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New T6 Beach - help

Definitely don't want an ocean. Need the 7 seats for its normal role as family taxi. Have a bongo which was our practice camper. Never use the sink, almost always cook outside with a Cobb, an uuni oven or a gas cooker. Downstairs bed very cramped for two.
Truth is, a California makes very little financial sense except it holds its value so well. No, this is a purchase of heart over head and I suspect I'm headed for a loaded beach.

Some very good advice here. Thank you. As I said, my van is getting more and more expensive, but also more and more fabulous!
 
Whatever you get will be excellent.

If you didn't already know, there's another price increase on the 1st November. You might want to bear this in mind if you decide to buy new and do a factory order.

All the best whatever you decide to do. :thumb
 
Some excellent advice from @CALI FATE and @Gez B.

We love our Grape Yellow T6 Beach, and have no option regrets or desires. Two big extras for us were solar panels and Jackyards seat covers. We love them both for very different reasons.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
 
IMO, after deciding how many seats you will need I would order the following as must haves:

1. Parking heater
Expensive but worth every single penny if you intend to use your Cali all year round.

2. Awning.
It's not really a Cali without one. If you don't order one and later change your mind you will have to sell your sole to afford one. They are mega expensive.

3. Headlight upgrade
The standard headlights are crap.

4. Bed extension and VW Comfort matress.
The downstairs bed on the seven seater is an instrument of torture without the Comfort mattress.

And that's it. You can tick every other box on the options list but they are unlikely to make it any more comfortable to camp in or enhance the sense of freedom you get from owning a Cali.

Good luck.
 
Interesting how some say its best as simple as possible and then lines up rows of extra equipment.
I have come to realise that the cheapest way to own a car is to buy what you want and then keep it for as long as possible. Not getting some equipment that you like to have just make you regret it and maybe a costly exchange to a new one.
 
Interesting how some say its best as simple as possible and then lines up rows of extra equipment.
The OP asked for opinions on what the must have options are on a Beach. With the exception of the headlight upgrade, I have given my opinion on what the absolute must haves should be. If you like, i believe the options I've mentioned provide the very essence of every California Beach camper van.

(The headlight upgrade was only included because the bog standard offerings are IMO just not fit for purpose and certainly shouldn't have found their way onto a vehicle costing so much).

After dealing with those must have options it's down to personal choice what other options each buyer would like. Which ever engine choice, gearbox, colour, etc etc are chosen, they won't really make it any better at being a camper van. Thats not the same as saying "its best as simple as possible".

I have my own list of preferred extra options but there would be little point in my mentioning those as they are purely my choice.
 
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Borris

Thank you. Exactly the sort of info I need. Yours and many other posts have been helpful.

Kave,
I do agree tat the best plan is to get what you want and therefore be happy to keep it as long as you want to, which is why I'm here asking for advice. The options list is in itself pretty meaningless and the experience of owners is by far the best way I'm going make sure I get something I love.
 
Borris

Thank you. Exactly the sort of info I need. Yours and many other posts have been helpful.

Kave,
I do agree tat the best plan is to get what you want and therefore be happy to keep it as long as you want to, which is why I'm here asking for advice. The options list is in itself pretty meaningless and the experience of owners is by far the best way I'm going make sure I get something I love.

I think Borris has given sound advice. We ticked just about every option box except the comfort dash, preferring discomfort to comfort. Along similar lines we didn't tick the bed extension mattress thingy, hoping to save by buying a ÂŁ60 Ikea mattress topper. After sleeping on that for almost 75 almost consecutive nights we binned it and bought the Brandrup mattress at considerable expense.

I could easily live without the parking heater- I once slept at 4000 feet in a tent on the Scottish mountains in winter, and was perfectly snug in my ÂŁ300 four season sleeping bag. On the other hand, my wife would not survive a night below 15 degrees without it, so I'll go along with Borris' assertion that it's a must.

The awning is what makes the vehicle a camper. We use ours all the time.

But also consider and budget for the extras not on the option list.

We bought a full set of seat covers from Jackyards; 200 watts of solar panels; a roofless topper; a drive away awning; Brandrup seat pockets; Brandrup hooks; fitted sheets for upper and lower berths; Van Essa window storage bags; a robust tailgate prop that doubles up as an awning beam; and exterior lighting. This all adds up to an extra ÂŁ5000 or so.

OK - we are a family of four plus dog, using our van as our main home for a full 12 months, so need and use all these extras, and it's unlikely that you will need so much, but you do need to consider these extras.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
 
I would not buy the VW Comfort mattress again. Too stiff.
Yes it is rather stiff. A bit like sleeping on a board although I was surprised at how quickly I adapted to it. I am now quite happy sleeping on it however it won't be to everyones tastes as it is very firm. I have thought of trying a double air bed instead but not mainly for reasons of comfort. It would take up much less space than the VW Comfort mattress does. One of these might be more comfortable as you could adjust how hard or soft you would like it. I do see the main advantage of the VW Comfort mattress is that it converts the undulating bench seat back and base into a perfectly flat surface.
 
