Seeking advice from Beach owners with 2-seat bench camper version

[turnitdown]

I'm hoping folks who are familiar with the 2-seater bench version of the Beach Camper could give me some advice, particularly around the storage box, which I'm unfamiliar with, and one-person use.

We used to own a 2019 3-seater Beach, which we loved because of the huge bed, sense of openness, and 360 degree windows. We sold it in 2020 when we moved overseas. I'm now returning and have been thinking I should get an Ocean given my intended use, but woke up in the middle of the night wondering if that's a mistake and if the Beach was best. I am going to but within the next few days so am now agonizing about it. Here's the situation:

For 12 months it will be a family of four, 2 adults and 2 kids 7 and 10. We will use the van mostly for day trips, but with regular 1-night overnights of the kids and dads, occasional weekends and longer school break trips for all four of us.

*After that*, we will largely be outside of the UK (with the van staying in the UK), but I will spend 40-50 nights in the UK and use the van as a home base. This will be 3 to 5 days at a time. I will be in the UK for work and will be in the office during the day, the van at night (mostly in a rural setting, sometimes a campsite). Probably the kids and maybe mum would spend a week or two each year doing a UK or Euro trip too.

I had been assuming I should get an Ocean rather than a Beach - it would be big enough for the four of us for a year, and after the year is up and I'm using the van as a mini-home, it would be easier to leave clothes, cooking supplies, a few food staples, etc., in the van. It would also be easier to use it as a mini-home, eg brush my teeth in the sink, cook, have the built in fridge, access clothes and food without running to the back of the van all the time (important in the winter in Scotland), and so on.

However, it just occurred to me that (a) my previous experience with a Beach was the 3-seater, where really you have no storage other than in the back, and (b) if I'm by myself, it's possible the 2-seat Beach Camper has enough storage inside the main cabin for my needs. E.g. I would only need the amount of clothes that fit in a standard carry on, I would only need one cup and plate, etc., I would only need food and water for one person, and so on.

I guess this boils down to two questions:

1. Does the internal storage space in the 2-seater seem enough for one person staying 3 to 4 nights at a time? A big part of the reason to get the van is so that on these work trips I don't feel like I'm living out of a suitcase the way one does in a hotel.

2. Would the Ocean really feel cramped and claustrophobic if it's just one person in there? Do single people (or possibly couples) with use similar to mine every move from an Ocean to a Beach and find they prefer it?

I should say the Beach would be specced with LEDs, heater, 3-zone, etc., so the difference between Beach and Ocean in that regard isn't relevant.

thanks for any replies.

 

[Borris]

Only you can answer these questions.

However, for what it's worth, we have owned an SE with kitchen etc and latterly, two three seater Beaches. I have never considered the two seater Beach but that's not to say that it isn't a viable option.

Personally, my experience is that the three seater Beach offers the greatest flexibility of all the California variants.
Buy an Ocean and you are stuck with that format.
Buy a two seat Beach and you basically get the same thing with a storage box instead of the kitchen etc.
Buy a three seater Beach and you will have a vehicle that you can adapt it to suit your needs.

Both of our Beaches have included the then, two extra optional captains seats, making them seven seaters. Having seven seats is no longer an option unless you want the Beach Tour version, in which case you will loose the pop out stove but gain an extra slider and a large hole in your annual finances from the extortionate VED. Also this version doesn't come with a EHU.

Storage is what ever you want to make it. A pair of Van Essa window storage bags are a real game changer. They can be detached and used as carry on or over night bags if required. As well as the under seat storage trays, the boot space is much more usable on the three seat version as the so called "Multi Flex board" is higher. This means that some items e.g fridges will easily fit underneath whereas they won't on the two seat version. However, the down side is that the two seater does allow greater headroom when sitting on the bed in the rear with the roof down. Another down side is that if the Beach Camper is ordered with the three seat rear bench option, the pop out stove cannot be used with the rear seat in bed mode. This is because it is higher and obstructs it's use.
I would also strongly recommend a pull out boot tray. Another real game changer.

Anyway, as I have said, only you can decide.

P.s You don't need a sink to brush your teeth and you can still have a fridge and cooker. The difference is that they don't always need to be attached to the van and don't require major work to strip out to cure faults.

 

[Borris]

Sorry, I must have pressed and added the angry imoji onto your post by accident. I have since removed it. I am not angry but merely mellow and a little bored, sitting in the car waiting for Mrs B to finish her shopping therapy session in Sainsbury's.

