New Cali Beach Tour Spec

[andyinluton]

Lets revisit in 10+ years time as the electrical components wear, by which time spares might be hard to find and VW no longer support it. As tech goes its still relatively young.

You do realise that the Traditional dash is actually all electronic & is well known for failures?
Just google Vw Transporter Dashboard Cluster Failure for an idea of the many faults.


Common faults

Speedo and/or rev counter gauges intermittent.
Central mini/DIS pixelated or failing altogether.
Speedo and fuel gauges irratic.
Time clock and odo LCD faded or blank.
No sound.
Immobiliser issues.
Intermittant failure to instrument cluster.
DEF displayed within odo display.
Complete power failure.

 

[clarinetbcn]

We have multiple default settings (is that an oxymoron?)

Default #2
Long multiflex; 7 seats; child legroom only

We often do ski or hiking trips with 7 adults with long multiflex, which allows 6 backpacks longitudinal under the rear multiflex. Skis go on floor between 1st and 2nd row leaving foot room in the middle of 3rd row free. We do trips from Barcelona to French Alps, and with proper positioning of the 2nd row everyone has plenty of space. In that configuration I can fold the bench and second row forward into table position (I got this configuration from you, thanks) and sleep on the comfort mattress with plenty of foot room ahead of the bed to change, put on boots, etc. (the others stay in a hotel), even with 7 seats in. It’s an enormous improvement over putting the bench in bed position, which requires folding the multiflex into short position, moving the bench back, and still leaves almost no foot space in front of the bed.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Chinese cargo tricycle

Multiflex removed.

I do this if the 2nd row is removed. If all 7 seats are in I fold bench and 2nd row forward and lay two bikes on top without removing front wheels.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Just want to say thanks to everyone for their input and contribution on this thread, I took the plunge today and put a deposit down…on an Ocean! Having looked around and driven both yesterday I just felt the Ocean was that much more refined and better value for money than a well-spec’d Beach Tour. There wasn’t a great deal between them price-wise once the Beach Tour had been spec’d up to where I’d want it in fact, only £2k or so and even that‘d be eaten in to by the additional VED on the Tour. Adapting to the one door thing will be interesting but I sense the pros will significantly outweigh the cons.

Thanks again and hopefully this post will be useful for anyone looking at a Tour in the future.

Jimmy

 

[Corradobrit]

Just want to say thanks to everyone for their input and contribution on this thread, I took the plunge today and put a deposit down…on an Ocean! Having looked around and driven both yesterday I just felt the Ocean was that much more refined and better value for money than a well-spec’d Beach Tour. There wasn’t a great deal between them price-wise once the Beach Tour had been spec’d up to where I’d want it in fact, only £2k or so and even that‘d be eaten in to by the additional VED on the Tour. Adapting to the one door thing will be interesting but I sense the pros will significantly outweigh the cons.

Thanks again and hopefully this post will be useful for anyone looking at a Tour in the future.

Jimmy

Welcome to the Club. I don't think the Surf and Beach Tour are value propositions at their current price levels, unless you absolutely need the addition seating space in the Beach. The Ocean will likely have better value retention too going forwards.
And now the wait begins.......

 

[2haw]

Just want to say thanks to everyone for their input and contribution on this thread, I took the plunge today and put a deposit down…on an Ocean! Having looked around and driven both yesterday I just felt the Ocean was that much more refined and better value for money than a well-spec’d Beach Tour. There wasn’t a great deal between them price-wise once the Beach Tour had been spec’d up to where I’d want it in fact, only £2k or so and even that‘d be eaten in to by the additional VED on the Tour. Adapting to the one door thing will be interesting but I sense the pros will significantly outweigh the cons.

Thanks again and hopefully this post will be useful for anyone looking at a Tour in the future.

Jimmy

Congratulations! Your kids will love it!
Did you factory order?
What did you go for?

 

[Jimmylondon07]

That’s the hope Yeah factory order, got a DTD quote and the dealer matched it. There’s a VW ‘Happy Camper’ offer on until the 28th so also got the first three annual services, the first MOT and a year’s insurance included as well. Much cheaper than buying second hand all-in!

