Our first Cali weekend in one we hired and left with doubts....

[Julesa]

We got ours last December and found our first couple of trips quite stressful but now everything has its place and we do things automatically. Hang on in there you will be pros before you know it

 

[Kenny Marsh]

We like to take a couple of under bed plastic storage boxes, we use one for shoes/trainers and/or any wet stuff, the other when it's hot for food bread/veg etc. as it gets too hot in the van when you are out. We slide them both under the van to keep out of the way when we are camping. They also fit either behind drivers seat or in the rear when traveling.

 

[Quentin SF]

Yup - very similar experiences here. Our first rental trip was four nights of terrible weather and very little sleep. I think having a significantly better mattress topper would have changed our views dramatically...

In the end we bought a non-Cali LWB van, and two good self-inflating mattresses (since big Duvalays would have been harder to fit in our particular storage space arrangement).

Oh yes, and I agree with the comments about packing cubes. I find them essential for all travel, but especially in the van. We bought eBags ones (there weren't many others available at the time). They're a fair bit more expensive than the Savisto ones linked above, but slightly better quality.

 

[Ksar-el-kebir]

We just spent our first weekend away in a hired 2018 Cali. Nice vehicle. We have ours on order and delivery anticipated before Xmas. Returned from weekend away yesterday after spending 3 nights in Mr Blue. We knew the weather was going to be devilish and changed our journey plans last minute. rather than tour Dartmoor for whole weekend we opted to go to the north Devon coast and experience the coastal drama and enjoy wet windy walks on the beach with our dog. First night spent in pub car park. second night parked along hill/seafront overlooking stormy Woollacoobe bay and the third night at fab little campsite edge of Dartmoor near Tavistock. The weekend was challenging, useful, enjoyable but has left us undecided due to several factors. here is what we found

The Vehicle Itself (camping internally)
Back seat to bed – very hard to put up and down. I could not manage it at all. (was told i was not heavy enough)
Front seats swivel. real fiddly, really not a smooth operation. Maybe better after time and practice
Back window blind hard to reach and close from inside unless bed is down/flat.
Sink/hob lids rattle when driving. Hire vehicle missing small rubber feet/studs
Sliding side windows in rear fiddly to close and seemed poor design but not sure what other option would be
Front window condensation in the morning resolved with screen heater
Back seat very uncomfortable to sleep on without additional topper/mattress.
Lots of light due to windows all around. Blinds effective but front one frayed badly due to many others using

The vehicle (drive experience)
First day a little wobbly due to getting used to auto. Floaty round downhill corners, due to my under use of brake pedal. Got used to this and better control achieved. Size not to bad, impressed by engine power going uphill in particular.
Lovely picture view front window. Side mirrors fab view behind. Good rear view via mirror also.
Not sure that would want to use as a daily drive. Would need to try it out for several months side by side with my car before deciding.
Manageable size. Larger vehicle not really an option. Would not want to drive anything bigger.
Great accessibility compared to other options (m/home/caravan)

Our Weekend Experience
Exceptionally bad weather this weekend. HOWEVER, we were warm dry and not too affected
We spent quite lot of time managing the vehicle internally, tidying and rearranging. Very aware that this is mainly because we are not used to the environment. Took too many clothes for example. Full time cali would be customised to our wants and needs with appropriate storage places and equipment right for us.
Steve slept very badly downstairs and a little better up top. Would be improved with mattress topper and pillow
we spent evening playing scrabble for the first time in memory..which was different and fun
We liked the freedom, choice and ability to adapt our journey or stops dependent upon whim, weather and in the moment experience.

