Newbie alert. What do I need??

[richpeel]

Hey everyone,

So next week I pick up a 6.1 California Beach Very excited!! It will be mostly used by myself for bike/running events and trips away but only 1 or 2 nights max. I also have a wife and 2 young kids (2 and 5) so we will use a lot for day trips to the beach / lakes (wife is into SUP) etc plus overnighters / weekenders here and there (i.e. we don't plan to use it for long camping trips). This is why we ended up with a Beach rather than the Ocean as it seems more suited to our needs and more versatile as a second car for transporting bikes etc. We have the 3 seat bench version.

We're generally camping newbies (apart from hiring a California a couple of times) so appreciate any tips and advice you can share. I'm getting a parking heater fitted (Planar Autoterm as a local company I know fits them) and I've just ordered a Indel TB18 as I think it's big enough for our needs and like the idea of it fitting between the front seats (thanks to reading your comments here!!).

Are there certain things you suggest we need? Seat covers seem to come up, along with pop top insulation like the Brandrup one? Windscreen cover?

First trip will be next weekend, I'm doing a bike event in Sherwood Forest and camping on site the night before. Is it comfier up top on down below? We have the optional comfort mattress... I'm 6'3" if that affects things? As a family, I was thinking we'd have the kids upstairs?

Thanks in advance!
Rich

 

[richpeel]

Meant to add - it has a Thule awning. Do you recommend getting a drive away awning too? We did use one of these when hiring and think it will be useful even for an overnight trip? Would need to be a simple pop-up one as I don't like the idea of too much faffing!

 

[dspuk]

Covered many many times and search is your friend here. There are lists galore and you are going to get a plethora or replies saying what you need, which is not necessarily true. Use search, buy little and go use the Cali. Only you can then decide what you need for your uses.

Everyone here, myself included, has a garage full of "needed" stuff. It all goes the way and you need to complie what works for you.

Except ramps. No-one needs those

 

[Pegsinho]

Best advice I received was to do a few trips before you get anything beyond the absolute essentials to really gauge what you need. You can spend so much on stuff you may never use. I think drive away awnings are about 50/50 based on responses here and it really depends how you'd use it; they're not for everyone. We are picking one up next weekend as we have a dog and the extra space will be a game changer for us.

I'm also 6' 3" and I am happy to sleep both up and down. But I prefer to do it alone, luckily we are a family of three and most of the time wife and boy are up or down and I'm the other. I find the downstairs bed marginally more comfortable because I have head at the tailgate end and feet dangling over, whereas up top I find my head dangling over the edge a bit and my pillows dropping down in the night.

If you're on your own, up top may be better so you don't have to keep messing with your living space downstairs. It'll take a few trips to find out what works best.

 

[tuono001]

I think seat covers are a safe buy, especially if you have young ones, I know from experience. Muddy shoes, sticky sweets and projectile vomiting! I bought black inka years ago and they're still looking good.
I have a tb18 and it's a great little fridge.
I'd say, on your planned use, a comfortz awning room over a drive away awning. Less bulk to carry and easier to put up yourself. Get a centre bar for the awning so it doesn't sag in the middle.
What's the event at the Pines?

 

[Lee.Van.Cleef]

We're about 18 months in. We use fir family camping so have a different 'essential' list. One safe bet though is a decent windscreen cover. The factory blinds are not black-out and will cause condensation on the inside of the windscreen. We use the comfortz s reen cover as it packs down well. The other option could be the Brandrup isolite outside. The windscreen cover goes outside & door blinds inside so you you open them easily.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Take a look at an Arpenaz 4 man shelter as storage/break out room.

I’ve tried all sorts. Drive away is neat in principle. But a bit of a faff unless you’re staying a few days.

We use our van much like yours. Day van, occasional short trips.

Power bank is worth a look if you like a quick/easy way to make tea or coffee. Or electric blanket if you sleep upstairs off season.

 

[Californication69]

Take a look at an Arpenaz 4 man shelter as storage/break out room.

I’ve tried all sorts. Drive away is neat in principle. But a bit of a faff unless you’re staying a few days.

