Question.....So when your California reaches build?

[Jonathan Duke]

Google Maps.... Satellite View, Emden.....

 

[Pete_Hampton]

Google Maps.... Satellite View, Emden.....

Where's Wally - or in most of our cases, Can't find Cali...

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Apparently mine has arrived at SMG Tonbridge today
Got an e-mail from them and tomorrow my sales guy Martin (who is off today) will book a workshop slot.
So very nearly there!

 

[Jason wallace]

"I'm delighted to tell you that your California Ocean left the port of exit in Emden on the 27/11/2017 on the ship, the Weser Highway. "

Just checked and she's in an unloading.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-0.092/centery:53.575/zoom:17

Sadly mine missed the boat. It got to Emden on the 23rd and is still was waiting to be allocated a ship to Grimsby.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Yey!!!!!!!

 

[Pete_Hampton]

So very nearly there!

Fantastic news - Phew! I bet you can't sit still for a minute now - just the final leg to go. Oh and a move too - will Pickfords move your California for you or will you now be using it to move your house contents?

Just checked and she's in an unloading.

Are you watching on CCTV - hopefully with Infrared enabled for some night stalking. You are nearly there too.

That's a heck of a tight squeeze to reverse park/dock in Grimsby - I hope the Weser has front and rear parking sensors...

We shall have to move to an appropriate forum thread in a few weeks time to share first trip stories.

 

[Properjob]

So a bit more hyper-stalking my end and good old Ismahil is on form again...he does like to tease though with lines like "It can take up to two weeks for your vehicle to be assigned to a ship" only to tell me 2 days later
"I'm glad to inform you that your California Ocean has been shipped today. It will arrive at the port of Sheerness and is estimated to arrive on the 29th of November. It is currently on the Elbe Highway."!

 

[Ocean Spirit]

It is currently on the Elbe Highway."!

Hmmm..thats a new one on me.

 

[Properjob]

Hmmm..thats a new one on me.

You mean they've slipped past the hyper stalking?!

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Not for long....
she quite a looker compared to my old faithful Massakar Highway and just North of Gronegon.

 

[Pete_Hampton]

old faithful Massakar Highway

With any luck she has gone in for a much needed paint job.

You mean they've slipped past the hyper stalking?!

Who fell asleep on watch?

At this rate we are going to know more about cargo ships than we do about the California especially how to drain the water tank or where all the fuses are hidden.

 

[Pete_Hampton]

So very nearly there!

Any new news from your sales guy - will it be collection for you next week?

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Good evening Pete (and all).
Yes, but I had to do the running.
A very different experience in that way than when he was after my business. Now believe it or not that is not a moan. I appreciate the situation these guys are in when they are dealing with prospective customers vs customers waiting. In a nutshell they need the next sale and if I had more patience I know he would get round to calling me back but for sure he takes longer than in the beginning.

So I pick up on Wednesday

Now how about you ? last I read it was to be this week wasn't it? have I missed something?

 

[Pete_Hampton]

So I pick up on Wednesday

Brilliant!

Now how about you ?

Tomorrow for us. I will report back, that's if we haven't driven off into the sunset (or a snow drift).

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Brilliant!


Tomorrow for us. I will report back, that's if we haven't driven off into the sunset (or a snow drift).

Yey

 

[Ocean Spirit]

I'm pacing up and down the thread...impatiently and have been since I got home....
Wheres Pete?
I can't take it any longer I say to myself?
Has he gone camping already?
Are there stalkers in his way on his journey home?

 

[Pete_Hampton]

I'm pacing up and down the thread...impatiently and have been since I got home....
Wheres Pete?
I can't take it any longer I say to myself?
Has he gone camping already?
Are there stalkers in his way on his journey home?

We are back - fear not. Very excited, very pleased and ready to explore.... You can sit down now, put your feet up and be ready for next week.

As for stalkers in our way - you are not far off the mark at all.

On the final part of our journey home (upto M3 J1) this afternoon there was a Police Helicopter hovering over the central reservation - no obvious road incidents - but we both thought - that must @2020 freedom hiring a Police Helicopter using their hi res infrared, thermal imaging, NPRS and precision GPS tracking gizmos to hyper stalk the final phase of getting our California home!

All went very well at Lookers Guildford, the sales team were very thorough, very patient, very enthusiastic and very diligent - and yes all those little extras were present and correct. From clip-on towel rails to a wind out awning crank handle. Even though we don't have the wind out awning!

Thanks for putting up with me during this hyper stalking journey, which must now draw to a close - call it class of build week 44 hyper stalking graduation[?]. I will now be warming up to bore you all on other threads in the next phase of our California adventure. Magnetic coat hooks and inverted sockets here we come!

 

[Ocean Spirit]

We are back - fear not. Very excited, very pleased and ready to explore.... You can sit down now, put your feet up and be ready for next week.

As for stalkers in our way - you are not far off the mark at all.

