Pull out boot shelf (Calicap)

[Gary&Heather]

Well done Borris that is absolutely spot-on and well thought out and just what we need you have saved us a lot of time by doing this and I thank you I would love to know all the sizes of the boxes and also the link please and thank you once again

 

[Borris]

Looks fantastic Borris. It definitely gives you an additional 100mm of leg room with the extra 2 single seats in. I’ve put an extra seat in my Cali this weekend with my 800mm tray and there is very little leg room, only suitable for short people, or short trips.
I like the look of your euroboxes, would you mind sharing the link where you got them from.
My next purchase will be to upgrade the mattress topper, can I ask which one you went for?

We have the VW Comfort mattress but with a custom made Comfortz waterproof cover. Kids! We also use a Zonesleep and self inflating mattresses to make the whole thing softer.

 

[Amarillo]

1 x 600x400x270mm box and lid (Length x Width x Height) for the kitchen box.
2 x 400x300x120mm boxes and lids for the Eletrical and Washing up boxes which sit on top of the kitchen box.
1 x 400x300x220mm box and lid for the lower grocery box.
1 x 400x300x170mm box and lid for the upper grocery box.
2 x 300x200x170mm boxes. One lid only. One box is for the water box. It takes two Sainsburys 5 litre containers.The other box can replace the upper grocery box if you need to carry extra tall items in the lower grocery box. Then only half of the lower box will have a restricted height of 220mm.
3 x 400x300x270mm boxes with lids for beneath the downstairs bed.
1 x 600x400x320mm box. No lid. (The 75mm tray forms the lid). Extra storage for extended trips.
1 x 600x400x75mm box and lid. Odds and sods storage tray.

Ooooo.... I do like some figures to share and compare.

As you know, we went for maximum capacity when planning our boot space, and you went for ease of access.

We have the following:
2 x 500*x480x332mm plywood crates - *depth 540mm at base, 460mm at top
2 x 750x370x143mm plywood trays
1 x 255x460x325mm fibreglass gas box
2 x 550x440x240mm Muji drawers
1 x 550x440x300mm Muji drawer
1 x 550x440x180mm Muji drawer


Our boxes have a nominal capacity of 509 litres.
To make the bed I need to remove the two plywood trays, giving an underbed capacity of 430 litres.

Your boxes have a nominal capacity of 343 litres (not including the second 300x200x170mm box), though I note you have space above the 300x200x170mm water box.

 

[Borris]

Ooooo.... I do like some figures to share and compare.

As you know, we went for maximum capacity when planning our boot space, and you went for ease of access.

We have the following:
2 x 500*x480x332mm plywood crates - *depth 540mm at base, 460mm at top
2 x 750x370x143mm plywood trays
1 x 255x460x325mm fibreglass gas box
2 x 550x440x240mm Muji drawers
1 x 550x440x300mm Muji drawer
1 x 550x440x180mm Muji drawer


Our boxes have a nominal capacity of 509 litres.
To make the bed I need to remove the two plywood trays, giving an underbed capacity of 430 litres.

Your boxes have a nominal capacity of 343 litres (not including the second 300x200x170mm box), though I note you have space above the 300x200x170mm water box.

Crikey Tom, you have been doing your home work!
As you've said we really wanted an easy to use modular storage system so chose euro box sizes to optimise that brief. At the same time we didn't want our storage to adversely effect any of the many functions that our Beach is capable of.

The difference between your solution and ours is that you have really made efficient use of every available millimetre of space and have even included a second table within your plan. After a year touring Europe you have had plenty of time and experience to think things through and arrive at your excellent solution. The other big difference is that our van usually has to service just the two of us when camping whereas you are four and a dog. Therefore we don't need to be quite as efficient with our storage. Even so I think we have come up with a reasonable and flexible plan for our current needs. It has to be said that the pull out tray does take up some space although not that much and what you lose in space you gain in ease of access. There are some gaps here and there that I haven't fully utilised however we are unlikely to be in a position when we will need to use those that often if at all.

