New VW California - Climbing the roof

[João Valente]

Hey everyone!

After using this forum to decide the type of van to buy I can finally say I'm the proud owner of a bamboo green/ white T6 Coast.

Now the post-delivery questions start coming up. The first one is: do you guys climb to the roof of your VW California? I wanted to clean the roof the other day and although I didn't end up standing on top of it the question remained.

Obligatory van photo attached.

Best Regards

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[GregW]

I wouldn’t stand on mine. I use a platform A-frame ladder and a long brush and hose.


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[Gary&Heather]

Same here we use a platform and a long brush and hose, I would never stand on the roof after all it is only aluminium.

 

[GrannyJen]

Definitely not stand on the roof. Long stepladder and long power hose.

 

[Amarillo]

Covered with a table cloth, it doubles up as a table for little children.



Or with cushions a bench for two adults, so you can invite your neighbors over for a glass of wine without having to ask them to bring their camping chairs.

 

[João Valente]

Thank you for your answers. I won't be standing in the roof anytime soon

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[LemonDrop]

Love the colour combination

 

[João Valente]

Love the colour combination

Thank you!!! It turned out a lot better than I expected

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[sapto]

I use our newly local washing place

(you even can use the portalwashing) where they have an extra slot for mh, vans and caravans with a kind of balcony (on the left side of pic 1) to reach the roof (pictures are from car helbling):

 

[sapto]

By the way: Coast looks great, Manual roof and all the other stuff from a Ocean?

 

[João Valente]

By the way: Coast looks great, Manual roof and all the other stuff from a Ocean?

Yup. that was the goal

 

[oryx white]

If you haven't got a ladder to hand, you can always stand on top of the tyres and get most of the roof (well I can at 1.78m height).

 

[Paul_W]

If you haven't got a ladder to hand, you can always stand on top of the tyres and get most of the roof (well I can at 1.78m height).

I’ll second that I hop up on each wheel and can reach the whole roof to clean it, I’m 5,11

 

[Zebedee]

I take a stepladder to the carwash and a long handed wash brush that telescopes in and out. I get some odd looks but it gets the job done!

 

[motacyclist]

If you haven't got a ladder to hand, you can always stand on top of the tyres and get most of the roof (well I can at 1.78m height).

Handy for cleaning the the windscreen too.

 

[Louis II]

All sounds like hard work I find this approach works well.....

 

[motacyclist]

All sounds like hard work I find this approach works well.....

View attachment 42175

Can we see the Risk Assessment for that please!

 

[Eber123]

Good evening,

I must admit I won't wash the roof every time (too much work). But latest every 3rd time I give it a wash.

To reach the roof I get a step ladder and a broom. Using this I can clean the roof quite well. What I can't do is to try it and to wax it.

As mentioned above the step ladder is handy to clean the windscreen too.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[SusiBus]

NO, NO, NO, Louis are you actually on the Cali roof?
Stepladder, sponge or brush and long arm only.

 

[GrannyJen]

Handy for cleaning the the windscreen too.

Oh I always stand on top of the tyres!

Just a pain in the butt putting them back on the wheels afterwards

 

[Kmann]

Max load for the roof is 50 kg. So like all the others say … we have a modified 2m telescopic latter. For cleaning the roof, getting easy access to the roof box or getting into trees when on a site (setting up a hammock, TRX or other stuff)

 

[ArunAlec]

Max load for the roof is 50 kg. So like all the others say … we have a modified 2m telescopic latter. For cleaning the roof, getting easy access to the roof box or getting into trees when on a site (setting up a hammock, TRX or other stuff)

Also, that 50kg limit should be distributed through roof bars and not concentrated in one small area. So I would definitely not climb on the roof.

 

[Louis II]

Can we see the Risk Assessment for that please!

It's all fine -

Can we see the Risk Assessment for that please!

I drew the line at sliding down the windscreen... worried about damage to the wipers.

 

[Louis II]

NO, NO, NO, Louis are you actually on the Cali roof?
Stepladder, sponge or brush and long arm only.

I agree not really sensible to climb on the roof but my daughter weighs around 30kg and by keeping to the edges the roof seemed fine. Also well within the weight limit of the bike rack which worked remarkably well as a ladder to get up there in the first place.

 

[altvic]

Decided not to clean roof. Just as dust only gets to certain thickness of cover, algae only gives thin coverage and can give a new green blue two-tone!