I most regret buying ..........

[SusiBus]

shelves for the wardrobe

Never could understand why people buy shelves for the wardrobe. It's a wardrobe! Use wire coat hangers and you can get masses of clothes in there.

 

[Eber123]

Hello Lewis,

The purchasing process was cumbersome so to speak. First I got the wrong part. Of course they said no problem we change it, but I had to send the wrong part back to Holland. The cost for shipment from Ireland to Holland was almost EUR 60. . Eventually I got the correct part.

The material was very good, no issues here. But the "cut" was not 100%. The shape of the carpet did not fully follow the slightly curved shape of the kitchen. Didn't like that.

The advertisement said that the mat is easy to roll up to move the back seat in the evening. Well, that was not the case. At the end we had a big cumbersome roll between the front and back seat. But this area is useful for shoes etc.

I then tried to cut out the sliders for the bench, so there is no need to roll up the mat when moving the back seat. The problem then was that it needed to be fixed to the floor. I tried various double sided tape, but none of the tapes I used was good enough to prevent movement of the mat.

After that I gave up and did cut the mat into pieces. I can't remember, but I believe the mat was EUR 70.00. With the not planned shipment back to the supplier I spend about EUR 130.00 for nothing .

Online shopping is ok, but if something is going wrong a local shop could be better. The cost of shipment (especially for heavier items) can be expensive.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[insomnia]

I like the idea of the inka seat covers but boy do they make the interior feel depressing by adding yet more grey !!

 

[kurienp]

Repeat of a recent FB group post but ours is a MR D’s slow cooker.

Can’t be bothered to think about prepping dinner in the morning and unless you’re unlikely to be stewing casserole beef (which probably wouldn’t tenderise in it anyway), you might as well chuck it all together in the evening over a glass of wine. Ours has travelled 22k miles unused.

I have a pair of beach slippers that travelled with me 22000 kms across 22 countries. Was planning to sell it for a profit.

 

[ThomasHJ]

Good thread idea!

Good morning,

There is an entire industry for accessories for camping, camper vans and VW California. Of course this industry advertises and try to lure us to buy their products, promising to make camping and using the vehicle even more pleasant. But I guess this is with all "hobbies" or leisure activities.

Of course I could not resist this temptation and got a few things which looked good on the photo and the description made (theoretical) sense. But buying the product proved that in (our) case the practical usage is far away from the advertisement.

Rubber mat
View attachment 63650
For me this did not work at all. We used it during last England holiday and failed. I tried to change it a bit, which did not work. Now it is cut in pieces.

Bag for the wardrobe
View attachment 63652
To get the empty bag in and out of the wardrobe is ok, but I think it is cumbersome to get it in and out of the wardrobe if it is full. Now I have 2x of those bags brand new on a shelf in the garage.

Seat cover
View attachment 63653
Like many others I wasn't happy with the original seat covers. The are dirt magnets. I don't know why seat covers are so terrible expensive. For me it makes no sense to pay several hundered of Euro for seat covers. They are so expensive that I feel the need to protect them....
I tried to be reasonable and got them from Apona Surf. They are kind of ok, but I am not really happy (well, suits me right if I buy cheaper products) with them. The covers at the side of the front seats move up and the seating area of the back seat moves quite easily.

Water cap
View attachment 63654
I got this from the forum shop. The description sounded good. It just won't work for me so I stopped using it. I might give it another try, but I am not hopeful.

Water fill-in
View attachment 63655
I got this also from the forum shop. I still like the idea of filling the water thank of the camper this way, and I will continue doing it this way, but the turning cog is so fiddly, it makes it more cumbersome as needs be. Don't like that part.

I am sure there might be other items that I got which turned out not as practical (for me) as I thought. But before I finish I wanted to add that there are many items that worked out well like the Comfrotz Awning kit from the forum shop, the drawer for the boot, the shelf for the wardrobe, the ladder, the dash camera etc.

The next item I plan to get are the additional drawers for the kitchen. I hope they will be available soon.

Happy California.
Eberhard

Thought about getting the water cap. What in your experience didnt work?

