New Cali Beach Tour Spec

[Jimmylondon07]

Hey All

Long time lurker here so nice to meet you all. I am interested in ordering a Cali Beach Tour to run as our daily driver/adhoc overnight camper/bicycle transporter for a family of 2 adults and 2 young kids. The Tour ticks a lot of boxes for us with the twin sliding doors and configurable layout, the flexibility looks absolutely fantastic.

Have selected the following options for our Cali on the configurator, for anyone who has one, is there anything you wouldn’t be without that I should consider adding on? Would look to add an aftermarket diesel heater depending on how often we camp so have left that off for now.

—
Options
LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights (Tailgate) with red tail lights
Wing mirrors - heated, power adjustable and power folding
Canvas Sides. Basalt Grey. Includes panorama window
Front and rear parking sensors
Bed extension with comfort sleeping mat
Sliding window in front and fixed window in rear in load/passenger compartment on driver side
Fuel tank with a volume of 80 l
Rear view camera
Awning (housing and rail in black)
Dark tinted glass in rear seat area (Venus 35/Privacy) heat-insulating glass (green) in front
ArtVelours - seat centre section with seat bolsters in leather look
Heated driver and front passenger seats
2 swivel seats w/ longitudinal adjustm. on rail system
Up to 7 seats (figured I’d order these to future-proof and add more flexibility to carry friends/family)
Power sliding doors, left and right
—
Also a couple of other questions, does anyone know the current lead time for them and also, as a cash buyer what sort of discounts should I be pushing for when speaking to dealers?

I also saw the T6.1 panel and kombi versions are no longer available to order, does anyone know when the stop sale will apply to the Cali as well?

Thanks for any advice on offer!

Jimmy

 

[Kayleigh]

Options are all really personal preference based on your own requirements. However, I think many would agree on here that the parking heater is a must. For our Beach, it was the must have requirement.
I would definitely go for LED headlights over the infamous standard Beach halogens!

My opinion on your other options:
Heater mirrors- Yes
Upgraded canvas- Yes
Parking sensors- Yes
Comfort mattress- Yes as it is contoured to smooth the unevenness of the seats. Also note that the bed will be significantly higher than on the Beach with the 2-seat bench.
R/H side sliding window- Not really necessary, but handy for air flow if camping.
80L tank- Not necessary
Rear camera- not really needed on a Beach. Visibility is good.
Awning- Yes
Tints- Yes
Art velours - nice to have but you can buy really good aftermarket covers. Would spend the money on a heater.
Heated seats- Not for me!
2 extra seats- Do you really need them? They are extremely heavy to get in and out. The Beach already has 4 rails allowing you to add 2 seats later if needed.
Power sliding doors- Not for me.

I don’t know when the order book will close, but others may have a better idea.

 

[Winston Rumfoord]

The air conditioning thing in the back? Tri zone climate or whatever its called. We have two young kids and glad we got it.

If you think you might get the heater then I’d just get it now...

The rear camera is important for me. But I think I’m getting worse at driving as I get older.

oh and lastly, is the extended 5 year warranty classed as an option? If so then I’d recommend that too!

 

[Amarillo]

We have had a T6 Beach with the 3 seat bench since March 2017. We also have two children who have grown from aged 1 & 3 to 8 & 9.

3 zone climate control gives you a second evaporator and will keep the rear cool.

Parking heater gives you warmth in the cabin without having to run the engine.

I don’t think the power sliding doors are worth it. Something else to go wrong and children by the age of about 8 can handle the doors and do you want them to be able to while still in child seats.

We also have two extra seats that convert to Group 2 or 3 child seats at the flick of a lever. While we usually seated our boys in removable child seats, the ability to carry two of their friends, or grandparents, in the same seat has proved invaluable.

 

[dspuk]

Agree on the heater. One of those things that you can’t retrofit and the factory one just works so an easy decision.

Ref discounts. Being cash makes no difference to a dealer. They make more from you if you sign up to finance. They have to pay VW for the van and keep whatever their margin is (my guess is about 12% on a Cali) anyway.

You should though expect better 4 and 10%, dealer dependant. Some don’t give a big one and rely on their reputation, or order banks, others are more willing.

We used drive the deal, got 9% and great service from Eurovans.

 

[Neuromancer11]

Agree on the heater. One of those things that you can’t retrofit and the factory one just works so an easy decision.

Ref discounts. Being cash makes no difference to a dealer. They make more from you if you sign up to finance. They have to pay VW for the van and keep whatever their margin is (my guess is about 12% on a Cali) anyway.

