My California Ocean

[Hantshog]

Well after following this forum for several months, and hiring a California 3 times over the summer, once to France, we have taken the plunge. I have read with interest the debates about 2WD vs 4 Motion, non swivelling seats, Dsg Vs Manual, etc etc. All useful inputs to my final option decisions.
Whilst I am not convinced on 4WD. Will I ever need it? I have never got stuck in my car on campsites! Plus the hit on MPG and maybe a premium on road tax are both detractors. However I am the sort of person who would be always thinking I'd wish I had it. Grass is always greener ( and possibly slipperier) on the other side and buying new means I have the luxury (albeit at a premium) of choosing what I want. Had it been a pre owned or a ex demo then you have to accept whats in it or wait for another.
Anyway I have opted for a 204 DSG 4 Motion in Oryx White.
Quite a long list of extras
My extras.
LED lights. Very expensive for what it is but I like the idea of not having to cover the lenses when going abroad and we intend to do this a lot. Plus they look very cool (my son says).
Side scan (particularly for when we are in Europe) as pulled out on a car in blind spot on french motorway this year and would have avoided situation with side scan
Lights and vision. all vehicles should have this as standard.
MFD just another bit of colour in dash.
Sat Nav plus all the techy goodies that come with it.
Chrome package. as I want the black B pillars.
Front and rear PS with camera.
Black 17" Cascavels. I like the bounciness of the ride and I like to carry a real spare tyre especially when holidaying in Europe.
Green Privacy glass.
High beam assist. another labour saving gadget.
Adaptive Cruise. A must
Bigger fuel tank. 60 more miles range, could be useful when French garages are closed due to fuel blockades.
Security box. Went for this as somewhere more secure to store travel docs, money, ipads and stuff when on holiday, particularly abroad.
Matress and other small items

My wifes extensive extras list
Storage net. Really for the extra under seat drawer.
Magnetic torch. cuz i never put the loose torch back in the same place. £60 is a small price to pay for one less nag!

We have now started building a list of must haves. I think I have all I want but my wife is keen to get something more comfortable for upstairs. we both had back aches this year sleeping upstairs. We dont like the concept of Duvalay hybrid sleeping bag/mattress and we definitely want to persevere with duvets as opposed to sleeping bags as we consider sleeping bags more tenting and we think we have moved on from that. i welcome suggestions and ideas.

The one thing I am still struggling with is my colour choice. Whilst white is trendy at the moment, can be seen better than darker colours, repels heat in hot climates and is more fun, I am still wondering whether Indium Grey is the sensible choice. It looks more prestige, and a big one for me is that grey is not the same colour as white van mans vehicle.

I would welcome members with white or grey Californias to comment on their experience of the two colours.

Roll on next March.

 

[T6 CFO]

Well after following this forum for several months, and hiring a California 3 times over the summer, once to France, we have taken the plunge. I have read with interest the debates about 2WD vs 4 Motion, non swivelling seats, Dsg Vs Manual, etc etc. All useful inputs to my final option decisions.
Whilst I am not convinced on 4WD. Will I ever need it? I have never got stuck in my car on campsites! Plus the hit on MPG and maybe a premium on road tax are both detractors. However I am the sort of person who would be always thinking I'd wish I had it. Grass is always greener ( and possibly slipperier) on the other side and buying new means I have the luxury (albeit at a premium) of choosing what I want. Had it been a pre owned or a ex demo then you have to accept whats in it or wait for another.
Anyway I have opted for a 204 DSG 4 Motion in Oryx White.
Quite a long list of extras
My extras.
LED lights. Very expensive for what it is but I like the idea of not having to cover the lenses when going abroad and we intend to do this a lot. Plus they look very cool (my son says).
Side scan (particularly for when we are in Europe) as pulled out on a car in blind spot on french motorway this year and would have avoided situation with side scan
Lights and vision. all vehicles should have this as standard.
MFD just another bit of colour in dash.
Sat Nav plus all the techy goodies that come with it.
Chrome package. as I want the black B pillars.
Front and rear PS with camera.
Black 17" Cascavels. I like the bounciness of the ride and I like to carry a real spare tyre especially when holidaying in Europe.
Green Privacy glass.
High beam assist. another labour saving gadget.
Adaptive Cruise. A must
Bigger fuel tank. 60 more miles range, could be useful when French garages are closed due to fuel blockades.
Security box. Went for this as somewhere more secure to store travel docs, money, ipads and stuff when on holiday, particularly abroad.
Matress and other small items

My wifes extensive extras list
Storage net. Really for the extra under seat drawer.
Magnetic torch. cuz i never put the loose torch back in the same place. £60 is a small price to pay for one less nag!

