Multi storey car parks

[wyn]

Our Cali is a 61 plate facelift model with awning. Just a brief question to those with the same/similar spec. What is the lowest multi-storey car park which you use regularly with confidence?

 

[MichaelB]

Hi there

We find that ours is under 2 metres tall so will go in most carparks but it can be a nerve racking thing. The think to remember though is depending on your exact model the wheels can make a difference to the height. Best think to do is measure yours.

 

[Andy]

I measured my Cali & then measured the clearance at my local multi story to make sure I could get in & out. I still stopped half way & got out to check ! The bar on the way in is at an angle, one end lower than the other, which makes it even more daunting.

 

[sebking]

Be warned! Car parks seem to use random measures! There is one near us and the height limit is deffo an average across the bar! Multi story in Witney is also a no no... Btdt.

 

[m4rky]

Be warned! Car parks seem to use random measures! There is one near us and the height limit is deffo an average across the bar! Multi story in Witney is also a no no... Btdt.

Our local hospital is 2.4 metres which is fine - except after it was built they have exit signs hanging from the ceiling which are under 2m and we have to drive around them :laugh2

 

[Andy]

Be warned! Car parks seem to use random measures! There is one near us and the height limit is deffo an average across the bar! Multi story in Witney is also a no no... Btdt.

That's why I measured clearance on local multi car park. I also keep a tape measure in the cali just in case.

 

[JockMacMad]

I drove into one in Inverness and it looked tight. I stuck my head out of the window to check and ray bans slipped off the back of my head.

Top tip don't stick you head out of the window and look up if sunglasses on top of head

 

[Isa Neal]

Height of California help please

I need to park in London at 0800 and am looking for a car park
DSG 180 bought in. march 2012 new has factory fitted awning, what is the actual height of the vehicle including awning if it has 18 size tyres and if it has 17 tyre size?
My Cali has the 17 size tyres but as I don't have. Tape measure with me does anyone know the factory shipped total height of his vehicle????
I have looked on the the Vw van site web pages and although it gives a height for the tail lift the roof height is no longer on the dimensions page. HELP!!

 

[John]

Re: Height of California help please

I need to park in London at 0800 and am looking for a car park
DSG 180 bought in. march 2012 new has factory fitted awning, what is the actual height of the vehicle including awning if it has 18 size tyres and if it has 17 tyre size?
My Cali has the 17 size tyres but as I don't have. Tape measure with me does anyone know the factory shipped total height of his vehicle????
I have looked on the the Vw van site web pages and although it gives a height for the tail lift the roof height is no longer on the dimensions page. HELP!!

From the Cali Self Study Training Manual ( see downloads section) the height of a Cali is 1990 cm.

So I would work on 2 metres if you don't have roof bars.

As for the wheel size it is my understanding that this should have no effect as the tyre diameter should not change it is just the tyre wall which changes, which will be smaller and lower profile, with the larger 18 inch. wheels.

John

 

[CaliUser]

On the witney multi storey front we have parked in the one which leads directly into the Marks and Spencer I have to admit I did not think twice about driving into that one and there were no problems.

 

[choplee]

That is true john ....the 17" and 18" are the same size otherwise it would mess up all the whole cali drive including the speedo ...

 

[nickstjt]

I parked in the multi-storey at the Peacocks Centre in Woking last night (went to see Alan Davies) and although on paper the 2.1m clearance was fine, I was pretty nervous driving around inside. I got my wife to watch as we went under the initial height limit bar at the entrance, and then just kept telling myself that surely all these pipes, lights, signs etc must be over 2.1m high. Especially worried when I saw all the scratches on the roof above me where people had scraped under

Anyway, made it out okay, although I think I aged about 10 years in that one outing

--Nick

 

[ejmoore]

Oh, bloody hell, we had a bit of an experience at Sunbury Cross car park the other day - 1.9m headroom, I didn't think that was high enough, but OH blithely drove up the ramp. Had to get out and hold the barrier up a bit higher for us to get through. Once inside, ok as long as we didn't go under the light fittings, but on the way out the barrier didn't raise high enough despite my holding it up, and got caught on the bike rack. I had to let the bike rack down to get us out, with the security guard shouting 'stay where you are, stop!' in the background. The trouble is, once you're up the ramp, there's no turning back.

Never again - if it's less than 2m I'm not interested!

 

[YorkshireHeathen]

Never trust the headroom signs! My Cali measures just under 2m at the awning on level ground. Trusted a headroom sign of 2m. Scratched the awning. Never again!