We had hoped the weekend would leave us knowing that we are doing the right thing. However, we think we may need to take out for another weekend, as this first one was quite stressful and steep learning curve around use of the vehicle itself. Second time we would know exactly what to take what not to take and buy a Duvalay 5cm mattress topper in advance. The deal breaker for us is to ensure that we can get decent sleep. We found living in such a tight space in such an unprepared way a struggle. We believe that with our own Cali we would be able to manage the space so much better and adapt/customise storage. As it was we went with about five large 'bags for life' which all went in the back and wondered where we would store all the additional bulky items, such as Cali Topper, windscreen thermal cover, BBQ etc. cube loo. (see others say cube loo under sink but surely this is needed for cooking pots and food? we used a small bucket during night ) from what have seen, when we get the mattress topper that, along with the bedding will use up all the space behind the seat.

left undecided. dearly want to just 'go for it' . plan to keep our car now though at least for the interim. We think that the doubts we have will iron out with use. Can others share if they had similar experience/feelings at first use? Will having our own feel so much better?

thanks

Multum in parvo. Also the motto of Rutland

 

[Czmitche]

We just went for a duvet in a bag from M&S, might go for one of the Osprey bags for the pillows though, which just live on top of the folded up mattress at the moment.

, View attachment 51044

We manage to get a king size high tog duvet with a cover in a crush sack. This increases space, keeps it clean and dry. Go for a strong pattern and you won’t notice the creases.

 

[Czmitche]

A couple of extra tips. We do not have a drive away awning takes up too much space and a pain to pack if wet. Instead we have a small two man pop up tent which takes seconds to put up and take down, dries very quickly, has a cover so packs very small and best of all only costs £30 to £40 new. We use this as our storage area for walking, cycling and fishing gear (and sculptures!) leaving the rear of the van sealed and bottom bed free for deployment. It has to be very wet and windy for us not to deploy the awning as this makes the space in the van work better. We will park so that the van is facing the wind protecting the awning and have extra feet and straps to hold it down. The pop up tent opens under the awning. We have happily cooked/eaten outdoors on the Isle of Mull in light rain deployed like this. The best thing is that this ‘camp’ can be taken down and stored away very quickly without bringing a lot of wet stuff into the van. Finally we have never had bad condensation on the front window by using a large external cover which goes over the windscreen and both front side windows. If you shop carefully you can get one which is waterproof and will not become soggy in the rain.

 

[Simon Higgens]

We just spent our first weekend away in a hired 2018 Cali. Nice vehicle. We have ours on order and delivery anticipated before Xmas. Returned from weekend away yesterday after spending 3 nights in Mr Blue. We knew the weather was going to be devilish and changed our journey plans last minute. rather than tour Dartmoor for whole weekend we opted to go to the north Devon coast and experience the coastal drama and enjoy wet windy walks on the beach with our dog. First night spent in pub car park. second night parked along hill/seafront overlooking stormy Woollacoobe bay and the third night at fab little campsite edge of Dartmoor near Tavistock. The weekend was challenging, useful, enjoyable but has left us undecided due to several factors. here is what we found

The Vehicle Itself (camping internally)
Back seat to bed – very hard to put up and down. I could not manage it at all. (was told i was not heavy enough)
Front seats swivel. real fiddly, really not a smooth operation. Maybe better after time and practice
Back window blind hard to reach and close from inside unless bed is down/flat.
Sink/hob lids rattle when driving. Hire vehicle missing small rubber feet/studs
Sliding side windows in rear fiddly to close and seemed poor design but not sure what other option would be
Front window condensation in the morning resolved with screen heater
Back seat very uncomfortable to sleep on without additional topper/mattress.
Lots of light due to windows all around. Blinds effective but front one frayed badly due to many others using

The vehicle (drive experience)
First day a little wobbly due to getting used to auto. Floaty round downhill corners, due to my under use of brake pedal. Got used to this and better control achieved. Size not to bad, impressed by engine power going uphill in particular.
Lovely picture view front window. Side mirrors fab view behind. Good rear view via mirror also.
Not sure that would want to use as a daily drive. Would need to try it out for several months side by side with my car before deciding.
Manageable size. Larger vehicle not really an option. Would not want to drive anything bigger.
Great accessibility compared to other options (m/home/caravan)

Our Weekend Experience
Exceptionally bad weather this weekend. HOWEVER, we were warm dry and not too affected
We spent quite lot of time managing the vehicle internally, tidying and rearranging. Very aware that this is mainly because we are not used to the environment. Took too many clothes for example. Full time cali would be customised to our wants and needs with appropriate storage places and equipment right for us.
Steve slept very badly downstairs and a little better up top. Would be improved with mattress topper and pillow
we spent evening playing scrabble for the first time in memory..which was different and fun
We liked the freedom, choice and ability to adapt our journey or stops dependent upon whim, weather and in the moment experience.

