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Hello & Question! New Beach, Used, or Wait?

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Location
Dorset, UK
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T6 Beach 150
Hi, we're considering joining you all on this journey and buying a Beach! We have 2 kids (5 and 3) and we want something we can use as a day van, for drive/camp holidays, and also as a daily driver to commute if necessary. My work is flexible so one quarter I could be working from home, the next I could be staying away and doing a 200 to 300 mile journey each week. We currently have 2 small cheapish cars for the school run and for my work travel. I would need to change my small car for a bigger one if I start doing longer journeys. This would probably be something like a nearly new Skoda Superb at £25k which would cost me £3k or more per year in depreciation. I would want lots of toys on it - eg. Adaptive cruise, DSG, upgraded lights, etc. While it ticks the commute box, it doesn't really solve the day trip, holidays, fun requirements, and would just sit on the drive depreciating if I am not commuting.

Instead, we thought we could get a Beach, on the basis that the cost per mile including depreciation would hopefully not be that much higher than the £25k car. Less if we are not using it for commuting. I suspect I am deluding myself, but by how much?!

We're hiring one next month to confirm it is right for us.

Right now the dealer is offering VW incentives of 0% finance, and I think a £1200 contribution towards the options. We don't need the finance, but it might help get a better deal.

I have the following questions running through my mind

  1. How often do the incentives from the dealer change? Would I be likely to get a better deal from the dealer towards the end of the year? Have there been better incentives recently?

  2. A new one comes out at £60k list with all the options. Any view on what I could expect to sell it for privately or trade in in either 5 years or 10 years with 10k miles per year?

  3. The 6.1 is due soon, so I assume that will hit the residuals. So we could look for a 2nd hand Beach instead and trade it in in a few years for a 6.1 once all the problems have been ironed out. The problem is that it needs to be newer than 2015 to get Adaptive Cruise. Very much a 1st world problem granted!

  4. Diesel - I worry that diesel will become more and more unpopular and expensive, and hit the residuals.

  5. I guess there would be more choice in used Beaches at the end of the year.
Just trying to get my thoughts straight - this is significant expense for us, and we'll put the house extension on hold to do it. Any views appreciated!

Cheers.
 
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You can get a nice 2nd hand one 2018 plate for about 45k, to 50k. Why not do that? The new ones in my opinion are ridiculous prices. You could get an ocean cheaper. It makes no sense
 
If I was you I'd wait for a well equipped 2nd hand model. The depreciation would be less than new over time.
We have a ford galaxy and it is no better on fuel than our 140bhp beach! Insurance is comparable to the car, if not cheaper, though tax is slightly higher.
If I were in need of a daily drive vehicle I would be happy doing it in my beach. It's barely any bigger than the ford, just as practical, economical and you can leave stuff inside for those occasions when a cuppa is called for.
Test drive is always a deal breaker, but I think it's great vehicle. Had an se before, which we'd still have if not for child number 3.
Hope this help in some way.
 
Hi, we're considering joining you all on this journey and buying a Beach! We have 2 kids (5 and 3) and we want something we can use as a day van, for drive/camp holidays, and also as a daily driver to commute if necessary. My work is flexible so one quarter I could be working from home, the next I could be staying away and doing a 200 to 300 mile journey each week. We currently have 2 small cheapish cars for the school run and for my work travel. I would need to change my small car for a bigger one if I start doing longer journeys. This would probably be something like a nearly new Skoda Superb at £25k which would cost me £3k or more per year in depreciation. I would want lots of toys on it - eg. Adaptive cruise, DSG, upgraded lights, etc. While it ticks the commute box, it doesn't really solve the day trip, holidays, fun requirements, and would just sit on the drive depreciating if I am not commuting.

Instead, we thought we could get a Beach, on the basis that the cost per mile including depreciation would hopefully not be that much higher than the £25k car. Less if we are not using it for commuting. I suspect I am deluding myself, but by how much?!

We're hiring one next month to confirm it is right for us.

Right now the dealer is offering VW incentives of 0% finance, and I think a £1200 contribution towards the options. We don't need the finance, but it might help get a better deal.

I have the following questions running through my mind

  1. How often do the incentives from the dealer change? Would I be likely to get a better deal from the dealer towards the end of the year? Have there been better incentives recently?

