new cali Ocean Versus Coast

[claus vandborg]

Hi All

i am in the progress of ordering a new Cali but havent decided if it will be Ocean or Coast

Question how difficult is it to use the manual roof

i live in denmark and the price difference is big

Claus

 

[Sonas]

I have a Beach with manual roof. Its no problem using manual roof, I wouldn't waste my money on the automatic one. Looking through past posts on this forum, it seems the auto roof is more prone to being trapped and torn by the mechanism .

 

[Sandyvan]

Anything can be damaged by incorrect use. having said that if a manual roof were an option on an Ocean, I probably would have looked at it on cost and possibly future maintenance issues. I have to admit I have not seen or used one only having an SE and now an Ocean, but aren't there faffy straps and hooks ? As said I have no experience, so just a question.

 

[Romke]

Question how difficult is it to use the manual roof

It depends on your height and strength. We had a Beach with a manual roof which my wife (who is shorter than me and not as strong in her arms) found difficult to close. If you're not the only one using your California you should ask the shortest and least strong person in your family/partnership to try closing the roof.
In France, the Coast has an electric roof as standard (we have one), in Germany the electric roof is an option, so maybe that's the case in Denmark too - worth checking. You might consider importing your Coast rather than buying it in Denmark.
Otherwise, the Coast is a great choice; I consider it as an "Ocean without the nonsense".

 

[Sandyvan]

What nonsense does it not have?

 

[Sonas]

It depends on your height and strength. We had a Beach with a manual roof which my wife (who is shorter than me and not as strong in her arms) found difficult to close. If you're not the only one using your California you should ask the shortest and least strong person in your family/partnership to try closing the roof.
In France, the Coast has an electric roof as standard (we have one), in Germany the electric roof is an option, so maybe that's the case in Denmark too - worth checking. You might consider importing your Coast rather than buying it in Denmark.
Otherwise, the Coast is a great choice; I consider it as an "Ocean without the nonsense".

But I thought the main difference between the Coast and the Ocean was the lack of the electric roof on the coast. Are there other differences between the two. ?

 

[Digger]

I find you have excellent control when closing the Ocean roof. It only moves when you hold the button and stops instantly when released. On the later T6 the material and inserts seem to fold inwards better and if closed carefully with attention to wind there is no issue. Personally I think it is down to individual taste as all versions are excellent.

 

[Romke]

What nonsense does it not have?

Double glazing, heated seats, chrome deco, auto-headlights and wipers, , voice amplifier among others...

 

[Romke]

But I thought the main difference between the Coast and the Ocean was the lack of the electric roof on the coast. Are there other differences between the two. ?

Lots, but they differ from country to country. Check the configurator.

 

[Hotel California]

Not that much Coasts on here as not availeble in the UK .
If i would buy new now it would be a Coast , for main reason to have a manual roof an the Ocean lay-out . You do need to upgrade some (expencive) options to get to a "Ocean with manual roof "
Only downside is the to my ugly seat fabric on the Coast but i would cover them with the Brandrup Ocean seat covers...

 

[DaNish]

In Denmark there are these main differences with my personal preferences:
Ocean has:
Electric roof (nice, but not that important)
Heat and sound reduction windows in the living area (I value that and added the full noise reduction package)
Light in the roof and rear door (very nice)
Climatronic aircondition (I find that much more comfortable than the Climatic in the Coast)
Closing assistance for the sliding door and the back door (no slamming of doors on campsite)
Parking heater (must have, do not buy without it in Denmark)
Heated front seats (personal preference).

So have a look at which options you would like and add the cost to the Coast. For us that calculation showed it was a better deal to by the Ocean, than adding options.
I you are in Copenhagen area, you are welcome to drop by for a look. PM me if relevant for you.

 

[CDinFrance]

I agree with the above post. We rented a Coast but bought an Ocean, mainly due to the options we wanted. Personally I would prefer a manual roof, but not an option on the Ocean. One major difference we did not expect is the upholstery. IMHO, it is MUCH nicer in the Ocean, and with that bit of extra chrome trim, it is a classier vehicle than the Coast. Of course, we were also leaning towards a Marco Polo for the interior quality, so that may say something about our priorities. In the end, a great discount at the Dusseldorf show made the Ocean a good deal. Went for TSI, so the MBMP was not an option.

 

[Wesel]

We have a Coast and are very happy with the manual roof. At first uses we found the operation a little hard. But after a few days we did not have any difficulties. And no risk of failure !

 

[Borris]

Providing you are physically able to use it, the manual roof is a much better proposition, especially for anyone considering long term ownership. This is mainly due to its simplicity. You only have to look at the very many posts on this forum to realise that the electro/hydraulic version has a range of issues which could prove very expensive once out of warrantee. From memory these issues are mainly as follows:

1. Twisted, kinked or buckled roofs mainly caused by inattentive operation or a sticking mechanism.
2. Defective control panels or electrics.
3. Leaking or exploding hydraulics.
4. Roofs lowering unevenly.
5. Roofs failing to lower.
6 Torn canvas again mainly caused by inattentive operation.

