Kitchen or not !?

[heathensofmerica]

Hi all we are going to re look at two Californias we have put despite down on both.
One is 2.0 tdi blue motion tech beach
Other is
an ocean with kitchen.
Well mainly be camping at camps site for for fews as got two children under 3.

My question is how useful is the kitchen in the calis if already at camping site. (We have three camping stoves already)

Thank you Kim

 

[colintfcolintf]

The fridge certainly helps, as does the cupboard storage.
I wanted a beach but glad that we got the Ocean.

 

[dspuk]

Hi all we are going to re look at two Californias we have put despite down on both.
One is 2.0 tdi blue motion tech beach
Other is
an ocean with kitchen.
Well mainly be camping at camps site for for fews as got two children under 3.

My question is how useful is the kitchen in the calis if already at camping site. (We have three camping stoves already)

Thank you Kim

Very. Especially if it is raining.

 

[heathensofmerica]

You do have electric cool box already and thought if we are hooked up on camping site that be ok. Also will be having drive away awning which could be cooked in?

 

[sidepod]

Search on here for Ocean versus Beach threads.
There are dozens. All end up in a big old punch up.
Probably the most debated subject on the forum.

Happy reading. You won’t be any wiser.

 

[Camperfamily]

I’m in the fortunate position of having had both. We found we weren’t using the kitchen in our SE/ Ocean at all other than for fridge and storage. We prefer cooking outside or using cafes if the weather is very poor.

The wardrobe and overhead locker are useful in the Ocean. The versatility of the Beach trumps Ocean.

Start with how you will use van and choose based on that - both Beach and Ocean have their pros and cons. Both are brilliant!

 

[heathensofmerica]

I’m in the fortunate position of having had both. We found we weren’t using the kitchen in our SE/ Ocean at all other than for fridge and storage. We prefer cooking outside or using cafes if the weather is very poor.

The wardrobe and overhead locker are useful in the Ocean. The versatility of the Beach trumps Ocean.

Start with how you will use van and choose based on that - both Beach and Ocean have their pros and cons. Both are brilliant!

Thank you, that’s what we are thinking. We bbq a lot and already have cooking equipment. But yes the sink and cupboards seem good.
It will be used as every car too.
The problem we have is the ocean is 14 plate but with less miles and 37k and beach is 67 plate with 10,000 more miles T6 but 38k.

 

[sidepod]

Perhaps a different perspective, which of the two has the night heater fitted. This is more of a game changer than a kitchen.

 

[colintfcolintf]

something to consider it is to be everyday car or frequent use - is one Euro6 complaint?
there are pros and coms to Adblu

 

[heathensofmerica]

something to consider it is to be everyday car or frequent use - is one Euro6 complaint?
there are pros and coms to Adblu

Yes the newer one is compliant, however we live semi rural for two years now and been to city once. But good point on our travels we might encounter charges more
Going to test drive again today and try decide !

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

It all depends on your family situation and how you want to use it.

We are a family of four (son is 7 and daughter is 4) with a Beach. It suits us because we also use it as an everyday car but we can also camp in it. Whether you want a kitchen inside is a matter of personal choice and how you view the camper. Are you campers looking for a tent on wheels or campers looking for a hotel room on wheels? We are the former, I have a fridge (bigger than that in the Ocean) on a pull out drawer in the back, together is a self made camp kitchen (gas or induction) that I can use outside or under the rear door if the weather isn't pleasant. We do have the Beach pull out cooker inside but it has never been used. Each to their own but I wouldn't want cooking smells or steam inside the car.

 

[BeagleMum]

Hi all we are going to re look at two Californias we have put despite down on both.
One is 2.0 tdi blue motion tech beach
Other is
an ocean with kitchen.
Well mainly be camping at camps site for for fews as got two children under 3.

My question is how useful is the kitchen in the calis if already at camping site. (We have three camping stoves already)

Thank you Kim

There are pros & cons for both.
We had a Beach for 2 years absolutely loved it. Changed to an Ocean a year ago, due to surgery I was struggling with getting the roof down so change was forced.
We miss the extra space in the Beach, we were used to cooking outside from a Landcruiser previously so not having an inside hob wasn’t an issue. We feel sink is too small to be of any real use, Ocean fridge is a good size but in the Beach we had a Dometic that could be used as fridge or freezer.
With children the extra Beach space would be of benefit but whichever you decide they are great vehicles. We wish you luck, let us know what you decide.

