Happy hello and high five!

[meowsmutz]

Morning!
I hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend. I have been following this forum for a while, we've been hoping to become Cali owners for a few years and hopefully now is the time . We bought a very old (and cheap!) Bongo two years ago to give the kids (and us!) a taste of van life, as we had always had tents in the past. It was of course a success, so we are now looking to upgrade. I will be using the Cali as my daily vehicle for work and school runs and of course for weekend and holiday fun, and hoping to get to Europe which we didn't manage in the older Bongo. We looked at a 2014 model Beach without the hook up and decided we really wanted the hook up so are looking for a newer Beach (tricky at the moment)! However, we are going to see a 2019 model Beach 7 seater today , if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on what to look for I'd be really grateful! Many thanks, looking forward to getting to know you all and learning from your experience!
Have a great weekend

 

[WelshGas]

Morning!
I hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend. I have been following this forum for a while, we've been hoping to become Cali owners for a few years and hopefully now is the time . We bought a very old (and cheap!) Bongo two years ago to give the kids (and us!) a taste of van life, as we had always had tents in the past. It was of course a success, so we are now looking to upgrade. I will be using the Cali as my daily vehicle for work and school runs and of course for weekend and holiday fun, and hoping to get to Europe which we didn't manage in the older Bongo. We looked at a 2014 model Beach without the hook up and decided we really wanted the hook up so are looking for a newer Beach (tricky at the moment)! However, we are going to see a 2019 model Beach 7 seater today , if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on what to look for I'd be really grateful! Many thanks, looking forward to getting to know you all and learning from your experience!
Have a great weekend

As you are planning on using the Beach as your daily driver my advice is to get the Driving side of things the way you want it. Some things you cannot add afterwards.
3 zone Climatronic Air Con covers the front and rear.
H7 or Led headlights are the basics but saying that the basic H4 headlights, which some say are inadequate can easily be upgraded to H7.
The Diesel Parking heater and Mains hookup are nice to have but could be easily retrofitted for about £1500 in total, as many have. Likewise the Sun Awning for about £650.
Get the driving side sorted and the rest can be added if needed.

 

[flying banana]

as said. check it's got mains hook up. that is really handy in the beach. they starting fitting it as standard around 2014 i think

 

[Perfectos]

I believe all T6 Beaches have a Mains hook up.

I believe it was only earlier T5.1 that offered the EHU as an option.

Ask about factory warranty, Standard in U.K. is 3 years from new, it is possible that the vehicle has an extended warranty for an additional 2 years, making a total of five years from New.

Are you able to provide some spec, so comments can be made specifically regarding the Vehicle ?

Private sale or dealer ?

 

[Mrpraline]

You won’t regret it! We absolutely love our Beach! Best decision we ever made. Specs are largely dictated by what you want to spend; we had a pretty low budget so had to go for a relatively basic one. We came from a VW Touran with every bell and whistle going so I was worried I’d miss some of the mod cons. I do miss ACC a bit, and 3 zone Climatronic, but generally speaking I’m not bothered at all. Certainly not to have spent a great deal more. We got ours for £38K from VW Wrexham in March - 10 months old with 6K on the clock. The advantages of space, flexibility and fun far outweigh any of the minor inconveniences. Plus our 3 small kids have done their best to terrorise the van (much to my dismay) so I quite like that it’s nothing too fancy. For that reason we bought seat covers and carpets and installed them straight away which provides great peace of mind! Also bought the T5 style bike rack which we’re used loads and imo makes the van look way cooler too. More like a camper and less like a builder’s van (also why we went for bright blue). We had a heater installed by Planar Pete who was great. Did a really professional job using original VW interior trims so it looks almost like a factory fit.

Other than that we haven’t bought much. Got a cheap IKEA mattress topper from eBay which we find really comfortable and loaded it up with all our existing camping stuff. It came with the VW fridge but it’s pretty huge so need to find something more compact.

My wife was a bit concerned about using it as a daily driver, but after a couple of drives she’s flinging it around like our old A3 (again, to my dismay!). Let us know how you get on.

