Regret going for Beach over Ocean? Or vice versa?

[clarinetbcn]

I'd find a 7 seat Camper with foldaway hob like @Tarquers to be the most interesting option. With a 3 seat bench Camper with hob like @AlisonF , the 4 rails are there to add the 2 extra seats. @AlisonF , how many passengers are listed on your V5?

 

[AlisonF]

I'd find a 7 seat Camper with foldaway hob like @Tarquers to be the most interesting option. With a 3 seat bench Camper with hob like @AlisonF , the 4 rails are there to add the 2 extra seats. @AlisonF , how many passengers are listed on your V5?

5 including driver

 

[clarinetbcn]

5 including driver

So looking at that, I wonder if @Tarquers bought a 7 seat Beach Tour with the second sliding door replaced by the foldaway hob.

So looking at that, I wonder if @Tarquers bought a 7 seat Beach Tour with the second sliding door replaced by the foldaway hob.

This is what another member from France has done.

The Beach is Back!

Copied the pic from elsewhere. Was advised my description of 2up, 2 down, was unclear to non dog owners. So hopefully this helps with the explanation of why some of us want (a) room at the back that you get with a Beach and (b) access from sliding doors when towing or in the event of an accident.

vwcaliforniaclub.com

"The Tour can come with a 2 or 3 seat bench and has twin sliding doors. One of these can be deleted and have a mini kitchen in its place. The tour is classed as an MPV for registration.

I collected my Tour Edition in August with a three seat bench as well as another 'middle row' seat (so 6 seater) and a mini kitchen. You only get a single door if you choose the kitchen in its place. It will be registered as a 7 seat MPV. I could have ordered a 7th seat as well but didn't."

 

[AlisonF]

So looking at that, I wonder if @Tarquers bought a 7 seat Beach Tour with the second sliding door replaced by the foldaway hob.

Except the rules are different in each country

 

[clarinetbcn]

So according to @Thebears the 7 seat Tour with foldaway hob is an available option in France and Germany. Maybe if there is enough demand in the UK the importer could be persuaded.

 

[Borris]

Thanks! I guess the beach is most similar to the vehicle we use now, but we also had an air cooled camper years ago so we have a bit of experience with both types - but the decision is still very difficult. I came on this morning almost certain we needed a beach

Just be honest with yourself about how you are likely to use the vehicle, both now and in the future. Then go for which model suits the best. Do the same with options. If you are going to use a front canvas top opening then order one (if possible), but only do so after a hard good think about, A. how useful something like that is likely to be, and B. how often you are likely to use it. Do the same with all other options.

If you decide to go for a Beach, you've probably already discovered that any options will rapidly shove the overall price skywards. IMO VW's options pricing has always been skewed to disadvantage the Beach owner. On the other hand, the Ocean has many fitted as standard.

I don't know what the basic head lights are like on the T6-1 Beach but if they are anything like the ones on the T6, I'd advise an upgrade, not necessarily to LEDs which are very pricey but literally brilliant. The other option that I would suggest considering is the diesel parking heater. I cannot recommend it enough and if you spec your van with one you will receive maximum Browny Points from your family for ever more.

 

[andyinluton]

Yes, I've wondered why it's no longer possible to order a seven seat Beach in the UK? We have a seven seat T6 and the only real difference in the rear compartment is the new single pop out stove which as far as I can establish, doesn't stop the fitment of a seventh seat.

Current Uk options are:
Tour with 5,6 or seven seats,
Camper with 2 seat bench,
Camper with 2 seat bench + 1 swivel seat
Camper with 3 seat bench.
Tour has 2 sliders, camper has 1 + the pop up kitchen.

 

[Borris]

I think the Beach Tour can be ordered as a seven seat version.

=====

The California 6.1 Beach Tour comes with:
-Five seats as standard, with the option to increase to six or seven
-Manual pop-up hydraulic roof
-Sliding doors on the passenger and driver’s side
-Passenger vehicle registration

=====

It’s the variant we’d go for.

I had a twiddle with the UK cofigurator recently and if memory serves, you can only option one captains seat.

 

[Tarquers]

I'd find a 7 seat Camper with foldaway hob like @Tarquers to be the most interesting option. With a 3 seat bench Camper with hob like @AlisonF , the 4 rails are there to add the 2 extra seats. @AlisonF , how many passengers are listed on your V5?

