Good Day

[kave]

I am really into getting a California Beach. I bought a new motorbike for my 40th birthday this year but haven't had any time to use it. Two children, 5 and 7 years old and my bicycle interested keeps me busy.

I am looking to sell the bike and buy something I can enjoy on my Mountainbike trips and use as a weekend home. We are currently living in a house 1.5 hours drive from the sea so my thinking is getting a California to extend the weekends.
It seems I am going to buy it from Germany, even though I live in Sweden. Main reason is we only have the expensive Ocean model and I think I would do better without the kitchen since I will use it as my daily drive.

As it stands now this is my imagined T6 spec:
204HP
4-motion
Manual
Beach 3 seater
2 extra seats
Acoustic package, ie thicker windows etc and privacy glass
Park heater with remote
Optics package so I get Halogen lamps
Park sensors and camera
Window that can open
230V mains with charger etc
Socket in the front with magnet lamp
Seat heating front seats
Multi function steering wheel
Multi function display plus
Multimedia package with 8 speakers and appconnect

I am considering adding DDC to get the best comfort.

All in all it is 40100£ from germany.
Maybe crazy to get such an expensive bus, but and "empty" BMW 530D is the same money here in Sweden.

 

[kave]

Dunno how to edit, but I am most certainly sell my motorbike to buy a Californa instead

 

[blondebier]

Sounds good Kave. Nice spec there.

I considered importing from a dealer in Austria. I was amazed at the price difference as we'd be paying the euro price and then some on top in sterling.

My main concern was around getting insurance in the UK. I'm not sure how you get on in Sweden, but the insurance industry here is rotten. They'd class the vehicle as a "grey import". You then get in to the whole world of specialist insurance with terms to match.

In the end, the hassle of dealing with a dealer abroad, the potential warranty issues and insurance frustration I decided against it.

It sounds like some of the guys on here have done it and had a great road trip on the way back.

Good luck selling your bike.

 

[motacyclist]

Keep the bike and get a trailer for it

 

[kave]

If I can afford it yes

 

[kave]

First stepmin financing a California, Motorbike sold. It will be missed.

 

[sbmcd]

First stepmin financing a California, Motorbike sold. It will be missed.

Once the new van arrives start saving for that replacement bike, it is amazing what you can pick up, there are lots of very low mileage bikes at very reasonable money out there.

 

[kave]

Well, I just payed the downpayment on a new T6 Beach.
After one day of anxiety etc I just figured it is time.
Long wait, seems june-september time frame is expected.

 

[WolfPack]

Well, I just payed the downpayment on a new T6 Beach.
After one day of anxiety etc I just figured it is time.
Long wait, seems june-september time frame is expected.

Good for you!
file:///Users/Master/Desktop/Live%20Like%20Someone%20Left%20the%20Gate%20Open.jpg

 

[kave]

The van is at the dealer ready for pickup on monday:

 

[T6 CFO]

Are you sure that's not mine
Presume with chrome pack?
I have same colour and same wheels on order.

Edit: Just noticed its a beach.

Very nice


Mike

 

[kave]

No chrome pack, its an Edition so comfort dash and led headlights.
204HP with dsg and 4-motion
7 seats
Acc up to 160mkh
Air heater with remote
I should have taken the 18 VW wheels but cheaped out.

 

[Geezso]

Are you sure that's not mine
Presume with chrome pack?
I have same colour and same wheels on order.

Edit: Just noticed its a beach.

Very nice


Mike

And LHD

 

[kave]

Picked up the car at the dealer on monday. German export plates fixed.
First impression, what a nice car to drive. Engine almost dead silient, dsg shifts gear perfect, much power from the 204PS engine.
We and my friends had lots of plans going to Stelvio pass etc, but the weather on the Austrian border was so great so we found a nearby camping spot and deiced to stay for the night ( 10 minute drive from dealer).

We tried for a very long time to organize a bed downstairs, but failed to get the seat flat because it always touched the multiflex board or the two extra seats.
We had some warm beer and decided to doublecheck the multiflexboard, it was not as far back as possible. Small adjustment and the bed was flat.
We just had one sleeping bag each, no pillows etc, the so called Comfort Madress is in fact not comfortable at all. It is very hard and makes sleeping on the side hard.
I guess some more practise makes it better.
We had real downpour rains and thunderstorm, the upper bed was all dry, no water entering through the canvas.

Some small reflections
1. The light assist is really slow at activating the full light but quick at turning it off.
2. Acc works very well
3. The freewheel feels strange at first, but works really well
4. California is fully stable at 180kmh+ speed on the autobahn, reslly impressive I have heard.
5. Camping with the two extra chairs should be avoided

A big thank you to the forum members for all your inspiration.