We had hoped the weekend would leave us knowing that we are doing the right thing. However, we think we may need to take out for another weekend, as this first one was quite stressful and steep learning curve around use of the vehicle itself. Second time we would know exactly what to take what not to take and buy a Duvalay 5cm mattress topper in advance. The deal breaker for us is to ensure that we can get decent sleep. We found living in such a tight space in such an unprepared way a struggle. We believe that with our own Cali we would be able to manage the space so much better and adapt/customise storage. As it was we went with about five large 'bags for life' which all went in the back and wondered where we would store all the additional bulky items, such as Cali Topper, windscreen thermal cover, BBQ etc. cube loo. (see others say cube loo under sink but surely this is needed for cooking pots and food? we used a small bucket during night ) from what have seen, when we get the mattress topper that, along with the bedding will use up all the space behind the seat.

left undecided. dearly want to just 'go for it' . plan to keep our car now though at least for the interim. We think that the doubts we have will iron out with use. Can others share if they had similar experience/feelings at first use? Will having our own feel so much better?

thanks

Jillyfish

A lot of wise words have been offered before I put my size 12s in but I would add that every time we take our Cali out, we learn something new and our fun improves with every trip. Our best trip so far in 5 years of owning one was a 5 night trip around the Western Isles two weeks ago. Also, owning a Cali is a ‘state of mind’. What owning one offers you is more than just a means of travelling from A to B to C etc, it is the freedom to do whatever you want, wherever you want and when you want.

 

[JJ Blue]

We just spent our first weekend away in a hired 2018 Cali. Nice vehicle. We have ours on order and delivery anticipated before Xmas. Returned from weekend away yesterday after spending 3 nights in Mr Blue. We knew the weather was going to be devilish and changed our journey plans last minute. rather than tour Dartmoor for whole weekend we opted to go to the north Devon coast and experience the coastal drama and enjoy wet windy walks on the beach with our dog. First night spent in pub car park. second night parked along hill/seafront overlooking stormy Woollacoobe bay and the third night at fab little campsite edge of Dartmoor near Tavistock. The weekend was challenging, useful, enjoyable but has left us undecided due to several factors. here is what we found

The Vehicle Itself (camping internally)
Back seat to bed – very hard to put up and down. I could not manage it at all. (was told i was not heavy enough)
Front seats swivel. real fiddly, really not a smooth operation. Maybe better after time and practice
Back window blind hard to reach and close from inside unless bed is down/flat.
Sink/hob lids rattle when driving. Hire vehicle missing small rubber feet/studs
Sliding side windows in rear fiddly to close and seemed poor design but not sure what other option would be
Front window condensation in the morning resolved with screen heater
Back seat very uncomfortable to sleep on without additional topper/mattress.
Lots of light due to windows all around. Blinds effective but front one frayed badly due to many others using

The vehicle (drive experience)
First day a little wobbly due to getting used to auto. Floaty round downhill corners, due to my under use of brake pedal. Got used to this and better control achieved. Size not to bad, impressed by engine power going uphill in particular.
Lovely picture view front window. Side mirrors fab view behind. Good rear view via mirror also.
Not sure that would want to use as a daily drive. Would need to try it out for several months side by side with my car before deciding.
Manageable size. Larger vehicle not really an option. Would not want to drive anything bigger.
Great accessibility compared to other options (m/home/caravan)

Our Weekend Experience
Exceptionally bad weather this weekend. HOWEVER, we were warm dry and not too affected
We spent quite lot of time managing the vehicle internally, tidying and rearranging. Very aware that this is mainly because we are not used to the environment. Took too many clothes for example. Full time cali would be customised to our wants and needs with appropriate storage places and equipment right for us.
Steve slept very badly downstairs and a little better up top. Would be improved with mattress topper and pillow
we spent evening playing scrabble for the first time in memory..which was different and fun
We liked the freedom, choice and ability to adapt our journey or stops dependent upon whim, weather and in the moment experience.

