Perfectos
Super Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
The lights an vision pack is not a guarantee of H7s, ask the seller to put it in writing?
Perfectos
Super Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
It does have the comfort mattress
Edit, it only has the multi flex pad not the full mattress
Edit, it only has the multi flex pad not the full mattress
Last edited:
Amarillo
Tom
Super Poster
VIP Member
£37,500 seems a bit high for three previous owners. I paid £42,222 for my brand new Beach with ACC, LEDs, Climatronic, Discover Media, four services and 5 years' factory warranty (no heated seats) in March 2017. But £125 per month depreciation would be wow!
Perfectos
Super Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
Yes you would need a mattress to take out the shape of the 3 seat bench ( not cheap)
Three owners ?
Perfectos
Super Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
Tim
It’s none of our money!
You have to be sure that the van is right for you at a price that fits with you.
Three owners is a bit extreme, for the age, however there may be a good reason ( was Vw the first)
What is the mileage?
I personally wield be trying to get the price down by the cost of the upgrades ou want to do ?
Presumably you haven’t viewed the van yet ?
It’s none of our money!
You have to be sure that the van is right for you at a price that fits with you.
Three owners is a bit extreme, for the age, however there may be a good reason ( was Vw the first)
What is the mileage?
I personally wield be trying to get the price down by the cost of the upgrades ou want to do ?
Presumably you haven’t viewed the van yet ?
Perfectos
Super Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
You have the Reg, why not We buy any car it to see what they will pay ?
Amarillo
Tom
Super Poster
VIP Member
Sorry I can't advise as I don't know what second hand prices are. I'm just wowed that I could potentially sell for so close to what I paid.
T
timrobinson229
Haven’t viewed... but likely will agree to buy for price if as described once lockdown ended. Hard to know how many vans are out there with the spec I want. 5..10...20? He seems legitimate and trustworthy. Won’t budge on price and to be fair looking on autotrader it’s about right
Perfectos
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Browse Advert – VW California Campervan’s For Sale
vwcaliforniaclub.com
V
Vagophile
Top Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
Don't see a problem with H7 lights, never had any night vision problems at all, but don't know what LEDs would be like.
V
Vagophile
Top Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
How long has the present owner had the van? If he is a 60 year old who doesn't know much about the spec, why did he buy it? 3 owners is more than you would want for a less than three year old van unless the first was pre reg and the first private owner was a "must have new vehicle every two years" type. (which may be, because high spec).
Why is he selling it? Some faults only appear at a certain age, but number of owners can sometimes be a red herring if the last owner is long term. The price does seem a little on the high side.
You have to ask yourself how much you want a particular spec and how long it has taken you to find one.
How long do you intend to keep the van; a small extra cost now may be justified in the long term relative to how long it might take you to find another one. But right now you might have a fair amount of time to find exactly what you want, although that seems unlikely.
What is your budget? If you intend to keep the van long term , you could have a professional inspection carried out, it may throw up bargaining points, or put you off altogether. It is unlikely that the "domestic" parts of the van will have problems except maybe the roof.
If after all that you think it's for you, just go in hard (can you wave cash in front of him?) and make the best deal that you can.
Before I bought my van I had read about DSGs, ERGs (180 engine) leaky roofs, corroding roofs, twisted roofs, scraping sliding doors plus a few other nasties, but I eventually bought from a dealer so there was a warranty. If you are not confident , get a professional opinion, otherwise, trust your instinct. If it feels right go for it, but remember, there is no comeback via consumer protection law.
Why is he selling it? Some faults only appear at a certain age, but number of owners can sometimes be a red herring if the last owner is long term. The price does seem a little on the high side.
You have to ask yourself how much you want a particular spec and how long it has taken you to find one.
How long do you intend to keep the van; a small extra cost now may be justified in the long term relative to how long it might take you to find another one. But right now you might have a fair amount of time to find exactly what you want, although that seems unlikely.
What is your budget? If you intend to keep the van long term , you could have a professional inspection carried out, it may throw up bargaining points, or put you off altogether. It is unlikely that the "domestic" parts of the van will have problems except maybe the roof.
If after all that you think it's for you, just go in hard (can you wave cash in front of him?) and make the best deal that you can.