 

[Trailertrash]

And you picked the best colour in the World . Get that awning tied down Kave or you could be the first Swedish astronaut.
Lycklig camping

 

[VW Cali]

Now that is a fine looking Cali.

I was told by VW dealer that I cannot have 4 Motion with 2 extra seats! Insisted that was true. So the Beach I am picking up in 3 weeks or so is only 150 bhp and 2 wheel drive!

Has your Cali been worth the decision?

 

[kave]

Thanks for the comments.
The Ocean cant have both 4-motion and extra seat, probably weight issue.
You can probably order extra seats after delivery.

It has been worth the wait, my children 8 and 6 rushed out the house this morning and demanded the roof to be lifted in pouring rain. Forgot to open doors so it went really slow

 

[Tommy Gun]

Hi,

Great pics & looks very smart.

I see you have an 'Ocean' style grill, with 3 chrome strips, rather than the single chrome strip Beach grill (like your avatar.) Was that a seperate option, or part of the 'Edition' package that you mentioned?

I think you did right by not going for the 18" wheels. The 17's will be a bit more plush on-road for bumps & should work better with your 4Motion off-road.
Mind you, I bet Swedish roads are probably a lot smoother than ours!
Enjoy.

Cheers
Tom

 

[kave]

Thank you.

I think the strips depends on the engine, ie more power prettier grille?
The swedish roads have a very rough surface, the german roads makes the car more silent.

I just removed the two extra seats, they are heavy and it takes a few minutes to remove them.

It seems all of California Chris instruction videos have been marked private on youtube so now we are on our own with the crappy manual.

 

[sapto]

Great to read how much fun you have with your new Van! Enjoy every minute with it!

 

[kave]

Thank you. The California is very unusal in Sweden. I have showed it to close friends and neighbors, many are impressed.
Today me and my two children will try "wild camp" for the first time. 40 minutes of preparation, pillows and sleeping bags showed in to bags, some nuts and some chilled Prosecco to use when Miss Kave arrives after work at 21:30.
A good day.

 

[Ciki62]

I am really into getting a California Beach. I bought a new motorbike for my 40th birthday this year but haven't had any time to use it. Two children, 5 and 7 years old and my bicycle interested keeps me busy.

I am looking to sell the bike and buy something I can enjoy on my Mountainbike trips and use as a weekend home. We are currently living in a house 1.5 hours drive from the sea so my thinking is getting a California to extend the weekends.
It seems I am going to buy it from Germany, even though I live in Sweden. Main reason is we only have the expensive Ocean model and I think I would do better without the kitchen since I will use it as my daily drive.

As it stands now this is my imagined T6 spec:
204HP
4-motion
Manual
Beach 3 seater
2 extra seats
Acoustic package, ie thicker windows etc and privacy glass
Park heater with remote
Optics package so I get Halogen lamps
Park sensors and camera
Window that can open
230V mains with charger etc
Socket in the front with magnet lamp
Seat heating front seats
Multi function steering wheel
Multi function display plus
Multimedia package with 8 speakers and appconnect

I am considering adding DDC to get the best comfort.

All in all it is 40100£ from germany.
Maybe crazy to get such an expensive bus, but and "empty" BMW 530D is the same money here in Sweden.

Hi kave. I placed order for more or less the same configuration


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kave]

I have now owned the Cali for one week, I have had three nights of sleep inside.
Saturday morning we decided to, against out friends with Caravans, to go to a nearby coastal city of Varberg to get som views of the sea.
Rain and winds from 8-12m/s made the night interesting. First time I slept in the upper bed with the missus. Clearly the bed is narrower than the lower bed. It is a bit more comfortable though.
I am quite impressed with the mpg, driving through Germany with speeds from 140-190km/h resulted in 31.4MPG which is fantastic.
Here in Sweden with a mix of shorter and longer journeys it seems to stabilize at 35 without problems. Ecodriving takes it to 40MPG without problems.
A heavy van with DSG and 4motion.

 

[VW Cali]

Thank you.

I think the strips depends on the engine, ie more power prettier grille?
The swedish roads have a very rough surface, the german roads makes the car more silent.

I just removed the two extra seats, they are heavy and it takes a few minutes to remove them.

It seems all of California Chris instruction videos have been marked private on youtube so now we are on our own with the crappy manual.

Kave,

Can I ask where you store middle two seats. My lther half says if we leave in garage will be chewed by mice.

Apparently various older baby and child seats left in our garage were feasted upon by mice....

 

[kave]

We have a spare room which contains some basic gym equipment where they currently stands. I am going to build a shelf in my home office where the seats and comfort mattress can be located when not camping.
I think it is a good idea not storing them in a garage. We have had mice eating on anything fabric or plastic.