We had hoped the weekend would leave us knowing that we are doing the right thing. However, we think we may need to take out for another weekend, as this first one was quite stressful and steep learning curve around use of the vehicle itself. Second time we would know exactly what to take what not to take and buy a Duvalay 5cm mattress topper in advance. The deal breaker for us is to ensure that we can get decent sleep. We found living in such a tight space in such an unprepared way a struggle. We believe that with our own Cali we would be able to manage the space so much better and adapt/customise storage. As it was we went with about five large 'bags for life' which all went in the back and wondered where we would store all the additional bulky items, such as Cali Topper, windscreen thermal cover, BBQ etc. cube loo. (see others say cube loo under sink but surely this is needed for cooking pots and food? we used a small bucket during night ) from what have seen, when we get the mattress topper that, along with the bedding will use up all the space behind the seat.

left undecided. dearly want to just 'go for it' . plan to keep our car now though at least for the interim. We think that the doubts we have will iron out with use. Can others share if they had similar experience/feelings at first use? Will having our own feel so much better?

thanks

 

[JJ Blue]

We're beginners too and recognise many of the issues you write about, but we're getting there and enjoying the process! Spent a lovely long weekend up in the NW highlands a couple of weeks ago. The weather was warm, sky was blue, the stars were incredible and we had great fun (apart from our driveaway awning flapping like crazy in the breeze - more learning needed in this department!).

JJ Blue is also my (Jane's) daytime car and I love it. We've also hired JJBlue out on a couple of occasions via the Camplify platform and everything has gone well although I am continually updating the operation manual and spend a lot of time explaining stuff to guests.

I agree that the bed is difficult to slide forward - I too have been told I'm not heavy enough! Still practising!
A decent mattress topper sorted the problem of discomfort sleeping downstairs. Upstairs, we've got a couple of self-inflating mattresses which we haven't fully tested yet but hopefully they'll do the trick. We're also getting the hang of swivelling the driver's seat but will definitely employ some of the great tips in this thread. We're quite good at travelling light these days and we have two big Ikea storage boxes that are a godsend. They fit nicely behind the rear seat. Just need to get the golf clubs in...

 

[CaliKate]

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I adore my Cali. I find it’s a great compromise. I’m just in love with every bit of it. To be fair, I was always a weirdo camping in a tent. I enjoyed most all the organising and tidying! Hehe. It’s far easier in the Cali. I’m a sucker for routine and organisation so it suits me down to the ground. Good luck! I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.

 

[Quentin SF]

Best information for new campervanners I've seen... I think I read it on a forum here:

"The first ten nights are about working out how to get comfortable."

 

[Paul Grice]

I've been on that journey and it works out don't worry! Just like packing for any trip the more you travel the less you take, you'll soon figure out what you don't need and leave it behind. The beds need toppers and there are countless discussions on this forum on that topic. But firstly, you'll find there are two broad categories of people on here: Those that possibly enjoy the whole "fiddling about" and they'll have things like drive away awnings, folding this that and the other. The other category are those that want minimum faffing about and you sound like this latter category (which I also occupy). I originally bought a beach and made the mistake of kitting it out with slide pod kitchen, awning attachments, bulky mattress toppers, cali toppers blah blah because I was excited about my new toy and wanted all the nadgers....what a total faff and lack of space that was... all of that has now gone! The biggest faff of the Cali is moving everything around so as to use the downstairs bed..... so don't.

I now have a beach with a £15 camping stove, a rolled up mattress topper for the upstairs bed (lives on back shelf) and the one game changer was putting in the brandrup isotop internal lining for the roof which completely changes the sleeping experience upstairs to cosy, dark, warm, wind free and dry (no fannying around putting calif toppers over the roof) . Now it's: Park, pop up roof, throw mattress topper upstairs.... job done in under 5 mins!