  2. A new one comes out at £60k list with all the options. Any view on what I could expect to sell it for privately or trade in in either 5 years or 10 years with 10k miles per year?

  3. The 6.1 is due soon, so I assume that will hit the residuals. So we could look for a 2nd hand Beach instead and trade it in in a few years for a 6.1 once all the problems have been ironed out. The problem is that it needs to be newer than 2015 to get Adaptive Cruise. Very much a 1st world problem granted!

  4. Diesel - I worry that diesel will become more and more unpopular and expensive, and hit the residuals.

  5. I guess there would be more choice in used Beaches at the end of the year.
Just trying to get my thoughts straight - this is significant expense for us, and we'll put the house extension on hold to do it. Any views appreciated!

Cheers.
I would look for a dealer demonstrator, that's what we did. They are usually high spec, low mileage.
 
The VW offers normally change every quarter but the sometimes stay the same. The new Quarter is July 1st.
That's why the current loyalty bonus offer runs until the end of this month. I suspect that offer may return In the next quarter or until all T6 stocks have been sold.
 
I bought a demonstrator it was a pretty hefty discount and 4 years later I still havent really lost much money in depreciation.
 
Whereas I struggled last year to find an ex-demo Beach with the specs I wanted so went for new with autoebid and got an acceptable price.

(There was a van I was interested in that was advertised for £48k at one of the VW dealers, they wouldn't budge on price -- noticed it about 6 months later still for sale for £42k, I'd have paid more)
 
Thanks for all the replies. they are helping greatly.

As an all year round daily driver, I'm after a high spec, and browsing vans on here, Autotrader and VW used, I've not found anything that comes close.

Autoebid gives me a £60k list price, with a 7% discount giving me an OTR price of £56k.

Here's my draft option list in order of priority which adds c£12k to the price.
  1. Adaptive Cruise Control ACC including Front Assist and City Emergency Braking - Max Speed 99mph - GBP 414.00
  2. LED Headlights with LED Daytime Running and Tailgate with Red Tail Lights - GBP 1812.00
  3. Comfort Dashboard Package - GBP 1404.00
  4. Reversing Camera with Front and Rear Parking Sensors - GBP 714.00
  5. Heated Driver and Front Passenger Seats - GBP 324.00
  6. Interior Light Concept for Camper Comfort in Passenger Compartment - GBP 288.00
  7. Composition Media Radio with Touch Screen - 6.33in - GBP 474.00
  8. Lights and Vision Package - GBP 276.00
  9. Leather Multi-Function Steering Wheel and Gear Knob with Radio and Telephone Controls - GBP 384.00
  10. Privacy Glass in Passenger - Load Compartment with Green Heat-insulating Glass in Cab - GBP 312.00
  11. Towbar - Fixed with Trailer Stabilisation - GBP 540.00
  12. 80L fuel tank
  13. Electric Sliding Door - Drivers Side - GBP 456.00
  14. High Beam Assist - GBP 156.00
  15. Programmable Parking Heater - Air with Radio Remote Control and Auxiliary Heater - Coolant - GBP 1980.00
  16. Sliding Window in Front and Fixed Window in Rear in Load-Passenger Compartment on Driver Side - GBP 216.00
  17. Wing Mirrors - Heated - Power Adjustable and Power Folding Wing Mirrors - GBP 144.00
  18. Awning - Black Rail and Housing - GBP 474.00
  19. Bed Extension with Comfort Sleeping Mat - GBP 282.00
  20. Seats - 3-Seater Bench Movable with Reclining Seat Mechanism and Multi-Flex Board with Padding x3 Drawers - GBP 0.00
  21. Heated Front Windscreen - GBP 450.00

I'm leaning towards buying new. Autoebid don't mention anything about the £1200 accessory discount, so I need to find out about that.

I haven't yet had a quote from a dealer.

I don't have a VW to get the loyalty bonus, so it will probably come down to whether there is any advantage to waiting until off-season to try and get a better deal.
 
Well we have top of the range fully optioned Skoda Superb 170ps dsg estate and a very well optioned seven seater California Beach.