Added a few options to the Ocean, though many of the ones that were recommended for the Beach Tour are standard on it of course:

- Fortana red metallic
- Woodstock wheels
- Acoustic package with heated windscreen
- Towbar (not just the prep but the full thing, as recommended on this thread)
- Outdoor shower in cabinet
- 5th seat (not sure how practical it is in reality but thought it worth having just in case, will probably end up in the garage)
- Bed extension with comfort mattress
- Direct tyre pressure monitoring
- Safebox

I can still make alterations so may end up adding the mudflaps (but don’t like that they’re drilled in to the bumper) and am toying with the idea of the Pro media system because I like gadgets (but probably a waste of money in reality!). I already sense there is also plenty of aftermarket stuff I’ll want as well (Seat covers, portapotti, sliding draw, bike rack, solar in the future etc).

Returning to the Beach Tour, I really think VW need to think the spec through again to make it more attractive to people who might want to consolidate down to one vehicle (I appreciate for some it’s fine as it is). It’s in the same pricepoint as premium SUVs with all the bells and whistles, you can’t sleep in those but some of the things that are optional on the Tour (if available at all) are standard on cars costing £15k. For me it could definitely do with some driver convenience type stuff included as standard, especially with the additional VED you pay for the privilege of driving a passenger car!

 

[andyinluton]

- Bed extension with comfort mattress
-

I can still make alterations so may end up adding the mudflaps (but don’t like that they’re drilled in to the bumper) and am toying with the idea of the Pro media system because I like gadgets (but probably a waste of money in reality!).

The bed extension is standard, you are paying for just the incorrectly described comfort mattress - available on this forum unused for £100

The pro media gets you a bigger display screen for CarPlay etc even if you don't use the built in VW bits. It also lets you have things like the vw satnav in a large tile with radio/ media information in smaller tiles next to it. I'm on my second van with it having had the "ordinary" media unit on a van between the two & would always go for the pro version again given the choice.

 

[Jimmylondon07]

The bed extension is standard, you are paying for just the incorrectly described comfort mattress - available on this forum unused for £100

The pro media gets you a bigger display screen for CarPlay etc even if you don't use the built in VW bits. It also lets you have things like the vw satnav in a large tile with radio/ media information in smaller tiles next to it. I'm on my second van with it having had the "ordinary" media unit on a van between the two & would always go for the pro version again given the choice.

Where do I find the comfort mattress on here Andy? Taking that off would give me a little bit of room to potentially add the Pro unit.

 

[andyinluton]

Where do I find the comfort mattress on here Andy? Taking that off would give me a little bit of room to potentially add the Pro unit.

Use the search function & enter "T6.1 Comfort"
Without wishing to harm the sellers chances, I, along with quite few others think it's very uncomfortable, on a par with sleeping on a sheet of plywood.
I prefer the Brandrup Extend mattress - 3 times the thickness & far better.

 

[babble]

Two seater beach discovery of the day: Contrary again to what California Chris says in his video of the storage on the 2 seater Beach (the first incorrect info being him saying you have to remove the multiflex board to fit the 5th seat) - yesterday when fitting solar panels i removed the storage units from the Beach. (T6.1) I was surprised to discover that they come out in two parts, and are incredibly easy to remove. They took less than a minute each, not too heavy at all. Once removed, obviously you have an empty van base with just the two seater bench in it. (behind the storage units there are the cup holders that are otherwise hidden, etc)

Obviously you can't leave the multiflex in unless you leave the back storage unit in place, which you can do. I was rather pleased. The three and two seater Beach models are fully interchangeable in any case, even if the seats are bloody heavy.

Anyway, the long and the short of it is, that the two seater Beach will make a quick and easy six seater if needed. Just so you know. (although note: it may not we fully legal in some countries without going to get it all checked over)

 

[andyinluton]

Two seater beach discovery of the day: Contrary again to what California Chris says in his video of the storage on the 2 seater Beach (the first incorrect info being him saying you have to remove the multiflex board to fit the 5th seat)

You may have a different multiflex to that fitted in UK vans, could we please have a photo of what you have fitted? I did ask when you mentioned it before on another thread.

