Leaking pop tops on 2023 California Oceans

[HaroldM]

having the same issue after a rainy surftrip to Normandy.
Bellow rey outside cream inside. Got the van now for 3 weeks. I regret having sold my vw t3 haha. It did a better campjob
Brought the van back to VW. Was also delivered with 2 broken camping batteries...
First new california ever, worst experience for now haha
Not going to accept is if bellow is not replaced.
keep you guys posted
thanks for the forum thanks for al the info already. Major help
cheers from brussels

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

having the same issue after a rainy surftrip to Normandy.
Bellow rey outside cream inside. Got the van now for 3 weeks. I regret having sold my vw t3 haha. It did a better campjob
Brought the van back to VW. Was also delivered with 2 broken camping batteries...
First new california ever, worst experience for now haha
Not going to accept is if bellow is not replaced.
keep you guys posted
thanks for the forum thanks for al the info already. Major help
cheers from brussels

View attachment 116350

They aren't recent bellows so pretty much guaranteed to perform as your pictures show. Was this a new van?

We all hope the more recent versions are watertight and really fell for you.

It's a total bummer waking up in the middle of the night with half a hangover having to mop up like that. Sadly many of use are experiencing this issue...

 

[HaroldM]

They aren't recent bellows so pretty much guaranteed to perform as your pictures show. Was this a new van?

We all hope the more recent versions are watertight and really fell for you.

It's a total bummer waking up in the middle of the night with half a hangover having to mop up like that. Sadly many of use are experiencing this issue...

yes new van. Date of build was 03/2023

 

[Corradobrit]

having the same issue after a rainy surftrip to Normandy.
Bellow rey outside cream inside. Got the van now for 3 weeks. I regret having sold my vw t3 haha. It did a better campjob
Brought the van back to VW. Was also delivered with 2 broken camping batteries...
First new california ever, worst experience for now haha
Not going to accept is if bellow is not replaced.
keep you guys posted
thanks for the forum thanks for al the info already. Major help
cheers from brussels

View attachment 116350

You're not the first and definitely not the last to discover their Cali is actually a sieve in disguise. Took me 7 months to discover the unfortunate truth, one wet evening in the Bourgogne region.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

Mine has a build date of last week or so, supposedly going to arrive in 2 or 3 weeks. If that leaks I'm guessing there isn't much hope of them sorting the issue being so close to end of cycle.

 

[Corradobrit]

I offered to go camp outside the Factory in protest but none of my German MY23-owning compatriots took me up on the suggestion.

 

[Corradobrit]

And no reply from the Yorkshire Evening News journalist to write an expose on Bellowsgate. Maybe I should have signed my email "Deep Throat". I guess gnawing rats are sexier than drowning Cali owners.

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

I offered to go camp outside the Factory in protest but none of my German MY23-owning compatriots took me up on the suggestion.

That's not very German...

 

[Corradobrit]

That's not very German...

Yeah, if they were French we could get piles of manure deposited at the front entrance to the Customer Center

 

[Kayleigh]

And no reply from the Yorkshire Evening News journalist to write an expose on Bellowsgate. Maybe I should have signed my email "Deep Throat". I guess gnawing rats are sexier than drowning Cali owners.

Maybe it would be better to target the motoring press.

 

[Andy C Berks.]

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?

Mine is in with Reading the week after next - so can give you a heads up on how that goes !

 

[Joncali2023!!]

having the same issue after a rainy surftrip to Normandy.
Bellow rey outside cream inside. Got the van now for 3 weeks. I regret having sold my vw t3 haha. It did a better campjob
Brought the van back to VW. Was also delivered with 2 broken camping batteries...
First new california ever, worst experience for now haha
Not going to accept is if bellow is not replaced.
keep you guys posted
thanks for the forum thanks for al the info already. Major help
cheers from brussels

View attachment 116350

It took me 2 weeks to realise these vehicles are garbage…. Hopefully you get this issue fixed

 

[Ilikesleeping]

Mine is in with Reading the week after next - so can give you a heads up on how that goes !

It’ll be good to hear how you get on. I have one on order from Reading. I really hope they are one of the more helpful dealerships.