The first time I slept on the comfort mattress I hadn't realised one side was hard and one soft. Certainly not a comfort mattress that way round!

But with it the correct way round it seems very comfortable.
 
We retired six years ago and first ran a T5.5 'SE/Ocean' and then for the last two years, a T6 Beach. We have lived about 3 months a year in our California's, mainly in France but sometimes in Switzerland and this no doubt influences our choice of extras. As time has gone on we have generally found that for us keeping things simple is best. If we were ordering a new Cali now we would go for a Beach with parking sensors, ACC and an awning as almost the only extras. We hardly ever cooked in our SE and found the wardrobe blocked vision rather a lot on continental roads, this was compounded by the privacy glass, we have clear glass on the Beach, if we need privacy we use the blinds. Privacy glass does make a van look smarter though! The 2 seat bench in the Beach is a lot more comfortable than the the 3 seat bench, this is important to us as we like to sleep downstairs as its quieter on noisy campsites than using the upstairs bed. We carry no gas but use an electric induction hob. We hardly used the diesel heater in the SE and when we did we found that it was too noisy to leave on all night and diesel fumes could blow into / around the van, now we use an oil filled radiator on a thermostat and happily leave it on all night. We now have utility tent for cooking and storage when staying longer than 2 nights on a site. We had a tailgate bike rack on the SE but found lifting the tailgate with the bikes on awkward, now we have folding bikes which we carry in bags behind the front seats, we chuck them out for overnight stops 'en route'. Items we have on the van which we now think were not worth it are the heated windscreen and climate control. Whatever spec you have the Cali is a great vehicle.......
 
The first time I slept on the comfort mattress I hadn't realised one side was hard and one soft. Certainly not a comfort mattress that way round!

But with it the correct way round it seems very comfortable.

I did same.... was an easy mistake to make.
 
After sleeping on that for almost 75 almost consecutive nights we binned it and bought the Brandrup mattress at considerable expense.
/QUOTE]

How does the Brandrup mattress compare to the vw comfort mattress?
 
I think Borris has given sound advice. We ticked just about every option box except the comfort dash, preferring discomfort to comfort. Along similar lines we didn't tick the bed extension mattress thingy, hoping to save by buying a ÂŁ60 Ikea mattress topper. After sleeping on that for almost 75 almost consecutive nights we binned it and bought the Brandrup mattress at considerable expense.

I could easily live without the parking heater- I once slept at 4000 feet in a tent on the Scottish mountains in winter, and was perfectly snug in my ÂŁ300 four season sleeping bag. On the other hand, my wife would not survive a night below 15 degrees without it, so I'll go along with Borris' assertion that it's a must.

The awning is what makes the vehicle a camper. We use ours all the time.

But also consider and budget for the extras not on the option list.

We bought a full set of seat covers from Jackyards; 200 watts of solar panels; a roofless topper; a drive away awning; Brandrup seat pockets; Brandrup hooks; fitted sheets for upper and lower berths; Van Essa window storage bags; a robust tailgate prop that doubles up as an awning beam; and exterior lighting. This all adds up to an extra ÂŁ5000 or so.

OK - we are a family of four plus dog, using our van as our main home for a full 12 months, so need and use all these extras, and it's unlikely that you will need so much, but you do need to consider these extras.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu


How does the Brandrup mattress compare to the vw comfort mattress?
 
We retired six years ago and first ran a T5.5 'SE/Ocean' and then for the last two years, a T6 Beach. We have lived about 3 months a year in our California's, mainly in France but sometimes in Switzerland and this no doubt influences our choice of extras. As time has gone on we have generally found that for us keeping things simple is best. If we were ordering a new Cali now we would go for a Beach with parking sensors, ACC and an awning as almost the only extras. We hardly ever cooked in our SE and found the wardrobe blocked vision rather a lot on continental roads, this was compounded by the privacy glass, we have clear glass on the Beach, if we need privacy we use the blinds. Privacy glass does make a van look smarter though! The 2 seat bench in the Beach is a lot more comfortable than the the 3 seat bench, this is important to us as we like to sleep downstairs as its quieter on noisy campsites than using the upstairs bed. We carry no gas but use an electric induction hob. We hardly used the diesel heater in the SE and when we did we found that it was too noisy to leave on all night and diesel fumes could blow into / around the van, now we use an oil filled radiator on a thermostat and happily leave it on all night. We now have utility tent for cooking and storage when staying longer than 2 nights on a site. We had a tailgate bike rack on the SE but found lifting the tailgate with the bikes on awkward, now we have folding bikes which we carry in bags behind the front seats, we chuck them out for overnight stops 'en route'. Items we have on the van which we now think were not worth it are the heated windscreen and climate control. Whatever spec you have the Cali is a great vehicle.......

