Shower, high beam assist & a few other options...

[Meerkat1234]

Hello,

We have finally decided to take the plunge and buy an Ocean. We posted some months ago asking for advice (cannot find our username details anywhere so excuse the new username!), went right round the houses looking at conversions, Westfalias, etc but after weighing it all up, it's going to be the Ocean. This whole forum was a great help, so thank you.

No we're speccing it up, we have a list, but we're umming and ahhing over a few options - what do you think?

Shower (1) - dogs and boots, is it really worth it? You have to order it with some additional interior lighting (for some peculiar reason), so it's not just £245 for the shower connection, but you have to pay for the interior lighting option too (£115), whether you want it or not. We've asked VW (straight to the manufacturer) and even their technical support team don't know why this is.

Shower (2) - is there any modification we could do, or product we could buy that doesn't take up too much room, to have a hot shower?

Heated windscreen - is this needed? We keep reading about the remote/timer heater and how that could do the job instead - how true is that? We understand the timer aspect, but how does the remote aspect of the heater work then?

Headlight washer system - we're going for the full LED headlight system. Doesn't that have washers anyway?

High beam assist - we've never had cars which have this, but can imagine it's a really nice luxury to have, less of a distraction dipping lights on and off all the time. This is going to be a day vehicle, a regular weekend away vehicle, and a longer trip campervan. At £144, it's not a lot to spend, but these options do all add up.. is it worth it?

Leather sports steering wheel with paddles - we're missing something obviously! Paddles seems to be the only difference between the standard provided wheel and this option. So, on a DSG, why would anyone want paddles anyway when you're not changing gear all the time?

Thanks!

 

[reserves]

Congrats

1 & 2) Shower

Plenty of opinions here https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/factory-shower-would-you-order-again.16888/

3) Heated Screen https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/heated-front-screen.16869/

4) LED 8 pages of goodness https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/are-the-led-option-headlights-worth-£1750.25543/

5) High beam assist, not sure, I think I read somewhere that this didn't work very well, but someone else will answer I'm sure

6) Sports steering wheel - yes for £90 you get paddles but I think (but not sure) it's a sportier steering wheel, maybe you want to change down a gear because you can see a hill coming? I've spec'd it as for the price it's cheap, even if I only use it a few times.

Enjoy

 

[WelshGas]

Shower 1. If you need it you'll have to stump up for the lighting extra.
You can get a shower attachment for the tap in the Forum shop for far less.
Shower 2. No without spending a lot more and bodge it.
Head light assist. If you wn ant to be blinded by oncoming cars, go for it. Thom inside the house e system is slow to react and takes no account of sharp bends bridges etc.
DSG also has a manual and sport function . Paddles are a gimic and are still overriden by the computer control.
Heater remote fires the heater up from 1/4 mile or more or from inside the house .

 

[Teejay]

Heated screen works well, some people say use the heater but screen is quicker. Thick frost clears in less than 10 mins.

High beam assist works too, if you do a lot of night driving it's worth it. It does not dazzle oncoming traffic it will drop from main beam before you have the chance to reach for the stalk.

Speaking from experience since I have both!

 

[T6 CFO]

At the end of the day your going to get conflicting opinion and that I’m afraid is unavoidable.

Heated screen is quite a good example as it depends on how and when you use your Cali. I have it but to be honest have not had much cause to use it. Probably one of the few things I would not have again due to it complicating matters if the screen needs replacing. Then again I might need it a fair bit on my trip to Norway.

It’s a hard balance and my aim when picking the options was not to end up disappointed and to ensure I had things I might need that were more difficult to retrofit.

Examples being the LED lights, Mud Flaps & Tow bar.

I have the shower and have used it a few times for a quick wash off in the heat. Might be good for my road bike if I opt to bing it inside after a muddy ride. Probably though use a bike bag.

Personally I wouldn’t bother with the paddles. On a right hand drive the operating manual is only a flick anyway. It wasn’t though an option when I got mine so I might have been tempted.

Bit of a ramble but good luck.

Mike


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Meerkat1234]

Thanks for the replies so far. As you say Mike, we don't want to end up disappointed that we didn't have something, whilst on the other side it's all adding up quite scarily. On that point - mud flaps - are they really that useful?

I followed the link for the showers (thanks 'reserves'), and there was a photo of a roof top tube with a shower hose. If that could absorb the heat from the sun or warm through solar panels, that would be a great solution. Any ideas where we could get that?

 

[Andy]

Hot water in sunny weather the solar shower bags work but only around 10 litres.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[T6 CFO]

Thanks for the replies so far. As you say Mike, we don't want to end up disappointed that we didn't have something, whilst on the other side it's all adding up quite scarily. On that point - mud flaps - are they really that useful?

I followed the link for the showers (thanks 'reserves'), and there was a photo of a roof top tube with a shower hose. If that could absorb the heat from the sun or warm through solar panels, that would be a great solution. Any ideas where we could get that?

Depends where you read but aesthetically I prefer to have them.


