Hello!

[MrNick]

Had our Ocean for just over a month now and loving it - this forum has been an invaluable resource in all our pre-Cali and post-Cali decisions!

Rewind a few months - it was September-ish and we were tent camping in Hayfield (Peak District). It was cold and wet and generally a bit miserable. One day we noticed a Cali parked up on the campsite, and my partner said "Hey Nick, we should get one of those!"... I laughed it off thinking it wasn't practical, but the seed had been sown in my head! I've always thought VW campers were cool but never actually seriously considered one as a daily car.

So after that weekend we looked into it in more detail. We're always away at the weekends hiking and doing outdoor stuff (with our dog Holly), and the possibility of being able to stay over wherever you end up was really appealing.

Decided to go for it and trade up! We only need one car, and given the Cali cost, our Mercedes A Class went into a PX. So we originally looked for pre-reg to save on the VED increases in April, or if ordering new would want to be ordering ASAP to beat the December price increases. I did some test drives locally - a manual in Manchester first which we almost went for, but when I found a pre-reg DSG to test drive a few hours away which I much preferred (and now I'm so happy that we went with DSG instead). The guy wouldn't budge on the price at all, so we left it and decided to order new with the exact spec we wanted.

Went around a load of dealers to get the best price for our new spec - and Guy from Preston came back with the best quote, BUT also told us that another customer had changed their order, so if we were interested we could take their order instead! It had pretty much the exact spec we wanted, with a few things we wouldn't normally have specced (but now glad we have them), plus a decent discount - so we went for it!


Specs are:

• 150 DSG
• Candy White - turns out to be a right pain to keep clean!
  
• LED headlights - love these especially with the white!
• ACC - this has literally changed my life, love it!
• Laminated glass - can't really compare to non-laminated but it is nice and quiet when driving
• Electric sliding door - wouldn't have got this, but now consider it essential
• Shower - for hosing down the dog!
• Parking sensors with camera
• Light and vision
• Awning
• Safe box
• Discover media with navigation

Even after ordering there was a few question marks - will it be OK parked on the street outside our house? Will insurance make it unaffordable? Have we made the right decision on spec?

6 weeks later we pick it up and its the best decision we've ever made - amazing!!

Since then we've had 4 weekend stays in the Cali - Peak District (Rivendale Caravan Park), Settle (Orcaber), Beddgelert Forest and last weekend Bolton Abbey. The Bolton Abbey CC site is wonderful, great riverside walks on your doorstep, nice dog friendly hotel nearby in one direction and the Craven Arms pub walkable in the other direction which we'll definitely be going back to (both the pub and the site!).

I've fitted a dash cam thanks to help on this forum, plus some chrome trims and black B pillars. Spent an unspeakable amount on Brandrup seat covers and bits and pieces!

Sorry that ended up being a bit long-winded - but to summarise we're loving it, best purchase ever!

Attaching a few photos from our recent travels which heavily feature our dog Holly!

 

[Fast Freddie]

Very nice, glad you are enjoying your Cali

 

[sapto]

Great sum up and I love your pictures! Thanks for sharing your thoughts before-buying and now afterwards. Enjoy your Cali and look forward to read more about your outdoors "stuff" and adventures.
Cheers
sapto

 

[GillianC]

Great post and what a fab dog is Holly! Love the seat she is on. Is that a special dog travel seat? Agree about the white at this time of the year but seemed better in the summer.

 

[Hotel California]

Welcome
Nice review on your first Cali adventures.
Good to see you got your lovely dog well secured in the seatbelt wearing a harnass

 

[Teejay]

Had our Ocean for just over a month now and loving it - this forum has been an invaluable resource in all our pre-Cali and post-Cali decisions!

Rewind a few months - it was September-ish and we were tent camping in Hayfield (Peak District). It was cold and wet and generally a bit miserable. One day we noticed a Cali parked up on the campsite, and my partner said "Hey Nick, we should get one of those!"... I laughed it off thinking it wasn't practical, but the seed had been sown in my head! I've always thought VW campers were cool but never actually seriously considered one as a daily car.