We purchased the Skoda from a Skoda main agent dealership when it was three years old with 17000 miles for £17500. It has behaved faultlessly in the three years we have owned it as did our previous two Skodas. Obviously it has depreciated over the last three years. It's probably now worth around the £10 - £11000 mark if sold privately so depreciation has probably been about £2000 - £2500 per year. The storey would have been considerably different if we had purchased it new for around £28 - £30k. However, that has never been our policy for a second car. There are millions of second hand cars on the market and many are like new so why pay the extra. The Skoda Superb is what it says on the tin, quite simply Superb. It's reliable, well appointed, comfortable and extremely capacious. The perfect family car.

The T6 Beach was purchased in 2016 as an ex demo although we'd paid a deposit for it before it was registered. It had just over a 100 miles on the clock when we picked it up. It too makes a wonderful family car but with many other possible extended uses. Since we've had it we used it as a mobile beach hut, changing room, sports pavillion, furniture van, dinning room, sitting room, spare bedroom for guests at home, car transporter (grandson's pedal go cart), seven seat airport and wedding transport, OAP transport with electric buggy in the boot, long distance holiday tourer, mobile kitchen, luxury mobile bedroom for two adults and occasionally three extra children and only last weekend, a tow vehicle to for a car transporter trailer containing a veteran car for our grandaughters Prom dance! It has done every one of these tasks perfectly, so I can say with any out doubts that the Beach is the most versatile vehicle that I have ever owned or likely to own. The list price with options was just shy of £54000 in 2016 but we paid just under £45000 for it (included dealer discount + loyalty bonus discount + further discount for letting them have it as a demo for three months). It currently has 31618 miles on the clock after three years and is probably worth around £36 - £37,000 ish, maybe slightly less, so the depreciation has been broadly similar.

However, in your position I would definately go for the Beach. Believe me, you will not regret it.



To answer your questions:

1. I would think that now is a pretty good time to buy although just before Christmas is supposed to be a good time to tackle a dealer. They sell less camper vans then and they may be keen to boast their targets. As you say there may be 0% finance on offer at present and a substantial loyalty bonus. Also consider the effect that an October 31st Brexit might have on prices and the fact that there is also the T6 - 1 due out soon. That won't be any cheaper and anyway there's always a price rise in the pipeline.

2. Who knows what it will be worth in 5 - 10 years time. At the present time it is rare to see a 2009 cali or any cali for that matter for less than £20,000. Also it's worth would depend on it's condition and other factors such as taxation rates and general attitudes towards older diesel vehicles in ten years time.

3. If you want a Beach then I personally wouldn't be that bothered about waiting for the new T6 -1. It will be more expensive and you stand a better chance of getting more options included on one of the last of an old model. Also the changes seem minor. It's supposed to have a fancy space ship dash display. Big deal! It also has a redesigned front end with an ugly grinning face. This is probably something to do with increasing airflow to reduce emissions. Apart from those I suspect it will be more or less the same vehicle.

4. You are probably right but don't worry. Life's too short.

5. Maybe although the Beach is not like the SE or Ocean. It gets used more as a general purpose, multi use, family vehicle. It's been my impression that owners don't change them as often as the former. They are far too useful subsequently people are reluctant to get rid of them. You often see SE and Oceans for sale with very low mileages. Not so with the Beach.

What ever you decide, in order to get the most from your Beach I would suggest that you order the parking heater with remote, a tow bar and a Brandrup Isotop internal roof liner. The rest you'll figure out later.

Good luck.
 
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Thanks for all the replies. they are helping greatly.

As an all year round daily driver, I'm after a high spec, and browsing vans on here, Autotrader and VW used, I've not found anything that comes close.

Autoebid gives me a £60k list price, with a 7% discount giving me an OTR price of £56k.

