Furry Walls

[Private_Kelly]

The decision to buy a California is not an easy one. They cost a fortune. There is a plethora of choices out there and sometimes it can be bewildering when making up ones mind and buying your first camper. Or is it? Like most “ Cali “ owners we have looked at plenty of converted builders vans and done plenty of head scratching weighing up the pros and cons. It is certainly not easy. But then you suddenly realise that all these so called bespoke conversions usually have one thing in common and it is normally unavoidable. They all have furry walls. I know we are all different but personally I cannot fathom why converters seem to love finishing the interior with a product which can at best be described as carpet underlay. It is horrible and they all seem to do it. I’m certain there are better materials they could use but alas no. It seems that everyone aspires to owning a camper with furry walls. There are numerous reasons to buy a Cali. But I would suggest that somewhere near the top of that list is they don’t like furry walls.

 

[Saul B]

It was the single biggest reason I couldn't live with a conversion - and i have some very talented friends doing a bespoke LWB i am sure I will love...

 

[California4x4]

The decision to buy a California is not an easy one. They cost a fortune. There is a plethora of choices out there and sometimes it can be bewildering when making up ones mind and buying your first camper. Or is it? Like most “ Cali “ owners we have looked at plenty of converted builders vans and done plenty of head scratching weighing up the pros and cons. It is certainly not easy. But then you suddenly realise that all these so called bespoke conversions usually have one thing in common and it is normally unavoidable. They all have furry walls. I know we are all different but personally I cannot fathom why converters seem to love finishing the interior with a product which can at best be described as carpet underlay. It is horrible and they all seem to do it. I’m certain there are better materials they could use but alas no. It seems that everyone aspires to owning a camper with furry walls. There are numerous reasons to buy a Cali. But I would suggest that somewhere near the top of that list is they don’t like furry walls.

I don’t like the look either but unless that was rhetorical (and please ignore this if it was), it’s automotive carpet and the automotive industry has been sticking it on vehicles for decades. It’s one of the few 3-way stretch materials, which means it can with some skill be made to conform to complex 3-dimensional shapes (and cover a multitude of sins if required). Bare metal causes moisture in the van to condense and then runs down the walls. Covering in insulation and then carpet, mitigates this. If you remove the plastic covers in a California while you’re living in the van on a cold day, you’ll find this condensation on the metal. VW produce enough volume to make it financially viable to make bespoke plastic panels to cover almost all of the bare metal in the van and create a clean modern car looking interior. The air gap also provides some insulation without the possibility of damp being held in an insulating material, which can lead to corrosion in the long run.

There are other ways to do this and some other materials can be used, but they are rare in the industry it would seem.

 

[ThomasHJ]

Carpet on the walls, blegh!

A wooden interior has been the hype for wannabe hipster DIY camper van conversions for years now, if I am to believe social media.

Don't tell anyone but I'd love a wooden interior. ;-)

 

[danvan]

I've always wondered why converters don't buy the Caravelle type interior panels from VW and use those. I assume they are available as parts. Some of these converters produce really top end cabinets, and the photos of those look amazing. Then you pan round to the door side and it's all carpet, and it's really off-putting. If I was paying £60k for a converted van, I'd definitely pay £61k for the one with Caravelle panels.

 

[willwander]

Furry walls, ha. Cheap and unimaginative, like most conversions.

 

[Camperfamily]

I’ve personally not seen a conversion that comes close to the integrated fit and ingenious use of space that you get with a Cali. And it’s not just the furry walls. Don’t get me wrong, some are very nice, but they all the ones I’ve seen seem quite compromised in one way or another versus the Cali. The MB Marco Polo is similarly neat and well integrated, although MB missed a trick in copying the Cali storage of picnic seats in the tailgate and the aux heater control in the MP is a lot less integrated looking than on the Cali.

The only conversion I’ve seen that was really neat was a twin sliding door T6 converted using Cali interior, including the kitchen and full electro hydraulic roof (so basically a Cali copy). I presume the nearside sliding door was fixed in the permanently closed position. If not however, that would allow great access to the under kitchen units

 

[owen_h]

There used to be an alternative to stretch carpet:
https://wwwtrimtechbiz.wordpress.com/trimtech-for-the-vw-t5/
Not sure how available it is or how much £ . Some of the photos on the cotrim converter site look to be using it.

