Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

VW California T5 ONLY Roof Corrosion - General Discussion

Where do you have the Roof Corrosion on your VW California?

  • Front panel only

    Votes: 193 37.3%
  • Main elevating roof only

    Votes: 78 15.1%
  • Both Front panel and main roof

    Votes: 247 47.7%

  • Total voters
    518
With all the scarey stories we keep hearing I personally would take loads of time/dated photographs inside and out. I would also keep your fingers crossed it does not end up at the Twickenham bodyshop.
Thanks for the heads up, I will find out which bodyshop its going to before agreeing.
 
With all the scarey stories we keep hearing I personally would take loads of time/dated photographs inside and out. I would also keep your fingers crossed it does not end up at the Twickenham bodyshop.

Pity, Twickenham would have been very convenient for when the seemingly inevitable happens.

What's the VW vans dealer up by Heathrow like?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Having waited just over 3 years, we have just received a date for our Cali to be picked up for the main roof and front panel repair towards the end of March.

Has anyone had there roof fixed via Bristol Heritage VW and if so do you know what body shop did the work?

We will be getting a Cali Ocean as a replacement for the 2 weeks, I hope I still love my SE after living the T6 experience!
 
Having waited just over 3 years, we have just received a date for our Cali to be picked up for the main roof and front panel repair towards the end of March.

Has anyone had there roof fixed via Bristol Heritage VW and if so do you know what body shop did the work?

We will be getting a Cali Ocean as a replacement for the 2 weeks, I hope I still love my SE after living the T6 experience!
You will. Don't forget the Adblue!
 
Just arranged with Breeze, Portsmouth to take my May 2015 SE in next week so that they can examine/photograph the corrosion I have found under the raising roof seal. I'll let you know how I get on.
 
With all the scarey stories we keep hearing I personally would take loads of time/dated photographs inside and out. I would also keep your fingers crossed it does not end up at the Twickenham bodyshop.

Do you have any specific details of issues at Twickenham? You have criticised them several times but searching on the forum I can only find positive reviews.
 
My California is in at twickenham, all i have seen is good reviews and Cornwallis stating they are doing a great job.
 
IMG_2353.JPG
Just arranged with Breeze, Portsmouth to take my May 2015 SE in next week so that they can examine/photograph the corrosion I have found under the raising roof seal. I'll let you know how I get on.
Just got back from seeing Tony at Breeze in Portsmouth re
a) bubbles under seal on elevating roof (no photo attached, but the usual small bubbles starting to appear)
b) flaking paint just above front number plate (photo attached - I know this is off topic but I thought some people might be interested).
He was knowledgeable about the roof problems and took photos to send off to VW. I had only checked for bubbles under one corner of the seal at the front but, interestingly, he said that it probably wasn't a good idea for owners to remove, clean and replace the seal too often as this, in itself, might cause damage to the paintwork, possibly by grit rubbing against the edge of the roof. He was aware of our fears that the metal in the rubber seal is rusting and reacting with the aluminium.
He said that the bellows will probably be replaced, which is a shame as my current bellows are unmarked and I'm not sure about the apparently increased transparency of the new type. Still, if it has to be done I can accept that.
He said that I should hear back in 7-10 days. I'll keep you posted.
 
Last edited:
Good advice not something you would want be doing on a regular basis.

When I removed the seal on my 14 plate van I found a nice layer of damp muck all the way round the edge of the roof where the seal had been.

Not sure if this is contributing to the bubbles/corrosion but it cant be helping it.

Having owned a few defenders the most common areas for corrosion was in places where muck was trapped between aluminium and steel.

Showing up first as the dreaded bubbles and moving on to flaking paint with the white powder underneath.

If you have a van coming near the end of the warranty It would still be worth just removing just one part of the seal to check for corrosion.

On the plus side for VW you don't remove the seal you wont know there is an issue until the corrosion shows above the seal.

worth checking or getting VW to check for you.
 
re Twickenham mine went there and I see no problems, can't recall anything being said on here either?
 
That's the front spoiler where the poptop meets. The black rubber is the part attached to the poptop roof.
Not the best pic :talktothehand
 
Im going to pop the roof tomorrow and have a proper look
 
What does it look like with the roof raised?
Have you had a look underneath the seal on the side of the raising section of the roof?
What year is your Cali?
 
What does it look like with the roof raised?
Have you had a look underneath the seal on the side of the raising section of the roof?
What year is your Cali?

Not yet, but will definitely take a closer look tomorrow.
2012, so its bang smack in the mix of it all.
Grrr
 
get it reported quick 6 years nearly up!

I had no idea there was a time limit.
I just presumed the anti corrosion would be something like 10years.
Think I will give VW customer care an immediate call.

Thanks for the heads up...:thanks
 
I thought vw had a 10 yr warranty against corrosion?
 
I will be going in spitting feathers if that happens to my beach when that gets to that age .
 
OMG ! and that isn't 6 yrs old, what the hell .

I think it will be rare for any 2012 Cali not to have an issue on the front section.Most of us have been there Read the old posts will give you an overview.
 
Back
Top