Here's my draft option list in order of priority which adds c£12k to the price.
  1. Adaptive Cruise Control ACC including Front Assist and City Emergency Braking - Max Speed 99mph - GBP 414.00
  2. LED Headlights with LED Daytime Running and Tailgate with Red Tail Lights - GBP 1812.00
  3. Comfort Dashboard Package - GBP 1404.00
  4. Reversing Camera with Front and Rear Parking Sensors - GBP 714.00
  5. Heated Driver and Front Passenger Seats - GBP 324.00
  6. Interior Light Concept for Camper Comfort in Passenger Compartment - GBP 288.00
  7. Composition Media Radio with Touch Screen - 6.33in - GBP 474.00
  8. Lights and Vision Package - GBP 276.00
  9. Leather Multi-Function Steering Wheel and Gear Knob with Radio and Telephone Controls - GBP 384.00
  10. Privacy Glass in Passenger - Load Compartment with Green Heat-insulating Glass in Cab - GBP 312.00
  11. Towbar - Fixed with Trailer Stabilisation - GBP 540.00
  12. 80L fuel tank
  13. Electric Sliding Door - Drivers Side - GBP 456.00
  14. High Beam Assist - GBP 156.00
  15. Programmable Parking Heater - Air with Radio Remote Control and Auxiliary Heater - Coolant - GBP 1980.00
  16. Sliding Window in Front and Fixed Window in Rear in Load-Passenger Compartment on Driver Side - GBP 216.00
  17. Wing Mirrors - Heated - Power Adjustable and Power Folding Wing Mirrors - GBP 144.00
  18. Awning - Black Rail and Housing - GBP 474.00
  19. Bed Extension with Comfort Sleeping Mat - GBP 282.00
  20. Seats - 3-Seater Bench Movable with Reclining Seat Mechanism and Multi-Flex Board with Padding x3 Drawers - GBP 0.00
  21. Heated Front Windscreen - GBP 450.00
I'm leaning towards buying new. Autoebid don't mention anything about the £1200 accessory discount, so I need to find out about that.

I haven't yet had a quote from a dealer.

I don't have a VW to get the loyalty bonus, so it will probably come down to whether there is any advantage to waiting until off-season to try and get a better deal.
We have all of those options, except:
  • comfort dash - we prefer the pockets on the uncomfortable version; but we did upgrade the air con to climatronic.
  • heated seats - probably a mistake by us not to add this option
  • electric sliding door - one more thing to go wrong, and the manual door isn't that much of a chore
  • heated front windscreen - what's the point when the parking heater will do the job, by remote control, by turning on 10 mins before you even leave the house.
We paid £42,222 in March 2017 with a 14% discount. The deal was that the van was to be used as a road demonstrator for up to 3 months before delivery. Delays in delivery were such that we were given the van from new.
 
We have a beach ex demo, bought a month or so ago. I saved about £12-13k on list with the options on it. 3k on the clock, it was like new with beds still wrapped in plastic. I’d go ex demo, still feels like you’re getting a new car. Only thing is, finding one with your options on, I looked everywhere and was lucky one came up with pretty much the options I wanted and a few I wasn’t bothered about (high beam assist, Sat Nav, heated seats). Just lacking the parking heater which is a deal breaker for a lot of people, but wangled a good price as a result and am prepared to add it later and still good value if I do. We will keep this van for a long while if all goes to plan so I’m less bothered about resale value. The van replaced an ageing Saab 9-5 estate and we love it, it’s lovely to ride in. Small parking spaces at our local train station are a bit tight but that’s the only issue we’ve had. Easy to park otherwise and drive. Adaptive cruise with the DSG is very good, glad I got it.


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I don't have a VW to get the loyalty bonus, so it will probably come down to whether there is any advantage to waiting until off-season to try and get a better deal.

Don’t you know anyone that has?: just use their address and change the V5 later. It’s £3000 off inc vat and ends this month - available through autoebid.
 
We have the heated windscreen and I wouldn’t have it again. It’s designed to melt ice on the outside and is not effective at demisting. People on here have described the electric sliding door as the mechanism from hell!
 
Our Beach came with the electric heated windscreen. I have used it on many occasions and have found it effective. As Amarillo has already said, the parking heater should defrost the van if activated whilst your having your breakfast but I've sometimes found ice still present on the windscreen. Under those circumstances the heated screen clears it very quickly.

Having the parking heater to defrost and warm the van before you even go near it, climatronic aircon to demist the windows and a heated screen to melt thick ice does seem a little OTT but I've found they do actually work very well together.

We bought our Beach with the intention of keeping it for five years thereby rinsing every last drop out of the extended service package warrantee that we had paid for. When we do replace it, it will be more or less the spec that you have picked with the exception of the electric sliding door. I'll just stick to the electric soft close mechanism instead.
 
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Borris, thank you for the detailed reply, very helpful comparison, and confirms some of my thoughts.

