Not new. But shiny.

[Victor_Tango_]

Hi everyone,

Just arrived home yesterday, our new-to-us T5.0. So excited to be planning our first trip.

All tips on Cali-ing with a baby much appreciated!

Also, any ideas for weekend trips from London? We bought the Cali to help us get out of the smoke for more weekends...

 

[sapto]

Welcome! Nice looking van! Colour looks quite the same as mine! Habe fun searching and reading this awesome board: tons of intel for trips and cali-items!
happy sunday
sapto

 

[daz60]

Welcome, enjoy your new Cali, it looks very nice

 

[sapto]

This may give some ideas: Can anyone recommend a south coast campsite that isn't full of caravans

Burnbake Camping site on the Purbecks (Dorset). They do not allow big vans or caravans (access is a single track road) and its pretty much a turn up and camp place. Had a nice weekend there just two weeks ago and can recommend it. http://www.burnbake.com

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...share_fid=34937&share_type=t&share_pid=148105

 

[Hotel California]

Nice to some are happy with theire "new" T5 ....it does not all needs to be T6
Enjoy it !

 

[Victor_Tango_]

Thanks all.

And thanks @sapto we will check that place out!

 

[Velma's Dad]

All tips on Cali-ing with a baby much appreciated!

The under-seat sliding drawer should work well as a 'baby bunk', but you'll probably still be able to hear him/her even with it closed.

(Sorry, just glad to be beyond that life stage)

Re your question about weekend trip suggestions from London, if you're on the west site of town have you thought about West Wales? Sounds a long way but actually easier than you think as it's M4 most of the way (so plenty of motorway services for nappy changes etc). Fabulous beaches and much less crowded at this time of the year than the West Country.

Welcome and enjoy your Cali!

 

[Borris]

Hi everyone,

Just arrived home yesterday, our new-to-us T5.0. So excited to be planning our first trip.

All tips on Cali-ing with a baby much appreciated!

Also, any ideas for weekend trips from London? We bought the Cali to help us get out of the smoke for more weekends...

View attachment 14900 View attachment 14901

Very nice indeed.
My tip is to get out and use and enjoy your lovely new van as much as possible. Don't worry too much about the stuff you may need to get for it. As long as you have the basics with you to enjoy your first trip then you will gradually find out what you actually need and what you don't.
Congratulations. I hope that you all have many lovely adventures in it/him/her.

 

[GillianC]

Congratulations on getting your Cali.
Some suggestions on trips:
The New Forest. Down M3, M27 west then head south. Less than two hours. Lymington is beautiful and lots to do. There is a good site called Lytton Lawn near Milford on Sea which is also close to Lymington,
Chichester. I enjoyed my stay at the Camping and Caravan club site (didn't have to be a member). Next door to a good pub, excellent farm shop five minutes walk and bus service to Chichester and bus/train to Portsmouth which has lots of history plus excellent shopping at Gunwharf quays.
The Isle of Wight. Ferries from Southampton. Don't know specific sites but sure there are lots and excellent bus services round the island.
Have fun!

 

[calikev]

I recognise that van

 

[Victor_Tango_]

The under-seat sliding drawer should work well as a 'baby bunk', but you'll probably still be able to hear him/her even with it closed.

Thanks for the tip. We were thinking of putting him in a roof box or, failing that, mounting him on the tow bar, so this suggestion could save us a few quid.

 

[Victor_Tango_]

Thanks for all the campsite tips. They're all going on the list! We're not in West London, more central/north/east unfortunately, so have to grind right through to get anywhere like Hampshire, West Country or Wales.

 

[Victor_Tango_]

I recognise that van

Yes I've noticed at least one of its former owners is very active on here! It has forum stickers proudly emblazoned on several windows too...

 

[calikev]

I would guess you bought it from west sussex

 

[Ricotansky]

Nice van! East Londoners here and can recommend Swattesfield campsite in Suffolk or town farm camping in Ivinghoe, both two of our regular not too far away places.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Victor_Tango_]

Thanks @Ricotansky, will check them out.

And yes, @Calikev, you guessed right.

 

[Open_road!]

Enjoy your van!! We lie her down on the parcel shelf behind the back seats - just be oh so careful about opening the boot in the morning. I wasn't once. No long-term damage done ;-). As she is now 18 months old and when she wakes up tried to get out between the head rests; this coming weekend we are going to experiment with a travel cot in the same location with the shelf removed. Our John Lewis travel cot just sits neatly in the space! I tried sleeping with her on the bottom bed, but she is an awful fidget!!! Go out and enjoy!! - and fingers crossed the fresh air gives you a little longer lie-in than usual!!

 

[Victor_Tango_]

Thanks for the tips!

 

[NZCol]

We put ours in a travel cot upstairs meant it was easier to get to (head height) and also we could shut the hatch and have an evening inside !

 

[Stuart]

On the 3 seater beach, a full-size travel cot will also fit on the ground between the swivelled seats and the lower bed.

Although we only did this as an emergency solution when discovering just how squirmy our toddler could be in the same bed as us! If planning ahead a smaller travel cot would be better!

 

[Victor_Tango_]

The small travel cot in the roof is interesting... What kind of cot did you use @NZCol? Would something like this work? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007Y2P58O/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[BikerGran]

This may give some ideas: Can anyone recommend a south coast campsite that isn't full of caravans

Burnbake Camping site on the Purbecks (Dorset). They do not allow big vans or caravans (access is a single track road) and its pretty much a turn up and camp place. Had a nice weekend there just two weeks ago and can recommend it. http://www.burnbake.com

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/index.php?posts/148105/&share_tid=14066&share_fid=34937&share_type=t&share_pid=148105

I'd avoid Burnbake in school holiday time though, apparently it gets very noisy!

 

[Open_road!]

This set-up worked for us this weekend at Karrageen Camp Site, ((Hope Cove), a thoroughly recommended site!!)

 

[Lewis]

This set-up worked for us this weekend at Karrageen Camp Site, ((Hope Cove), a thoroughly recommended site!!)

View attachment 15336

This is brilliant - I never imagined that space would be big enough for a travel cot. Thanks for posting, this will certainly allay my partner's fears about where our daughter will sleep!