Help! New Cali won’t go in the garage

[Keith Smith]

An option would have been to let the tyres down to a point that they are just a bit more than keeping the rims off the floor, drive in, then pump them back up and put a BIG NOTE on the steering wheel to drop the tyre pressure again before driving back out in the spring.

 

[Snowy]

To get the Cali in the garage you need at least 2mtrs high and at least 5mtrs long. Width dependant on mirrors out of folded. I can just get mine in with about 1cm spare on height. I have a roller door and adjusted the 'stops' to get maximum height without them coming off the rollers. If your garage has outward opening barn doors you may be ok. If you have up and over door you will need extra height in the garage to accommodate the door when horizontal and enough clearance to be able to close the door. In addition you need enough width (in the garage) to get in and out of the vehicle. Rear sliding door does help. It also helps to have a timber section on the floor so that the wheels stop when you are in the correct position.
I think filling tanks or letting tyres down will become a bit tedious and when you forget...big problem!
Good luck

 

[Chrisp]

Is it possible to adjust the position of the awning and slide it down a bit?

Looks like that might be possible; there’s maybe 1/2 cm gap. Still hopeful to get the door raised a little. Got the van out today with a bit of supporting wood under the door and a few heavy items in the back

 

[Chrisp]

To get the Cali in the garage you need at least 2mtrs high and at least 5mtrs long. Width dependant on mirrors out of folded. I can just get mine in with about 1cm spare on height. I have a roller door and adjusted the 'stops' to get maximum height without them coming off the rollers. If your garage has outward opening barn doors you may be ok. If you have up and over door you will need extra height in the garage to accommodate the door when horizontal and enough clearance to be able to close the door. In addition you need enough width (in the garage) to get in and out of the vehicle. Rear sliding door does help. It also helps to have a timber section on the floor so that the wheels stop when you are in the correct position.
I think filling tanks or letting tyres down will become a bit tedious and when you forget...big problem!
Good luck

Thanks. I have enough height when the van is in. It’s the slope up to get in that makes the van more than 2.0m on the way in. Getting it sorted by raising the opened door a little more. Ie when in the horizontal position.

 

[Chrisp]

An option would have been to let the tyres down to a point that they are just a bit more than keeping the rims off the floor, drive in, then pump them back up and put a BIG NOTE on the steering wheel to drop the tyre pressure again before driving back out in the spring.

Thanks but hoping to drive it out often, not just in the spring

 

[Chrisp]

I had the same problem, albeit I knew before purchase. Decided to fit air suspension as in the end it wasn’t that much more expensive than raising the garage door lintel height with a new larger double garage door.

Added bonus of variable ride heights on demand and auto-level on sites.

How much is the air suspension roughly? Is that the same as DCC or is that something else?

 

[Chrisp]

have you filled the van water tanks and all your camping gear in there yet?

No the tanks are empty as yet. I propped the door with a bit of wood today raising it slightly and worked well til I get the door raised more permanently.

Ok..

To the OP...

I'm glad you have got it in. At least now you have time and space to think of a long term solution. It must be heartbreaking to get it home and have this problem.

Mine does not see the inside of the garage. Firstly because I would need a week's full attention from a waste disposal company to even make room for it in my garage, secondly because I am in and out of it every day but mostly because I like it sat on the drive where I can gaze lovingly at it through the window ...

I hope you do find a long term solution.

Thanks for the sympathy; much appreciated!

 

[WelshGas]

How much is the air suspension roughly? Is that the same as DCC or is that something else?

About £4000+/-.

 

[briwy]

How much is the air suspension roughly? Is that the same as DCC or is that something else?

Speak to MIck Leightley at Specialist Auto Products at Doncaster if your interested in it. 01302 215296.
Mick did ours and plenty of Calis and literally hundreds of T5/6s.
Tell him you need the full package with autolevelling as that doesn't come as standard.

 

[Kmann]

Looks like that might be possible; there’s maybe 1/2 cm gap. Still hopeful to get the door raised a little. Got the van out today with a bit of supporting wood under the door and a few heavy items in the back

The awning is fixed. The gap you see in the bracket is not for any use. The bracket is also mounted under the roof. And the awning itself is sitting in a fixed point also.

 

[Andy Foster]

Speak to MIck Leightley at Specialist Auto Products at Doncaster if your interested in it. 01302 215296.
Mick did ours and plenty of Calis and literally hundreds of T5/6s.
Tell him you need the full package with autolevelling as that doesn't come as standard.