You should though expect better 4 and 10%, dealer dependant. Some don’t give a big one and rely on their reputation, or order banks, others are more willing.

We used drive the deal, got 9% and great service from Eurovans.

Agreed as a “cash” buyer you are in a worst position, there is additional discount for taking the finance, you can always settle it after you pick up the van, I put in a 50% deposit and the original plan was to pay off the other 50% soon after, though I might spend that on an old 911 and run that for a few years instead

 

[larrylamb]

Hey All

Long time lurker here so nice to meet you all. I am interested in ordering a Cali Beach Tour to run as our daily driver/adhoc overnight camper/bicycle transporter for a family of 2 adults and 2 young kids. The Tour ticks a lot of boxes for us with the twin sliding doors and configurable layout, the flexibility looks absolutely fantastic.

Have selected the following options for our Cali on the configurator, for anyone who has one, is there anything you wouldn’t be without that I should consider adding on? Would look to add an aftermarket diesel heater depending on how often we camp so have left that off for now.

—
Options
LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights (Tailgate) with red tail lights
Wing mirrors - heated, power adjustable and power folding
Canvas Sides. Basalt Grey. Includes panorama window
Front and rear parking sensors
Bed extension with comfort sleeping mat
Sliding window in front and fixed window in rear in load/passenger compartment on driver side
Fuel tank with a volume of 80 l
Rear view camera
Awning (housing and rail in black)
Dark tinted glass in rear seat area (Venus 35/Privacy) heat-insulating glass (green) in front
ArtVelours - seat centre section with seat bolsters in leather look
Heated driver and front passenger seats
2 swivel seats w/ longitudinal adjustm. on rail system
Up to 7 seats (figured I’d order these to future-proof and add more flexibility to carry friends/family)
Power sliding doors, left and right
—
Also a couple of other questions, does anyone know the current lead time for them and also, as a cash buyer what sort of discounts should I be pushing for when speaking to dealers?

I also saw the T6.1 panel and kombi versions are no longer available to order, does anyone know when the stop sale will apply to the Cali as well?

Thanks for any advice on offer!

Jimmy

Nice spec but would personally drop the electric doors.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

We have an Ocean so our requirements are different from yours.

A heater is a must though if you are going to sleep in it. Unless you like sleeping four in a bed, the little ones stealing every last calorie of body heat their parents can donate.

 

[--olotation--]

Hi there,

I have a beach tour on order and when ordering the lead time estimate I was given (based on a mid/late march order) was a june build with a july/august delivery. I've not had any word on a build slot yet so can't comment how accurate the estimate is.

The biggest discount available was with drive the deal at around 14% although their discount seems to have gone down slightly when I put my same spec. in post ordering. I didn't go with dtd as I was able to get a dealer to match. I would suggest getting quotes from dtd and autoebid and then see whats there, I think drive the deal are crawley and autoebid use worcester and liverpool dealers but it'll give you and idea of what to aim for if you want to contact other dealers.

The cash price was £400 more than the finance offers no matter who I spoke to as the £1000 deposit contribution was replaced with a £600 extra contribution if paying cash. I didn't get the impression that dealers were fussed whether paying by cash or taking finance.

I don't think that there will be much forewarning when orders will close and it was part of my motivation just to get my order in now, its probably equally possible that beach tour orders could be closed next month as it is for them to be available to be ordered for another 12/18 months or however long the 6.1's are going to still be built. I doubt dealers would know either and its all a bit of guesswork.

I can't review on the spec. of the van but can add some of my thought process for options on my order.

The three zone climate control was a must as having 2 young children who will be passengers in the back this will be needed.

I also opted for 7 seats as I can see a lot of situations where it will be useful, worst case if I never use them then they could be sold for about the same cost of the option anyway.

I've not gone for the seat upgrades as I have found a few options of seat covers which will look and feel better than the vw option, and will cost less. I am also not sure that the extra 2 seats would have this finish either (although stand to be corrected on that).

The heater I have opted for as it gives more flexibility to when it can be used and I had a similar thought process about maybe retro fitting but it can't be done anywhere close to as neatly.

 

[--olotation--]

Just checked the discount and it's closer to 12.5% that I got which is what dtd were offering. I think I was adding in the value of the other service bits etc. on the current offers that vw are giving when I had 14% in mind.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Hi there,

I have a beach tour on order and when ordering the lead time estimate I was given (based on a mid/late march order) was a june build with a july/august delivery. I've not had any word on a build slot yet so can't comment how accurate the estimate is.

