How many converted vans

[soulstyledevon]

Popped over to Cotswold Zoo today. Saw 9 vans in the carpark and passed another 20plus on the way there and back home again.
The numbers on the road at the minute are staggering. Saw a couple of nice ones, but the majority look a right dogs dinner.
I do question how safe and the build quality of some of these vans. It takes the shine off the Cali a little seeing all these bodged up ex builder/rental vans parked up next to ours.

I think I’ve become a complete van snob.

Sitting here tonight looking at the Mercedes website

 

[westfalia]

Lol,

Sitting here tonight looking at the Mercedes website

i´ve done that often enough. They do look good don't they.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Lol,

i´ve done that often enough. They do look good don't they.

They do have some nice touches.
Really got to have another look. I think the biggest flaw is the seats and table.
Might sound silly, but space saving is so important in these little vans.

 

[WelshGas]

They do have some nice touches.
Really got to have another look. I think the biggest flaw is the seats and table.
Might sound silly, but space saving is so important in these little vans.

Don’t forget the roof problems. Many are waiting to have them replaced by Dealers that don’t know what they are doing. Ring a bell?

 

[Billywizz]

I do also question the safety of some vans, there are lots of converters out there cashing in. I did buy a Kombi conversion but got my money back after discovering the poor workmanship and parts used ( this was one of the so called better dealers)

 

[westfalia]

They do have some nice touches.
Really got to have another look. I think the biggest flaw is the seats and table.
Might sound silly, but space saving is so important in these little vans.

But once you've got your head around the deck chair and table
situation they really are a contender, if i was @WelshGas heading
off towards the north pole alone on a jolly up, i wouldn't mind doing
it in a Marco Polo
Sometimes if i camp alone i don't even bother to get the chair and table
out, i just chill on the step under the awning.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Don’t forget the roof problems. Many are waiting to have them replaced by Dealers that don’t know what they are doing. Ring a bell?

I can’t believe Westfalia can’t get it right...???
Same issue as the California or something else?

 

[soulstyledevon]

Sometimes if i camp alone i don't even bother to get the chair and table
out, i just chill on the step under the awning.

It’s funny you should say that.
My wife made me get the chairs and table out today. I was happy to sit on the step and the fence behind the van.
Women...

 

[WelshGas]

I can’t believe Westfalia can’t get it right...???
Same issue as the California or something else?

Fibreglass roofs blistering.

 

[zinglefiffy]

I live around Blackburn, and I've never seen a California this side of the M6. I do see shed-loads of blinged-up kombi T5s and the full gamut of conversions, from tatty to posh campers. Mosty tatty though.

When we started looking at campers I thought the MP was really nice, and a friend of a friend rated the 'van' side of things as better than the T6, but I couldn't work out how a 7 seater Cali Beach could be replicated in a MP.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Lots and lots of nasty converted vans out there.
Which does make me thankfully I have the California. I know that sounds snobby. I’ve had some self builds over the years. But I’m quite handy and done some vans. Far better than what I see from some of these so called professional converters...

There seem to be a lot of Chavved up vans, which look simply awful.
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I was parked between 3 other indium grey vans yesterday.
I’m thinking Indium is the new white.

Infact White is actually an upgraded colour these days in VW T6 world.

 

[westfalia]

I live around Blackburn, and I've never seen a California this side of the M6. I do see shed-loads of blinged-up kombi T5s and the full gamut of conversions, from tatty to posh campers. Mosty tatty though.

When we started looking at campers I thought the MP was really nice, and a friend of a friend rated the 'van' side of things as better than the T6, but I couldn't work out how a 7 seater Cali Beach could be replicated in a MP.

Its called the Marco Polo Activity.

 

[willwander]

Van thing is all the rage. Everyone wants an escape pod...Whatever your budget.

 

[larrylamb]

Its called the Marco Polo Activity. View attachment 42943

Made for curtain twitchers

 

[Volkywagen]

I live around Blackburn, and I've never seen a California this side of the M6. I do see shed-loads of blinged-up kombi T5s and the full gamut of conversions, from tatty to posh campers. Mosty tatty though.

When we started looking at campers I thought the MP was really nice, and a friend of a friend rated the 'van' side of things as better than the T6, but I couldn't work out how a 7 seater Cali Beach could be replicated in a MP.

I come over the Grane Road from time to time

 

[zinglefiffy]

I come over the Grane Road from time to time

ha! I'll keep an eye out for you... don't be offended if i don't wave, that road gives me the willies sometimes...

