Game changers for the Cali. What are yours?

[Anthony1]

Slide out rear tray and set of drawers under sink (for a T6) but a Forum poster gave an illustration of how to fit them to a T5.

 

[kave]

thrown out tools and heavy socket set for a leatherman wave which ive used umpteen times and never once used socket set

Oh no, been browsing 1 hours for a new Leatherman. Thinking about the Charge plus tti

 

[gpbeck]

Gloss for a smoother finish???

Teflon is best.

 

[Perfectos]

Teflon is best.

They do exist for RC cars

 

[Camperfamily]

Original VW; very handy

Volkswagen Original Snakey Head-Rest Coat Hook - Vanstyle

www.vanstyle.co.uk

 

[Nick.C]

This year’s game changer for me was some coat hooks on the back of the front seats fitted under the headrests - really useful

 

[Pitstop Penny]

View attachment 94286

Omg! Where are those from?!!!

 

[Borris]

Several of these, light weight easy to carry and cheap and easy to replace,
they fit in the front door pockets when on the move.

View attachment 93971

Beware:
I used to keep a large plastic bottle of water in the front passenger door pocket of our first Cali SE. When I sold it I removed all of the vehicle contents and noticed what can only be described a localised burn marks on the door card of said door, behind where the water bottle had been stored. After much head scratching I concluded that the magnifying effects of the sun's rays had caused this damage. This isn't far fetched as it is apparently one of the recognised bushcraft methods of starting a fire in the outback.

 

[Perfectos]

Beware:
I used to keep a large plastic bottle of water in the front passenger door pocket of our first Cali SE. When I sold it I removed all of the vehicle contents and noticed what can only be described a localised burn marks on the door card of said door, behind where the water bottle had been stored. After much head scratching I concluded that the magnifying effects of the sun's rays had caused this damage. This isn't far fetched as it is apparently one of the recognised bushcraft methods of starting a fire in the outback.

Thanks Borris,

the water is only In The door pockets when travelling.
appreciate the heads up

 

[Nick.C]

Omg! Where are those from?!!!

fab3d.co.uk

 

[Pitstop Penny]

fab3d.co.uk

Purchased thanks! And also grabbed some of those Teflon Ingenio space saver pots and pans to replace the broken set we have.

Another game changer for me was the Brandrup sun shades for the awning. Expensive but have been amazing. Also the storm protector straps.

And then I purchased one of those changing robes to whack on for the showers in the morning. Easy peasy! No need to carry clothes. Just in and out. Oh and of course the crocs! The crocs are a god send!

 

[kurienp]

Can I ask where you got them from ? They are just what I’m after.

Hi @Bluebird ,

The cup holder is a cheap one off eBay. This is the one that I purchased - see pic.

The other two items are quadlock - see on quadlock site here -
Universal adaptor - https://www.quadlockcase.co.uk/products/universal-adapter?variant=4273835525

Wall mount - https://www.quadlockcase.co.uk/coll...adhesive-mount-twin-pack?variant=346965147666

Assemble them together and you have a good setup. Building one for the passenger side now too.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Anthony1]

I'm not sure if this counts as a true Game Changer just yet as I haven't actually used it properly so far, but I'm hoping it proves to be the case.

After being away for 5 days without hookup over the Jubilee weekend, I ordered this as we got fed up trying to charge various phones / watches etc using the sockets in the shower block. Too many devices and too nervous about leaving phones unattended.

It can supposedly charge an iPhone 24 times, or a MacBook Air four times. It only turned up today, but with 3 USB's and one three pin plug, it should also enable me to work from the van more easily.

Is a lot smaller than I expected, so looking forward to testing this out.

View attachment 94153

We have a small but power bank, plus you can charge from your van's cables in the glove box and the plug for the inverter. No need for anything big. I also have a small fold our solar panel which can charge three phones at once.

 

[Anthony1]

Home made (about £6) wind break.

 

[Anthony1]

thrown out tools and heavy socket set for a leatherman wave which ive used umpteen times and never once used socket set

Makes sense. I have a full toolset, sockets, spanners, even feeler guages etc. Never used them. I have break down cover, really not necessary. But I will keep the breaker bar and socker to change a wheel. I'm not prepared to wait two hours for someone to come and change a wheel.

 

[Perfectos]

Home made (about £6) wind break.

View attachment 94303

best £6 you’ve spent on the Cali ?

try adding some of these to the leg feet for even more secure pegging

 

[Pitstop Penny]

Home made (about £6) wind break.

View attachment 94303

There's always one smug bastard isn't there! Hahaha. I'm a muppet. I know my place.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Slide out rear tray and set of drawers under sink (for a T6) but a Forum poster gave an illustration of how to fit them to a T5.

View attachment 94248

Who makes the under sink drawers?
That does sound tempting.

 

[Bluebird]

Hi @Bluebird ,

The cup holder is a cheap one off eBay. This is the one that I purchased - see pic.

The other two items are quadlock - see on quadlock site here -
Universal adaptor - https://www.quadlockcase.co.uk/products/universal-adapter?variant=4273835525

Wall mount - https://www.quadlockcase.co.uk/coll...adhesive-mount-twin-pack?variant=346965147666

Assemble them together and you have a good setup. Building one for the passenger side now too.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

That’s great. Will do it when I get back, the rattling from the centre console is annoying.

 

[Commer63]

best £6 you’ve spent on the Cali ?

try adding some of these to the leg feet for even more secure pegging

View attachment 94307

View attachment 94308

Do you mind if I ask what these are called and where did you buy them from?

 

[Stu@rt]

Do you mind if I ask what these are called and where did you buy them from?

Fiamma Awning Securing Plate ( Pair inc pegs) - CampervanBits

A pair of Fiamma plates to attach to your Fiamma or Thule awning legs for extra stability.

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Awning Securing Plates - Available from the club shop

 

[Perfectos]

Do you mind if I ask what these are called and where did you buy them from?

Have a look at this thread (more via the search )

post 20 will show you how to , you can use any tarpaulin, I chose to use the tent material (Oxford material) as it make less noise than a plastic tarp.

VW Beach Arriving Soon - Top 5 Things To Do

Hi All, After nearly 1 year of waiting my Beach is finally on a boat destined to England.. I’ve spent the last year reading the great recommendations, ideas and creative thinking for all sorts of aspects of VW Camper Life. I’m trying to compile a list of things to get done quickly, making sure...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

securing plates and pegs from shop or Google search “awning front leg plate”

 

[Anthony1]

Who makes the under sink drawers?
That does sound tempting.

Campervanbits , ie the club shop. Not cheap at £319 but makes life a lot easier. You also lose some storage space. I wouldn't go back though. They are designed for the T6. The sliding door catch is in a different place in the T6. But if you, very carefully remove a few mil from the door catch, it will still work and the drawers will also work. They are soft close too.

 

[SamSara]

Replaced the cheap ikea cutlery with John Lewis plus 2 steak knives. Might as well eat in style (the Ikea have gone to my daughter at Uni!)

 

[seasiders1]

Did you check out the Preservatives museum…?

Oooh no, missed that. I’m sure we’ll go back one day. Thanks for the tip.