So after that weekend we looked into it in more detail. We're always away at the weekends hiking and doing outdoor stuff (with our dog Holly), and the possibility of being able to stay over wherever you end up was really appealing.

Decided to go for it and trade up! We only need one car, and given the Cali cost, our Mercedes A Class went into a PX. So we originally looked for pre-reg to save on the VED increases in April, or if ordering new would want to be ordering ASAP to beat the December price increases. I did some test drives locally - a manual in Manchester first which we almost went for, but when I found a pre-reg DSG to test drive a few hours away which I much preferred (and now I'm so happy that we went with DSG instead). The guy wouldn't budge on the price at all, so we left it and decided to order new with the exact spec we wanted.

Went around a load of dealers to get the best price for our new spec - and Guy from Preston came back with the best quote, BUT also told us that another customer had changed their order, so if we were interested we could take their order instead! It had pretty much the exact spec we wanted, with a few things we wouldn't normally have specced (but now glad we have them), plus a decent discount - so we went for it!


Specs are:

• 150 DSG
• Candy White - turns out to be a right pain to keep clean!
  
• LED headlights - love these especially with the white!
• ACC - this has literally changed my life, love it!
• Laminated glass - can't really compare to non-laminated but it is nice and quiet when driving
• Electric sliding door - wouldn't have got this, but now consider it essential
• Shower - for hosing down the dog!
• Parking sensors with camera
• Light and vision
• Awning
• Safe box
• Discover media with navigation

Even after ordering there was a few question marks - will it be OK parked on the street outside our house? Will insurance make it unaffordable? Have we made the right decision on spec?

6 weeks later we pick it up and its the best decision we've ever made - amazing!!

Since then we've had 4 weekend stays in the Cali - Peak District (Rivendale Caravan Park), Settle (Orcaber), Beddgelert Forest and last weekend Bolton Abbey. The Bolton Abbey CC site is wonderful, great riverside walks on your doorstep, nice dog friendly hotel nearby in one direction and the Craven Arms pub walkable in the other direction which we'll definitely be going back to (both the pub and the site!).

I've fitted a dash cam thanks to help on this forum, plus some chrome trims and black B pillars. Spent an unspeakable amount on Brandrup seat covers and bits and pieces!

Sorry that ended up being a bit long-winded - but to summarise we're loving it, best purchase ever!

Attaching a few photos from our recent travels which heavily feature our dog Holly!

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White is right !

 

[MrNick]

Great post and what a fab dog is Holly! Love the seat she is on. Is that a special dog travel seat? Agree about the white at this time of the year but seemed better in the summer.

Its a Solvit Car Cuddler (http://www.easyanimal.co.uk/car-cuddler-small.html#.WG6eqcvfWhA) and its great - has a bolster that you push into the seat back to keep it secure, and the back panel helps protect the seat too.

 

[Days out]

Hi Nick.

From an owner of a T6 (Oryx) white Ocean with DSG and black b pillars and chrome trim I can only agree that your Cali looks very nice!

Mine is a pain in the backside to keep clean granted but looks super cool in the summer months when it will stay cleaner and look good in the sunshine - you have yet to have this experience of course.

I must admit to wanting the LED headlights which to me were but too expensive but now regret not going for them as the standard lights aren't great especially having had a nice TT with matrix beam and currently a (white) Golf 7 GTi with headlights that track the bends. Never mind the evenings are starting to draw out...

I also didn't order ACC on the Cali but have it on my Golf and it's a brilliant feature. Especially in towns where it tracks the car in front and sticks to the speed limit. Should have ordered it really but the whole thing does get expensive as you know.

I too invested in some Brandrup seat covers bought second hand on eBay and still eye wateringly expensive but totally required with kids. They do match in well and it never looks like I have seat covers fitted. I washed them recently and refitted them freshening up the interior again.

