Greetings from the Canary Islands, capital of Californias

[Canary Bird]

Hello from the Canary Islands! I have enjoyed following the forum for quite some time, but never officially joined until now. I am/was a T5 (seven passenger) Beach owner. I live in Tenerife and ordered the T5 in September 2012 and it arrived at the beginning of 2013. We have thoroughly loved it after spending years tent camping & using an Opel/Vauxhall Zafira. It is a great people mover, mobile office & camper that functions well during the week and weekend. The Islands are a great place for a California with the mild temps, great market pricing ... and we have enjoyed trips around Europe during the summers.

One interesting story about the VW California in Tenerife. They price/market the vehicle at what I believe is a much lower price than the rest of Western Europe ... probably because of poor economics for the Islanders. Well, they have sold lots of Californias here, so many that VW Germany contacted the Island dealerships some years back to confirm that they were not selling vehicles to Brits & Germans who were taking them back to Europe. In order to prove they were selling them to Islanders & residents here, they held a California festival and then invited the VW German people to attend - to show them that all the Californias were still here.

However, a tour bus crashed into the back of the van a month ago and the insurance companies are just now in the final process of determining that it will be replaced, not repaired. The T5 proved it can take a terrible hit and keep us safe. None of us were hurt, but police said our 3 kids would have died in a regular passenger car (we had kids on 3 person bench moved towards the front & the 2 additional seats removed for the trip). It originally cost 23,000+ pounds (32,000 Euros) without accessories in 2012 and it is determined that it will cost over 22,500 pounds (31,000 Euros) to repair it. … so I will be transitioning to the T6 with mixed feelings. I anticipate ordering the T6 in the coming days/weeks and they are saying 2-3 months wait for the Islands.

I attached a photo of our van a couple weeks before the crash, the smashed T5 and the coach bus with our rear case and Thule bike/case carrier embedded into its. windscreen and grill.

 

[Meoncoast]

Hello and welcome. Glad nobody was injured your poor van looks a real mess.

 

[LowMan]

Wow! That's an incredible story. Great to hear that you and your family are all ok though.

Best Wishes.

 

[buster]

Welcome to the forum and sorry to see what has happend, I hope they prosecuted the coach driver?

 

[Borris]

Hello from the Canary Islands! I have enjoyed following the forum for quite some time, but never officially joined until now. I am/was a T5 (seven passenger) Beach owner. I live in Tenerife and ordered the T5 in September 2012 and it arrived at the beginning of 2013. We have thoroughly loved it after spending years tent camping & using an Opel/Vauxhall Zafira. It is a great people mover, mobile office & camper that functions well during the week and weekend. The Islands are a great place for a California with the mild temps, great market pricing ... and we have enjoyed trips around Europe during the summers.

One interesting story about the VW California in Tenerife. They price/market the vehicle at what I believe is a much lower price than the rest of Western Europe ... probably because of poor economics for the Islanders. Well, they have sold lots of Californias here, so many that VW Germany contacted the Island dealerships some years back to confirm that they were not selling vehicles to Brits & Germans who were taking them back to Europe. In order to prove they were selling them to Islanders & residents here, they held a California festival and then invited the VW German people to attend - to show them that all the Californias were still here.

However, a tour bus crashed into the back of the van a month ago and the insurance companies are just now in the final process of determining that it will be replaced, not repaired. The T5 proved it can take a terrible hit and keep us safe. None of us were hurt, but police said our 3 kids would have died in a regular passenger car (we had kids on 3 person bench moved towards the front & the 2 additional seats removed for the trip). It originally cost 23,000+ pounds (32,000 Euros) without accessories in 2012 and it is determined that it will cost over 22,500 pounds (31,000 Euros) to repair it. … so I will be transitioning to the T6 with mixed feelings. I anticipate ordering the T6 in the coming days/weeks and they are saying 2-3 months wait for the Islands.

I attached a photo of our van a couple weeks before the crash, the smashed T5 and the coach bus with our rear case and Thule bike/case carrier embedded into its. windscreen and grill.

View attachment 9777

View attachment 9778

View attachment 9779

Hi Canary Bird,
What a horrible shock for you all.
As long as you and your family are all OK, that's all that matters. Everything else can be replaced. Thank goodness you were in a well built Cali.

 

[motacyclist]

Wow lucky escape. You would have thought he would have seen your bright yellow van!

Had a similar experience years ago when a farmer in a 4 x 4 towing a trailer full of sheep ran into the back of our Kon-Tiki, loads of hassle getting everything sorted afterwards but we were OK apart from bruising.

Love Tenerife by the way!

 

[Canary Bird]

I have wanted to invite everyone to Tenerife for a get together, but not sure when the new California will be ready ... December 2015 .... March 2016?

 

[Neil I]

I have wanted to invite everyone to Tenerife for a get together, but not sure when the new California will be ready ... December 2015 .... March 2016?

Hi Canary:

Sorry about your van. Hope the T6 will arrive soon.

the wife and I are thinking of coming to tenerife Jan 1. Can you tell me about the ferry? Can we hang out and sleep in van? How much is it?

Thanks in advance for the info!

 

[Canary Bird]

Hello! I am leaving for a trip early tomorrow, but let me reply before I take off. I assume you mean taking a ferry from mainland Spain to the Canary Islands? I only know those ferries.

~ there are two companies: one leaves from Cadiz (http://www.trasmediterranea.es) and the other leaves Huelva (http://www.navieraarmas.com)
~ they travel only certain days
~ you can pay to stay in a seat over the journey or a 4 person room (shared with others if you can't fill it) and rooms fill up quickly
~ you then include a vehicle in this reservation, these spots can fill up quickly too
~ you can sleep in your van if you are sneaky, but don't open or crack open windows as there are lots of fumes in the garage area
~ you are allowed to go down to vehicles to get items every few hours, but they keep it locked for security
~ costs are based on travel dates, so you need to get on the website & type in your info

 

[Neil I]

Hello! I am leaving for a trip early tomorrow, but let me reply before I take off. I assume you mean taking a ferry from mainland Spain to the Canary Islands? I only know those ferries.

~ there are two companies: one leaves from Cadiz (http://www.trasmediterranea.es) and the other leaves Huelva (http://www.navieraarmas.com)
~ they travel only certain days
~ you can pay to stay in a seat over the journey or a 4 person room (shared with others if you can't fill it) and rooms fill up quickly
~ you then include a vehicle in this reservation, these spots can fill up quickly too
~ you can sleep in your van if you are sneaky, but don't open or crack open windows as there are lots of fumes in the garage area
~ you are allowed to go down to vehicles to get items every few hours, but they keep it locked for security
~ costs are based on travel dates, so you need to get on the website & type in your info

thanks for taking the time, exactly what I needed. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Isa Neal]

Hiya what an awful shock you must have had and so glad the vehicle protected you and the family.
I'm arriving in Tenerife via Cadiz on 21/1/2016 on a group tour with GBMotorhome tours of Canaries. Would love to meet up and goggle at your new T6 if you have it by then! We are not getting back to UK until the 7/4/2016 so there's loads of time if you are available , we travel from island to island but spend quite a bit of time in Tenerife. My Cali will be the smallest vehicle on this tour, and we are spending some nights wildcamping with official approval so I'll be interested to see how manageable long periods with solar showers and portable loos is tolerable!