 

[ThomasHJ]

I might be biased (Ocean) but although we (2 adults, 2 young kids) don't use the kitchen a lot, I wouldn't want to be without it. We cook outside quite a bit (if, (big if), the weather allows it). Especially meats, bacon, salmon, etc. Things that might leave a smell. The weather doesn't always allow it and sometimes you arrive late or you can't or don't want to visit a pub/restaurant. We often cook vegetables or pasta inside even tough theweather is fine. There's no wind inside and you don't have to set up anything. The fridge is briliant and you'll need one anyways even in a beach where it will take up extra room.

Like others wisely said; consider other difference between the two, like space/ bed size.

 

[Drpps]

All part of the joy of Beach vs Ocean discussion.
I have an Ocean/SE and use as an everyday car too. We do use the van to camp in all year round and nearly always cook in the van. We have younger children and had over 40 nights away last year. Having a stove sink and fridge we can reach from our bed plus the night heater were the clinchers when is it 2 degrees outside and lashing down. It is also great to be able to make a brew when watching the children play sport, as everything is already there. So long as you aren't planning on having a 3rd child the Ocean would continue to work. we have the 5th seat which we do use a few times a year but wouldn't want to take it camping if we had a 3rd child.
If you are mainly going to use it in the summer and in warmer climes then the beach with your existing kit would probably work well with the flexibility of a better people wagon the rest of the time. Then the debate moves to 2 or 3 seat bench in the beach......
If the weather is terrible then at least at a push you can all 4 sleep downstairs in a beach if the roof has to be put down!

 

[RoB5urf]

My perception after 7 yrs of ownership, based on what I see at campsites, is that most folk choose to cook outside if the weather is half decent. We've cooked outside even in the rain, by sheltering under the awning, but if the weather was really crap we'd probably go to the pub.

I can't say I've ever been envious of the Ocean's built-in facilities, OK maybe a little envious of the fridge size. We have an 11l fridge that is mostly big enough, but sometimes the Mrs ejects my beers to make room for her tonics. The upside of not having this stuff is there's less to go wrong.

 

[markusschork]

We have an Ocean as both have pros and cons but the price for the Ocean is actually what tipped us over (if you add the extras to the Beach, it ends higher). We sometimes miss the flexibility and a larger bed downstairs.

 

[Barbara]

Thank you, that’s what we are thinking. We bbq a lot and already have cooking equipment. But yes the sink and cupboards seem good.
It will be used as every car too.
The problem we have is the ocean is 14 plate but with less miles and 37k and beach is 67 plate with 10,000 more miles T6 but 38k.

Is the beach one with a 2 or 3 seater bench? You may need to look inside both of the vehicles to get an idea of useable space. Suggest you also see what it looks like with the table up inside as well. I don't have a fridge and find an electric cool box is OK. and can be moved outside so the wine is cold by your outside table.

Sink maybe useful for kids washing and teeth cleaning but a bowl and a water bottle is possible. If the kids go to bed before you in the downstairs bed you need to see what the layouts look like with the bed in use as you may not be able to get at some of the cupboards at that point. You may consider an awning room attachments as where do you sit when the kids are asleep.

 

[Drpps]

Is the beach one with a 2 or 3 seater bench? You may need to look inside both of the vehicles to get an idea of useable space. Suggest you also see what it looks like with the table up inside as well. I don't have a fridge and find an electric cool box is OK. and can be moved outside so the wine is cold by your outside table.

Sink maybe useful for kids washing and teeth cleaning but a bowl and a water bottle is possible. If the kids go to bed before you in the downstairs bed you need to see what the layouts look like with the bed in use as you may not be able to get at some of the cupboards at that point. You may consider an awning room attachments as where do you sit when the kids are asleep.

also worth mentioning is that the beach only has 1 leisure battery vs 2 in the Ocean. If you want to spend anytime not on hook up then you will need a proper compressor fridge which are not cheap as that will last a couple of days on 1 leisure battery. A 'coolbox' will last a few hours on a 12v battery only.
Ocean will manage 3-5 days on battery alone with built-in fridge on.
It all depends on how and where you plan to use it.