We have now started building a list of must haves. I think I have all I want but my wife is keen to get something more comfortable for upstairs. we both had back aches this year sleeping upstairs. We dont like the concept of Duvalay hybrid sleeping bag/mattress and we definitely want to persevere with duvets as opposed to sleeping bags as we consider sleeping bags more tenting and we think we have moved on from that. i welcome suggestions and ideas.

The one thing I am still struggling with is my colour choice. Whilst white is trendy at the moment, can be seen better than darker colours, repels heat in hot climates and is more fun, I am still wondering whether Indium Grey is the sensible choice. It looks more prestige, and a big one for me is that grey is not the same colour as white van mans vehicle.

I would welcome members with white or grey Californias to comment on their experience of the two colours.

Roll on next March.

Excellent! Well I would say that as we have chosen the same vehicle and almost exact same options for the same reasons. Chrome pack when I ordered was a bit of a mystery to the dealers and they doubted it when I ordered as I too wanted the Black B Pillars and there systems would not confirm it.
It arrives next week and you will soon know if it hasn't got them

Colour was the difficult one, I was initially for the white but was persuaded by my better half to go for the Indium Grey. Personally I'm now glad I did but that is nothing against the white or any other colour as it's a very personal thing. Our thinking was although the grey was a little safe it would lend itself to other colours, we've gone for yellow for some of our interior stuff.
On the bedding, time will tell as we have the comfort mattress for downstairs as it is cheaper to buy as an option and sell if not wanted, we intend to sleep upstairs when possible and will see how we get on with the standard mattress and an old sleeping bag or duvet we have kicking around. Option if not seems to be the 1" mattress and topper.
Good luck and you should have yours by the spring. Perfect.


Mike

 

[Hotel California]

Great stuf , seems did your homework...

 

[Ethel's dad]

+1 for indium grey

 

[sapto]

Hello and welcome! It reads like fantastic your spec and new ordered Cali!

Colour: As you and @T6 CFO already said it is a personal choice. If I had the choice a year ago I am quite sure I would have picked a white one. However now I am more than happy with my colour and today I would tend to choose Indium Grey.
Beside I still like white cars (my other car is a white Octavia) and they look fluffy and "friendly".

Enjoy your time waiting and collecting all your extras!
sapto

 

[Teejay]

Welcome, externally thee and me will be looking similar except we've gone for Candy white. Pickup some time maybe early Nov. But I bought the chrome for two reasons; the black pillar and the less of the white van man, I've seen lots of conversions that do look cool in white. Time will tell.

 

[Hantshog]

Interesting Mike that your wife wanted grey and you wanted white. opposite to my wife, she said grey's boring, like me! In the dealership white looked great, but so did grey. It won't matter I guess as both lok great. I went for the comfort mattress downstairs but for me one of the attractions of the California is the ability to sleep upstairs so really must find a comfortable solution to enable us to use the upstairs. Thanks all for your comments.

 

[Amarillo]

we definitely want to persevere with duvets as opposed to sleeping bags as we consider sleeping bags more tenting and we think we have moved on from that. i welcome suggestions and ideas.

We are planning to use a good quality down duvet which will close into the roof. At home we have one of these which gives us 10.5, 7 or 3.5 tog. With an Egyptian cotton cover it is really luxurious, and will pack up into a tiny space.

 

[Wind Witch]

we definitely want to persevere with duvets as opposed to sleeping bags as we consider sleeping bags more tenting and we think we have moved on from that.

We too are moving away from tenting but plan to keep the sleeping bags rather than duvets as we have finally found sleeping bags that suit our individual "snugginess" requirements (and because sleeping upstairs in the Cali is more like sleeping in a tent than not to my mind albeit a JOLLY expensive one )

+1 for Candy White by the way.

 

[Hantshog]

What type of mattress do you use? the standard mattress is only about 2" thick. I think we'd prefer something thicker. Does anyone use an inflatable mattress under the standard one. Like those thin inflatable roll mats you can get?

 

[Black Sheep]

We have only had our Cali since June. Our 18 year old daughter sleeps 'up top' and uses a lightweight inflatable camping mattress. We have a Zonesleep mattress topper below. We soon decided to exchange our sleeping bags for duvets - although we have always slept very comfortably in the Cali.

 

[Hantshog]

Hi Black Sheep. Do you use the inflatable mattress with the standard mattress and does the roof close with it left in the roof space. Also regarding the zone sleep mattress, is that used in addition to the bed extension mattress downstairs and does it fold conveniently when not in use. I take it you have the double. Does it fit OK? They are quite expensive so I need to get it right first time.