 

[Perfectos]

Check if the VW comfort mattress is supplied, they cost approx £600

 

[Tomato]

Welcome...All Cali’s and even Beach proving popular these days...go for it

 

[meowsmutz]

Thank you everyone. We have had a look, and are going back in morning for test drive. It's a 2019 Beach from a dealer and is manual, 3 seater bench in rear, parking heater, parking sensors, awning, heated front seats, no climatronic, no tow bar or bike rack, and no controls on steering wheel. If test drive goes well and we can iron out a couple of misdescriptions we are very keen! Only thing I wasn't sure about was when we opened roof it dripped a bit, (it was dry at time but had rained earlier) and it was suggested this was because it wasn't aired after getting wet previously rather than water ingress. That sounds a sensible explanation, I would be interested in your thoughts.
Many thanks all, exciting times!

 

[Karlos]

and happy hunting.

 

[Neilos]

Hi, welcome,

Check it has the multiplex board in the back and mattress too. We looked at one ex demo which did not have this and it ain’t cheap to buy! You can’t make the downstairs bed without it. I’d have a closer look at the roof tomorrow. If it’s at a dealer you’ll be covered if there’s any normal issue, but check the canvas and as much as possible look round it. Some of the dealers have no bloody clue and you can damage a roof if not closed properly. And if there’s damage you want it sorted. Sliding door should be open when you open or close the roof to avoid pushing the canvas out and possibly catching it in the scissor mechanism.

Check the paint all round. Ours somehow got damaged between test drive and delivery and luckily I spotted it, a costly re spray. Dealer wasn’t happy but he sorted it.

I doubt you’ll negotiate much off the price at the moment but they seemed happy to offer £1000 of accessories when we bought a year ago and that included the bike rack if that’s what you’re after.

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Perfectos]

Thank you everyone. We have had a look, and are going back in morning for test drive. It's a 2019 Beach from a dealer and is manual, 3 seater bench in rear, parking heater, parking sensors, awning, heated front seats, no climatronic, no tow bar or bike rack, and no controls on steering wheel. If test drive goes well and we can iron out a couple of misdescriptions we are very keen! Only thing I wasn't sure about was when we opened roof it dripped a bit, (it was dry at time but had rained earlier) and it was suggested this was because it wasn't aired after getting wet previously rather than water ingress. That sounds a sensible explanation, I would be interested in your thoughts.
Many thanks all, exciting times!

Hi M
I would make further close inspection of the potential roof leak.
Look for holes in the canvas and water damage.

Ask the dealer to confirm in writing that they will fix the roof if it’s found to be leaking ( specify a duration of time greater than the 30 day das welt promise )
how much warranty is left on the factory warranty ( does it have an extended warranty).

Top tip : if you decide to proceed with the purchase, Pay a minimum of £100 on your credit card to ensure added consumer protection !

I have no doubt the dealer will offer you a discount on the bike rack, if it’s part of the deal, be cheeky and ask for it to be included as part of the deal.

Similarly tow bar, ask if the dealer will include in the deal, you may be pleasantly surprised, if not ask for a discount for them to fit a tow bar, ( budget between £600 - £900 to fit a removable tow bar by an approved vw tow bar fitter) do you want the tow bar for a bike rack or do you intend towing ?

Does the Cali have the full comfort mattress for the three seat bench to enable it to be made into a perfectly flat bed ? The cost of a matress is high ( use the search function on this forum)

Multi function steering wheel can be retro fitted easily enough, google a company called Hazzy days, their website includes pricing.

 

[Perfectos]

Take lots of photos during your next visit, particularly body work and interior, this will help,you in case of future issue as mentioned by Nelios.

If you do the deal, record the mileage,( photo) and insist the van is not driven at all by anyone else ( you may be surprised what goes on)

Make sure anything you request to be done to the van pre collection is put in writing to the dealer.

