looked at lots of other conversions and asked for advice on here - but the first time we sat in a Cali again it was like coming home. Not that others vans are bad - there are some very clever and creative converters out there - but the quality of California just shines through. And now with lots of extra gizmos too. Very lucky gals

Great to hear! What’s your favourite gizmo?

 

[karen a r]

Welcome to the Acapulco blue club. Re sleeping solutions. I started using sheet and wool blankets but found that when I turned over in the upstairs bed the canvas was very cold if I touched it. I then tried a cheap sleeping bag- yuk horrible texture and too long my feet ended up freezing. Hubby bought a new sleeping bag from Alpkit so I tried it. Other than being long, obviously it was warm and comfy. I took the plunge and got a good quality one from trekitt. It’s for shorter ladies with a specific ladies fit a thicker toe box to keep feet toasty and a lovely internal lining. Tried it last weekend and an extremely pleased with it, I actually overheated in it downstairs, so it should be great upstairs where we usually sleep. Give us a wave if you see us around Worthing/Brighton way. Happy adventuring.

Thanks for the tips - Love Alpkit but hadn't heard of Trekitt. Short sleeping bag sounds perfect! Will defo keep my eyes peeled for another bluey

 

[karen a r]

Great to hear! What’s your favourite gizmo?

Mainly fancy pants driving aids like side lane assit and ACC - but number one favourite is the parking camera followed by the electric side door. Most of these will probably be common to most folk but compared to our last van they feel like a great improvement. We've also had a ghost 2 fitted

 

[Jenny H]

Thanks for the suggestions re improving heating upstairs. Any other suggestions welcome too. An Iso Topper came with the van. We also have a topper to put over the roof but we didn't use that. I think it was just a very cold night and we were out of practice! We like to keep the downstairs clear so it's easy to just pop down and make the morning coffee, but we went downstairs on night two. The campsite owner was so kind. When we told her we'd been cold she even offered us extra blankets. We had a duvet with us this trip. We've used Duvalays in the past which are warm but bulky to store. So space efficient sleeping cover suggestions also welcome. Thanks everyone. It is so nice to be back in a Cali

I havent tried them yet but upon asking my seasoned VW camping friend she recommended buying a pair of thermals to sleep in - have bought Damart Grade 4 - just while I suss out if the Isotop is worth the big spend or not !

 

[CaliCarol]

Welcome to the Acapulco blue club. Re sleeping solutions. I started using sheet and wool blankets but found that when I turned over in the upstairs bed the canvas was very cold if I touched it. I then tried a cheap sleeping bag- yuk horrible texture and too long my feet ended up freezing. Hubby bought a new sleeping bag from Alpkit so I tried it. Other than being long, obviously it was warm and comfy. I took the plunge and got a good quality one from trekitt. It’s for shorter ladies with a specific ladies fit a thicker toe box to keep feet toasty and a lovely internal lining. Tried it last weekend and an extremely pleased with it, I actually overheated in it downstairs, so it should be great upstairs where we usually sleep. Give us a wave if you see us around Worthing/Brighton way. Happy adventuring.

Thanks for the tips. Which sleeping bag did you go for? We love our Cali. We call it Big Blue as we can go off into the big blue horizon in it! We will keep an eye out for yours on the south coast.