It always amuses me when automotive boot capacity is referred to in litres as if people usually fill their boots to the brim with wine, cooking oil or jelly.

 

[soulstyledevon]

It’s looks well made Borris.
Nice setup

 

[Amarillo]

Even so I think we have come up with a reasonable and flexible plan for our current needs. It has to be said that the pull out tray does take up some space although not that much and what you lose in space you gain in ease of access. There are some gaps here and there that I haven't fully utilised however we are unlikely to be in a position when we will need to use those that often if at all.

Yes - each in their own way are excellent storage solutions. We gained a bit of space below the multiflex by removing a couple of clips and hooks on the underside of the multiflex.

It always amuses me when automotive boot capacity is referred to in litres as if people usually fill their boots to the brim with wine, cooking oil or jelly.

I was very tempted to give the underbed capacity as 0.430 billion cubic millimetres and 0.343 billion cubic millimetres.

Also interesting is the difference between nominal and real capacity. You store two 5L bottles of water in a 300x200x170mm box. This box takes up 10.2 litres of space, yet your 10L of water pokes out of this box by a very considerable margin.

 

[soulstyledevon]

It’s ok to unuse space if it serves a purpose. If Borris doesn’t store the water in the boxes, it will no doubt be flying around the boot in transit.
Better to be organised, than try to use maximum space unnecessarily

 

[Borris]

Yes - each in their own way are excellent storage solutions. We gained a bit of space below the multiflex by removing a couple of clips and hooks on the underside of the multiflex.


I was very tempted to give the underbed capacity as 0.430 billion cubic millimetres and 0.343 billion cubic millimetres.

Also interesting is the difference between nominal and real capacity. You store two 5L bottles of water in a 300x200x170mm box. This box takes up 10.2 litres of space, yet your 10L of water pokes out of this box by a very considerable margin.

The water box is probably only a temporary solution. I have been looking for a water container with the same footprint to the 300x200x170mm box. The only reason that the water box is only 170mm high is because that was the tallest one they did in that size. Also if I find a suitable container the current box needed to be of a size that would be useful within our current storage system. The nearest that I have got to finding a suitable water container is this:



The advantage of one of these is it contains the same amount of water but unlike the thin Sainsburys containers, should last indefinately. It also features a removable tap which would be useful when camping. I would really like a taller version with a slightly improved capacity although we don't usually use that much water when camping. It's only used for cooking and drinks. We always wash elsewhere. Also I still have to carry it when full so don't really want to go too big. However one of these could sit on top of the existing 300x200x170mm lidded box and still only have a combined 420mm height. The box beneath would provide useful extra storage.

Removing the fittings from underneath the Multiflex would give more space but I don't think we will need to do that.

0.430 billion cubic millemetres makes the boot sound enormous.

 

[Amarillo]

It’s ok to unuse space if it serves a purpose. If Borris doesn’t store the water in the boxes, it will no doubt be flying around the boot in transit.
Better to be organised, than try to use maximum space unnecessarily

According to the brochure, the living area has a capacity of 4.3 cubic metres. We could have 4,300,000,000 cubic millimetres of water sloshing about if a suitable barrier could be built between cab and living areas - and still have an unobstructed view out of the rear side and rear windows if the barrier were glass or perspex.

 

[Borris]

According to the brochure, the living area has a capacity of 4.3 cubic metres. We could have 4,300 litres of water sloshing about if a suitable barrier could be built between cab and living areas - and still have an unobstructed view out of the rear window if the barrier were glass or perspex.

Upgraded suspension then!

 

[Amarillo]

Upgraded suspension then!

You'd also need to carry aqua lungs in the cab area to enter the living area, presumably by popping up the roof and upper bed to dive in.

 

[Borris]

You'd also need to carry aqua lungs in the cab area to enter the living area, presumably by popping up the roof and upper bed to dive in.

At least the waterproof seat covers would prove useful.

 

[LemonDrop]

Thanks @Borris for the box sizes and all the other invaluable info. That is what I love about this forum, so much knowledge sloshing around (see what I did there?)