Customise Your Van | Accessories | CoTrim UK

You can choose from interior styling options, such as leather seating, carpet and ABS lining. As well as wheels, suspension and the exterior finish. Customise your van with CoTrim.

www.cotrim.co.uk

 

[willwander]

Can we add chipboard, MDF and MFI kitchen cupboard hinges to the list.

 

[Velma's Dad]

What's wrong with flock wallpaper with a nice fleur de lys motif or maybe something William Morris?

 

[owen_h]

Can we add chipboard, MDF and MFI kitchen cupboard hinges to the list.

especially when constructed with knock-down fittings & self tapping screws.

 

[Bellcrew]

especially when constructed with knock-down fittings & self tapping screws.

Almost all conversions have a sketchy panel secured by screws fitted with plastic covers on inside of the tailgate, always looks amateurish.

 

[owen_h]

Almost all conversions have a sketchy panel secured by screws fitted with plastic covers on inside of the tailgate, always looks amateurish.

Not my (part) conversion on a Beach . All my joints (in lightweight ply) are glued and biscuit jointed. Edges almost all edgebanded as well rather than the more usual T trim. Probably why the units are still solid 7 years after I made them.
I was having a look round a friends Wellhouse conversion on a Ford last weekend. That had managed to retain most of the original Ford trim (original base vehicle was the Caravelle equivalent), very little carpet on the walls. The component parts of the units on that were also edgebanded and had according to my friend been made for Wellhouse by an Italian company.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

..

Almost all conversions have a sketchy panel secured by screws fitted with plastic covers on inside of the tailgate, always looks amateurish.

The upside is that they are very easy remove should you have an issue that needs investigating behind the panel.

 

[Elly Swanson]

The decision to buy a California is not an easy one. They cost a fortune. There is a plethora of choices out there and sometimes it can be bewildering when making up ones mind and buying your first camper. Or is it? Like most “ Cali “ owners we have looked at plenty of converted builders vans and done plenty of head scratching weighing up the pros and cons. It is certainly not easy. But then you suddenly realise that all these so called bespoke conversions usually have one thing in common and it is normally unavoidable. They all have furry walls. I know we are all different but personally I cannot fathom why converters seem to love finishing the interior with a product which can at best be described as carpet underlay. It is horrible and they all seem to do it. I’m certain there are better materials they could use but alas no. It seems that everyone aspires to owning a camper with furry walls. There are numerous reasons to buy a Cali. But I would suggest that somewhere near the top of that list is they don’t like furry walls.

I’m another who can’t stand carpet up the walls! Maybe they do it for a bit of insulation or sound proofing (or because it’s cheap).

Our last van was a Toyota Hiace high top. It was very well insulated and has some really nice, neutral fabric on the little bit of wall space it had, and over the roof, but no one seems to do that anymore.

 

[Elly Swanson]

What's wrong with flock wallpaper with a nice fleur de lys motif or maybe something William Morris?

You’re so classy, VD.

 

[Elly Swanson]

Carpet on the walls, blegh!

A wooden interior has been the hype for wannabe hipster DIY camper van conversions for years now, if I am to believe social media.

Don't tell anyone but I'd love a wooden interior. ;-)

Looks lovely on larger vans like Sprinters or transits but I think it would like feel claustrophobic in the small sized Cali. Also the weight of all that wood would reduce your mpg/mp3. Might also take you over legal weight limits if you’re driving a fully packed van on holiday.

 

[trev0rk]

There used to be an alternative to stretch carpet:
https://wwwtrimtechbiz.wordpress.com/trimtech-for-the-vw-t5/
Not sure how available it is or how much £ . Some of the photos on the cotrim converter site look to be using it.