I would not have gone for the 7 seats, but they are now extra office chairs until needed. Seems to be one of the variations between countries but no reason why the cooker and the 7 seats can’t fit, all beach variants have the 4 rails.

 

[bob_summers]

7-seater available here, probably to take advantage of various tax breaks for large families

Just be honest with yourself about how you are likely to use the vehicle, both now and in the future. Then go for which model suits the best. Do the same with options. If you are going to use a front canvas top opening then order one (if possible), but only do so after a hard good think about, A. how useful something like that is likely to be, and B. how often you are likely to use it. Do the same with all other options.

If you decide to go for a Beach, you've probably already discovered that any options will rapidly shove the overall price skywards. IMO VW's options pricing has always been skewed to disadvantage the Beach owner. On the other hand, the Ocean has many fitted as standard.

I don't know what the basic head lights are like on the T6-1 Beach but if they are anything like the ones on the T6, I'd advise an upgrade, not necessarily to LEDs which are very pricey but literally brilliant. The other option that I would suggest considering is the diesel parking heater. I cannot recommend it enough and if you spec your van with one you will receive maximum Browny Points from your family for ever more.

Just be honest with yourself about how you are likely to use the vehicle, both now and in the future. Then go for which model suits the best. Do the same with options. If you are going to use a front canvas top opening then order one (if possible), but only do so after a hard good think about, A. how useful something like that is likely to be, and B. how often you are likely to use it. Do the same with all other options.

If you decide to go for a Beach, you've probably already discovered that any options will rapidly shove the overall price skywards. IMO VW's options pricing has always been skewed to disadvantage the Beach owner. On the other hand, the Ocean has many fitted as standard.

I don't know what the basic head lights are like on the T6-1 Beach but if they are anything like the ones on the T6, I'd advise an upgrade, not necessarily to LEDs which are very pricey but literally brilliant. The other option that I would suggest considering is the diesel parking heater. I cannot recommend it enough and if you spec your van with one you will receive maximum Browny Points from your family for ever more.

Great reply thanks Borris.
That big front window I really think is a must but whether it's worth 2.5k plus vat on the Beach, I'm not so sure. But that kind of detail is what makes a California for me.
Spain has the diesel heater standard on all Calis, and again its a must (have a Webasto in the Caravelle, we're in the Pyrenees a lot over winter but have used it often enough in Summer too).
T5 headlights are awful. Every car I've owned had pitiful lights! Whenever I rent a car, I always think, next one I buy will have decent lights (and ACC). LEDs are std on the Ocean, and another 1.5k option on the Beach.

 

[Borris]

Current Uk options are:
Tour with 5,6 or seven seats,
Camper with 2 seat bench,
Camper with 2 seat bench + 1 swivel seat
Camper with 3 seat bench.
Tour has 2 sliders, camper has 1 + the pop up kitchen.

So I wonder if it's possible to order a Tour with seven seats and then delete the second slider? Would you then end up with seven seats and the camper pop up stove?

 

[andyinluton]

No I've just tried, you cannot delete a slider, but you do appear to be able to have a 2 seat bench + 2 swivel seats + 2 sliding doors.

 

[Amarillo]

So I wonder if it's possible to order a Tour with seven seats and then delete the second slider? Would you then end up with seven seats and the camper pop up stove?

7 seats are an option for the Beach Tour (but additional costs might apply!!!).

 

[Borris]

7-seater available here, probably to take advantage of various tax breaks for large families



Great reply thanks Borris.
That big front window I really think is a must but whether it's worth 2.5k plus vat on the Beach, I'm not so sure. But that kind of detail is what makes a California for me.
Spain has the diesel heater standard on all Calis, and again its a must (have a Webasto in the Caravelle, we're in the Pyrenees a lot over winter but have used it often enough in Summer too).
T5 headlights are awful. Every car I've owned had pitiful lights! Whenever I rent a car, I always think, next one I buy will have decent lights (and ACC). LEDs are std on the Ocean, and another 1.5k option on the Beach.

I can understand the front opening canvas being very useful in Spain but 2.5k plus vat on the Beach!!! How can VW possibly justify that? It's not as if the basic Beach is supplied without a roof canvas. That makes the LED headlights look a real bargain. If you can afford them they are superb.

 

[andyinluton]

I can understand the front opening canvas being very useful in Spain but 2.5k plus vat on the Beach!!! How can VW possibly justify that? It's not as if the basic Beach is supplied without a roof canvas. That makes the LED headlights look a real bargain. If you can afford them they are superb.