We use our van much like yours. Day van, occasional short trips.

Power bank is worth a look if you like a quick/easy way to make tea or coffee. Or electric blanket if you sleep upstairs off season.

Dude, On the topic of a beach, now, after a few trips would you prefer a beach to an ocean ?
Do you actually use the wardrobe and sink ?
Would the extra width across the back be better for sleeping downstairs ?

 

[richpeel]

Super, thanks everyone

 

[Blink982]

I’m sure, like a lot of people, I had a pile of van stuff that was getting bigger and bigger by the week leading up to delivery.

Now I’ve had the van for a few months, I can safely say most of what I’ve bought has been useful.
The things I’ve used most are:
Comfortz windscreen cover (really does make a difference - no condensation and quick drying)
Thais pop top liner (brilliant and half the price if isotop but I needed to watch the brandrup video to install it!)
Vanessa bags (just work and work well)
Cadac Safari chef 30 (used almost every trip)
VW rubber mats (wouldn’t use carpet mats up front)
Campervan carpets in rear - split so you can use downstairs bed)
Hug a rug for rear compartment (cheap and cheerful)
ukatex seat covers (reasonably easy ordering process and to fit)
Ridgemonkey - brilliant
Midge Lamp - just works
Alpcool 35 litre fridge - fits under rear bench in my 2seat beach)
Bluetti power station - to power the fridge, laptop etc.

I’ve also bought plenty of stuff that the jury is still out on:
25m EHU cable (haven’t needed more than 10m on any site)
Anker Nebula projector and projector screen.- total faff to set up - usually stick to iPad
Ridgemonkey water container - tap is useless (5ltr bottle of supermarket easier to use)
Outin Nespresso machine - only two cups from a charge and it is messy to use (coffee is lovely though)
Tefal Ingenio pan set - reckon would have been better off using two Ridgemonkey pans.
Thule awning straps and Portapotti - all yet to be ised

That is only a fraction of the stuff I’ve bought, the rest is just boring household items but all serve a purpose

Build your kit slowly is the best advice and add only what you need or will use.

 

[66tim99]

Aeropress is a small, light option for good filter coffee on the gas hob. No need for Nespresso machines, electric kettles, portable power stations, air fryers or microwaves.
Camping is an opportunity to simplify.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Dude, On the topic of a beach, now, after a few trips would you prefer a beach to an ocean ?
Do you actually use the wardrobe and sink ?
Would the extra width across the back be better for sleeping downstairs ?

I was thinking about this today after replying.

I think versatility of a beach is great. Wardrobe, be just as good with bags on the boot/on the rear shelf.

Occasionally use kitchen to brush teeth, cook spuds etc.

 

[Californication69]

I was thinking about this today after replying.

I think versatility of a beach is great. Wardrobe, be just as good with bags on the boot/on the rear shelf.

Occasionally use kitchen to brush teeth, cook spuds etc.

The T7 comes with two mahoosive clothes bags on both rear side windows.
Bonus of moving them indoors and packing with clothes.
Dont often drink tea, but if I needed a brew, could use vango roar inside with the manual roof popped and a window ajar.
Last year never really used the sink, as always stayed on sites. And eat in the pub

 

[richpeel]

Thanks so much Blink, that's really helpful

 

[richpeel]

I think seat covers are a safe buy, especially if you have young ones, I know from experience. Muddy shoes, sticky sweets and projectile vomiting! I bought black inka years ago and they're still looking good.
I have a tb18 and it's a great little fridge.
I'd say, on your planned use, a comfortz awning room over a drive away awning. Less bulk to carry and easier to put up yourself. Get a centre bar for the awning so it doesn't sag in the middle.
What's the event at the Pines?

Missed your question sorry. It's a Glorious Gravel event. Have done a couple of them, they are great!

 

[secret lemonade drinker]

The beach's wide bed downstairs is unbeatable....Rear window bags for clothes use wasted space and do not hinder the bed, if you need a kitchen get a slidepod, then you can cook out the back under the tailgate without hindering the sleeping wife, and when the holidays over it all comes out and you have your 5/7 seater back