On the final part of our journey home (upto M3 J1) this afternoon there was a Police Helicopter hovering over the central reservation - no obvious road incidents - but we both thought - that must @2020 freedom hiring a Police Helicopter using their hi res infrared, thermal imaging, NPRS and precision GPS tracking gizmos to hyper stalk the final phase of getting our California home!

Ahhh ya got me......
The pilot obviously didn't understand the word 'covert'. Geez!

Really happy for you that you had such a good experience with your dealer.
The true enjoyment starts now.
I look forward to seeing you in other threads.

Just a question to ease my mind.
Did you order the 'comfort plus' lighting ?
if not did you get the strip lighting under the kitchen tops?
My dealer says no but unless i'm being truly dumb, everyone who has taken delivery lately says its standard. I even read it in a brochure but dealer has sown the seed of doubt.

have fun

 

[Pete_Hampton]

Did you order the 'comfort plus' lighting ?
if not did you get the strip lighting under the kitchen tops?

We did not order comfort plus lighting - but as standard we do have:

• Light strip along the full width of the front of the kitchen unit - switchable and dimmable, plus part of coming home lighting - ie when you open the van with the remote central locking key (still need to figure out full range of permutations for this)
• Lights in the two kitchen unit cupboards - switchable.
• Light in the tall wardrobe - auto switched when the side door (one with mirror on the inside) is opened/closed.

All the lights in the upper cabin, rear cabin and kitchen/living area are standard. So not really sure what the comfort plus light pack really consists of. Perhaps if was an option for MY17 - but has become standard in MY18. We discounted it way back when all of the above was confirmed to us as standard in the MY18 build and when the quirks of the configurator tool seemed to only let you have comfort plus lighting with the external shower (or muddy puddle generator as we call it).

We actually took our own 8 page (yes 8) checklist with us - but due to the thoroughness of the handover, they are certainly California savvy, this was not needed, the process of creating the list helped us be well prepared and we used our experience of hiring a California over the last 3 yrs to good effect. We will complete gas, water and EHU checks for ourselves at the weekend.

Is your new picture a shot of your California from your sales team - or a hack into their security CCTV?

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Thanks for the info Pete.

My avatar is indeed a shot from the sales team. It's a grab from a quick video they sent today after bringing the Cali in for a PDI.
But you know me, I nearly missed it in the email.....
sort of fed up with them and their nagging emails. I just like to be left alone, all calm, what will be will be sort attitude.
Another question...or 3.
Gas checks? leaks ?
water checks? leaks?
EHU? no idea

 

[Pete_Hampton]

quick video

Sweet - first class service!

Gas checks? leaks ?
water checks? leaks?
EHU? no idea

Although I took water, gas and EHU cables for the handover we saved it to do these checks at home.
I will attach our 907 Gaz cylinder and just make sure that the burners ignite and that there are no unexpected gas smells.
I'll add water to check the water level indicator is ok - the pump/tap is ok, plus the waste water level indicator is ok - plus the waste tank emptying is ok too.
EHU - I will use our electric hook up cable and 3pin 13amp adapter to check that it tops up the leisure batteries and all the console displays are ok.

PS - having a rain check on the cupboard light being part of the coming home lighting sequence - could be a (my) red herring - more checks (after the one I did just now) & a thorough read of the manual.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Realised (or rather remembered ) what EHU was after I posted
Has Mrs Pete locked you out of the house yet?

 

[Pete_Hampton]

Has Mrs Pete locked you out of the house yet?

She's worked out that it's better to keep me locked in otherwise I will be off to nearest campsite, only 18 minutes away!

 

[Pete_Hampton]

PS - having a rain check on the cupboard light being part of the coming home lighting sequence - could be a (my) red herring - more checks (after the one I did just now) & a thorough read of the manual.

Not a red herring after all - this light strip can be switched between either Driving mode or Camping mode.

• Driving mode links the light strip (aka Cocktail Bar Mood Lighting) to the behaviour of the door open/close setting (rocker switch in the centre top console) and will operate along with the front cabin courtesy lights.
• Camping mode is for manual switching on/off/dimming.
• See California Supplement page 31 when you get yours

Sorry to have hogged your thread recently. In the meanwhile, how are the Classes of Build Week 45, 46, 47 etc coming along...are any of you reaching Hyper Stalking Graduation anytime soon?

 

[ChrisS]

In the meanwhile, how are the Classes of Build Week 45, 46, 47 etc coming along...are any of you reaching Hyper Stalking Graduation anytime soon?

Hyper Stalking Graduation for my Week 46 build Cali has had to be deferred for a week. My van arrived at the dealer in Plymouth yesterday, and I arranged to collect next Friday (8th), but they now can't do that date, so it will have to be the Friday after (15th) I think as I won't be able to get down there before then. Got to wait 2 whole weeks knowing my Cali is waiting for me in Devon.... Not sure I can stand it

For those who have collected their van, did your dealer do the handover in the warmth of a show room, or outside in the snow/rain/cold? I'm a bit worried it will be the latter for me, and not sure that's ideal at all.

Oh, and why is there a Union Flag thing in the corner of my avatar picture....?