Ski trip with California Beach with kids

[Rocoloco]

I added a note above about gas stoves, the one I use with small 2€ canisters need their canisters to be above freezing point resulting in very cold hands after a while

You may have better luck with the winter gas ( primus red canister, I seem to remember). In winter a Trangia with alcohol is even better.


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[Rocoloco]

I always liked to try what it is like to winter camp with our California Beach. I researched what the best skiing resort reasonable close to our home is and it seemed Hemsedal in Norway is the best.
I applied for vacation on friday for the kids and we left our home thursday after school. I have since before ordered thule roofbars to the forum spec low feet design. On wednesday I decided to mount the bars and my roofbox. The Thule wingbars is much wider than my old Volvo and BMW roofbars so the Packline mounts didnt work. I ordered some T-track mounts for my roofbox online and hoped for the best.
Mounts arrived 1 hour before we where set to leave, roofbox on, skiis in and off we went. The California is easily one of the best vehciles I have used for long trips, paired with the distance control acc it really means a relaxed journey. It is very easy to go too quick though.
I have researched some campings in Hemsedal before and sent some mails etc but never got any reply. When arriving in Hemsedal we looked quickly at one of the campings but decided that we didnt fit in with all the caravans and all the curtains etc.
Instead we went up to the skii resort center where I have seen there should be a big parking spot.
It was quite deserted at 20:30 in the evening when we arrived. I parked the van in the best direction for sleeping. I decided to try to elevate the roof, but I could not even move it 1cm. I removed the skii boots and tried again, I could lift it with just skiis in, but I dropped down again. I removed skiis and tried again, this time the roof could be held up if the bed where also lifted, but as soon as I dropped it the roof dropped slowly as well. It seemed the weight of roof bars and box paired with -18 C degrees meant the gas struts could not hold up the roof. Being three of us, 6 and 8 years kids and med we decided to sleep downstairs.
I started the heater at full wack and we went to bed. Heater stopped after the programmed 60 minutes while we where asleep. At 4 pm my oldest kid wakes med up saying he is freezing, a quick glance at the Sense Peanut app reveals we had -1 C degrees, ie below freezing point. I fired up the heater again for 60 minutes.
At 7 I woke up to this view:

During the night I never heard the fridge compressor even once, I guess the low temp meant it was not necessary.
I went out to get food and cooker from the boot. Kids happy:

This is something a hotel cant provide at what makes the Cali so special:

Ever wondered what it is like having breakfast in the Beach?

Well, time for skiing, the California at its best again, never owned a car of any kind where I can sit in comfort and warmth while helping kids with skii boots:

We had a fantastic day, weather was at its best. Not many people at all in the skii slopes:

At 13.00 it was time for lunch, kids playing outside in the snow while dad prepares lunch:

If anything the California is a way for us to bee outside more, if staying in a Hotel or cabin we would never have lunch outside:

Friday evening I set the heater to infinity time and power mode 1, it meant we had about 20C degrees through the night, it worked out very well.
Slightly worse weather today but still lunch outside:

We had fantastic 4 days, it really strengthens the bond between kids and dad, and I realise I have maximum 5 years more with my oldest son. If anyone reads this contemplating getting a California, do it, it can be too late for that purpose.

We filled up disels at the same gas station in Sweden on the way home, the van had taken 10L of diesel per 100km including running the heater almost for 90 hours in a row.
Lessons learned:

• even though it was about -10 - 18 C degrees we didnt use anything else on the windows than what comes as standard for insulation.
• using upper bed with Roofbox on a beach is not recommended and should be tried at home first
• the Brandrup Iso-Top can make you get the bellows between the roof opening when closing the roof and extra care should be taken, no damage to our bellows luckily
• dont pack too much, we had two bags full of clothes we never used, no need for a wash every day
• this is very good to have when camping off camping spots https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00UB2T1IE/?tag=vwcalifornia-21
• Gas stoves work really bad in temperatures below freezing point, I had to warm the little gas canister with my hands to make it work as is it should

Excellent post, and so right with regards to the children! Did purchase a multivan camper on the same purpose!


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[kave]

Thank you for your kind words.

 

[Simon f]

Love to do this trip

 

[GrannyJen]

Why did I read the title as "Skip trip"?

Wanting to dump the unwanted Christmas Prezzies already?

 

[clarinetbcn]

Well skis below the bench is definitely a good alternative, especially if you have ski bags to put them in. Quick to pack and leave, and I guess during the skitrip you could leave them below the car, so you only have to remove the snow when leaving for home.
Not sliding the bench is only because the ski bindings are the widest part of the ski and they are near the bench end; a sliding bench there isn't always so easy because of this.
What we've also done is to just put the skis in the middle of the car, in between the front seats next to the handbrake on the way to and from the skiresort. We've travelled with 6 pair of skis like that (and 6 adult passengers, and the middle seats in place) without any problem. As long as you store them outside or elsewhere during the holidays itself so you can still walk around in the beach. Perhaps a ski lock to prevent theft if you store them under the cali.

We sometimes travel 7 adults with skis like that...obviously on those trips we don't sleep in the van!