 

[andyinluton]

External topper - the only time I used it was when it was wet & cold & I got wet & cold putting it on & taking it off.
Wardrobe shelves - came unstuck first time it got hot, reverted back to using the wardrobe as a bottomless pit for bedding

 

[Eber123]

Hello ThomasHJ,

The water fill-in is a good idea. There is only 30 L fresh water in the camper, meaning that there are only 3x trips to get it refilled. No problem.

To carry 10 l of water I assume is not the end of the world. To use the holding device on the top rail is ok too (even if the bottle if filled up with water). But the turning cog has to issues. 1.) it is not clear when it is open or closed. Obviously that can have some issues . 2.) the cog turns, twists to open so badly which makes it tricky to use it. But only if it is opened in the right way the water flows into the tank properly.

Never the less, I will continue using it. I believe it is the best and safest way to get drinking water into the camper. The bottle can be filled up either at the normal place at the camps site, at the shower block or other places that provides clean drinking water.

Not only that I saw a few hoses at camp sites which were questionable, but also some connectors that looked so dirty that I didn't want to connect a clean hose to.

So, the set has a fixed place in the camper (top shelf at the back where the gas container is).

Happy California,
Eberhard

 

[HB19]

Good thread idea!

Thought about getting the water cap. What in your experience didnt work?

Hi Thomas, I have the blue stopper and I use it a lot. I take a clean 7m hose (saved for the task) with a couple of spare connectors and the blue cap. It means I can fill up safely and don’t have to lug a water carrier around. I keep it all in a neat bag and it takes up minimal space.

 

[PaulMilton]

Good thread idea!

Thought about getting the water cap. What in your experience didnt work?

I wanted to make sure I wasn‘t the only person to be taken in by products that look like a good idea!

Reading the banter it’s funny how some people love stuff that others regret!

 

[Victor]

Fur lined crocs, wife won't associate herself with me when I wear them

 

[Elly Swanson]

I’ve been interested in a rubber cabin mat - can I ask if it was the fit you didn’t like or the texture? I know there are fitted rubber mats available now with the cut outs for the three rails and the material seems much easier to keep clean but wonder if there are any pitfalls I’m not thinking of?

They stink full on of rubber!

 

[soulstyledevon]

Good morning,

There is an entire industry for accessories for camping, camper vans and VW California. Of course this industry advertises and try to lure us to buy their products, promising to make camping and using the vehicle even more pleasant. But I guess this is with all "hobbies" or leisure activities.

Of course I could not resist this temptation and got a few things which looked good on the photo and the description made (theoretical) sense. But buying the product proved that in (our) case the practical usage is far away from the advertisement.

Rubber mat
View attachment 63650
For me this did not work at all. We used it during last England holiday and failed. I tried to change it a bit, which did not work. Now it is cut in pieces.

Bag for the wardrobe
View attachment 63652
To get the empty bag in and out of the wardrobe is ok, but I think it is cumbersome to get it in and out of the wardrobe if it is full. Now I have 2x of those bags brand new on a shelf in the garage.

Seat cover
View attachment 63653
Like many others I wasn't happy with the original seat covers. The are dirt magnets. I don't know why seat covers are so terrible expensive. For me it makes no sense to pay several hundered of Euro for seat covers. They are so expensive that I feel the need to protect them....
I tried to be reasonable and got them from Apona Surf. They are kind of ok, but I am not really happy (well, suits me right if I buy cheaper products) with them. The covers at the side of the front seats move up and the seating area of the back seat moves quite easily.

Water cap
View attachment 63654
I got this from the forum shop. The description sounded good. It just won't work for me so I stopped using it. I might give it another try, but I am not hopeful.

Water fill-in
View attachment 63655
I got this also from the forum shop. I still like the idea of filling the water thank of the camper this way, and I will continue doing it this way, but the turning cog is so fiddly, it makes it more cumbersome as needs be. Don't like that part.

I am sure there might be other items that I got which turned out not as practical (for me) as I thought. But before I finish I wanted to add that there are many items that worked out well like the Comfrotz Awning kit from the forum shop, the drawer for the boot, the shelf for the wardrobe, the ladder, the dash camera etc.

The next item I plan to get are the additional drawers for the kitchen. I hope they will be available soon.

Happy California.
Eberhard

That reminds me...
The water hose from the shop.
What a waste of time. Just use a 5l bottle of tap water to fill the tank. Yes it takes a few trips, but usually something I do on campsites when I’m bored or want to get away from the missis.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Never could understand why people buy shelves for the wardrobe. It's a wardrobe! Use wire coat hangers and you can get masses of clothes in there.