 

[Perfectos]

Button upgrade

Multifunction Steering Wheel Button Upgrade T6 & Amarok - Supply & Fit

We are pleased to offer the Multifunction button upgrade for your Volkswagen. This upgrade is only suitable for models with leather steering wheel

www.hazzydayz.com

Full steering wheel upgrade

404 Not Found - VW & Audi Retrofit Parts – Vehicle Electrics – Fault Diagnostics HazzyDayz ltd

VW & Audi retrofit parts available online from HazzyDayz. We specialise in genuine vehicle electrics & fault diagnostics for Audi & Volkswagen vehicles. ADAS calibration

www.hazzydayz.com

 

[Perfectos]

Leaking roof

Hi everyone. I have a roof that's leaking. It's not the canvas. It's coming into the cab through the headlining above the driver and passenger area just to the side of each door. It's not a little leak. The lining is sopping wet and I'm concerned water is making its way down the windscreen...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Perfectos]

Leaking roof seal

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on what might be causing this before I book it in at VW again. A while back I had them look at a leak in the roof which they said was caused by a damaged drainage pipe. The issue hasn't gone away. Water appears to be getting through the roof seal...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Further reading, use the search function and DYOR before parting with your hard earned

 

[Perfectos]

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/search/110306/?q=Roof+leaking&o=relevance

 

[Perfectos]

I hope that gives you some pointers and a starting point for you research, happing reading.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you to the Beach Club

 

[Perfectos]

Additional things to check are supplie£ with the van( usefull thread)

California Beach checklist

I have just found out today that my Cali Beach has finally arrived at Liecester Van centre and I can pick it up on Saturday. Is there any unusual I should check for or is much the same as getting a new car. Please advise . :upsidedown :upsidedown :bananadance :thanks :cool :D :smile

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[meowsmutz]

Thank you all, we have made a list for tomorrow! I should have mentioned, it's v pretty

 

[Mrpraline]

What colour?

 

[Karlos]

I hope that gives you some pointers and a starting point for you research, happing reading.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you to the Beach Club

You may have a beech club but we ride the OCEAN.

 

[OGII]

Welcome...All Cali’s and even Beach proving popular these days...go for it
[/QUOTE

Many would reverse your statement. The Beaches suit a very different market to the other Calis, something VW themselves don't understand. Borris has written several good posts explaining this.

 

[Puertobanus]

Morning!
I hope you are all well and looking forward to the weekend. I have been following this forum for a while, we've been hoping to become Cali owners for a few years and hopefully now is the time . We bought a very old (and cheap!) Bongo two years ago to give the kids (and us!) a taste of van life, as we had always had tents in the past. It was of course a success, so we are now looking to upgrade. I will be using the Cali as my daily vehicle for work and school runs and of course for weekend and holiday fun, and hoping to get to Europe which we didn't manage in the older Bongo. We looked at a 2014 model Beach without the hook up and decided we really wanted the hook up so are looking for a newer Beach (tricky at the moment)! However, we are going to see a 2019 model Beach 7 seater today , if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on what to look for I'd be really grateful! Many thanks, looking forward to getting to know you all and learning from your experience!
Have a great weekend

I bought a 2019 7 seater beach last year. Most of the time we run it without the middle two seats and only put them in when we have visitors. They come out ok but are very heavy. I bought a trolley to move them from the van to the shed. The one thing I didn’t get which I really wish I had is the electric tailgate. It opens ok but closing is hard work

 

[Camperfamily]

I bought a 2019 7 seater beach last year. Most of the time we run it without the middle two seats and only put them in when we have visitors. They come out ok but are very heavy. I bought a trolley to move them from the van to the shed. The one thing I didn’t get which I really wish I had is the electric tailgate. It opens ok but closing is hard work

You can’t get an electric tailgate on a Cali, at least not from the factory.

You can get power latching for the tailgate (and side door), but that just helps the final bit of closing/ latching, not pulling it down, which I presume is the bit you’re referring to.

 

[Puertobanus]

You can’t get an electric tailgate on a Cali, at least not from the factory.

You can get power latching for the tailgate (and side door), but that just helps the final bit of closing/ latching, not pulling it down, which I presume is the bit you’re referring to.

Yes that’s what the dealer said when I ordered it but I did see one on a multivan . It must be a retrofit if some sort