Mike

 

[Wobble’s Mum]

Everyone will have differing thoughts on these options.

This is only my personal view...

Paddles not worth it.

Shower defo worth it with dogs, boots, paddle boards. The interior lighting concept is a nice addition. It gives you lights in the cupboards and a strip of leds along the ‘kitchen counter’ which are dimmable and really nice at night.

High beam assist is annoying as it is too slow to change, blinding other drivers, leaving dark spots when you need light and useless on corners.

It all depends on how you plan to use your Cali I suppose.

 

[WelshGas]

Heated screen works well, some people say use the heater but screen is quicker. Thick frost clears in less than 10 mins.

High beam assist works too, if you do a lot of night driving it's worth it. It does not dazzle oncoming traffic it will drop from main beam before you have the chance to reach for the stalk.

Speaking from experience since I have both!

Not on Bends or Hump Back Bridges . Much too slow reacting.

 

[SimonB]

I would agree with @Wobble’s Mum,
1) the paddles are not worth it. I've hit them by accident more often than not and only found out recently how to cancel it.
2) Shower I've never used, so will not comment. Interior lighting is useful as you can see in the cupboards and the under counter light illuminates the drawer
3) High beam assist is slow to react and I stopped using it after blinding other drivers too often. I always used to manage to do the full/dipped beam change in the past and my reaction is faster than the car.

 

[parrot2]

I have paddles on my car don't ever use them
Steve

 

[WelshGas]

Heated screen works well, some people say use the heater but screen is quicker. Thick frost clears in less than 10 mins.

High beam assist works too, if you do a lot of night driving it's worth it. It does not dazzle oncoming traffic it will drop from main beam before you have the chance to reach for the stalk.

Speaking from experience since I have both!

Others would Disagree, I’m afraid. As above posts illustrate.

 

[gvick]

Hello,

We have finally decided to take the plunge and buy an Ocean. We posted some months ago asking for advice (cannot find our username details anywhere so excuse the new username!), went right round the houses looking at conversions, Westfalias, etc but after weighing it all up, it's going to be the Ocean. This whole forum was a great help, so thank you.

No we're speccing it up, we have a list, but we're umming and ahhing over a few options - what do you think?

Shower (1) - dogs and boots, is it really worth it? You have to order it with some additional interior lighting (for some peculiar reason), so it's not just £245 for the shower connection, but you have to pay for the interior lighting option too (£115), whether you want it or not. We've asked VW (straight to the manufacturer) and even their technical support team don't know why this is.

Shower (2) - is there any modification we could do, or product we could buy that doesn't take up too much room, to have a hot shower?

Heated windscreen - is this needed? We keep reading about the remote/timer heater and how that could do the job instead - how true is that? We understand the timer aspect, but how does the remote aspect of the heater work then?

Headlight washer system - we're going for the full LED headlight system. Doesn't that have washers anyway?

High beam assist - we've never had cars which have this, but can imagine it's a really nice luxury to have, less of a distraction dipping lights on and off all the time. This is going to be a day vehicle, a regular weekend away vehicle, and a longer trip campervan. At £144, it's not a lot to spend, but these options do all add up.. is it worth it?

Leather sports steering wheel with paddles - we're missing something obviously! Paddles seems to be the only difference between the standard provided wheel and this option. So, on a DSG, why would anyone want paddles anyway when you're not changing gear all the time?

Thanks!

Hi Mr Meerkat and congrats on your order.
I don’t yet own a Cali (my co car expires in July 2019)
But
I do drive 30k plus a year and have some of your suggested options on my company car.
So in no particular order.
As has already been said loads of different opinions all valid on this forum.
Paddles - I have these but don’t use them (novelty when I had them but defeats purpose of dsg IMO).
High beam assist - lots of discussion on the forum - my car has intelligent led headlights which mask the headlights and work with the cars radar etc - I do a lot night driving and after radar cruise control this is my most used option. I don’t believe the Cali system is as car like and as your going for led’s anyway I would give that a miss.

Shower - we too have a dog and I like the idea of washing dirty paws before he goes back in the van. Solar showers as per above posts are a good alternative for a heated shower - we use them when camping and you just leave them in a suitable tree next to your pitch if available.

For 2018 you are correct in that led headlights come with washer system.
Lastly on heated windscreen which again is something I’ve been thinking about - having read posts on the forum, the replacement cost of a heated windscreen and the effectiveness of the programmable parking heater make it a redundant option IMHO.
Choosing the options is all part of the fun - so let us know your final spec and post some pics when you take delivery

 

[Teejay]

Others would Disagree, I’m afraid. As above posts illustrate.

Still does not alter my experiences.

 

[DaNish]

I find High beam assist reasonable quick, but in some cases you can see a hint of light in a sharp bend and react before it does. So I find it helpful but there are a few situations where you can do it better manually. But I would specify it again.
The mandatory comfort interior light for the shower is light in the footwells in front. The light in the cupboards and the led strip on the kitchen are standard from MY18.
I did not get the heated windscreen because some people find the heating threads annoying in the dark. Since I paid a fortune for full LED lights to have the best possible night vision I was not willing to risk that. So I rely on the parking heater.
I had paddles on my old car and only used them for fun, it is easy to shift manually anyway.
I have the shower but have not used it yet, so no opinion on that.