We happen to be going camping with a borrowed Kombi this weekend 150 DSG, so same engine, gearbox and vehicle size, so we'll see how we get on with it.

Tom, thanks for the comments on the options - I'll go and try an electric door and see whether it is worth it as a toy.

Neilos, I'm planning to keep an eye out for a used, but at this point I think we'll end up with new.

Liaoyang, that's a great tip - not thought of that, yes we have friends with transporters, so that could be an option. Thanks.
 
Hopefully the loyalty offer continues into next quarter.
 
Borris, thank you for the detailed reply, very helpful comparison, and confirms some of my thoughts.

We happen to be going camping with a borrowed Kombi this weekend 150 DSG, so same engine, gearbox and vehicle size, so we'll see how we get on with it.

Tom, thanks for the comments on the options - I'll go and try an electric door and see whether it is worth it as a toy.

Neilos, I'm planning to keep an eye out for a used, but at this point I think we'll end up with new.

Liaoyang, that's a great tip - not thought of that, yes we have friends with transporters, so that could be an option. Thanks.
Good luck with your trip away.

It might be worth mentioning that whilst the Beach is a fantastic vehicle, each owner has to work out what essential equipment they will need and how best to store it. Every Beach owner has there own storage plan often perfected over time so don't get too disheartened if your first trip seems a bit disorganised. Once you've got it right you'll have the perfect family vehicle for years to come.

We have a pull out boot tray that contains a fridge/freezer and a number of plastic boxes each containing specific catagories of essential kit. They stay in the boot all the time but can easily be removed. This system wouldn't suit everyone but works perfectly for us.
 
yes-My wife is already there with the boxes, the lists, and the dymo labeller! We're experimenting this weekend as we've got almost unlimted space in the Kombi. Next time will be with a Beach so we'll be able to be more selective in what we actually need. :)
 
yes-My wife is already there with the boxes, the lists, and the dymo labeller! We're experimenting this weekend as we've got almost unlimted space in the Kombi. Next time will be with a Beach so we'll be able to be more selective in what we actually need. :)
Like you, we have two children, boys aged 4 and 5. We have travelled in our Beach extensively, taking a full year out as a family to tour Europe: Nordkapp in the north to Tarifa in the south; Cabo da Roca in the west to Lake Virmajärvi in the east, and 33 countries in between. But it is not until just now that we have the storage right for us.

All this fits below the multiflex in the back.
46856
Four plywood crates which I made myself to use every spare cubic centimetre of space behind the bench seat, four muji drawers containing all our kitchen and dining needs, a box for two Campingaz 907 bottles, and a double stove.

Above that we can create a 1.5m by 1.0m double bed, perfect for two little boys.
46857

At half term we had a family trip to the Costa Brava. Departing immediately after school, we changed the boys into their pyjamas on the Eurotunnel Shuttle, drove into the early hours on the morning with them asleep in their child seats, pulled into a motorway rest area and were all literally tucked up in bed within ten minutes of stopping.

At the campsite we made up the full size Beach bed, and the crates miraculously morph from bed base to camping kitchen.
46858
 
Hi
We recently had the same debate, a few years ago we had a coach built motor home but sold it due to lack of use. Couldn't justify service and associated costs plus depreciation for 5wks holiday a year plus using a large vehicle in the UK was a real pain.
So this year we decided to buy a California, all I can say it's a heart/head emotional rollercoaster.
You have to go through a process of justification but once you've done that you can enjoy the experience.
Yes the California is over priced after all it's only a van!, but it's cool, iconic and THE small camper to have, so who cares it's over priced, once you've bought one nobody does.
We purchased a Beach, but just because you've got 50K to spend don't assume there easy to buy.
We had a long list of desirable options but are you prepaired to wait months and months for a new vehicle. To get new, I had to be flexible and consider what was available. My only must have was the night heater and LED headlamps, both fantastic.
It was because I wanted the heater I purchased new. Any used demos attracted a premium and the price differential was to close bearing in mine the 0% finance offer.
We also debated waiting for the new model but having previously worked in the trade, new models always attract a premium and more than likely will not be offered with 0% and therefore push the price out of reach.
Waiting would also mean missing out on this summers adventures- lifes just to short!
Will diesels be demonised in the future almost certainly yes, but what's your alternative.
At present there's no electric but more importantly no charging infrastructure .
Depreciation I expect to be 5k per yr over the first 4yrs, acceptable to me as the car I'm replacing was losing 2k a year and I'm no longer paying 5k for a family holiday.
Finally it's not just about money, yes you need it to purchase and we should all consider ourselves grateful that we are in a position to be able to afford such a luxury but it's about fun, happy times and appreciating great memories and quality family time.
Good luck
 