Always interesting and inspiring to hear others priorities and thoughts behind. Very informative ;-)
 
How does the Brandrup mattress compare to the vw comfort mattress?
We've just purchased a ÂŁ35 double size mattress topper from Aldi for the downstairs bed in our Cali. Not used it properly yet but initial impressions are good.
 
I think you need to remember that bed comfort is very subjective person to person.
Read lots and make the right decision for you, if it doesn't work try something different.
Experiment until you're happy, it may cost a few pounds. But you can't put a price on having a decent nights sleep.
 
Thank you for all the very useful info and opinions so far.

I have one last question. Interior - Alcantara vs cloth. I generally prefer leather interiors and the alcantara looks half fake leather, half alcantara.

Can you get alcantara in titanium black? The configurator says yes but then the pictures only show light grey
Is alcantara a good idea for camping or does it get hot?

Is cloth a better idea?

Brandrup second covers - are these a good idea?

Thanks!
 
Thank you for all the very useful info and opinions so far.

I have one last question. Interior - Alcantara vs cloth. I generally prefer leather interiors and the alcantara looks half fake leather, half alcantara.

Can you get alcantara in titanium black? The configurator says yes but then the pictures only show light grey
Is alcantara a good idea for camping or does it get hot?

Is cloth a better idea?

Brandrup second covers - are these a good idea?

Thanks!
Hello Alex,
Just for information, I think you will find that the only parts of the seat that are actual leather are the sections that you come in contact with. At least, that is the usual practice. The rest of the seat is normally faux leather. The Alcantara sections are very hard wearing and easy to clean if they get marks on them. Alcantara is an expensive man made product used in high end car interiors etc. If you google it you will find some interesting info about how it's manufactured. The leather sections are also hard wearing and easy to clean. I don't know anything about the colour options.
The fabric seats are obviously more difficult to clean and I would advise you to get them coated from new. Lifeshine, Scotchguard or some other similar application will protect the seats from spillages and dirt etc. Once treated, any liquids tend to form beads and not soak into the material. IMO the darker colour is better at hiding dirt than the lighter interior but regardless of which you choose I would recommend the waterproof seat covers made by Inca. VW also supply them but they are probably also made by Inca as well. I believe that the shop sells them.They are brilliant if you have dogs and/or kids and can be machine washed on a cool cycle if they get grubby. However they can easily be wiped clean before you reach that stage.

I have had both the Leather/Alcantara in an SE and the dark cloth interior with waterproof seat covers in our Beach. I have been very happy with both options.
 
Thank you for all the very useful info and opinions so far.

I have one last question. Interior - Alcantara vs cloth. I generally prefer leather interiors and the alcantara looks half fake leather, half alcantara.

Can you get alcantara in titanium black? The configurator says yes but then the pictures only show light grey
Is alcantara a good idea for camping or does it get hot?

Is cloth a better idea?

Brandrup second covers - are these a good idea?

Thanks!

The configurator shows that if you select Alcantara on a Beach, the front seat will not have swivels fitted.
 
The configurator shows that if you select Alcantara on a Beach, the front seat will not have swivels fitted.

Curiously, if you select alcantara, you have to sacrifice the swivel OR just have heated seats which swivel. You can get it to configure alcantara with swivel, but if that turns out to not be the case when I order, I'd definitely go with fabric.
 
Hello Alex,
Just for information, I think you will find that the only parts of the seat that are actual leather are the sections that you come in contact with. At least, that is the usual practice. The rest of the seat is normally faux leather. The Alcantara sections are very hard wearing and easy to clean if they get marks on them. Alcantara is an expensive man made product used in high end car interiors etc. If you google it you will find some interesting info about how it's manufactured. The leather sections are also hard wearing and easy to clean. I don't know anything about the colour options.
The fabric seats are obviously more difficult to clean and I would advise you to get them coated from new. Lifeshine, Scotchguard or some other similar application will protect the seats from spillages and dirt etc. Once treated, any liquids tend to form beads and not soak into the material. IMO the darker colour is better at hiding dirt than the lighter interior but regardless of which you choose I would recommend the waterproof seat covers made by Inca. VW also supply them but they are probably also made by Inca as well. I believe that the shop sells them.They are brilliant if you have dogs and/or kids and can be machine washed on a cool cycle if they get grubby. However they can easily be wiped clean before you reach that stage.

I have had both the Leather/Alcantara in an SE and the dark cloth interior with waterproof seat covers in our Beach. I have been very happy with both options.

Good info again. Thanks!
 
Petrol is just as socially unacceptable as Diesel, and just as polluting and you will use more fuel to boot. Until a hybrid or electric version is available, I would go with diesel.

Petrol kicks out a lot more co2 than diesel but less NOx, with the new Euro6 engines I think you're better with a modern diesel personally. There has been a kneejerk political attacks on diesels that are confusing people I think, its Euro4 and older diesels that make up 90% of the problem to be fair.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41640746
 
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