One thing I would recommend i HD-roll bars. I find it improves handling a lot and it is very cheap.

 

[GrannyJen]

Shower: Got it, never used it, still in it's polythene bag. With a 30l tank that's rarely full I doubt if it will ever have enough water for whatever I want to do anyway, not that I can think of something that I want it to do

Paddles: Never use them. Can't see the point, It's a Cali not a Ferrari.

Heated windscreen: Well, to be honest, I just love decadence. If it's going to be a cold enough morning to freeze the windscreen then it's going to be cold enough for me to want to heat the vehicle before I get in it, and the decadence of being able to programme the vehicle to be all nice and warm for her Ladyship is just too overwhelming, which, as a secondary benefit, means a defrosted windscreen.

High beam assist: Got it, never use it.

 

[CampervanTime]

It really depends if you are using it as a daily or want it to be as comfy as you can make it.

High beam assist, works a treat in ours, really nice to have. LEDs worth it if you want to see at night (this is a modern vehicle, let it see!!). Washers for headlights useless.

Shower - built in is nice, it’s just there when you need it. We use it for muddy boots, dog paws etc. Glad we bought it. Re the lights, you get the cupboard lights and led under sink strip light anyway (ie no shower). The extra lights that are mandatory are cool white LEDs in the bottom of the front seats facing backwards (rear footwell lighting), front led footwell lighting, cool white LED front map reading lights and centre console lights plus also illumination in cool white of the front interior door handles and top cubbys in the doors. It’s really nice actually, makes it a cool place at night when driving.

Steering wheel paddles - we have them, used them a few times because you can drop down a few gears when getting ready to overtake. Press and hold the right hand one and it puts it back in D after. Maybe it depends on what engine your having and how quickly you drive. We don’t hang around in ours and I’m plenty happy overtaking when safe to do so etc.

 

[Sandyvan]

Thanks for the replies so far. As you say Mike, we don't want to end up disappointed that we didn't have something, whilst on the other side it's all adding up quite scarily. On that point - mud flaps - are they really that useful?

I followed the link for the showers (thanks 'reserves'), and there was a photo of a roof top tube with a shower hose. If that could absorb the heat from the sun or warm through solar panels, that would be a great solution. Any ideas where we could get that?

Mud flaps should be compulsory and renamed stone guards TBH. I hate following vehicles without Mud flaps.

 

[Wycoller]

With the shower option remember that you’ve only got 30l of water as standard. Not a problem for day trips but could be for longer.

I’ve managed without heated screen due to the programmable and remote heater controls. Just click from house window if you haven’t programmed.

 

[WelshGas]

Still does not alter my experiences.

Nor mine. But then I can accept others have a different view point. That’s why if I Disagree with someone I prefer to explain rather than click the DISAGREE button.

 

[Teejay]

Nor mine. But then I can accept others have a different view point. That’s why if I Disagree with someone I prefer to explain rather than click the DISAGREE button.

Good for you.

 

[oryx white]

Hi Meerkat,

I have the heated screen and the hi beam assist.

The first I only use to get rid of condensation after a cold overnight stop - otherwise, as per GrannyJen - just hit the parking heater remote 15 mins before I want to go out on a cold morning to clear the screen and make everything toastie.

And Hi Beam seems to work for me - nice little extra but definitely a 'nice to have' for me as I don't drive at night on country roads much.

So I wouldn't sweat it over either of those options unless you feel the real need.

 

[Rich B]

I opted for sport steering wheel expecting it to be very sporty i.e. flat bottomed! Turned out it seems to be standard steering wheel just with paddles was a bit disappointed but for £90 you've always got the option to use them and maybe it becomes another selling bonus if you ever sell, heaven forbid!!!!

 

[Legin]

My experience is the following. Im looking at the options before buy same as you.

Shower - Im on the fence as it looks handy for boots and the dog but I personally wouldnt pay the price for it and lights I dont want. I may well commit the cardinal sin of plumbing my own in for £90 max instead.

Auto main beam. Have had this on three cars and have it currently but not really like it. Gets it wrong sometimes and reaction time is hit and miss. Sometimes it thinks highly reflective surfaces are vehicles when in fact its your own lights.

Paddles. Forget it I have had many cars with these and unless its very high performance car with double clutch jobbie you dont use them and they get it the way of your fingers sometimes.

Heated screen. Had this on my passat and liked it. But the screen chips in a strange way as if the glass is softer and you do sometimes see the filaments. Then there is the cost of fitting and replacement screens although i never had it break. I think it depends on how much you would use it , every day coming to and from work for instance. You still have to clear the side windows etc. Otherwise the interior heater is far more useful and does everything. I wouldnt go for this, infact i wont be going for it