The biggest discount available was with drive the deal at around 14% although their discount seems to have gone down slightly when I put my same spec. in post ordering. I didn't go with dtd as I was able to get a dealer to match. I would suggest getting quotes from dtd and autoebid and then see whats there, I think drive the deal are crawley and autoebid use worcester and liverpool dealers but it'll give you and idea of what to aim for if you want to contact other dealers.

The cash price was £400 more than the finance offers no matter who I spoke to as the £1000 deposit contribution was replaced with a £600 extra contribution if paying cash. I didn't get the impression that dealers were fussed whether paying by cash or taking finance.

I don't think that there will be much forewarning when orders will close and it was part of my motivation just to get my order in now, its probably equally possible that beach tour orders could be closed next month as it is for them to be available to be ordered for another 12/18 months or however long the 6.1's are going to still be built. I doubt dealers would know either and its all a bit of guesswork.

I can't review on the spec. of the van but can add some of my thought process for options on my order.

The three zone climate control was a must as having 2 young children who will be passengers in the back this will be needed.

I also opted for 7 seats as I can see a lot of situations where it will be useful, worst case if I never use them then they could be sold for about the same cost of the option anyway.

I've not gone for the seat upgrades as I have found a few options of seat covers which will look and feel better than the vw option, and will cost less. I am also not sure that the extra 2 seats would have this finish either (although stand to be corrected on that).

The heater I have opted for as it gives more flexibility to when it can be used and I had a similar thought process about maybe retro fitting but it can't be done anywhere close to as neatly.

Fabulous feedback, thanks very much for that. Would definitely appreciate a link to the seat covers as I am tempted to drop the power doors and upgraded upholstry for the auxiliary heater and tri-zone climate control options.

Other question which is a based on a nagging doubt I continue to have…did you consider waiting for the new model to drop before placing your order? It’s a difficult one with next to no information coming out of VW about timelines but am interested in what engine options will be available on the new one. I saw the T7 multivan for example is available in diesel, petrol and plug-in hybrid for example, a plug-in hybrid Cali could be of interest to me as it’ll predominantly be my daily driver.

 

[--olotation--]

For me the new model wouldn't likely be an option if its based on the new multivan bacause I'll need to tow well over 2 tons with it. I was casually looking at the caravelle a year or two ago as an option for a tow vehicle and then it was dropped without warning for the new multivan which then I think the max you could get to tow would be about 1.8t, and being on the platform it is I don't think that would increase, so it's a no go for my needs. Without any inside knowledge but I get the feeling that a van based california will be quite a few years off so too long to wait for that.

There are quite a few seat cover options on the shop here depending on what you like the look of and the finish required. I haven't made a decision yet, the leather look covers here are probably about a £200 saving on the vw options (I still haven't worked out if the extra 2 seats come with art velour but I'd want them covered as well) and there are some brandrup ones that look to have a similar finish to ths vw option that I've seen elsewhere with probably a £500 saving over vw. If you are looking for the two front seats and the rear bench to be covered there are a lot of decent options in the £5-800 range in my opinion.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

For me the new model wouldn't likely be an option if its based on the new multivan bacause I'll need to tow well over 2 tons with it. I was casually looking at the caravelle a year or two ago as an option for a tow vehicle and then it was dropped without warning for the new multivan which then I think the max you could get to tow would be about 1.8t, and being on the platform it is I don't think that would increase, so it's a no go for my needs. Without any inside knowledge but I get the feeling that a van based california will be quite a few years off so too long to wait for that.

There are quite a few seat cover options on the shop here depending on what you like the look of and the finish required. I haven't made a decision yet, the leather look covers here are probably about a £200 saving on the vw options (I still haven't worked out if the extra 2 seats come with art velour but I'd want them covered as well) and there are some brandrup ones that look to have a similar finish to ths vw option that I've seen elsewhere with probably a £500 saving over vw. If you are looking for the two front seats and the rear bench to be covered there are a lot of decent options in the £5-800 range in my opinion.

Thanks mate. My understanding is that any new Cali would be based on the T7 Transporter in development with Ford and not the Multivan but Iike you say, who knows when that will be available. Also appreciate the info on the seat covers, re the Artvelor on the extra 2 seats, when playing with the configurator it does apply it to those as well when selected. I’ll enquire and let you know for definite though as I guess it eats in to the savings you’d see by going with the covers over the Artvelor if not.

 

[Tarquers]

Parking heater, tri-zone AC, reverse camera, 7 seats, ACC, LED lights all will not disappoint. Heated seats also worth it and we have the heated windscreen and heated mirrors, mirrors great, screen less so. Not sure what options are available in the Uk on nav but get the one that allows wireless CarPlay would be a choice. Personally would have gone for leather but bought from stock.

