How low is your California?

[Elrao]

My T6.1 California Beach Camper is due to arrive Tuesday and I'm trying to decide how low to go.

I need to lower it a little to get it in the garage (2m ish garage door but with the slight slope I'd like a bit of contingency - especially given the reports from some that their calis are taller than the 1995 advertised.

From conversations I think the options that give the best ride at each height are

Koni Special Active Shocks with -40mm springs
Koni Sport Short Shocks with -50mm springs
Eibach Coilovers at -60mm (VW Warranty friendly option)
KW/H&R Coilovers at -60mm (aledgedly better ride and definitely cheaper)

Appreciate there are other options and brands, but these are the ones I've narrowed it down to with all the non Eibach options recommended by CRS, the Eibachs are only there as VW approved.

Decision will primarily be based on drop, head says 40mm will be enough but hearts says to go lower (as will look better)!

What height do you ride at, pic says a thousand words...

 

[westfalia]

Mine is 30mm lower and I'm happy with it.
Its lowered but subtle.
It all depends what you like, 60mm would look - slammed -

Whatever you choose don't forget to post some pics.

 

[bob_summers]

Following with interest.

I have to rent a garage space for mine when it comes - well under 2m would give more options

 

[Elrao]

Following with interest.

I have to rent a garage space for mine when it comes - well under 2m would give more options

Yeah, it's the main reason I'm considering Coilovers to drop 60mm.

 

[Elrao]

California delivered today, i had read there was a rake with the front higher than the back, but my rear is about 60mm (tyre to arch) and the front is 100+!

That was full unladen though, not sure how much two in the front would bring that down.

Based on this, 40mm on the rear would be fine but might need more on the front - which would put me down the coilover route.

 

[bob_summers]

As I understand it the arch gap isn't the same on a level van?
What's the measurement front and rear from, say, floor to top of awning rail?

 

[Elrao]

As I understand it the arch gap isn't the same on a level van?
What's the measurement front and rear from, say, floor to top of awning rail?

Yes, had read the same - just didn't expect it to be THAT different. Will put a level on the awning rail tomorrow and check it!

 

[Stu@rt]

Some light reading for you

Saggy Bum

What’s the best cure for a saggy arse? Siekel seems a bit extreme .. anyone got any experience of a bum lift?

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[GrannyJen]

Mine was so low the tyres would hit the ground every time it moved

 

[ArunAlec]

Mine was so low the tyres would hit the ground every time it moved

That’s worthy of a Christmas cracker!

 

[Elrao]

This is a 6 month old T6.1 with less than 5000 miles on it, I really hope there isn't a problem! Was just surprised it was ~40-50mm different.

That thread about saggy bums says the rear should be higher than the front when empty!!

 

[Stu@rt]

This is a 6 month old T6.1 with less than 5000 miles on it, I really hope there isn't a problem! Was just surprised it was ~40-50mm different.

That thread about saggy bums says the rear should be higher than the front when empty!!

A lot of it is optical illusion, due to the wheel arches being different heights

 

[Elrao]

A lot of it is optical illusion, due to the wheel arches being different heights

Quite possibly. Not saying it isn't level, just surprised at the gap differences. Given my decision about how low to lower it is mainly for aesthetics then I would need to lower the front a lot!

Might be that the 40mm springs don't lower the rear 40mm if they are also stiffer, but 40mm on the front would.

 

[Stu@rt]

Quite possibly. Not saying it isn't level, just surprised at the gap differences. Given my decision about how low to lower it is mainly for aesthetics then I would need to lower the front a lot!

Might be that the 40mm springs don't lower the rear 40mm if they are also stiffer, but 40mm on the front would.

I can't offer any first hand experience I am afraid. I swapped the garage door instead

 

[Elrao]

Floor to wheel arch:

Rear - 73.5cm
Front - 77.5cm

Confirms that the front gap is ~ 40mm as initially measured.