.... oh we did recently buy a 335 Thetford porta potty and black cover with cushion for 3am numero unos... Looks just like a foot stool, you've never know what was underneath and sits behind passenger seat. Once you've got your head around the idea, it seems totally normal but admittedly slightly weird the first couple of times though infinitely better than trapesing across a carpark at 3am for a wee.

Good luck... I know you'll work it out and remember "less is more"

 

[LoveBirds_1964]

Your appreciation of issues may also depend on where you come from...

So true ;-)

 

[Malc69]

We just spent our first weekend away in a hired 2018 Cali. Nice vehicle. We have ours on order and delivery anticipated before Xmas. Returned from weekend away yesterday after spending 3 nights in Mr Blue. We knew the weather was going to be devilish and changed our journey plans last minute. rather than tour Dartmoor for whole weekend we opted to go to the north Devon coast and experience the coastal drama and enjoy wet windy walks on the beach with our dog. First night spent in pub car park. second night parked along hill/seafront overlooking stormy Woollacoobe bay and the third night at fab little campsite edge of Dartmoor near Tavistock. The weekend was challenging, useful, enjoyable but has left us undecided due to several factors. here is what we found

The Vehicle Itself (camping internally)
Back seat to bed – very hard to put up and down. I could not manage it at all. (was told i was not heavy enough)
Front seats swivel. real fiddly, really not a smooth operation. Maybe better after time and practice
Back window blind hard to reach and close from inside unless bed is down/flat.
Sink/hob lids rattle when driving. Hire vehicle missing small rubber feet/studs
Sliding side windows in rear fiddly to close and seemed poor design but not sure what other option would be
Front window condensation in the morning resolved with screen heater
Back seat very uncomfortable to sleep on without additional topper/mattress.
Lots of light due to windows all around. Blinds effective but front one frayed badly due to many others using

The vehicle (drive experience)
First day a little wobbly due to getting used to auto. Floaty round downhill corners, due to my under use of brake pedal. Got used to this and better control achieved. Size not to bad, impressed by engine power going uphill in particular.
Lovely picture view front window. Side mirrors fab view behind. Good rear view via mirror also.
Not sure that would want to use as a daily drive. Would need to try it out for several months side by side with my car before deciding.
Manageable size. Larger vehicle not really an option. Would not want to drive anything bigger.
Great accessibility compared to other options (m/home/caravan)

Our Weekend Experience
Exceptionally bad weather this weekend. HOWEVER, we were warm dry and not too affected
We spent quite lot of time managing the vehicle internally, tidying and rearranging. Very aware that this is mainly because we are not used to the environment. Took too many clothes for example. Full time cali would be customised to our wants and needs with appropriate storage places and equipment right for us.
Steve slept very badly downstairs and a little better up top. Would be improved with mattress topper and pillow
we spent evening playing scrabble for the first time in memory..which was different and fun
We liked the freedom, choice and ability to adapt our journey or stops dependent upon whim, weather and in the moment experience.

We had hoped the weekend would leave us knowing that we are doing the right thing. However, we think we may need to take out for another weekend, as this first one was quite stressful and steep learning curve around use of the vehicle itself. Second time we would know exactly what to take what not to take and buy a Duvalay 5cm mattress topper in advance. The deal breaker for us is to ensure that we can get decent sleep. We found living in such a tight space in such an unprepared way a struggle. We believe that with our own Cali we would be able to manage the space so much better and adapt/customise storage. As it was we went with about five large 'bags for life' which all went in the back and wondered where we would store all the additional bulky items, such as Cali Topper, windscreen thermal cover, BBQ etc. cube loo. (see others say cube loo under sink but surely this is needed for cooking pots and food? we used a small bucket during night ) from what have seen, when we get the mattress topper that, along with the bedding will use up all the space behind the seat.

left undecided. dearly want to just 'go for it' . plan to keep our car now though at least for the interim. We think that the doubts we have will iron out with use. Can others share if they had similar experience/feelings at first use? Will having our own feel so much better?