Agree
I have two emergency sleeping bags for when it’s seriously cold, 3 waterproof jackets, two ruck sacks, high vis jackets and all the day walking gear in there. Plus there’s still room left for other things to throw in...

 

[Elly Swanson]

Purchases at our first shop meet, when we first got the van:

Brandrup airscreen: perhaps a good idea if you were staying put for a while but uses the off side awning rail and has to be slid on/off, so not conducive if you use a Calitopper, and a faff for storing.

Ridgemonkey combi pan (with the compartments). I’m a Ridgemonkey xl toastie fan. The Combo pan took up too much space for me and didn’t do anything that I couldn’t do in other pans I carry plus some alu foil.

Took both back to the shop and they refunded me, no problem.

 

[Elly Swanson]

That reminds me...
The water hose from the shop.
What a waste of time. Just use a 5l bottle of tap water to fill the tank. Yes it takes a few trips, but usually something I do on campsites when I’m bored or want to get away from the missis.

Ah, that old chestnut, water collection. A tactic of my hubby too. He feels all ”unsettled” if I trot off and do it. Like doing the dishes on a campsite with facilities. Once he said, “I s’pose you’ll go and take a shower for me next!” He got the right ‘ump when I laughed.

Now he quotes Sigourney Weaver from the Galaxy Quest film, “Look, I have one job on this lousy ship, it’s stupid but I’m gonna do it, okay?” and we both roll around laughing.

 

[Elly Swanson]

Fur lined crocs, wife won't associate herself with me when I wear them

View attachment 63660

They’re a great asset when camping.

Take the fur out. They’re actually brilliant in the wet as there’s no side holes to let it in, but the holes on top let your feet breath. Also, they’ll be big enough to fit thick socks. You may find your crazy design pattern winds up your wife more than the fur though!

 

[Legin]

Front door wind/ rain deflectors. Generate so much wind noise plus the negative pressure pulls the door away from the seal at speed when its gusty. Took mine off and broke one so 2 days old and in the bin.

 

[SusiBus]

Front door wind/ rain deflectors. Generate so much wind noise plus the negative pressure pulls the door away from the seal at speed when its gusty. Took mine off and broke one so 2 days old and in the bin.

I keep thinking I should get some wind deflectors, but never got around to it. Mainly because I couldn't make up my mind which ones to get. Having read your very negative appraisal all of them, I'm glad I haven't made a purchase.

 

[Legin]

I keep thinking I should get some wind deflectors, but never got around to it. Mainly because I couldn't make up my mind which ones to get. Having read your very negative appraisal all of them, I'm glad I haven't made a purchase.

Im sure some wont share my view but i like to press on and its very noticeable to me and spoils the refinement of a T6 imo. I had the ones that fit between the glass and the outer seal.

 

[Wendick]

Fur lined crocs, wife won't associate herself with me when I wear them

View attachment 63660

Can’t blame her

 

[willwander]

...
Yes it takes a few trips, but usually something I do on campsites when I’m bored or want to get away from the missis.

Ha, I thought it was only me that did that.
I use a very small pan...I can get away from her for hours

 

[gvick]

Shower attachment for sink.
I’ve already got a shower at rear for dog but got so I could prove to a campsite I could contain any grey water.
Madness I know - gotfromclub shop still in its bag - would swap for some levelling chocks

 

[Borris]

Some things get used more than others. Most are useful when they are used under the right circumstances. So my contender for the item that "I most regret buying" would have to be useless in all scenarios.

I therefore nominate:

 

[Elly Swanson]

Some things get used more than others but are useful when they are used under the right circumstances. So my contender for the item that "I most regret buying" would have to be useless in all scenarios.

I therefore nominate:

View attachment 63744

Good call Boris. They get crumbs everywhere, they take ages too.

 

[ArunAlec]

Some things get used more than others but are useful when they are used under the right circumstances. So my contender for the item that "I most regret buying" would have to be useless in all scenarios.

I therefore nominate:

View attachment 63744

Have to agree... I had one for a while! They just seem to desiccate the bread and turn it into a Ryvita.