Yep that’s where we got ours done, cost was same as building work to increase lintol height and new door.

For information the overall height of the van when the air suspension is on its lowest setting is 1910mm.

Trust that information helps.

 

[Chrisp]

About £4000+/-.

eek! I guess better value than £2400 for two-tone paint though.

 

[Chrisp]

The awning is fixed. The gap you see in the bracket is not for any use. The bracket is also mounted under the roof. And the awning itself is sitting in a fixed point also.

View attachment 27040 View attachment 27041

OK, thanks! Saved me a lot of wasted time there.

 

[Chrisp]

Speak to MIck Leightley at Specialist Auto Products at Doncaster if your interested in it. 01302 215296.
Mick did ours and plenty of Calis and literally hundreds of T5/6s.
Tell him you need the full package with autolevelling as that doesn't come as standard.

will do. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[marchugo]

Chris,

No need to hassle with your awning. If you have the factory fitted Thule one, it's allways under 2 metres.
One might get the impression it is higher than the roof, but that's just optical, because the roof is curved.

If you have a Fiamma awning things could be different, allthough only a few millimeters.
Also beware loading extra kilos in the back, this might raise the front roof of the car when reversing out. Spread well fed relatives on front and rear....

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[B J G]

About £4000+/-.

More like £5,000 now.

 

[Floats]

Hi Chris,
I did the math over and over. Then found the previous owner fitted larger tyres for going into 'Africa'
I also managed to raise the garage door a little, I now have literally 3mm clearance. The rear end of the awning is definately slightly higher than the front.
Why dont you remove your awning until such time that you sorted the garage door and then put the awning back on when you actually go camping.
Regards
Chris
Cape Town

 

[Duncan Harvey]

Before deciding to buy, I got my neighbour to put his 10 year old Cali in my garage and it went in fairly easily. Picked up my new one today and it won’t go in!

What is the cause and what options do I have?

My van has 18” wheels and the dealer told me this doesn’t affect the height, is that right?

The problem is the awning, which is the highest part of the van. Is that higher on new vans than old?

Regardless of the cause, what options do I have to get it in?

I may be able to raise the opened garage door by up to an inch.

Lower suspension? May only gain an inch from this too?

Take the awning off perhaps as a temporary measure. How easy is this to get off?

Help please

Chris

A roller shutter garage door will give you more height if your current door is an 'up and over type'-

 

[TwoDogs]

Yep, as others have said, if the up and over door is the issue, and the actual opening is high enough for the van, a sectional or roller door will give access to the full height. I changed mine to a sectional and my Defender now fits comfortably - previously, it would only fit facing forwards, and would scrape on up and over door on the way in.
Got to be cheaper than air suspension, hasn't it? (I was pleasantly surprised by the price of a Hormann fully automatic sectional door for my double garage)

 

[TwoDogs]

Ps you do need slightly more space above the opening to fit a roller door in...I didn't quite have enough

 

[Helen Baron]

Omg this is why so many people think us California owners are like caravanners. Seriously, who cares? Just get in your van, love it, drive it, admire it, have fun in it, have sex in it, do what makes you happy in it, but just get on with it. Technical s**t is so boring. Be young, get excited xxx KISS

 

[westfalia]

Omg this is why so many people think us California owners are like caravanners. Seriously, who cares? Just get in your van, love it, drive it, admire it, have fun in it, have sex in it, do what makes you happy in it, but just get on with it. Technical s**t is so boring. Be young, get excited xxx KISS

Well, yes. You could apply that post to almost every thread on here.
I´ve never heard of Vee Dub owners being like caravanners. ?????

When you have a problem with yours, and you for sure will have, a reply like yours
wouldn´t be too helpful would it.
Omg,Wtf,Lol, kiss kiss,

 

[Helen Baron]

We’ve had lots of problems with ours but i don’t want to let my tyres down or pump up my garage. OMG VEE DUB Chill

 

[Borris]

Omg this is why so many people think us California owners are like caravanners. Seriously, who cares? Just get in your van, love it, drive it, admire it, have fun in it, have sex in it, do what makes you happy in it, but just get on with it. Technical s**t is so boring. Be young, get excited xxx KISS

Yes, but after you've had a busy day doing all that you'll still need to park it.

 

[Helen Baron]

I like to move it, move it