I think it includes the upgrade to the electric roof as well.

 

[Borris]

7 seats are an option for the Beach Tour (but additional costs might apply!!!).

I see, so it appears you can only have seven seats in the Tour format. That begs the question, Why?
Its especially confusing when the "Camper" version with seven seats is available elsewhere.

 

[andyinluton]

I can understand the front opening canvas being very useful in Spain but 2.5k plus vat on the Beach!!! How can VW possibly justify that? It's not as if the basic Beach is supplied without a roof canvas. That makes the LED headlights look a real bargain. If you can afford them they are superb.

If you had been stuck in the roof with a hornet about the size of your typical jumbo jet like I have, you would willingly pay the 2.5k to be able to open the roof to let it out !

 

[Borris]

No I've just tried, you cannot delete a slider, but you do appear to be able to have a 2 seat bench + 2 swivel seats + 2 sliding doors.

That's a very odd configuration. You'd loose the storage box to accomodate the second swivel seat and still only end up with six seats. I can't see many orders for one of those. Whereas, I think a seven seater with either a second slider or the pop up stove being much more popular.

 

[Borris]

If you had been stuck in the roof with a hornet about the size of your typical jumbo jet like I have, you would willingly pay the 2.5k to be able to open the roof to let it out !

Actually digressing off subject briefly, I caught a hornet in a jam jar last year. Nasty great brute of a thing that put the fear of god into Mrs B. Initially my first thought was to dispatch it quickly but decided first to give it a stay of execution whilst I did some research. It turns out that they (the European variety), are not usually aggressive and prefer to go about their duties in peace. As for their sting, the article I read about the European variety said that it was not really any worse than a bee sting. It also went on the say that they do a lot of good in keeping pests in check. So in the end Harry the Hornet was given a pardon and set free.

I still wouldn't want to be upstairs in a Cali with one though!

European Hornets | Sussex Wildlife Trust

P.s I should have said Harriet the Hornet since the example that I apprehended was almost certainly a Queen given that it turned up around the beginning of the first of last years warm spring weather.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I was one of the early adopters of the Beach, I changed from my home built T5 into the Beach.
It had some great attributes and we loved the 5 years we had in it.
However, I don’t miss the lack of storage and the infuriating Campervan Shuffle.

We changed for an Ocean once we had children. I will honestly never go back now...
The Ocean just has so much more going on. I could go on for hours, but I won’t bore you, I’m sure you’ve read my comments on past posts

 

[bob_summers]

If you had been stuck in the roof with a hornet about the size of your typical jumbo jet like I have, you would willingly pay the 2.5k to be able to open the roof to let it out !

My fault! If I'd read further down, there's an option for the 3 Window roof without the electrickery, 300eur!
The configurator is a nightmare on a small phone screen, in my defence!

 

[AlisonF]

So according to @Thebears the 7 seat Tour with foldaway hob is an available option in France and Germany. Maybe if there is enough demand in the UK the importer could be persuaded.

Can’t see how that is possible as the Tour has twin sliding doors - so no pop up hob. Maybe you meant the Camper?

 

[bob_summers]

Can’t see how that is possible as the Tour has twin sliding doors - so no pop up hob. Maybe you meant the Camper?

I did play with both the Spanish and French configurators.

Spain - beach tour available with 7 seats but no hob.
Beach camper, no option for 2nd row of seats

France gets Coast instead of Beach Tour
Camper as Spain.
They also get a €72k Edition!!!

 

[Camperfamily]

Can’t see how that is possible as the Tour has twin sliding doors - so no pop up hob. Maybe you meant the Camper?

@Thebears took the option (don’t think available in UK) to go with Beach Tour and delete the sliding door. This however meant that their van is still taxed as a Tour and it doesn’t have EHU.

This thread has the detail:
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/beach-6-1-tour-edition-ordered.33996/

see this specific post:
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/beach-6-1-tour-edition-ordered.33996/post-463953

 

[AlisonF]

@Thebears took the option (don’t think available in UK) to go with Beach Tour and delete the sliding door. This however meant that their van is still taxed as a Tour and it doesn’t have EHU.

This thread has the detail:
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/beach-6-1-tour-edition-ordered.33996/

see this specific post:
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/beach-6-1-tour-edition-ordered.33996/post-463953

Phew. It is all very confusing.