thanks

Hi, by the sounds of it you’ve already got the bug , follow your dream. I totally get the dilemma you find yourself in as that was our position 3 years ago. We hired a California T5 SE for a week through curiosity and although loved the experience so much that we bought the actual vehicle from the hirers, it did however leave us with the conclusion that although VW has designed a lot of fantastic features Into The California there were several ‘big issues’ for us which we would need to find a solution too. I’ve listed the 10 main issues we were left with and how we got round them... 1- the ‘climb’ up to the top bed, Solved by purchasing the 2-piece ladder from club shop. Fantastic as it stows in a supplied bag which hooks behind rear seat headrests .. 2 access to rear equipment stored under rear shelf from tailgate, solved by purchasing a full width metal slide-out drawer from Calicap.de This slides almost completely out rearward bringing the stored equipment out for easy access, expensive but fitted in 5 mins and brilliant. Now no need to ‘empty’ everything out when you need into the back. To clarify, this drawer is so efficient at allowing access that we have a bag which contains the roof topper, screen cover, awning ‘safari room’ kit, porta-potti, bag for personal gear and some small bits and pieces, & spare gas bottle (if required) 3- condensation on front windscreen reduced to almost nothing by using an external screen cover, purchased from club shop. 4- bench bed, we purchased a 10cm custom memory foam mattress topper for bottom bed. It folds behind bench seat as normal for storage and for a guaranteed good sleep combined with a ‘self inflating’ double mattress .. trust me, these are only an inch or so thick when inflated but WOW... .This is for use with either up or down stairs beds. 5- ‘porta- potti’ .. a must,(thetford cube), trust me, you will use it.. it lives in the boot on previously mentioned ‘slide out’ drawer tray. Usually only inside van at night or when the call of duty has been summoned , we also purchased the grey pvc cover for it so when it is inside it is disguised and can be used as a foot stool...6- fitted shelves inside main wardrobe, definitely best method for managing / organising personal stuff... 7- fitted ‘auto-vox X2’ rear view mirror / rear camera.. absolutely would not be without this now as the whole mirror is a screen for rear view camera which I have ‘on’ all the time the vehicle is running so basically looks like a reflection but is actually an image from the rear camera mounted just above rear number plate so always a clear unobstructed view .. 100% rear view visibility day & night... It also has a front facing camera... incidentally both cameras record video & audio with gps plotting so it doubles up as a dash cam....8- rear blind best functioned from rear with tailgate open.,,, it is not an issue now as we usually leave it deployed when camping as we have the rear view camera... good privacy /security protocol...9- we rarely turn drivers seat now as its slightly more awkward to turn due to handbrake... not worth the grief. We find sliding drivers seat forward and tilting it over steering wheel gives adequate living space... drivers seat also becomes handy storage area for bits and bobs... 10- we purchased a ’mini smart projector’ for watching tv & movies. it is the same size as a smart phone. It sits on sink unit When in use and projects a 46” screen image onto pull down blind at sliding door. ‘Bluetooth sound to portable speaker.... perfect.
I know everyone has different ways of managing their vans but I hope some of this helps you see that there are ways around most of the most common issues. All the best.

 

[jillyfish]

hi
thanks for all your useful tips! just woke early and saw yrs as about to get my head around the newest quote for Cali, after cancelling previous order in favour of a wait for T6.1. I will refer back to your post I am sure when we actually do get it. Can you expand on the shelving for the wardrobe? I cant visualise how that would work. on the Portapotti... lots of folks say they never use, but I think i agree with you that it is very likely going to be needed if not on a campsite or within quick access of public loo. The smart projector you have sounds great and will look into that, but in the main, going to try to avoid buying too much stuff immediately.
jill

 

[Velma's Dad]

All accessories/options are very much personal choice. Just to illustrate, here's our perspective (just as one couple) on Malc's set-up, as described in his excellent post above:

1. Top bed ladder: never found we needed one, as we keep driver's seat facing forward and that provides a good step up (using the 'shoulder' of the seat, never the arm rest, you'd snap it off).
2. Calicap slider: we've been content so far without one - our main gubbins box is a (lid-less) RUB which pulls in and out happily enough. But I can see they are a very neat feature, although expensive, and might well get one at some point.
3. Windscreen condensation: not usually a problem as just two of us, sleeping upstairs and we pay attention to ventilation at night. Don't particularly like external covers as a lot of our camping is 'stealth mode'.
4. Mattress toppers: never bothered. We sleep upstairs and find the top mattress fine - we seem to be in a minority on that judging on forum posts, but there it is.
5. Porta-potti. Completely on same page at Malc on that one - Thetford 335 which we find brilliant. But there are many varying preferences/solutions/bladder capacities out there in the Calizone.
6. Wardrobe shelves: Keep meaning to get some, they would help. However we habitually use packing cubes for all travel and just pulling out the ones you want works okay for us (and the ones quashed at bottom of wardrobe keep the re-corked bottle of vin rouge upright!).
7. Rear camera: wouldn't bother as I find the reversing sensors are good enough, it's quite an easy vehicle to manoeuvre generally.
8. Not turning driver's seat: yes, ditto for us (and see 1 above). NB this works because only two of us in van.
9. Videos etc: I can see mini projector would be neat and the blind makes an ideal screen, however in such a small space we find an iPad completely fine for watching the odd movie, plus a little speaker (EU Boom 2) for music etc.

I'm just posting this in case any newbies are reading and infer that any particular accessory is a 'must-have' (which Malc is by no means implying). There's a certain joy in customising your vehicle, but no-one wants to spend on expensive gear that only gets used once or twice - like our roof topper, bought at the beginning but which now languishes in the cellar.

 

[bvddobb]

All accessories/options are very much personal choice.

So true...

Just to illustrate, [...] our roof topper, bought at the beginning but which now languishes in the cellar.

... where we use ours 90% of the time!

Don't buy anything until you find you need it! There are no universal 'must-have's'!

 

[Bellcrew]

All accessories/options are very much personal choice. Just to illustrate, here's our perspective (just as one couple) on Malc's set-up, as described in his excellent post above:

1. Top bed ladder: never found we needed one, as we keep driver's seat facing forward and that provides a good step up (using the 'shoulder' of the seat, never the arm rest, you'd snap it off).
2. Calicap slider: we've been content so far without one - our main gubbins box is a (lid-less) RUB which pulls in and out happily enough. But I can see they are a very neat feature, although expensive, and might well get one at some point.
3. Windscreen condensation: not usually a problem as just two of us, sleeping upstairs and we pay attention to ventilation at night. Don't particularly like external covers as a lot of our camping is 'stealth mode'.
4. Mattress toppers: never bothered. We sleep upstairs and find the top mattress fine - we seem to be in a minority on that judging on forum posts, but there it is.
5. Porta-potti. Completely on same page at Malc on that one - Thetford 335 which we find brilliant. But there are many varying preferences/solutions/bladder capacities out there in the Calizone.
6. Wardrobe shelves: Keep meaning to get some, they would help. However we habitually use packing cubes for all travel and just pulling out the ones you want works okay for us (and the ones quashed at bottom of wardrobe keep the re-corked bottle of vin rouge upright!).
7. Rear camera: wouldn't bother as I find the reversing sensors are good enough, it's quite an easy vehicle to manoeuvre generally.
8. Not turning driver's seat: yes, ditto for us (and see 1 above). NB this works because only two of us in van.
9. Videos etc: I can see mini projector would be neat and the blind makes an ideal screen, however in such a small space we find an iPad completely fine for watching the odd movie, plus a little speaker (EU Boom 2) for music etc.

I'm just posting this in case any newbies are reading and infer that any particular accessory is a 'must-have' (which Malc is by no means implying). There's a certain joy in customising your vehicle, but no-one wants to spend on expensive gear that only gets used once or twice - like our roof topper, bought at the beginning but which now languishes in the cellar.

