How would you redesign the Cali interior?

[Borris]

I'd base it on a RHS chassis , put the door on the right side, electric handbrake, Manual roof, better wardrobe design, LED lights upstairs in the roof. Beyond that not much else. I do ponder a slide out bog in the back though with a drop down modesty curtain....

What is an RHS chassis? Is it a right hand drive?

 

[Shaun]

I do hope VW are listening.

1-Manual roof - had no problems with mine yet but I can see the logic
2- Electric handbrake- its a pain to swivel the seats and an even bigger one when there's a handbrake lever in the way and your balanced on wheel chocks
3- Split glass top for sink and cooker . It's just common sense
If not don't worry , Im sure someone from Just Kampers will be reading this and thinking mmmmm there's money to be made here .
Hopefully

 

[andywa119]

The new range of HymerCar looks very promising. VW could do themselves a favour and check what the competition is doing.
http://hymercar.com/en/models/hymercar/
Some of these are Cali sized, and some too big for my liking/
Hymer reputation and quality are very good.
Wont replace my cali anytime soon, but if was a new buyer with £50K to spend there is a lot to like with these HymberCar's
I like the HymerCar Grand Canyon. Pop-up bed, the lot for £50K


Video of tips from the smallest of the range (and closest to the Cali in size)..

 

[briwy]

Agree with the handbrake just gets in the way. Also a heated windscreen with quick clear like ford have. Sorry about swearing on a vw forum

Just for you Kev. Agree totally, we've got other vehicle with heated screen, brilliant.
Seems a good price as well, if ours goes again I'd be very tempted to get one of these.

http://www.heatedwindscreen.com/acatalog/VW-T5-TRANSPORTER-HEATED-WINDSCREEN-8579AGNH.html

 

[SlidePods]

personally I would go with full width bed and a slide out rear kitchen that's removable.....
(please forgive the shameless plug of our product )

 

[marshian70]

Looks great but not so good for making your morning cuppa when it's cold or pouring down with rain, as it is where I am now!

 

[Hotel California]

Agree with above ,
those removeble pods are a well disigned piece of kit but think it only works good on campsites and with nice weather.

Owning a propper "camper-van" for me is to be able to do anything you need to do in a closed verhicle.
When travelling on a roadtrip can't see myself standing cooking behind the verhicle on a camperparking at say 20pm at dark....
Would also mean a lot of heat getting lost during colder days , opening that booth ....
Washing up in the morning , brushing teeth ....beside the vehicle in the rain.

Owend a LR Defender for ten years and saw a lot of those converted with sliding units in the back at meetings.
For me it has to much restrictions.

Think the current interieur on the T5 (6) SE is the probally the most one can get out of this chassis.
Also shown above the higher vans got lots of other plusses but we own a 2m high vehicle so....

 

[Life's a beach]

My long term Cali-plan would be the Beach with slidepod for at least 10 years, which gives a versatile set-up for a family of four. Then onto an SE / Ocean (or whatever it is called by then) for longer trips once the kids have grown up and work is less of a commitment. So thinking ahead, somewhere to store a hoverboard would be good!

 

[capt kirk]

How about a bed with no headrest bar that sits right under my hips.my problem, I'm too heavy.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

1. Plumbed in hot water system (for sink and shower connection)
2. Additional 230v socket (at the wardrobe end of the kitchen)

 

[Saesneg Shaun]

Bench sliding drawer handle on the other side.
Ability to turn the drivers seat with the handbrake on.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

1. Plumbed in hot water system (for sink and shower connection)
2. Additional 230v socket (at the wardrobe end of the kitchen)

Oh, and maybe a double (swivelling) front passenger seat option on the Ocean (as per some conversions). Making it a 5 seater would useful for some.

 

[bob_summers]

The handbrake thing has been so annoying for so long it's like a running joke. I imagine the 6.1 designers saying, "What are we going to do about this annoying handbrake?"
"Absolutely nothing!"

Credit to the van though. Sitting in my Multivan on a lousy day with the table up, it feels cramped. Somehow, the Ocean manages to feel bigger despite being identical in size.

 

[66tim99]

1. Plumbed in hot water system (for sink and shower connection)
2. Additional 230v socket (at the wardrobe end of the kitchen)

How difficult would 1. be aftermarket?

 

[Elmo3]

In terms of usability, a LHD Cali is a huge upgrade.

 

[66tim99]

In terms of usability, a LHD Cali is a huge upgrade.

Why? Sliding door next to kerb?

 

[Aubisque]

Somewhere to place a phone/book/watch whatever when you are lying on the door side of the downstairs bed. All that's there is the caravelle trim and you have to sit up and reach right over to the fridge top. Just needs a little pocket in the trim.

 

[Elmo3]

Why? Sliding door next to kerb?

The biggest advantage is having the kitchen (pod in my case) behind the driver. This means when making an impromptu stop, you can spin the passenger seat round (without mucking about with steering wheel and handbrake etc) and have a lounge sorted in seconds. It means you use it rather than think oh, I can’t be bothered, we’ll just sit in the back. That’s how the Cali was designed after all, the RHD configuration is a compromise.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Somewhere to place a phone/book/watch whatever when you are lying on the door side of the downstairs bed. All that's there is the caravelle trim and you have to sit up and reach right over to the fridge top. Just needs a little pocket in the trim.

Or you could add a shoe box from bus-boxx.de

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Or you could add a shoe box from bus-boxx.de

View attachment 83879

Added a box with a couple of 12v and 4 x USB outlets to ours too, which in that location come in very handy. Powered from the inaccessible 12v socket by the seat.

 

[NessL]

Hot water

 

[Borris]

A sound proof partition between the front seats and the rear.

 

[Aubisque]

Added a box with a couple of 12v and 4 x USB outlets to ours too, which in that location come in very handy. Powered from the inaccessible 12v socket by the seat.

Quite like the look of that, also solves the issue of everything needing to be placed somewhere and then immediately needing to be moved again....like on the fridge or cooker.

Can you access it from the bed when made, is there enough gap between the door and the bed ?

 

[2haw]

Somewhere to place a phone/book/watch whatever when you are lying on the door side of the downstairs bed. All that's there is the caravelle trim and you have to sit up and reach right over to the fridge top. Just needs a little pocket in the trim.

Was going to say the same, on the Beach 6.1 camper, the downstairs bed has no pockets on either side to store phone / watch / keys.
The rear panels just need a minor inset trays into the arm recesses..

Another downside of the T6.1 over a T6 Beach is the lack of drinks holders and cubby holes. Once the bench is made into a bed, the pull out stove becomes redundant as it can’t be opened.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Quite like the look of that, also solves the issue of everything needing to be placed somewhere and then immediately needing to be moved again....like on the fridge or cooker.

Can you access it from the bed when made, is there enough gap between the door and the bed ?

Hi @Aubisque
In our Ocean, yes you can access the top shelf when the bed is made up but obviously it is partially obscured. Anything you needed to reach would need to be placed on the outer half of the shelf to avoid fumbling around. Photo shows gap (obviously bench not pulled forward but gap remains the same).