I use mine most days to get to work if it's wet/icy and my bike if it's dry. I enjoy driving it and find it easy to park etc. Other than keeping it clean it's a good drive especially as it's lowered too.

Anyway enjoy the van and congratulations!

 

[MrNick]

Hi Nick.

From an owner of a T6 (Oryx) white Ocean with DSG and black b pillars and chrome trim I can only agree that your Cali looks very nice!

Mine is a pain in the backside to keep clean granted but looks super cool in the summer months when it will stay cleaner and look good in the sunshine - you have yet to have this experience of course.

I must admit to wanting the LED headlights which to me were but too expensive but now regret not going for them as the standard lights aren't great especially having had a nice TT with matrix beam and currently a (white) Golf 7 GTi with headlights that track the bends. Never mind the evenings are starting to draw out...

I also didn't order ACC on the Cali but have it on my Golf and it's a brilliant feature. Especially in towns where it tracks the car in front and sticks to the speed limit. Should have ordered it really but the whole thing does get expensive as you know.

I too invested in some Brandrup seat covers bought second hand on eBay and still eye wateringly expensive but totally required with kids. They do match in well and it never looks like I have seat covers fitted. I washed them recently and refitted them freshening up the interior again.

I use mine most days to get to work if it's wet/icy and my bike if it's dry. I enjoy driving it and find it easy to park etc. Other than keeping it clean it's a good drive especially as it's lowered too.

Anyway enjoy the van and congratulations!

Yes the LEDs are massively overpriced, and probably wouldn't have got them if we were speccing this ourselves, same with the Discover Nav and elec door - but now we have them I'm glad we do!

All worked out for the best in the end, as we got our Cali for the same price as a pre-reg manual one they were offering us at the Manchester dealer with a much poorer spec. So sometimes a bit of patience and sitting on your wallet is a good idea

The only things I would have differently is the chrome pack, but I've pretty much got that now, and also different wheels. Preferred the Cascavel ones, but now I've seen other options, including yours (thanks for all those details in the other post BTW), I think I'll probably save up and look at some options further down the line. No idea how big to go, maybe just up to 18, and/or if to get the VW lowering springs, so lots to think about!

Might see you around with you being in Cheshire - I usually wave to any Cali I see, but that said if it doesn't have an awning I find it hard to pick them out from Transporters Maybe there's some other obvious distinguishing feature I'm missing that easily tells them apart on a drive by?

 

[WelshGas]

Might see you around with you being in Cheshire - I usually wave to any Cali I see, but that said if it doesn't have an awning I find it hard to pick them out from Transporters Maybe there's some other obvious distinguishing feature I'm missing that easily tells them apart on a drive by?

California ALWAYS has sliding door on L side.
Transporter has the slider on the R side, always, with sometime one on the L side as well if it is a Shuttle/Caravelle. This is for a U.K. Transporter.
If an Awning is fitted then will always be on the L side for a California.

 

[Joker 1299]

California ALWAYS has sliding door on L side.
Transporter has the slider on the R side, always, with sometime one on the L side as well if it is a Shuttle/Caravelle. This is for a U.K. Transporter.
If an Awning is fitted then will always be on the L side for a California.

Surely it's exactly the opposite? Or are you looking at it in a mirror?

 

[WelshGas]

Surely it's exactly the opposite? Or are you looking at it in a mirror?

Was looking from the front, vehicle coming towards you.
Could have said " Drivers Side" but would possibly upset our Continental Cousins who drive on the wrong side of the road.

Off in 48hrs to somewhere warm and where they drive on the correct side of the road. Cannot take the California though. Busy packing so that's my excuse.

 

[Joker 1299]

Ha ha! Thought as much! Just teasing. Warm, drive on the left, not accessible to Calis? - Cyprus? Wherever, have a great time! By the way, starboard was possibly the word you were looking for.