 

[larrylamb]

Side scan (particularly for when we are in Europe)

Is sidescan fitted to both mirrors or just the one on the drivers side? I find when driving on the continent it is quite easy to glance left before pulling out to overtake, you get quite a good view through the Cali rear side windows.

 

[Loz]

Is sidescan fitted to both mirrors or just the one on the drivers side? I find when driving on the continent it is quite easy to glance left before pulling out to overtake, you get quite a good view through the Cali rear side windows.

The lights are in both mirrors and it only the flashes the side that has the obstruction.

 

[Black Sheep]

Hi Black Sheep. Do you use the inflatable mattress with the standard mattress and does the roof close with it left in the roof space. Also regarding the zone sleep mattress, is that used in addition to the bed extension mattress downstairs and does it fold conveniently when not in use. I take it you have the double. Does it fit OK? They are quite expensive so I need to get it right first time.

Good evening Hantsog. We do just use the inflatable mattress 'up top' on the standard mattress - we have never tried to close the roof with the inflatable still in place as it quickly folds up to less than the size of a rolled up beach towel.
We bought the Zonesleep from this site's shop and it fits perfectly - it is held securely in place with four sturdy elastic straps that easily fit under the Cali mattress/declined rear seat.

 

[Black Sheep]

The side scan is useful too.

 

[HAPPY_T6_CALI]

Well after following this forum for several months, and hiring a California 3 times over the summer, once to France, we have taken the plunge. I have read with interest the debates about 2WD vs 4 Motion, non swivelling seats, Dsg Vs Manual, etc etc. All useful inputs to my final option decisions.
Whilst I am not convinced on 4WD. Will I ever need it? I have never got stuck in my car on campsites! Plus the hit on MPG and maybe a premium on road tax are both detractors. However I am the sort of person who would be always thinking I'd wish I had it. Grass is always greener ( and possibly slipperier) on the other side and buying new means I have the luxury (albeit at a premium) of choosing what I want. Had it been a pre owned or a ex demo then you have to accept whats in it or wait for another.
Anyway I have opted for a 204 DSG 4 Motion in Oryx White.
Quite a long list of extras
My extras.
LED lights. Very expensive for what it is but I like the idea of not having to cover the lenses when going abroad and we intend to do this a lot. Plus they look very cool (my son says).
Side scan (particularly for when we are in Europe) as pulled out on a car in blind spot on french motorway this year and would have avoided situation with side scan
Lights and vision. all vehicles should have this as standard.
MFD just another bit of colour in dash.
Sat Nav plus all the techy goodies that come with it.
Chrome package. as I want the black B pillars.
Front and rear PS with camera.
Black 17" Cascavels. I like the bounciness of the ride and I like to carry a real spare tyre especially when holidaying in Europe.
Green Privacy glass.
High beam assist. another labour saving gadget.
Adaptive Cruise. A must
Bigger fuel tank. 60 more miles range, could be useful when French garages are closed due to fuel blockades.
Security box. Went for this as somewhere more secure to store travel docs, money, ipads and stuff when on holiday, particularly abroad.
Matress and other small items

My wifes extensive extras list
Storage net. Really for the extra under seat drawer.
Magnetic torch. cuz i never put the loose torch back in the same place. £60 is a small price to pay for one less nag!

We have now started building a list of must haves. I think I have all I want but my wife is keen to get something more comfortable for upstairs. we both had back aches this year sleeping upstairs. We dont like the concept of Duvalay hybrid sleeping bag/mattress and we definitely want to persevere with duvets as opposed to sleeping bags as we consider sleeping bags more tenting and we think we have moved on from that. i welcome suggestions and ideas.

The one thing I am still struggling with is my colour choice. Whilst white is trendy at the moment, can be seen better than darker colours, repels heat in hot climates and is more fun, I am still wondering whether Indium Grey is the sensible choice. It looks more prestige, and a big one for me is that grey is not the same colour as white van mans vehicle.

I would welcome members with white or grey Californias to comment on their experience of the two colours.

Roll on next March.

(Candy) White and black 17" Cascavel, didn't disappointed me! And: a alu-look awning, perfect in combination with white (in my opinion).
More pictures on my Instagram accoun:
https://www.instagram.com/happy_t6_cali/

 

[Teejay]

(Candy) White and black 17" Cascavel, didn't disappointed me! And: a alu-look awning, perfect in combination with white (in my opinion).
More pictures on my Instagram accoun:
https://www.instagram.com/happy_t6_cali/
View attachment 16711

I see you removed the model/engine details on the rear. Was that for stealth?