Before I bought my van I had read about DSGs, ERGs (180 engine) leaky roofs, corroding roofs, twisted roofs, scraping sliding doors plus a few other nasties, but I eventually bought from a dealer so there was a warranty. If you are not confident , get a professional opinion, otherwise, trust your instinct. If it feels right go for it, but remember, there is no comeback via consumer protection law.
Camperfamily
VIP Member
Tom, your van must have a fair bit more than 14,000 miles with your year-long roadtrip. Although I agree that depreciation on well specced Beaches is impressively low. Not many Beaches seem to have LEDs per your van.
Amarillo
Tom
Super Poster
VIP Member
55,000 miles. But we still have 22 months or 25,000 miles warranty. Anyway, we hope to keep the van for another 5-7 years. Possibly longer if it’s still running well and just upgrade the Skoda to something more luxurious as a main car.
Borris
Super Poster
VIP Member
A candle in a jam jar would be better than the standard Beach H4s so yes the H7s are much better. I've had H4s on my previous Beach. They were utterly dismal. I've also experienced H7s on my first California and they were just fine. Our current Beach has LEDs (once bitten twice shy) and they are a whole different ball game turning night to day. However, try the H7s that I'm sure your van will have with the lights and vision pack before going for the über expensive aftermarket fix. I think you will find them just fine.
Borris
Super Poster
VIP Member
Sorry Tim, they look like the standard H4s to me.
An-j
We bought a good spec beach a year ago for a couple of grand less. It was 3 years old ( just out of warranty), one owner but 53k miles. Immaculate exterior, few minor scrapes inside but clearly well looked after.
So I think price is about right, depending on condition which you can’t really judge from a photo! But, we got ours from a dealer and so came with a years proper vw warranty. I’m not sure how private sale values compare to dealer ones but I personally wanted the warranty for peace of mind. We have only used it, so far, for a new glow plug! So I think that would be my only niggle - paying top end without any warranty......
Alied
Lifetime VIP Member
When I bought my Beach I specified the lights and vision pack as an option. You will find its just the auto turning on of the headlights and rain sensors for the wipers. Beach came with H4's so had LED's fitted by Hazzy Dayz.
Perfectos
Super Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
Ouch !
I guess it comes down to preference, the cost can be justified by the length of time you’ll keep the van and if you feel the ability to see past the end of your bonnet or not is important.
I have LED headlights and they are superb, my old van had H4’s truley horrendous, but the H4’s can be improved by changing the bulbs for 150% brighter, many manufacturers do them as an upgrade , which do make a big difference.
But I do like the LEDs far better.
Tim, Did you see the pre reg?
(new) 2020 reg van in the forum listings, I’d be sorely tempted to try and cut a deal on that one if the budget would stretch that far, I’d get the full comfort mattress thrown in along with several other bits such as monster mats etc.
dealers are simply not selling vehicles at the mo and will be desperate to shift stock, so the opportunity to cut an exceptional deal may be possible. 5 year warranty, servicing etc,
and one of the last available beaches being 2020 reg van! Food for thought
Although it’s a two seat rear bench not three!
Perfectos
Super Poster
Lifetime VIP Member
2020 / 20 T6 California Beach 2.0TDi 150 DSG Huge Spec
Pre Registered with Delivery miles. List Price £58,347 Now £47,995 Saving £10,352 Additional VW Options:- Awning in Black Adaptive Cruise Control LED Headlamps with LED Rear Lamps Leather Multi-Function Steering Wheel Discover Media Navigation Comfort Dashboard Lights & Vision Pack Bed Extension...
vwcaliforniaclub.com
Borris
Super Poster
VIP Member
Unfortunately, that vehicle is only a four seater. Tim wants a three seat bench version.2020 / 20 T6 California Beach 2.0TDi 150 DSG Huge Spec
Pre Registered with Delivery miles. List Price £58,347 Now £47,995 Saving £10,352 Additional VW Options:- Awning in Black Adaptive Cruise Control LED Headlamps with LED Rear Lamps Leather Multi-Function Steering Wheel Discover Media Navigation Comfort Dashboard Lights & Vision Pack Bed Extension...vwcaliforniaclub.com
Borris
Super Poster
VIP Member
I agree. I did fit the Phillips racing bulbs to our previous Beach which were better but still just not that great.
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