 

[Tandt]

Popped over to Cotswold Zoo today. Saw 9 vans in the carpark and passed another 20plus on the way there and back home again.
The numbers on the road at the minute are staggering. Saw a couple of nice ones, but the majority look a right dogs dinner.
I do question how safe and the build quality of some of these vans. It takes the shine off the Cali a little seeing all these bodged up ex builder/rental vans parked up next to ours.

I think I’ve become a complete van snob.

Sitting here tonight looking at the Mercedes website

While I agree about botched conversions this happens with anything be it motor home revamps or cars. When we were looking there was a lime green with orange and yellow wheels and green interior which they said 'turned heads' wherever they went but I suspect for the wrong reason. I also wonder what lurks under colourful throws. Our friends got an ex demo van 6 months old (Not vw) for 12k and had a very high quality conversion done for 11k at a local firm. So why wouldn't you. We have a good quality conversion done to previous owners spec and we don't have any of the cali problems. Just remember we all have different cash flow so a cali will always have status -and the door on the wrong side -to differentiate it.

 

[soulstyledevon]

While I agree about botched conversions this happens with anything be it motor home revamps or cars. When we were looking there was a lime green with orange and yellow wheels and green interior which they said 'turned heads' wherever they went but I suspect for the wrong reason. I also wonder what lurks under colourful throws. Our friends got an ex demo van 6 months old (Not vw) for 12k and had a very high quality conversion done for 11k at a local firm. So why wouldn't you. We have a good quality conversion done to previous owners spec and we don't have any of the cali problems. Just remember we all have different cash flow so a cali will always have status -and the door on the wrong side -to differentiate it.

Door on the right side
What are the Cali problems...?

 

[WelshGas]

But once you've got your head around the deck chair and table
situation they really are a contender, if i was @WelshGas heading
off towards the north pole alone on a jolly up, i wouldn't mind doing
it in a Marco Polo
Sometimes if i camp alone i don't even bother to get the chair and table
out, i just chill on the step under the awning.

Think I would definitely want a 2nd Leisure Battery.

 

[braysaway]

Think I would definitely want a 2nd Leisure Battery.

I wouldn't let that be the thing to put you off @WelshGas ;-)
In my now twenty months of owning and using my MP for touring having one leisure battery has never been a problem when off mains for up to three days and to be honest three days in any one place when touring feels like quite a long time to me. The battery then gets recharged on route to next off site stop or on hook up at the next site...simples.

 

[Tom Rae]

I agree the Marco Polo looks better but the older model which I had was much more van like to drive, noisy and clunky and "harsh". The cali drives much better imho.

Tom

 

[WelshGas]

I wouldn't let that be the thing to put you off @WelshGas ;-)
In my now twenty months of owning and using my MP for touring having one leisure battery has never been a problem when off mains for up to three days and to be honest three days in any one place when touring feels like quite a long time to me. The battery then gets recharged on route to next off site stop or on hook up at the next site...simples.

Possibly, but what does put me off is Storage, electric bed ( already tried to help one German couple whose bed wouldn’t go down, Mercedes callout couldn’t fix it, and No they didn’t want to sleep up top , Fortunately the German campsite had chalets.)
No 4Motion . Also I like my creature comforts so 2 nd battery or optional Lithium would be a must to run Diesel Heater and Fridge + other stuff in the cold months.

 

[braysaway]

Possibly, but what does put me off is Storage, electric bed ( already tried to help one German couple whose bed wouldn’t go down, Mercedes callout couldn’t fix it, and No they didn’t want to sleep up top , Fortunately the German campsite had chalets.)
No 4Motion . Also I like my creature comforts so 2 nd battery or optional Lithium would be a must to run Diesel Heater and Fridge + other stuff in the cold months.

Rear seats/bed is great imo, quality leather, multi position recline, inflatable bolsters all designed so that you can enjoy your creature comforts in comfort, never had a problem with mine and if I did I know how to reset them. For me it beats the ocean slab seats hands down. Storage apart from chair storage is pretty same same is it not? In fact am I correct in saying that the Ocean cupboards are shorter from the back of the front seats to rear of cabin than the MP's due to interior space taken up by tail gate intrusion into living space? I'll give you 4 motion although I'm not a lover of dsg Vs the 7 speed auto of the MP. Yup...it's definitely a personal thing.

 

[2into1]

In fact am I correct in saying that the Ocean cupboards are shorter from the back of the front seats to rear of cabin than the MP's due to interior space taken up by tail gate intrusion into living space

No, it's because the MP is a longer van than the Cali.

 

[2into1]

In my now twenty months of owning and using my MP for touring having one leisure battery has never been a problem when off mains for up to three days

Is that with fridge, lights and parking heater running to stay nice and snug?