 

[2haw]

Hey All

Long time lurker here so nice to meet you all. I am interested in ordering a Cali Beach Tour to run as our daily driver/adhoc overnight camper/bicycle transporter for a family of 2 adults and 2 young kids. The Tour ticks a lot of boxes for us with the twin sliding doors and configurable layout, the flexibility looks absolutely fantastic.

Have selected the following options for our Cali on the configurator, for anyone who has one, is there anything you wouldn’t be without that I should consider adding on? Would look to add an aftermarket diesel heater depending on how often we camp so have left that off for now.

—
Options
LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights (Tailgate) with red tail lights
Wing mirrors - heated, power adjustable and power folding
Canvas Sides. Basalt Grey. Includes panorama window
Front and rear parking sensors
Bed extension with comfort sleeping mat
Sliding window in front and fixed window in rear in load/passenger compartment on driver side
Fuel tank with a volume of 80 l
Rear view camera
Awning (housing and rail in black)
Dark tinted glass in rear seat area (Venus 35/Privacy) heat-insulating glass (green) in front
ArtVelours - seat centre section with seat bolsters in leather look
Heated driver and front passenger seats
2 swivel seats w/ longitudinal adjustm. on rail system
Up to 7 seats (figured I’d order these to future-proof and add more flexibility to carry friends/family)
Power sliding doors, left and right
—
Also a couple of other questions, does anyone know the current lead time for them and also, as a cash buyer what sort of discounts should I be pushing for when speaking to dealers?

I also saw the T6.1 panel and kombi versions are no longer available to order, does anyone know when the stop sale will apply to the Cali as well?

Thanks for any advice on offer!

Jimmy

Are you aware that the VED is lower on the Beach Camper and it also comes with the Electric Hook up?

The Beach is fantastic to have with young kids, if you’re taking it camping, the heater is extremely nice to have. I would choose the heater before the Art Velours. Easier to add leather after than the parking heater (which can be easily added but the controls would not be integrated with the control panel)

VW could pull the order books for the California any minute but I suspect it will be available until late summer.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Are you aware that the VED is lower on the Beach Camper and it also comes with the Electric Hook up?

The Beach is fantastic to have with young kids, if you’re taking it camping, the heater is extremely nice to have. I would choose the heater before the Art Velours. Easier to add leather after than the parking heater (which can be easily added but the controls would not be integrated with the control panel)

VW could pull the order books for the California any minute but I suspect it will be available until late summer.

Thanks for the guidance. Yeah the VED on the Tour is definitely a pain but as we have two young kids in ISOFIX car seats and it’ll be a daily driver I figured the twin sliding doors would be more practical than the mini-kitchen, will just carry a cadac portable stove in the back.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Thanks for the guidance. Yeah the VED on the Tour is definitely a pain but as we have two young kids in ISOFIX car seats and it’ll be a daily driver I figured the twin sliding doors would be more practical than the mini-kitchen, will just carry a cadac portable stove in the back.

You could fit a removable kitchen pod:

Vangear Mini-Pod-Grey-campervan pod-GEN 2 | vangear.co.uk

Vangear Mini-Pod Campervan Pod - Grey - GEN 2 Fully assembled and ready to fit New updated (gen 2) mini-pod Lead time = 2-3 weeks We have updated our ever popular MINI-POD (gen 2) with new modern styling, we have slightly enlarged the pod for more practical storage inside, there is now a extra...

www.vangear.co.uk

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Is there anywhere you could mount that in a beach that would allow both front seats to swivel as well?

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Is there anywhere you could mount that in a beach that would allow both front seats to swivel as well?

Yes, behind passenger or driver seat. But just prevents you from using the Cali table …but you can put this outside under the roll out awning.

You can adjust the position (slide front to back) as it fixes to the floor rails.Takes less than a minute to install and can also be used freestanding outside of the van.

 

[BugglePopples]

We have a beach camper with a 4 year old and a 2 year old. FYI The 4 year old can climb in and out of his car seat fine.

Glad we went for the camper rather than the tour model. But we use ours mainly for camping and weekend driver.

Also 100% get the heater.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Thanks for the input all.

One other concern I have before pulling the trigger is regarding the electrics as there’s obviously no EHU on the Tour and I’m struggling to find out much info. From what I gather it‘s got a 75ah leisure battery with a 230v inverter, 1 x 230V socket on the driver’s seat and 2 x 12V sockets in the cab…are there any others in there? And how low should my expectations be regarding a night away plugging in the usual mobile phones, tablet etc? Wondering what options might be available to improve capacity without having to fit an EHU…

 

[andyinluton]

And how low should my expectations be regarding a night away plugging in the usual mobile phones, tablet etc?

