KGCali
Retired and still young at heart!
Lifetime VIP Member
Worth changing the rear ABS sensor on both rear wheels while you're there, only cheap on ebay.
Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop
Ozzy Pete
I keep a couple of spares anyway as I know they will need replacing again sometime soon.
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Wannabecamperman
Plus a TON of labour hours and expertise, that I suspect would cost a pretty penny if one was to pay to have all this done professionally!
Really impressive work Nik, and I'm really enjoying your documenting of said work. Reminds me of a Mike Brewer resto show I used to enjoy.
Keep up the great work, brilliant.
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Nik_campervan
Drivers rear failed last year and was replaced then, quick job to swap out if/when the rest fail.
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Nik_campervan
1st bearing replaced, approx 2hrs with most time spent cleaning the inner face of the trailing arm so the press tool sits square and dosent get stuck. Will rebuild brakes and repeat for other side tomorrow. Highly recommend the laser tools kit for this job.
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Nik_campervan
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Nik_campervan
Slight knock from the front suspension usually heard at low speed when changing lock most likely a sign of worn strut top mounts. Not the most fun of jobs on the floor, all 4 drop link joints needed to be cut off, why VW insist on using tiny splines on droplinks is beyond me, literally only of use when assembling new. Exploding cut off disk on the 2nd drop link was fun. Also would benefit from having longer arms holding the reassembled strut in place whilst fitting the top nut. Just the pad wear indicator wiring to sort then road test.
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Nik_campervan
Weekend fitting a reversing camera, as expected 4 of the 8 rivnuts spinning in the tailgate. Running the rca through the kitchen roof edge tricky at the c pillar, (take the vertical trim off and loop in & out). Getting the rca through the tailgate runner a pain of a job took 4 attempts. And getting the wires through the tailgate similarly frustrating. All connected up and wirking, tailgate rebuild a job for next weekend. Took the reverse feed off the loom to the taillight ( pop out the rubber gromet and join to green/black), camera only draws 40ma so fine to power from the reverse feed), earthed to an existing earth stud on the underside of the wardrobe (remove the wardrobe lower trim below the window blind to access), not a job i want to repeat as tine consuming and frustrating in equal measure.
Ozzy Pete
Maybe a diamond cutting disc would be much safer on something like this. Carborundum discs are so dangerous in confined spaces.
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Nik_campervan
Preventative maintenance before the intercooler splits open due to rotting steel straps. Common transporter failure. For anyone doing similar at least on a T5.1 you dont need to remove fog lights or their trim surrounds. Only the grill, bumper trim panels either side of numbet plate. Remove multiple t25, t30 fixings. Front wheels off, remove t25 fixings from underside of bumper to arch liners. Pull down front edge of liners, remove 2x 10mm bolts joining bumper to front wing edge and 1x t25 joining bumper to lower edge of outer wing. Remove 3x t25 from underside of bumper to front panel these can only be accesed by removing undertray. Bumper then pulls fwd and can be hung on bumper crashbar without straining wiring. 2x t25/30? Fixings holding intercooler in place. Their is a small plastic part bolted to lower edge of headlight bracket that gets in way of intercooler remove these both sides. Pull up hose clips and remove. Its worth replacing the rubber seals between the intercooler and hoses. Reconnect the battery side hose and clip 1st as access is restricted. Finally drivers side hose. Rebuild, road test, allow 4hrs, trim tool, t25, t30 bits, 13mm, 10mm sockets, trolley jack & axle stands. Intercooler was a mahle pro from autodoc £195, intercooler seals £25 from VW. Pics show the rotting staps which eventually fall off leading to split intercooler and severe lack of performance / limp mode.
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Crasher
Similar experience to myself.Gearbox been done when purchased .Leaking windows gates couplings mines 2.5 engine .Aircon not working electric seats .Head unit cd repaired .Fumes in cab to sort now.Lanogard under all plastics etc .Pop top front hinge bent .The list goes on and love the van.
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Crasher
Been there to fitted some T6 spring srom ebay 170 plus top struts etc .Fun times on drive.Wish my garage was as organised as yours.Lov your posts.
sbmcd
VIP Member
It is quite incredible how much collects, I now do mine every year.
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Crasher
I have fitted a window gasket between plastic arch liner and arch and improved massively.
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Nik_campervan
Great to see someone else doing similar, after 15yrs with a T4 which was getting on in age im really impressed how much of an improvement the T5 is in both comfort and its engineering. T5 really does age well and if you can diy the renovations / repairs means you can save a bunch of cash. When my 2 kids started driving we ran out of parking space, 1930s terrace hence the garage which id waited years for, took half the back garden but makes work so much easier.
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Nik_campervan
Gas bottle tap & regulator replaced, was away this weekend, used the last of a gas bottle, swopped to new bottle and tiny gas flame, couldn't use both rings. Nothing obvious wrong. Old regulator unable to blow through. Flexi gas pipe likely original but still servicable with no sign of cracking. All doused in gas leak detector spay and no sign of leaks, both burners back to big flames again.
sbmcd
VIP Member
If you've had the very cold temperatures we had last weekend I suspect the problem was the butane gas in your 907, butane is pretty useless at low temperatures.
Some of us refill our 907's with propane instead of using Butane, we had minus 3.5Deg C on Sunday morning and our propane worked perfectly.
Search this forum for more on that.
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Nik_campervan
Invested in a Spacemate tray for the rear, ordered early hours Wednesday, arrived today. Took me longer to empty the van & remove the rear shelf than it did to bolt in the tray. Top tip if one in it squeaks like hell when opened youve forgot to remove the red foam transit packers, 2 under the front underside of the tray. Being a t5.1 ive the shelf on the upper level so can really pile kit high onto the tray and no more struggling to cram kit in. Very impressive bit of engineering.
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Musket
VIP Member
Fascinated by your posts. My days of restoring vehicles is well over, not as flexible as I was….
I recently bought a new ‘Cali and intend on keeping it a long time. Made me wonder how well the parts will stand up over ten plus years!
I recently bought a new ‘Cali and intend on keeping it a long time. Made me wonder how well the parts will stand up over ten plus years!
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