Customise Your Van | Accessories | CoTrim UK

You can choose from interior styling options, such as leather seating, carpet and ABS lining. As well as wheels, suspension and the exterior finish. Customise your van with CoTrim.

www.cotrim.co.uk

I bought my van through Danbury (I couldn't get the options I wanted on a California). They use the trimtech style panels which really improve the interior.

 

[Private_Kelly]

I’ve personally not seen a conversion that comes close to the integrated fit and ingenious use of space that you get with a Cali. And it’s not just the furry walls. Don’t get me wrong, some are very nice, but they all the ones I’ve seen seem quite compromised in one way or another versus the Cali. The MB Marco Polo is similarly neat and well integrated, although MB missed a trick in copying the Cali storage of picnic seats in the tailgate and the aux heater control in the MP is a lot less integrated looking than on the Cali.

The only conversion I’ve seen that was really neat was a twin sliding door T6 converted using Cali interior, including the kitchen and full electro hydraulic roof (so basically a Cali copy). I presume the nearside sliding door was fixed in the permanently closed position. If not however, that would allow great access to the under kitchen units

I agree. The MP is lovely but who on earth at Mercedes made the decision:
Where shall we store the chairs? Oh...just bung em in the boot. Terrible idea.

 

[rod_vw]

I've always wondered why converters don't buy the Caravelle type interior panels from VW and use those. I assume they are available as parts. Some of these converters produce really top end cabinets, and the photos of those look amazing. Then you pan round to the door side and it's all carpet, and it's really off-putting. If I was paying £60k for a converted van, I'd definitely pay £61k for the one with Caravelle panels.

The answer is very simple, your thought of just an extra £1000 is way out, I've just looked at a few parts for doing that and gauge the cost at a minimum of £3000 when all the little bits & pieces needed to fit OEM plastic replacements for carpet lining.
We also add lots of insulation that most of us put in our self-build campers that you don't have in a Cali.

 

[California4x4]

I agree. The MP is lovely but who on earth at Mercedes made the decision:
Where shall we store the chairs? Oh...just bung em in the boot. Terrible idea.

I assume it’s the electric dropping window that many would say is one of the Marco Polo strong points that prevents chairs being stored in the tailgate. There are always compromises to be made in small spaces

 

[danvan]

The answer is very simple, your thought of just an extra £1000 is way out, I've just looked at a few parts for doing that and gauge the cost at a minimum of £3000 when all the little bits & pieces needed to fit OEM plastic replacements for carpet lining.
We also add lots of insulation that most of us put in our self-build campers that you don't have in a Cali.

"If I was paying £60k for a converted van, I'd definitely pay £63k for the one with Caravelle panels". Carpet is really off putting. We have 3 kids and would ideally like to be able to seat them in one of the reimo type three seaters that you get in conversions. But every time I look at them it's always carpet on the passenger side and curtains on the windows. Fine in isolation, but when you've been in a Cali with blinds and plastic parts, it's off putting.

 

[Jodalo]

"If I was paying £60k for a converted van, I'd definitely pay £63k for the one with Caravelle panels". Carpet is really off putting. We have 3 kids and would ideally like to be able to seat them in one of the reimo type three seaters that you get in conversions. But every time I look at them it's always carpet on the passenger side and curtains on the windows. Fine in isolation, but when you've been in a Cali with blinds and plastic parts, it's off putting.

About 20 yrs ago I had a VW T4 converted by CMC at Hythe. It was a Reimo conversion in a Cali style which offered the covered panels in the rear in place of the furry walls. It was more expensive option but gave it a much classier appearance. Not up to Cali standards but better than fur.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Just repaired the sliding table edge in our cali, sticky table and a partner with strong fingers.
Amazed to find the table is a aluminium panels with a honeycomb sandwich and metal edging, quality for sure.

 

[Kevintube1979]

Just repaired the sliding table edge in our cali, sticky table and a partner with strong fingers.
Amazed to find the table is a aluminium panels with a honeycomb sandwich and metal edging, quality for sure.

What Age of vehicle is that? my aluminium looking parts are plastic painted in a silver/aluminium looking colour,mine is a 2019 ocean..Ive heard others talking about aluminium parts ive only got plastic?