Just spoke to Breeze on the phone to talk through my worries.
Allegedly they've delivered 75 Oceans with the 04S bellows and 12 of those have leaked due to water ingress through single stich seams - I didn't push further as to what happened with those cases.
But I did enquire as to why not all of the 04S are leaking if by design all the bellows are the same. Response was that it was just case by case - some OK some not OK. Not sure about that one - I suspect if every 04S owner put their top up in heavy rain with driving wind overnight, many more (if not all) would leak (?).
Don't let this spoil the moment and enjoy your handover and van which hopefully wont have any issues?
Your reassurance if they do happen to leak (test with a hosepipe set up on a ladder in front of Cali with a constant mist - or try out at home in rain conditions also) before you even go travelling is:
1. Its not just you and VW and a very supportive dealer knows about it and we would like to think that a fix is eventually found - it cant be that hard - they have had years of non leaking bellows experience to fall back on so its not like they are trying to achieve the impossible?
2. There are various routes that this issue is finding its way back to VW and I'm sure its not a problem they want either?
3. We know from others that there is a solution inside a spray can - just whether you wish to use without the blessing from your dealer.
4.There is the practicality of just using a Cali topper or some sort of widely available thermal wrap that a lot of people use when its a bit chilly too. I've used a topper / wrap on my version OS2 (current 2022 Cali) when its wet/cold well before bellows-gate - not because i thought it was going to leak but generally in the wet to keep the worst off so when I put the roof down it wasn't soaking - just my topper / wrap was or to keep it warmer up in that loft space on those chilly nights.
Although I understand that for an expensive new vehicle this shouldn't happen but the fact is it has and one should look to work around any issue to still enjoy their van in the meantime. No one went out of their way to design a roof that's failed & Its not as if a part is faulty so you can no longer drive or operate something, and the fix aside from a having a fit for purpose bellows is very achievable and simple to apply.
We don't know the origins of why the Bellows were re designed at the 11th hour of the T6.1 dynasty - was it an initially trial for the new concept Cali or was it something more tragic like the factory that made them no longer exists if it was a Ukrainian supplier? This could be a first world problem and we must be mindful of that?
This will all get sorted in the end and if all 70 vans from Breeze leak after being used in the wet then there is likely to be 70 complaints back to VW - no one is going to accept it - but what you can do is still enjoy all the other benefits of using your Cali this summer and enjoying the experience having a contingency in place to prevent seepage.
If I get a leak in mine which should be arriving in June I will report but initially may wait to take up the opportunity of a replacement until we know more. Either way I am confident that Breeze will support me with their renowned excellent customer service that I have heard about and received so far and the outcome will ultimately turn out ok for anyone effected by this issue.
FYI Im with Breeze, Poole Too and Jamie/Tom have been great so far & would recommend them to others.