Like you, we have two children, boys aged 4 and 5. We have travelled in our Beach extensively, taking a full year out as a family to tour Europe: Nordkapp in the north to Tarifa in the south; Cabo da Roca in the west to Lake Virmajärvi in the east, and 33 countries in between. But it is not until just now that we have the storage right for us.

All this fits below the multiflex in the back.
View attachment 46856
Four plywood crates which I made myself to use every spare cubic centimetre of space behind the bench seat, four muji drawers containing all our kitchen and dining needs, a box for two Campingaz 907 bottles, and a double stove.

Above that we can create a 1.5m by 1.0m double bed, perfect for two little boys.
View attachment 46857

At half term we had a family trip to the Costa Brava. Departing immediately after school, we changed the boys into their pyjamas on the Eurotunnel Shuttle, drove into the early hours on the morning with them asleep in their child seats, pulled into a motorway rest area and were all literally tucked up in bed within ten minutes of stopping.

At the campsite we made up the full size Beach bed, and the crates miraculously morph from bed base to camping kitchen.
View attachment 46858

Hi @Amarillo -- nice set up

Do the plywood boxes go *under* the multiflex or do they create an extension to it when driving? (presume you then have the seat pushed forwards a little, creates more space & legroom not a prob)
 
Hi @Amarillo -- nice set up

Do the plywood boxes go *under* the multiflex or do they create an extension to it when driving? (presume you then have the seat pushed forwards a little, creates more space & legroom not a prob)
Pictures are better than words.

The crates between the multiflex and bench seat.
46888

All packed up with the plywood kitchen-table-top used as an extension to the multiflex sitting on top of the four plywood crates, making a flat base of 1.5m wide by 1.0m deep.
46890
 
@kp64zl All that needs to be removed to make the full size bed is the plywood table top and the two shallow crates. These can be stowed under the van. The position of the bench seat is such that it just needs lowering, not moving backwards or forwards, to make the standard 2.0m x 1.5m Beach bed.

This flexible setup works so well for the way we use our van that I’m struggling to think of any further enhancements.
 
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We're back from our camping weekend with the Kombi. Things we learnt or re-confirmed are
  1. We really don't like the faff with tents!
  2. In this case we were meeting friends, so camping was the purpose of the trip. If left to our own devices, we're unlikely to stay more than one night (2 max) in any one place. The campsite for us is a means to an end rather than a destination. So quick set up and clear down is key.
  3. I like the challenge of cooking on a camping trip. We already have a 26l Waeco fridge, a Cadac safari chef (like you Tom), and I'm getting the Brukit for my birthday soon which will give us a 2nd burner, and a day out "cup of tea" solution.
  4. The Kombi was great - lots of space, good amount of power, great visibility, and easy to drive. It was noisier than I'd like, but I think the Beach will be quieter.
  5. The tailgate provides a very useful amount of shade.
  6. We had 4(!) kiddie wee stops on the 3 hour trip way to the campsite. It was much easier to deal with using the gel bags in the van than in a car. We have just ordered a Dometic 972 toilet to cover all eventualities.

We have a Beach hopefully this coming weekend, so we'll be able to massively cut down the amount of stuff we need to take, and use it in the way we expect to.

Tom, thank you for your posts and pics very helpful. Do you/have you put the kids in the roof yet? We worry about them falling out. Also, do those plastic boxes slide open when they are stacked on top of each other? What boxes are they? We have some "really useful boxes" but although they stack, you cannot open them when stacked.

Wondering Star, thank you for your post, it resonates with me! We are almost set on getting a new Beach, as long as something doesn't change our mind this weekend.
 
Don’t worry about kids falling out of the roof, mine are 6 and 3, the supplied child net is excellent at preventing children and pillows from falling.


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