 

[Ocean Wanderer]

Mine is in with Reading the week after next - so can give you a heads up on how that goes !

I'd certainly be interested to know how you get on. Good luck!!

 

[ArunAlec]

Maybe it would be better to target the motoring press.

Worth a try but there was little or no interest in the “rotting alloy roof“ episode, which I would have expected the Motorhome press to have been keen to get the teeth into.
Sadly the magazines and on line “influencers” seem afraid of being too critical of anything. I assume they are afraid that they wouldn’t be offered access to products/vehicles/press days if they don’t behave.

 

[RockinNRollin]

Ok so moving this back into this thread as the “main” thread. My bellows are leaking quite substantially despite being “the latest”. Now I’ve had a look at @Betsycalifornia ’s posts and photos and noticed the serial number (serie no) seems far lower on @Betsycalifornia ’s tag. Relevant? @Betsycalifornia have you done any further testing yet? Mine leaked in after less than an hour of rain with a moderate breeze (certainly not storm conditions!).

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

Is that numbering because @Betsycalifornia has coloured bellows.

This is so disappointing and a continuing mess.

Has anyone yet found out what is different about these new new new Version C versus vanilla version C??

 

[Corradobrit]

My take home message is that everyone waiting for replacement bellows needs to insist on October 3rd or later bellows be installed. Anything earlier is likely to leak as bad as the original. Given some on the continent are on their 4th and 5th bellows, it's clear earlier fixes are failing.

 

[Betsycalifornia]

Ok so moving this back into this thread as the “main” thread. My bellows are leaking quite substantially despite being “the latest”. Now I’ve had a look at @Betsycalifornia ’s posts and photos and noticed the serial number (serie no) seems far lower on @Betsycalifornia ’s tag. Relevant? @Betsycalifornia have you done any further testing yet? Mine leaked in after less than an hour of rain with a moderate breeze (certainly not storm conditions!).

View attachment 116418

View attachment 116419

Haven’t been able to put the roof up since my testing in Nottingham. Hopefully this weekend or soon it will be raining and I can test again. My original bellows were wet inside almost immediately. I’m still sceptical that I’ve missed something as I seem to be alone with the bellows being dry inside.

 

[Sheffield10]

Is that numbering because @Betsycalifornia has coloured bellows.

This is so disappointing and a continuing mess.

Has anyone yet found out what is different about these new new new Version C versus vanilla version C??

I have repeatedly been asking the EO contact this question, on calls and by email. I had one short email reply from Adrian Burns at EO saying "i have been informed that they are a different fabric from the ones previously fitted which as you are aware failed", but on a subsequent call when I asked the question again, he made no mention of a different fabric but instead said the design had been changed, but he had no detail. When I asked the dealer if VW technical had given them any information about the changes, they said no, when I asked if they could see any changes in the two new-new-new-new bellows they fitted, they said no, apart from maybe the material looked a tiny bit lighter. They did say the two new-new-new-new bellows they have fitted and tested hadn't leaked.

EO said they would try to get some more information from VW Technical.......................

 

[HaroldM]

My case VW Belgium contacted technical department in Germany. Proposed a wax treatment… I’m stuck in protocol in able to keep my guarantee
I go for the Calicap option in order to be able to use my vehicle…
100k car can’t even camp shiiiiit what a dumb buy…
Trying to convince the dealership to damage my bellow and to change it under guarantee by a vw T6 bellow.

 

[Corradobrit]

My case VW Belgium contacted technical department in Germany. Proposed a wax treatment… I’m stuck in protocol in able to keep my guarantee
I go for the Calicap option in order to be able to use my vehicle…
100k car can’t even camp shiiiiit what a dumb buy…
Trying to convince the dealership to damage my bellow and to change it under guarantee by a vw T6 bellow.

Dealers can no longer order the older T6 single skinned bellows.

 

[bullibuskombi]

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

Looks like a new modified bellows has bee released and us to be fitted as a replacement for leaders.

 

[California Rob]

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!!!!!

So like Elvis return to sender

 

[Nick from Bath]

Got an email from Exec Office today saying “it has been confirmed that we have stock in the UK for the new Bellows and they are available to order by the Van Centre.”

Van centre not sure if they have the latest version or not which to me suggests that they don't.