The ground is not level though, ground slopes down to the front which I think might cause some of this? Angle in side the van (along the edge of the Beach Camper's mini kitchen) is roughly the same as the angle of the floor (it is gravel so hard to tell), so flat ish.

Need to find a level hard standing and measure again!

 

[WelshGas]

Floor to wheel arch:

Rear - 73.5cm
Front - 77.5cm

Confirms that the front gap is ~ 40mm as initially measured.

The ground is not level though, ground slopes down to the front which I think might cause some of this? Angle in side the van (along the edge of the Beach Camper's mini kitchen) is roughly the same as the angle of the floor (it is gravel so hard to tell), so flat ish.

Need to find a level hard standing and measure again!

Measure floor to body line, not wheel arch, unless of course you want to have the vehicle nose down.

 

[Elrao]

Measure floor to body line, not wheel arch, unless of course you want to have the vehicle nose down.

When you say body line, assume you mean the line that goes mid way up the side panel just below the windows etc?

On that, the front is about 35mm lower than the rear, but not sure if that is supposed to be horizontal on a T6.1?

Or do you mean to the bottom of the sill in front of the rear wheel and rear of the front wheel, another trip out (mid post) and I noticed there is a line on that - which is 30cm (ish) to the floor front and rear.

 

[Calimili]

Measure floor to body line, not wheel arch, unless of course you want to have the vehicle nose down.

We‘ll never get out of this debate.…
it‘s a T6 California and not a Transporter or Multivan. Key difference between the models… in the Cali you sleep. Therefore the floor and roof need to be flat, parallel to the ground. Consistently body lines are parallel to the ground.
This gives the impression of the rear being lower than the front. It is… for a Multivan, with equal wheel-to-arch distances front and back and body lines sloping forward, but it isn‘t sagging being a Cali that need to be flat to the ground in order to have your head not higher than your feet while sleeping.
to achieve this inevitably the wheel-to-arch distance must be higher at the front.

 

[Elrao]

So it sounds like my setup is about right (as standard), and I should keep a consistent drop all around to keep the level. Based on this, I am not sure I can go lower than -40mm, as that would leave the rear rubber pretty close to the arch. If I want to reduce the gap at the front then I would have to make the nose dip by lowering the front more than the rear.

Unless, the replacement springs are higher rated, meaning they don't result in a full 40mm drop of course.

 

[Tarquers]

So it sounds like my setup is about right (as standard), and I should keep a consistent drop all around to keep the level. Based on this, I am not sure I can go lower than -40mm, as that would leave the rear rubber pretty close to the arch. If I want to reduce the gap at the front then I would have to make the nose dip by lowering the front more than the rear.

Unless, the replacement springs are higher rated, meaning they don't result in a full 40mm drop of course.

Expensive solution but have you thought about air suspension?

 

[Elrao]

Expensive solution but have you thought about air suspension?

Yes...but it's too expensive!

 

[Wesel]

Lowering the ground level ?

 

[WelshGas]

When you say body line, assume you mean the line that goes mid way up the side panel just below the windows etc?

On that, the front is about 35mm lower than the rear, but not sure if that is supposed to be horizontal on a T6.1?

Or do you mean to the bottom of the sill in front of the rear wheel and rear of the front wheel, another trip out (mid post) and I noticed there is a line on that - which is 30cm (ish) to the floor front and rear.

VW T6.1 Technical Drawings.

https://bb-database.de/jctumbau/documents/137801/37746633/7LA_000_011_A__DRW_TZV_001_____BAUMASSE______T6-1_KOMBI_______20200130.pdf/566c0a22-bb4c-beda-4a25-676ade6bf5fe

Technical drawings - BodybuilderDatabase

 

[pjm-84]

405 F / 392 R (mm) centre of wheel to bottom of the arch. The front is down 60mm from the standard 465mm. Cant remember what the standard rear height was

 

[pjm-84]