Biggest battery burners are the Heater & whatever you use as a Fridge, mobiles etc are relatively small consumers & are easily charged whilst driving.

 

[SteveBristol123]

Options are all really personal preference based on your own requirements. However, I think many would agree on here that the parking heater is a must. For our Beach, it was the must have requirement.
I would definitely go for LED headlights over the infamous standard Beach halogens!

My opinion on your other options:
Heater mirrors- Yes
Upgraded canvas- Yes
Parking sensors- Yes
Comfort mattress- Yes as it is contoured to smooth the unevenness of the seats. Also note that the bed will be significantly higher than on the Beach with the 2-seat bench.
R/H side sliding window- Not really necessary, but handy for air flow if camping.
80L tank- Not necessary
Rear camera- not really needed on a Beach. Visibility is good.
Awning- Yes
Tints- Yes
Art velours - nice to have but you can buy really good aftermarket covers. Would spend the money on a heater.
Heated seats- Not for me!
2 extra seats- Do you really need them? They are extremely heavy to get in and out. The Beach already has 4 rails allowing you to add 2 seats later if needed.
Power sliding doors- Not for me.

I don’t know when the order book will close, but others may have a better idea.

I bought a 69 plate T6 Beach last year - second hand and the original owner hadn’t spec’d a lot outside of the standard. We use it as a daily drive too (with two kids).

Things I would improve…
- Headlights - definitely upgrade, they are really dim and not easy to retrofit an improvement
- Steering wheel - mine is the basic and I miss having controls for the radio, phone etc (it’s a long reach to the touch screen!)
- Not sure if it’s an option, but a press button to close the tailgate would be good
- Wheels and tyres - I’ve upgraded to 18inch with Michelin Cross Climate. The wheels are mainly cosmetic but the tyres are a major improvement. I’ve never appreciated the difference tyres make until I bought the Cali.
- Mine was the light grey cloth interior and carpet - I‘ve covered it in faux leather and it looks a million times better!

Things I thought I wanted…
- Parking heater - I had planned to retrofit, but not really winter camping and for the times I’ve wanted it, it’s not been worthy the expense. On campsites I wouldn’t be comfortable running the engine and I have heard it can disturb others. I’ve slept in the van (as has my skinny son) for nights in early April (cold nights too) and it’s been okay with a decent sleeping bag.
- I was a bit concerned about only having a sliding door on the driver side, with kids stepping out onto the roadside. But really not a problem at all - there’s loads of space for adults let alone kids to step through the front and use the passenger door.
- Never felt the need for power sliding doors.
- I have missed 7 seats on a couple of occasions, but I not enough to put up with the faff of taking them in and out of the van.
- Mine is the standard 150bhp and I thought I’d miss some power and 4WD. Not at all an issue in reality for me. It happily cruises along motorways, up and down hills and enough power to pull past slow vehicles.

To be honest, I think you can’t go wrong - you’ll make whatever you buy work for you.

 

[SteveBristol123]

Biggest battery burners are the Heater & whatever you use as a Fridge, mobiles etc are relatively small consumers & are easily charged whilst driving.

Reply had any issue for a night away. But I’ve just bought a small Jackery Unit for peace of mind - and it can power a laptop too.

 

[Amarillo]

Thanks for the input all.

One other concern I have before pulling the trigger is regarding the electrics as there’s obviously no EHU on the Tour and I’m struggling to find out much info. From what I gather it‘s got a 75ah leisure battery with a 230v inverter, 1 x 230V socket on the driver’s seat and 2 x 12V sockets in the cab…are there any others in there? And how low should my expectations be regarding a night away plugging in the usual mobile phones, tablet etc? Wondering what options might be available to improve capacity without having to fit an EHU…

Fit solar panels on the roof to keep the leisure battery topped up and in tip-top condition. You can fit 100w, 200w or 300w on the roof.

We camped throughout the year around Europe and never ran out of leisure battery power (until we bought a 12v kettle - but that’s a whole other saga).

Fridge, phones, iPads, internal lighting, parking heater startup, electric toothbrush charging.

We have five 12v sockets from the leisure battery and one 12v socket from the engine battery.

1. Upstairs
2. On top of dashboard
3. On front of dashboard (engine)
4. Front passenger B pillar
5. Rear passenger compartment
6. Boot.

We have hardwired our fridge into the leisure battery as the 12v sockets cause too much voltage drop.