Our children sleep in the roof so we have a night time lounge downstairs although we make the bed up when they go to bed. your 4 year old will probably be fine up there now, so long as the safety net is in.

 

[Kayleigh]

Hi all we are going to re look at two Californias we have put despite down on both.
One is 2.0 tdi blue motion tech beach
Other is
an ocean with kitchen.
Well mainly be camping at camps site for for fews as got two children under 3.

My question is how useful is the kitchen in the calis if already at camping site. (We have three camping stoves already)

Thank you Kim

My first question would be.. Do you need a 3-seat rear bench? If not, get one with the 2-seat bench. The bed is more comfortable and lower so you can sit up. It also has a large storage box underneath. Next question.. Does the Beach have a factory fitted night heater? I would not consider one without this option. The next would be.. does it have CarPlay as it was an option pre T6.1. Any other options are a nice to have IMO.
There is more to go wrong with an Ocean. The electric roof for starters, and if looking at any T5 you should check for roof corrosion. On the plus side, everything is self-contained with the kitchen and fridge. The compromise is a much smaller bed. You can fit a pod in the Beach or a pull out rear drawer for cooking under the boot lid. You can also get a fridge that will sit neatly between the front seats.
Food for thought…

 

[edocali]

I use the Ocean kitchen/fridge a lot when :
- the Cali doubles up as my remote office in the woods
- when we meet friends by the river or beach for an aperitif
- when I stop on the road/aires crossing the continent at night.

The sink and shower are very handy but I take pains of not clogging the waste, so only clean-ish water goes down it. I.e. it is never used to wash greasy stuff.
Having the wardrobe means all bedding and essentials are there ready to go.
When at a campsite, if weather is fine, everyone obviously prefers cooking outside

So as my main use is as a travel/holiday/picnic/office/wild camp vehicle - the Ocean rocks.
For taking young kids to campsites, I see the allure of a Beach once you have all the equipment…

 

[RosscoPCole74]

I cannot comment on the Beach as I've never owned one. The Ocean is a perfect family car for us. The storage, fridge, sink and hob are so useful.
Apart from bedding and clothes our Cali is ready for a few nights away. Wash bags, basic foid supplies, pots & pans, games, Cadac, etc are there and ready.The benefit of being able to make a coffee or bacon roll inside when the weather is bad is invaluable, even on a day out. Having a big fridge is great, cold beers on camp when you get there or even not defrosting the obligatory meatball purchase on the way back from IKEA.
The question is 'How many seats do you need?'

 

[pluc99]

With 2 adults and 2 kids I would want to have a 5 seater to allow for an extra person plus the extra loading space for everyday use. On a camping site you can always pitch an awning or a kitchen tent for cooking. I would go with a 5 seater Beach or consider the Ford Nugget as an alternative.

 

[sidepod]

See what I mean? Pages of similar fors and againsts.

Just pick the one you like the colour of.

 

[Kayleigh]

See what I mean? Pages of similar fors and againsts.

Just pick the one you like the colour of.

Just like choosing a new phone

 

[Ch1pbutty]

4 bodies in an Ocean will require the ‘cooking / bedtime shuffle’. But it does have a full kitchen (2 gas rings, fridge + sink with cold running water). Cooking with kids in the van must be done with caution as some pans can slide on the hob, so watch for children knocking pan handles etc.

Beach is very versatile especially as your kids grow, can also have it as a 7 seater which sometimes comes in handy…but will need to buy fridge / cooking equipment. 5 seater gives you more storage space under the rear of the bed / MFB. Vangear make decent kitchen pods that take a minute to install and so can easily be removed when not in use, and have the advantage that they can also be used outside or in an awning.

If you want kitchen, maybe also look at Ford Nugget LWB, Joker or Hymer Grand wanton (or similar) for 4 people. Also gain hot running water / toilet.


Best to go and look at all the options with the family. Sit inside them, move around in the van with 4 people and you soon see what will / won’t work.