 

[Blink982]

I have a two seater beach and went for that option as I don’t need 5 seats and prefer the increased headroom on the lower bed. The storage box is useful but I would have preferred access from the front ie cupboards rather than a big box. It’s simple and works but it’s difficult to access in the rear as you have the mattress etc on top so you always have to move stuff to get at it. At the rear I use it to house several storage bags with socket set, winter stuff and just general emergency equipment you don’t use very often. Up front it stores everything from wine, water, window covers, cutlery, glasses, cleaning gear etc. You can also use it as a fifth seat in the back.

I have the Vanessa bags on both sides to store clothes, toiletries, towels etc. The 2 seater has more than enough storage for one person I would have thought. The window bags are a brilliant addition to the beach but costly but so is everything for campervans!

There aren’t many fridges that will fit under the multiflex. I found the Alpicool C25 that fits no problem. As soon as the van is parked up, it’s moved into the cabin. I would prefer a larger fridge but most are taller than the 320mm of space.

You don’t need a sink imho. Before ordering, I spoke to a couple of colleagues with transporter conversions and both said they never used their sink and the preferred cooking outside. The pull out stove in the T6.1 beach works really well though. I certainly haven’t missed a sink on sites or off-grid.

I agree the Spacemate (or similar) tray for the rear but if you put everything in boxes, you just pull out the relevant box to get what you want. I need to organise the read storage a bit better and don’t use boxes at present so things can get lost at the back and with only 320mm high so hard to get in to get stuff that have made their way to the back! A tray is next on my shopping list but expensive!

 

[turnitdown]

Thanks @Borris. A lot of the flexibility of the 3-seater becomes less important if we're only in the UK one year, and then it's just me solo after that. If we were based in the UK and it was a family vehicle in a family home as the kids grew up, etc., friends and relatives around, etc., it would definitely be different. The reminder about the Van Essa bags is good, I had forgotten about those.

Thanks @Blink982 . One thing that I'm aware of is that most of my visits will be outside of summer, and all in Scotland, where it is often rainy and especially windy, which makes outside cooking a bit less attractive.

I think what I find most difficult is knowing whether the Ocean would feel too cramped, or whether I'd quickly get used to it as a solo person and like having all the neat little storage spaces that help the main living area remain organized and uncluttered with boxes and entrails.

 

[pluc99]

Your home base use case suggests Ocean. Having the kitchen and cupboards at arm's length will make a huge difference on damp and dark winter evenings.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

3 seat Beach with a small removable kitchen pod. Can then adapt the van as and when required.

Ocean might be very tight on space with 4 bodies + bags etc. Would suggest going to see one all your passengers.

 

[Blink982]

Thanks @Borris. A lot of the flexibility of the 3-seater becomes less important if we're only in the UK one year, and then it's just me solo after that. If we were based in the UK and it was a family vehicle in a family home as the kids grew up, etc., friends and relatives around, etc., it would definitely be different. The reminder about the Van Essa bags is good, I had forgotten about those.

Thanks @Blink982 . One thing that I'm aware of is that most of my visits will be outside of summer, and all in Scotland, where it is often rainy and especially windy, which makes outside cooking a bit less attractive.

I think what I find most difficult is knowing whether the Ocean would feel too cramped, or whether I'd quickly get used to it as a solo person and like having all the neat little storage spaces that help the main living area remain organized and uncluttered with boxes and entrails.

You have to be organised in a campervan. I’ve lost count of the amount of times you put the table up or pull out the stove only to forget something that you need from under the seat or inside storage box. Playing real life 3D Tetris is part of Calli life. I think the storage in a Beach would be more than enough for one. You could probably fit most of your daily stuff eg plate, cup, cutlery in one of those seat storage organisers Van-X

The Ocean is great but for me, I didn’t want to lug around a full kitchen all the time and had no need for the sink, esp as it only has cold water. The Beach could be better in terms of storage but there are options.

 

[turnitdown]

Thanks everyone. I think I will try the Ocean and see how I get on. I think given the long term use it is likely to be the best fit, and will be fine for the next year when the kids are small and most overnights will consist of the three of us (not mom).

 

[Mehdime]

Can't comment on the Beach. But we've had an Ocean for two years and using as family of 4 (kids same age as yours) in the same way as you've planning to use it for your first year + I regularly use it for solo trips.

