Long time listener, 1st time texter!

[DruCaliBeach1]

As they say in radio!

Hello All,

Just a quick ‘hi’ having joined the gang - we’ve literally talked about it for 10 years and just decided to pull the trigger now that our Smax is dying. With 3 kids there’s only one version we could have gone for so it was about finding the right van and this is what we settled on - would have liked a DSG but this pushed up the price significantly!

With 20k on the clock I hope it’ll be good to us. Thanks to everyone on here, i’ve already added some lighting mods like the awning light, interior ambient lighting (it’s sooo dark at night!), wired in dash cam, upgraded bulbs etc. Only one night away in it so far and the kids did nothing but argue about who was sleeping where but we survived and may even go away in it again in the next few years!

Just need to save up for some VanEssa window bags now, which would make it much easier to get at clothes, rather than fishing in bags behind the driver/ passenger seats or flopping down the bench and hanging into the boot!

Anyway, hope to be able to contribute what I can in my time-limited ownership.

In fact one quick question, those with the 3 seat bench and un-comfort mattress, can anyone explain how it folds? Specifically, I don’t seem to be able to fold it fully concertina-style without unzipping certain parts. Also, then the bed was lowered there was a drop to the MFB which left me wondering if we are missing a sliver of foam to raise it up?

Many thanks

Dru

 

[dspuk]

Great choice for your family size - have a muse on the sliding boot space carriers - there is a club one and SpaceMate one - they make getting things in and out and organising things in boxes a lot easier.

 

[Perfectos]

Take the mattress into the house and lay it out on the floor to practice folding it. once you have the knack it’s easy.

 

[Perfectos]

Take the mattress into the house and lay it out on the floor to practice folding it. once you have the knack it’s easy.

If you really struggle after taking it into the house let me know and I’ll take a few photos to assist.

do you have the Cali supplement hand book ?
page 18 onwards shows various configurations (short medium & long ) I have mine set up in medium length

 

[Campingrookie]

Welcome to the Beach club! It looks great!

What ambient lighting did you go for? I’m looking to improve the interior lighting as well!

 

[Perfectos]

wondering if we are missing a sliver of foam

Check out the Cali supplement in your Vehicle Docs Wallet .
it will show you three configurations fit the mattress and All componen parts of the mattress.
post a photo of the rear face and I’ll have a look for you

 

[DruCaliBeach1]

Welcome to the Beach club! It looks great!

What ambient lighting did you go for? I’m looking to improve the interior lighting as well!

I went with an Amazon kit for £12 that I’ve fuse tapped into the ignition to provide some really low Level red light - it’s just enough to see your feet but makes the world of difference. It came with a lighter socket plug but chopped it off and spliced the fuse adapter with some spade connectors and hey presto. The awning light is really useful at night for just getting in/ out and activated from the key fob and sooo easy to do, an essential mod I’d say for the time/ cost involved.

 

[Campingrookie]

I went with an Amazon kit for £12 that I’ve fuse tapped into the ignition to provide some really low Level red light - it’s just enough to see your feet but makes the world of difference. It came with a lighter socket plug but chopped it off and spliced the fuse adapter with some spade connectors and hey presto. The awning light is really useful at night for just getting in/ out and activated from the key fob and sooo easy to do, an essential mod I’d say for the time/ cost involved.

This all sounds very impressive / technical! You should do a thread on it, would love to see how it’s done

 

[DruCaliBeach1]

This all sounds very impressive / technical! You should do a thread on it, would love to see how it’s done

It’s really not technical at all!. If it were I wouldn’t be getting involved! There’s lots of threads on installing a fuse tap which literally is plug and play (except for joining two wires together) and the awning light is simply a waterproof LED strip stuck to the awning and the wire fed down to the rear 12v socket. My eldest races Cycloross (road bike off road essentially?!?) and the weekly training sessions are mid-week and always in the dark. To get back to the van and blast the mud off his bike and kit with some light is a dream!