We would never not turn the drivers seat, gives that great feeling of space and it is ideal when one of you is tall to sit side on with a pillow for a backrest. A small folding step gives enough lift for the short one to get into the upper bed easily.
It is great how we all have differing solutions to the quirks of our fab campers.

 

[Malc69]

hi
thanks for all your useful tips! just woke early and saw yrs as about to get my head around the newest quote for Cali, after cancelling previous order in favour of a wait for T6.1. I will refer back to your post I am sure when we actually do get it. Can you expand on the shelving for the wardrobe? I cant visualise how that would work. on the Portapotti... lots of folks say they never use, but I think i agree with you that it is very likely going to be needed if not on a campsite or within quick access of public loo. The smart projector you have sounds great and will look into that, but in the main, going to try to avoid buying too much stuff immediately.
jill

Hi, by the sounds of it you’ve already got the bug , follow your dream. I totally get the dilemma you find yourself in as that was our position 3 years ago. We hired a California T5 SE for a week through curiosity and although loved the experience so much that we bought the actual vehicle from the hirers, it did however leave us with the conclusion that although VW has designed a lot of fantastic features Into The California there were several ‘big issues’ for us which we would need to find a solution too. I’ve listed the 10 main issues we were left with and how we got round them... 1- the ‘climb’ up to the top bed, Solved by purchasing the 2-piece ladder from club shop. Fantastic as it stows in a supplied bag which hooks behind rear seat headrests .. 2 access to rear equipment stored under rear shelf from tailgate, solved by purchasing a full width metal slide-out drawer from Calicap.de This slides almost completely out rearward bringing the stored equipment out for easy access, expensive but fitted in 5 mins and brilliant. Now no need to ‘empty’ everything out when you need into the back. To clarify, this drawer is so efficient at allowing access that we have a bag which contains the roof topper, screen cover, awning ‘safari room’ kit, porta-potti, bag for personal gear and some small bits and pieces, & spare gas bottle (if required) 3- condensation on front windscreen reduced to almost nothing by using an external screen cover, purchased from club shop. 4- bench bed, we purchased a 10cm custom memory foam mattress topper for bottom bed. It folds behind bench seat as normal for storage and for a guaranteed good sleep combined with a ‘self inflating’ double mattress .. trust me, these are only an inch or so thick when inflated but WOW... .This is for use with either up or down stairs beds. 5- ‘porta- potti’ .. a must,(thetford cube), trust me, you will use it.. it lives in the boot on previously mentioned ‘slide out’ drawer tray. Usually only inside van at night or when the call of duty has been summoned , we also purchased the grey pvc cover for it so when it is inside it is disguised and can be used as a foot stool...6- fitted shelves inside main wardrobe, definitely best method for managing / organising personal stuff... 7- fitted ‘auto-vox X2’ rear view mirror / rear camera.. absolutely would not be without this now as the whole mirror is a screen for rear view camera which I have ‘on’ all the time the vehicle is running so basically looks like a reflection but is actually an image from the rear camera mounted just above rear number plate so always a clear unobstructed view .. 100% rear view visibility day & night... It also has a front facing camera... incidentally both cameras record video & audio with gps plotting so it doubles up as a dash cam....8- rear blind best functioned from rear with tailgate open.,,, it is not an issue now as we usually leave it deployed when camping as we have the rear view camera... good privacy /security protocol...9- we rarely turn drivers seat now as its slightly more awkward to turn due to handbrake... not worth the grief. We find sliding drivers seat forward and tilting it over steering wheel gives adequate living space... drivers seat also becomes handy storage area for bits and bobs... 10- we purchased a ’mini smart projector’ for watching tv & movies. it is the same size as a smart phone. It sits on sink unit When in use and projects a 46” screen image onto pull down blind at sliding door. ‘Bluetooth sound to portable speaker.... perfect.
I know everyone has different ways of managing their vans but I hope some of this helps you see that there are ways around most of the most common issues. All the best.

I took a pic of the wardrobe shelving. Bought the kit from Calicap.de Might not be for everyone but works for us. Shelves are adjustable / removable.