The early T6.1 manual showed a folding rear bed board in an Ocean/ Coast but no-one including 3 dealers I asked had seen anything like it, & all the 2 seater 2 seater bench beaches in the uk showrooms that I have seen have the same bed board as the Ocean.

I had half expected that any Ocean supplied with a 5th seat would come with a folding multiplex to solve the legroom problem but Uk ones don't.

 

[babble]

You may have a different multiflex to that fitted in UK vans, could we please have a photo of what you have fitted? I did ask when you mentioned it before on another thread.

The early T6.1 manual showed a folding rear bed board in an Ocean/ Coast but no-one including 3 dealers I asked had seen anything like it, & all the 2 seater 2 seater bench beaches in the uk showrooms that I have seen have the same bed board as the Ocean.

I had half expected that any Ocean supplied with a 5th seat would come with a folding multiplex to solve the legroom problem but Uk ones don't.

I have exactly this model. the multiflex is indeed different to the coast/ocean:

The storage units are split in two and you can keep one of the other in independently.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I have exactly this model. the multiflex is indeed different to the coast/ocean:

The storage units are split in two and you can keep one of the other in independently.

MFB has a nice design, but has anyone managed to find a fridge that will fit underneath?

 

[Kayleigh]

MFB has a nice design, but has anyone managed to find a fridge that will fit underneath?

Indel B TB15 should fit. 360mm high. With the lift up multiflex it should be easy to access.

 

[babble]

yes, there is one of those medium priced amazon models (that isn't bad - it does have a proper condenser) that fits. This one i think (but you would need to check: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B091KWZS6W/?tag=vwcalifornia-21

 

[andyinluton]

I have exactly this model. the multiflex is indeed different to the coast/ocean:
The storage units are split in two and you can keep one of the other in independently.

I can see its a very different set up to the earlier beach, that had a one piece - but shorter storage box & the rear shelf ran the full width of the boot rather than just the width of the seat.

 

[babble]

i posted this on another thread, but it's more beach related, so i'm going to add it here too! (if anyone is interested in Beach topper information!)

3 kids - what to do?

All in all a very capable 6 seater if some of your posse are kids. My 12 year old sat in all the seats without even using the adult belt attachment, (which i have for both sides - so you can remove the five point harness and use the Cali seatbelts). She seemed to like it. I'll post some more...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

This is the topper i went for: https://www.dunelm.com/product/value-memory-foam-mattress-topper-1000000802?beddingSize=Kingsize

£130.

If i had known i might have been tempted by this more natural bamboo one actually (only available online.)

Panda Bamboo Memory Foam Mattress Topper | Dunelm

www.dunelm.com

The key point is that you can get any king sized topper, cut the corners off, and fit it in an IKEA single duvet (which are oddly exactly 150x200 so the same size (its a European single duvet standard i think)) and voila, you have a made to measure beach topper!

 

[babble]

These are the bits i cut off:

took five minutes (i used the current 22-seater beach left VW cushion piece to get the shape for both sides (it's different from the right hand side, but works for the topper which is higher up.) I was planning on cutting and shaping the cover too, but it's absolutely fine so i won't bother.

 

[Kayleigh]

These are the bits i cut off:

took five minutes (i used the current 22-seater beach left VW cushion piece to get the shape for both sides (it's different from the right hand side, but works for the topper which is higher up.) I was planning on cutting and shaping the cover too, but it's absolutely fine so i won't bother.

Have you got a photo of the topper folded/rolled up when not in use?

 

[babble]

 

[BikesandOcean]

I own a beach tour and the only thing I would add is the aux heater, the windows are goo as there are none in the rear and the air con is good in the summe, the std full tank does 500 miles, the seats with art velour maybe if you have the cash the extra seats definitely as that’s the point of the tour !