 

[HAPPY_T6_CALI]

I see you removed the model/engine details on the rear. Was that for stealth?

Not really, just for the "clean" looks.

 

[Hantshog]

Thanks Erwin. I am going for Cascavels too. Having seen all these great looking white Californias, I am sticking with white. It looked good in the dealers and I am sure it looks as good as Indium. The jury's out on the mattress topper though. £300 for a zonesleep. I wonder why its so expensive? and the club one seems to be more expensive than zonesleep direct. If only I could try before I buy. At the end of the day if it provides the comfort I seek then I may have to bite the bullet. One last question, does the same zonesleep that fits downstairs fit the upstairs too?

 

[vanmarr]

White was the choice for us, especially because of hot weather conditions etc.

As the wheels were just too expensive we decided for the standard steel ones, the look cool and we saved a lot of money for:

- drive away awning
http://www.outwell.com/en/Products/DriveAwayAwnings/SmartAirTouringTentCollection/SanDiegoFreewaySA

- floor matts
http://www.vwcampershop.nl/en/velou...protection-left-hand-drive-moonrock-grey.html
http://www.vwcampershop.nl/en/velou...r-compartment-with-3-rails-moonrock-grey.html

- tray in the back
http://www.vwcamper.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p233_Calidrawer-Ocean-800.html

and is found these in case I get bored with the current wheels...

http://www.borbet.de/en/black-glossy/c-COMMERCIAL_C2C/a-P000073






Wife is not convinced yet ....

 

[Days out]

Onyx white was our choice and some small additions to personalise it. Gloss black B post wrap, chrome insert to the lower front bumper and gloss black 20" wheels with diamond turned rim edges and spokes from GMP Italia. Lowered 30mm on VW lowering kit from dealer.

No awning to keep the clean look. We only fit a awning on the odd occasion so a separate one from Eurotrail with an extra side is great when you need it and only £140.00 including the side. This is a lot cheaper than the built in one most people buy.

In response to the mattress topper question we also decided to see how we got on camping without one first to reduce costs. We have done many sleeps straight on the seats but felt we needed something. We have just had our first night using a £30.00 topper we got from B&M bargains. It was great. Why don't you try a cheap one first and then if you really feel the need to spend £300.00 later then at least you've tried the cheap option first. We are happy with our £30.00 topper. It's 2" thick but made a lot of difference!

Another example of a good cost save is to not buy the shower from VW which is hundreds of pounds and just spend £30.00 on a shower attachment that fits on the tap. We only use the shower to wash sand off the kids feet before they get back in the van after being on the beach. And the attachment reaches out the passenger door perfectly. A lot cheaper.

Either way the standard California is amazing and there are lots of things you can get if you need them after you've had it for a few sleeps.

 

[Days out]

 

[Days out]

By the way does any one else find it slightly annoying that the bike rack legs hide the California script? It's not hidden on T5 vans as the badge is in a different place. Can't believe after all the brilliant detailing done by VW Design they failed to ensure the badges were clear of the bike rack...or is it just me?

I am thinking of moving The California badge down a bit!

 

[Leepower11]

By the way does any one else find it slightly annoying that the bike rack legs hide the California script? It's not hidden on T5 vans as the badge is in a different place. Can't believe after all the brilliant detailing done by VW Design they failed to ensure the badges were clear of the bike rack...or is it just me?

I am thinking of moving The California badge down a bit!

View attachment 16736 Onyx white was our choice and some small additions to personalise it. Gloss black B post wrap, chrome insert to the lower front bumper and gloss black 20" wheels with diamond turned rim edges and spokes from GMP Italia. Lowered 30mm on VW lowering kit from dealer.

No awning to keep the clean look. We only fit a awning on the odd occasion so a separate one from Eurotrail with an extra side is great when you need it and only £140.00 including the side. This is a lot cheaper than the built in one most people buy.

In response to the mattress topper question we also decided to see how we got on camping without one first to reduce costs. We have done many sleeps straight on the seats but felt we needed something. We have just had our first night using a £30.00 topper we got from B&M bargains. It was great. Why don't you try a cheap one first and then if you really feel the need to spend £300.00 later then at least you've tried the cheap option first. We are happy with our £30.00 topper. It's 2" thick but made a lot of difference!

Another example of a good cost save is to not buy the shower from VW which is hundreds of pounds and just spend £30.00 on a shower attachment that fits on the tap. We only use the shower to wash sand off the kids feet before they get back in the van after being on the beach. And the attachment reaches out the passenger door perfectly. A lot cheaper.

Either way the standard California is amazing and there are lots of things you can get if you need them after you've had it for a few sleeps.