New to this Lark!

[NigelG]

Hi All - my wife and I have just ‘invested in’ a California Ocean 4 motion with a sports package apparently! Slept in her twice and buying lots of bits that we may or may not ever use!! Looking forward to getting some advice from all the experience on this forum.

 

[66tim99]

Excellent choice.
I would remove the elastic band round the tent though. The canvas has been re-designed in later Californias so they're not required, and can cause damage.

 

[WelshGas]

Excellent choice.
I would remove the elastic band round the tent though. The canvas has been re-designed in later Californias so they're not required, and can cause damage.

Evidence for the " damage" ?

 

[66tim99]

Evidence for the " damage" ?

Anecdotal on here eg
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...-needed-on-6-1-ocean.39690/page-2#post-606567

 

[NigelG]

Excellent choice.
I would remove the elastic band round the tent though. The canvas has been re-designed in later Californias so they're not required, and can cause damage.

Great thanks 66tim99 - anyone want a free roof bungee??!!

 

[Hawthorn37]

Great thanks 66tim99 - anyone want a free roof bungee??!!

I used mine to fix a sheet of ply to the log store opening

Welcome to the forum, nice looking van!

 

[WelshGas]

Anecdotal on here eg
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...-needed-on-6-1-ocean.39690/page-2#post-606567

Well after 10 yrs No Line, and nor has the bellows ever been pulled out of its fittings.


Like any insurance - You never need it, until you need it.

 

[66tim99]

Well after 10 yrs No Line, and nor has the bellows ever been pulled out of its fittings.


Like any insurance - You never need it, until you need it.

After 3 years my roof has always folded perfectly.
I’m glad they’ve improved the 6.1 design, making the bungee insurance (sometimes worse than) pointless.

 

[WelshGas]

After 3 years my roof has always folded perfectly.
I’m glad they’ve improved the 6.1 design, making the bungee insurance (sometimes worse than) pointless.

7 yrs to go then.

 

[Hawthorn37]

After 4 months (on a 6.1) bellows pulled out of the roof at the corner. Next 30 months no bungee, no bellows problems. And the bellows folds perfectly every time.

 

[WelshGas]

After 4 months (on a 6.1) bellows pulled out of the roof at the corner. Next 30 months no bungee, no bellows problems. And the bellows folds perfectly every time.

As there have been other reports of the bellows becoming detached at the corners and NO bellows bungee was involved then I think linking the two , bungee and bellows detachment , is tenuous to say the least.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Just saying that since I re-inserted the bellows in the roof and threw away the bungee the bellows has not separated again, AND the bellows folds nicely without the bungee. Therefore no need to risk putting a bungee on and have it occur again.

 

[bissettmark]

A Spacemate drawer is definitely one the best upgrades/purchases you can make.
Makes life so much easier for packing and accessing your gear in the boot, beneath the rear shelf

 

[Jay586]

I have a 6.1 & the canvas is very much designed to fold in.

 

[NigelG]

Thanks everyone for your welcomes to the club and sorry for inadvertently starting a discussion on roof bungees! I will look out for a Spacemate drawer thanks bissettmark

 

[ParachuteMan]

After 3 years my roof has always folded perfectly.
I’m glad they’ve improved the 6.1 design, making the bungee insurance (sometimes worse than) pointless.

I have a 12 month old 6.1 Ocean and never thought about having the bungee. However, lowering the bellows on Sango Sands on the NC500 in windy conditions, the left hand side of the bellows got caught in the scissor mechanism and almost ripped it. So I bought the bungee to keep it gently pulled in when lowering

 

[ejmoore]

Re the roof-bungee-or-not business, it's worth mentioning (again) that the most important thing is to always have a window or door open when you're letting the roof down. I stand in the space between the front seats with my head in the roof while it's starting to come down, to make sure it's all going ok.

 

[Hawthorn37]

I have a 12 month old 6.1 Ocean and never thought about having the bungee. However, lowering the bellows on Sango Sands on the NC500 in windy conditions, the left hand side of the bellows got caught in the scissor mechanism and almost ripped it. So I bought the bungee to keep it gently pulled in when lowering

Our preference is just to take care when lowering rather than adding the bungee. In our experience, when lowering in high wind we judge which door / window to open (in the lee of the wind), and have eyes on the outside as well as inside. There’s only been one occasion when it’s been puffing out enough to cause worry (also on the NC500 !), and we momentarily pulled the canvas on the inside to counter the wind.