I have just realised though that as we are getting the 2 seat version this set up won't quite work for us (lucky I read the threads about different multiflex board heights ) I'm going to have to adapt the packing to fit our set up and the fridge will have to go behind the front passenger seat but the principle of the calidrawer and euro boxes combo is a winner...

 

[Borris]

Thanks @Borris for the box sizes and all the other invaluable info. That is what I love about this forum, so much knowledge sloshing around (see what I did there?)

I have just realised though that as we are getting the 2 seat version this set up won't quite work for us (lucky I read the threads about different multiflex board heights ) I'm going to have to adapt the packing to fit our set up and the fridge will have to go behind the front passenger seat but the principle of the calidrawer and euro boxes combo is a winner...

The Calicap 700 pull out tray will fit just the same but you'll just have to select the euro boxes to suit the lower Multiflex. The Waeco Dometic CFX 35 might not fit beneath but I'm sure other fridge/freezers will.

 

[Borris]

Update:

I havd just adopted the 10 litre water container mentioned above in a previous post. It improves the stowage plan and means that the Euro box beneath is now available for extra storage.

 

[Amarillo]

Update:

I havd just adopted the 10 litre water container mentioned above in a previous post. It improves the stowage plan and means that the Euro box beneath is now available for extra storage.

Very neat.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[JJJ]

Thanks everyone for a very useful and informative thread!

I will be fitting our calicap 700 this weekend to house our CFX35 and a selection of 'Borris boxes'

A question to those with a similar setup; does the coolbox stay in place on the tray or does it require fixing in some way?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Borris]

Thanks everyone for a very useful and informative thread!

I will be fitting our calicap 700 this weekend to house our CFX35 and a selection of 'Borris boxes'

A question to those with a similar setup; does the coolbox stay in place on the tray or does it require fixing in some way?

Thanks in advance!

It just sits in the tray although I have cushioned ours on all sides with some rubber buffer material where it comes in contact with the tray to both prevent the tray damaging the fridge/freezer and also to stop movement and therefore rattles. There's no need to secure it further, it can't go anywhere.

 

[JJJ]

Here's ours. Foam blocks to secure the coolbox should arrive next week.

The tray really is a great piece of kit and very easy to assemble and fit.

 

[Matty]

@Borris did you get your tray from the German website?

 

[Borris]

@Borris did you get your tray from the German website?

Yes. I'm not sure that you can get them from anywhere else.

 

[Rhyd Izz]

@Borris Hello! New to the group and with 2 grubby kids and a baby, we're interested in your set up. Re your seat covers, are they Inka? Or custom made? Thanks
Rhyd& Izzy

 

[gvick]

Has anyone done similar to @Borris and @Amarillo for the Ocean boot re boxes and maximising space etc?

 

[soulstyledevon]

Has anyone done similar to @Borris and @Amarillo for the Ocean boot re boxes and maximising space etc?

It’s on my list of to do’s.
If you have a search I made one for my Beach, which worked really well.
I might try and sort one this week for my Ocean.

 

[Borris]

@Borris Hello! New to the group and with 2 grubby kids and a baby, we're interested in your set up. Re your seat covers, are they Inka? Or custom made? Thanks
Rhyd& Izzy

Welcome and hello Rhyd and Izzy,
The seat covers are Inka sourced via the dealer. If you are a Club VIP member the dealer should give you 5% discount on accessories etc. They are essential with kids and dogs (not that we have a dog). We have eight grandchildren instead so protection is essential. Therefore we have the Inka seat covers on all seven seats, waterproof mattress covers on both beds sourced direct from Comfortz (now available via the club shop). The mattress cover for the downstairs bed was custom made though.
We also have Brandrup carpets through out and mats over the top to keep it easy clean. The rest of the van is wipe clean plastics so ideal for sticky kids and babies.

Like you I'm sure, we always have several packs of baby wipes with us. BTW, the seat covers are wipe clean but can be washed on a cool wash to bring them back to as new.