Leaking pop tops on 2023 California Oceans

[This_one_goes_to_eleven]

I was thinking this thread had gone quiet as an interested bystander with an a new Ocean due in Jan/feb.

 

[RockinNRollin]

I wouldn't say mine was much harder than before, maybe slightly. By contrast to the earlier single skin bellows of the 2022 vans, those closed with no effort (but also opened by themselves on the move so maybe there's a benefit).

 

[Corradobrit]

I was thinking this thread had gone quiet as an interested bystander with an a new Ocean due in Jan/feb.

Everyone is waiting for @Barry Chuckle to get his and test it. "To leak or not to leak, that is the question?"
Will it be a man from Del Monte moment?

 

[stationmaster]

Everyone is waiting for @Barry Chuckle to get his and test it. "To leak or not to leak, that is the question?"
Will it be a man from Del Monte moment?

View attachment 116296

...it's getting pretty tense where i am standing. Still hopeful, but i am also preparing myself for disappointment.

 

[PurpleLizC789]

Yes, it’s harder to close the sliding door now with the replacement bellows. I’ve derailed it once already.

Oh I didn't think I might derail it, I'll have to be more careful (I don't think there's any chance of fitting a thermal liner to it now either).

Encouraging if yours looks to be leak free as it sounds like I've got the same version, fingers crossed...

 

[andyinluton]

Yes, it’s harder to close the sliding door now with the replacement bellows. I’ve derailed it once already.

Do you unzip the front panel before closing the roof?

 

[Nick from Bath]

All very quiet from the dealer too about a date for replacement of our bellows.

 

[Camperfamily]

@andyinluton are you supposed to unzip the panels?

(genuine question, we don’t have pano bellows yet)

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

All very quiet from the dealer too about a date for replacement of our bellows.

Yes. Experiences of the latest bellows seem confined to two. Ours has allegedly tested good over 10 days but going out again in the rain this week. I've no clue what's really going on.

 

[Betsycalifornia]

Do you unzip the front panel before closing the roof?

the windows? No, never thought it would make it easier. Should I? First camper I’ve ever had.

 

[CaliforniaPhil]

All very quiet from the dealer too about a date for replacement of our bellows.

With mine, vwcv were hounding me to get it booked in for replacement. So spoke to the dealer and booked it in for the 27th. I'll check to see if they have the replacement bellows in. If not I'll cancel it, I don't want it sitting in the dealer waiting for bellows when we could be enjoying it. Got to get some use from my Cali wrap.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

Everyone is waiting for @Barry Chuckle to get his and test it. "To leak or not to leak, that is the question?"
Will it be a man from Del Monte moment?

View attachment 116296

Trust me as soon as I get it I'll be testing the roof and updating, and hopefully like Gene Kelly I shall be singing in the rain. If not it shall be going back to where it came from henceforth!!!!!

 

[scottk]

I was thinking this thread had gone quiet as an interested bystander with an a new Ocean due in Jan/feb.

Same here but ours is due March April time. I will be gutted if it leaks as our current one has been in some horrendous weather with no issues.

 

[Ocean Wanderer]

I experienced the first signs of leaks on my 2022 Ocean after 6 months of ownership. Admittedly it was in very heavy wind driven rain. The canvas got saturated and water poured in. I have since tested it with a hose pipe and the only leak now is coming through the left hand side of the zip on the front panel. The other side of the zip has no leaking present. To make it a fair test I wasn't using a full - on jet blast of water, just a light spray from a distance directed at the front of the bellows. It's booked in with VW Reading on 18th Dec to be checked and today spoke to Adrian at VWCV. He says that they will not be testing by spraying water on the bellows. Instead they will leave it out in the rain, if there is any that is. I hardly think that is a conclusive test. Are we expected to keep on trailing back to the dealers after every washed out camping experience only to be told that following their "testing" there is no problem. What are other people's experience of water ingress testing by dealers?