 

[Pistolknight]

I'd avoid the Regent Arcade shopping centre car park in Cheltenham. I did it last year and survived, but it was very hairy. Thought I was going to have to let the air out of the tyres.

 

[Meoncoast]

I Just never bother with multi-story car parks, hanging signs ramps etc etc, have always found somewhere

 

[ejmoore]

Sensible - why risk your lovely Cali?

 

[YorkshireHeathen]

I wouldn't have risked mine either, except for the fact that I was attending a hospital appointment for a shafted disc in my back...and it was the only nearby parking. Then typical of the appalling state of the NHS at Leeds General Infirmary they had buggered up the appointment schedule, so my awning was scratched on the bogus 2m high headroom and I didn't even get seen. To cap it all, at the same time some utter arsehole scuffed my rear wheel arch while the van was parked and didn't own up, which meant a costly respray of the rear offside quarter panel. I did some f@&ing good swearing that day.

:censor :censor

 

[John]

I wouldn't have risked mine either, except for the fact that I was attending a hospital appointment for a shafted disc in my back...and it was the only nearby parking. Then typical of the appalling state of the NHS at Leeds General Infirmary they had buggered up the appointment schedule, so my awning was scratched on the bogus 2m high headroom and I didn't even get seen. To cap it all, at the same time some utter arsehole scuffed my rear wheel arch while the van was parked and didn't own up, which meant a costly respray of the rear offside quarter panel. I did some f@&ing good swearing that day.

:censor :censor

Sorry to hear that sounds like you had a rubbish day. :crazy

Hope you got your back sorted in the end.

John

 

[SimonSpain]

I wish VW ..or Brandup even.... did a 'shotgun sensor' that just put a nice big hole in any idiots that managed to scrape or even touch our Cali's....but maybe that's an extreme opinion.... . It'd sell though I know it would! If it was Brandup it would be expensive.. but very well made!

 

[James]

Couldn't someone invent/install roof sensors?

James

 

[timhutch]

Re: Height of California help please

I need to park in London at 0800 and am looking for a car park
DSG 180 bought in. march 2012 new has factory fitted awning, what is the actual height of the vehicle including awning if it has 18 size tyres and if it has 17 tyre size?
My Cali has the 17 size tyres but as I don't have. Tape measure with me does anyone know the factory shipped total height of his vehicle????
I have looked on the the Vw van site web pages and although it gives a height for the tail lift the roof height is no longer on the dimensions page. HELP!!

The head-height for on-street parking in London never causes me any trouble.

The info pages on each NCP car park features the height to the nearest 1 cm.

Central London my advice would be park on street, but there is a van car park in Soho on Brewer Street with a 2.4 m height.

 

[SimonSpain]

Hummm...yes maybe a roof height sensor is better than my shotgun idea...but it was nice while it lasted! I am glad other folk worry about the roof height issue as I did park at a friends in Madrid and when I was going down the slope with mm to spare, saw the light fittings!!!! It was just slightly deeper in the garage so I was ok but I managed to put a tiny scratch on the bumper as I was hanging out the door window looking onto the roof of the Cali! I was dreaming a while ago of a big Westfalia Columbus 600D based on a nice big Fiat Ducato....but that'd be a flippin' nightmare to find parking! I haven't seen a large van without a dent in it yet!!!! Here it's worse! Folk pay a fortune for cars here and just mess them up in a week, it's amazing how some folk don't seem to cherish anything! :crazy :crazy

 

[C&HinNorwich]

Norwich Car Parks:- for vans without roof bars.

Best one is Chapelfield - plenty of headroom and spacey spaces!

St Andrews Multi Storey - Good headroom even if it is a bit hairy getting up the ramps at times.

Castle Mall - you can get the vans in these (there are two ) but personally i WOULDNT!

Most of the open air car parks have turned out to be 'van' friendly - even if they all state "no overnight camping"

AVOID St Giles and John Lewis at all cost! These are NOT to be tried.

Hope this is helpful

 

[Grumpy Mike]

Was I a complete arse parking here? In end didnt have much choice... Late for meeting and reliably informed no other parking around... Scratch on awning down left hand entrance... Backed out and took right hand... OK but tight... v tight... There were some very helpful van types when I backed out, watching me they said I should have carried on.... Terrible day and night till I got her back out... Clean and wax today just to see it really is superficial.... Bad bad day.... Yes... can we get some form of sensor or laser projector?

Also new tyre... six months in screw in side wall......