Providing the vehicle receives the necessary maintenance and the owner follows the instructions for operating this roof to the letter then most owners won't experience these problems. However it must be acknowledged that this version is a lot more complicated, arguably unnecessarily so.

The manual roof does exactly the same job but doesn't suffer from the above mentioned issues. It's quick and easy to operate and delightfully simple. Yes it is still possible to trap the canvas in the scissor mechanism but instances of this occurring on a Beach seem to be very rare indeed. That's mainly because you have to stand up between the front seats to close the roof so are generally more aware of what the roof is doing. Yes, you could also do this in an SE/Ocean but I'd suggest that most owners don't, preferring to sit in the drivers seat and press the button instead often being oblivious to what's happening above. Even VWs own slick advertising video clips show the operators doing just that!

However, I must mention that whilst excellent, there are two minor issues to be aware of with the manual roof.
1. If you are not careful you can trap the canvas in the overlock securing catches. This can punch two neat little holes in the canvas bellows. Providing you are aware and watch what you are doing this isn't an issue.
2. The overlock catches can be a little stiff to operate at first. So they are not really suitable for anyone with a loss of dexterity or strength in their fingers. If that's the case then the electro/hydraulic is definately the one for you. It would be best to try out the manual roof before committing yourself.

Having owned both versions I would now always choose the manual version if given the choice. IMO VW should offer the electro/hydraulic version as an option but certainly not as standard on the SE/Ocean.

 

[MattBW]

I think if you plan to keep it longer than the warranty period, then a manual roof is a good idea. If you only intend to keep for the warranty, get all the bells and whistles as it will be someone else repairing it at their cost when the complicated parts fail. Of course they may never fail, but having owned old vans I have appreciated that long term wise, simple tech wins and lasts longer and is cheaper to repair. .

 

[Bellcrew]

I think if you plan to keep it longer than the warranty period, then a manual roof is a good idea. If you only intend to keep for the warranty, get all the bells and whistles as it will be someone else repairing it at their cost when the complicated parts fail. Of course they may never fail, but having owned old vans I have appreciated that long term wise, simple tech wins and lasts longer and is cheaper to repair. .

I have not tried to operate a beach roof but can a small light person operate it easily?

 

[Borris]

I have not tried to operate a beach roof but can a small light person operate it easily?

If the person concerned is short then they may have to tread on the front seat to reach the roof pull down strap. Or better still they could attach an extension strap so that they don't need to. How about a cheap dog lead?

Obviously the lighter they are the more difficulty they will experience in closing the roof as they will have to overcome the upward thrust of the gas struts. However, I really don't think this will prove to be much of an issue for all but a the odd one or two owners.

The best thing would be to try one out.

 

[flying banana]

you would have to be very very small and a really really big puff to not be able to shut a manual roof . wait for it......

 

[Erbster]

I agree with the comments regarding the complications/multiple failure points of the hydraulic roof. However, another consideration is the use of a roof box- I often carry one and I understand that the hydraulics can support more load 30kg approx in my case. I wouldn’t like the roof to come down on the bed on a windy night...


https://caliventures364847572.wordpress.com/

 

[soulstyledevon]

Ive had both.
I would choose a manual roof in a heart beat.
Absolutely no idea why VW doesn’t offer a manual roof for the Ocean and price the vehicle accordingly.

 

[Damon18]

Lots, but they differ from country to country. Check the configurator.

Exactly, VW don't make it easy, the Coast has or hasn't cerain features depending on the country in which it is purchased.
We also have a Coast bought in France, we agree it is basically an Ocean but without certain options which we thought were not necessary for us.
The Coast is great value compared to an Ocean , and various French Campervan magazines agree (Van Magazine & Van Life).

 

[soulstyledevon]

Exactly, VW don't make it easy, the Coast has or hasn't cerain features depending on the country in which it is purchased.
We also have a Coast bought in France, we agree it is basically an Ocean but without certain options which we thought were not necessary for us.
The Coast is great value compared to an Ocean , and various French Campervan magazines agree (Van Magazine & Van Life).

So you have dis-agreed with my last comment. Why...?
Seems odd, when you have purchased a Coast. The main reason for purchasing a Coast is the manual roof...?
I’m puzzled

 

[Damon18]

So you have dis-agreed with my last comment. Why...?
Seems odd, when you have purchased a Coast. The main reason for purchasing a Coast is the manual roof...?
I’m puzzled

Hi.
Don't be puzzled, we bought our Coast from our local dealer in France where it has an electrical roof as standard (manual only on Beach), this is why I made the reference about VW not making it easy for people, Coast does not automatically mean a Manual roof.
Personally we bought our Coast because it gave us all we wanted (basically an Ocean without the frills but including elecrical roof) at roughly £6000 less than an Ocean. No brainer for us.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Ok

I didn't realise the Coast could be purchased with the electric roof.
Out of interest, what else is missing/different that you prefer...?

 

[larrylamb]

Seems the Ocean and Coast have varying spec dependant on the country of sale, seems overly complicated to me. There should be a base vehicle per se low spec then the buyer chooses the extras.