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

I experienced the first signs of leaks on my 2022 Ocean after 6 months of ownership. Admittedly it was in very heavy wind driven rain. The canvas got saturated and water poured in. I have since tested it with a hose pipe and the only leak now is coming through the left hand side of the zip on the front panel. The other side of the zip has no leaking present. To make it a fair test I wasn't using a full - on jet blast of water, just a light spray from a distance directed at the front of the bellows. It's booked in with VW Reading on 18th Dec to be checked and today spoke to Adrian at VWCV. He says that they will not be testing by spraying water on the bellows. Instead they will leave it out in the rain, if there is any that is. I hardly think that is a conclusive test. Are we expected to keep on trailing back to the dealers after every washed out camping experience only to be told that following their "testing" there is no problem. What are other people's experience of water ingress testing by dealers?

Yes this is the new standardised test. Ours had bellows replaced and has been sat outside on three occasions in the rain and apparently the latest ones don't leak.

I don't think it's a very good system because it's totally un-reproducible and lacks any integrity.

 

[Corradobrit]

Yes this is the new standardised test. Ours had bellows replaced and has been sat outside on three occasions in the rain and apparently the latest ones don't leak.

I don't think it's a very good system because it's totally un-reproducible and lacks any integrity.

At this point performing test like this suggests VW are not accepting there's a problem. A video showing it raining outside, the intensity and wind factor followed by a pan to it raining inside should be all that is necessary. Do VW really think its owners are under the influence of some mass hysteria event. Apparently so.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

This is the next stage of the story, people will get their vans back with the latest version fitted and test them with a hose on a light spray setting, they'll leak and VW will say 'oh no, we don't accept testing with a hose' after applying some two-bob fix like Fabsil to the old design. You know it, I know it.

 

[Kayleigh]

This is the next stage of the story, people will get their vans back with the latest version fitted and test them with a hose on a light spray setting, they'll leak and VW will say 'oh no, we don't accept testing with a hose' after applying some two-bob fix like Fabsil to the old design. You know it, I know it.

My cynical side says it’s a ruse to get past the 6 month rejection period.

 

[Ocean Wanderer]

When I asked VW Customer Services if warranty would cover damage to electronics due to water ingress from a leaking roof I was told yes of course, providing it could be attributed to a leaking roof. (Which is presumably determined by whatever the weather conditions are on the day of "testing" ) It seems VW are covering their backsides carefully on the whole leaking bellows situation.

 

[Ocean Wanderer]

My cynical side says it’s a ruse to get past the 6 month rejection period.

I quite agree !!

 

[Ocean Wanderer]

At this point performing test like this suggests VW are not accepting there's a problem. A video showing it raining outside, the intensity and wind factor followed by a pan to it raining inside should be all that is necessary. Do VW really think its owners are under the influence of some mass hysteria event. Apparently so.

Looks like we as customers are getting stitched up good and proper. Unlike the actual bellows in question.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

My cynical side says it’s a ruse to get past the 6 month rejection period.

It’s a great point, where does one stand if they have had their vehicle less than six months, VW fit this version as their one opportunity to rectify the issue, VW refuse any hose test results when the vehicle gets home and then they leak in natural conditions when outside the six month period?

 

[Ocean Wanderer]

Hard to come to any other conclusion isn't it? After all a hose pipe test would take the dealers about 10 minutes and would therefore conclusively decide the matter of which ones were leaking

 

[CaliforniaPhil]

Is the dealer going to put the pop top up and keep an eye on it or just leave it up and go home. The rate some of these are leaking, you would have quite a mess in the morning. Probably electrical faults or display faults after your van is out if its warranty period.

It sounds like the dealer mine is going to said they are going to test it first, before they get the go ahead to swap on warranty. It will take weeks if its not raining. Or pass if its only light rain.

I am hoping I get new bellows and I'll keep using my Cali wrap if it looks like it's going to rain heavily.

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

It’s a great point, where does one stand if they have had their vehicle less than six months, VW fit this version as their one opportunity to rectify the issue, VW refuse any hose test results when the vehicle gets home and then they leak in natural conditions when outside the six month period?

They are stage managing this very closely. I can see lots of 6 months elapsing before the dealer stumbles upon the right "type" of rain.

I also think the constant switching of Customer Relationship managers is strategic because I asked the latest one if any of the new bellows had failed and he was able to "honestly" tell me that the cases he was managing were all passed by the dealer. But I reckon he's only been given a handful of active replacements...

He also told me on one call that the bellow issue was a "design" flaw in the bellows themselves and not a faulty batch. Intriguing.