It's been perfect for us. And when solo, it's truly luxurious with ample space. I personally couldn't do without the sink, cooker, kitchen cupboards and worktop/prep space. But then I almost always wild-camp and love cooking in there.

Some people always stay at campsites, in which case I would agree with Borris: you don't need the sink when staying at a campsite and you can cook/prep outside.

So it really depends on how you plan to use it.

 

[turnitdown]

Can't comment on the Beach. But we've had an Ocean for two years and using as family of 4 (kids same age as yours) in the same way as you've planning to use it for your first year + I regularly use it for solo trips.

It's been perfect for us. And when solo, it's truly luxurious with ample space. I personally couldn't do without the sink, cooker, kitchen cupboards and worktop/prep space. But then I almost always wild-camp and love cooking in there.

Some people always stay at campsites, in which case I would agree with Borris: you don't need the sink when staying at a campsite and you can cook/prep outside.

So it really depends on how you plan to use it.

Thanks. This is a good vote for the Ocean given the similar use.

I would prefer to avoid campsites as much as possible while solo, and most of the time when alone with the kids too, at least while in Scotland.

Do you have the 2nd opening drawer in your Ocean? If so, do you find it makes much difference when solo camping? I really have no idea of whether storage inside the cabin would be ample without it for one person (there's obviously lots of room in the boot, I am just thinking of having foodstuffs and clothing to hand without exiting the van). Am trying to decide at the moment between two Oceans where that is one of the few differences.

 

[Mehdime]

Do you have the 2nd opening drawer in your Ocean? If so, do you find it makes much difference when solo camping? I really have no idea of whether storage inside the cabin would be ample without it for one person (there's obviously lots of room in the boot, I am just thinking of having foodstuffs and clothing to hand without exiting the van). Am trying to decide at the moment between two Oceans where that is one of the few differences.

The Ocean is really a tardis when it comes to storage. Between the huge kitchen cupboards and bench drawer, the wardrobe and the top drawer, there’s plenty of space in there for a family of 4, let alone a solo camper.

We do have the second drawer under the bench but it’s half empty and we only use it for the sun creams and other medical supplies.

 

[turnitdown]

The Ocean is really a tardis when it comes to storage. Between the huge kitchen cupboards and bench drawer, the wardrobe and the top drawer, there’s plenty of space in there for a family of 4, let alone a solo camper.

We do have the second drawer under the bench but it’s half empty and we only use it for the sun creams and other medical supplies.

Thanks. Yeah, ideal for me is if there is enough room inside (without accessing the boot) for dishes and cutlery for one, cook set, food for a few days plus staples, toiletries and medicines etc., a couple of books, bedding, plus 4 to 5 days worth of clothes. Am hoping to kit it out that way and then using the boot itself for items one needs less frequently. Thinking about it more carefully I see that yeah, I can't really imagine *needing* that second drawer, it would just mean having more 'stuff', which I'm not sure I want. Want to think of the van as a place of minimalism. Less stuff = less to manage/think about/maintain/organise.

 

[BeachyBird]

We have a 2015 2 rear seat Beach and 2 of us have lived in it for 3 weeks or more the box holds a lot of clothes etc it is difficult to get into once the bed is down but with planning dealing with a change of clothes during daytime mode. Plus the large under seat draw holds a lot cooking gear small stove, pans, plates, kettle, food. We also have a small table that fits in the rail which can stay up all the time even when the bed is down. To make drinks or cook in inclement weather. A decent fridge that sits in front of the box and under the table. The only thing you are missing is the small sink for tooth brushing and toilet which you could swop with the fridge. Big plus is the downstairs bed is huge.
But only you can decide, good luck.

 

[hirsty]

I slept in my 2-seat bench Beach last night so it's fresh in my mind! For your Phase 2 'living in it' Use Case I think a Beach would drive me nuts - worse than feeling like living out of a suitcase, it'd feel like a messy teenagers bedroom especially during a long Scottish winter.

An Ocean would be much more organised / compartmentalised, and once you have your system optimised I feel it'd be much more do-able (though that in itself isn't guaranteed ...)

I love my Beach & it's the right vehicle for our needs, but am about to take the OEM storage box out & build a taller 'replica' so that I have a useful stable 'base unit' for cassette stove & kettle etc with some kitchen storage underneath. I do a lot of solo trips & am going to use that 'stripe' down the side where the Ocean kitchen would be for clothes, food & fridge storage, but no interest in having a permanent cooker, fridge & sink onboard for my short leisure trips.