Strange reasons for not buying a Cali

[Freeley]

Fairly certain that all T5's are galvanised.
I scraped my old 54 plate transporter down to the metal, never bothered getting it fixed and still no sign of rust 3 years later when I sold it!

 

[DMB9R]

I have a T5 174 Kombi that i was considering getting converted. The quotes we were getting for what we wanted were anywhere between £14 and £21k.
We decided that the Kombi was too good to ruin and convert.
Hence we've just bought a used California and may decide to keep the Kombi as well.

 

[BikerGran]

I have a 2007 California SE - I have chairs in the tailgate (so cool!) but no table in the door as far as i can see! Have I been diddled?

 

[jts46]

I have a 2007 California SE - I have chairs in the tailgate (so cool!) but no table in the door as far as i can see! Have I been diddled?

I have the table in my door

John

 

[GrannyJen]

I have a 2007 California SE - I have chairs in the tailgate (so cool!) but no table in the door as far as i can see! Have I been diddled?

You should have a table in the door.

There again, if you got it off a dealer he would probably say that you should be grateful for even being given a door

 

[BikerGran]

Well surprise surprise I DO have a table in the door! Cunningly disguised as a door trim! I realised I hadn't actually closed the side door while I was in the back - so I did and there it was! And I little bit more storage space behind it....

 

[Velma's Dad]

Excellent! Did you also find the pop-up cocktail bar, complete with Jagermeister shot glasses? You need to feel for the little catch behind the offside 'B' door pillar and then stand clear. Not available on the Beach, although of course they do have that nifty roll-out Dos Equis crate.

Seriously though, where does everyone store their wine glasses when on the road? (Not using plastic ones, surely?)

 

[GrannyJen]

Excellent! Did you also find the pop-up cocktail bar, complete with Jagermeister shot glasses? You need to feel for the little catch behind the offside 'B' door pillar and then stand clear. Not available on the Beach, although of course they do have that nifty roll-out Dos Equis crate.

Seriously though, where does everyone store their wine glasses when on the road? (Not using plastic ones, surely?)

Every plate, knife, fork, cup in my van is throw-away...

except the glasses

They travel inside my paper cups.

 

[SimonB]

Excellent! Did you also find the pop-up cocktail bar, complete with Jagermeister shot glasses? You need to feel for the little catch behind the offside 'B' door pillar and then stand clear. Not available on the Beach, although of course they do have that nifty roll-out Dos Equis crate.

Seriously though, where does everyone store their wine glasses when on the road? (Not using plastic ones, surely?)

We keep ours in the box they came in. I've reinforced the box with duck tape so it doesn't fall apart. I figured they travel to the shop like that and it worked so I'd follow their example. They occupy the least amount of space in the cupboard and it is a good shape to put in a corner.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Sounds ideas, thanks. We've just got back from our first proper camping trip in Velma. We were in Sussex... not actually at Glyndebourne so we felt the lead crystal could safely be left behind, but being in that part of the world we felt glass rather than plastic was best or they might deport us back north of the Thames.

Next trip in a couple of weeks is to west Wales so presumably there we'll just hack a sheep to death and suck the warm moisture from its damp entrails.

Sorry, we're still drunk from the joys of Cali-ing, made better with all the fab advice we've had from the forum before we ever put rubber to road.

 

[Hotel California]

Well surprise surprise I DO have a table in the door! Cunningly disguised as a door trim! I realised I hadn't actually closed the side door while I was in the back - so I did and there it was! And I little bit more storage space behind it....

Reading the manual does help....

 

[Borris]

Excellent! Did you also find the pop-up cocktail bar, complete with Jagermeister shot glasses? You need to feel for the little catch behind the offside 'B' door pillar and then stand clear. Not available on the Beach, although of course they do have that nifty roll-out Dos Equis crate.

Seriously though, where does everyone store their wine glasses when on the road? (Not using plastic ones, surely?)

We store our wine glasses wrapped in a tea towel inside a plastic click top box.

 

[GrannyJen]

Sounds ideas, thanks. We've just got back from our first proper camping trip in Velma. We were in Sussex... not actually at Glyndebourne so we felt the lead crystal could safely be left behind, but being in that part of the world we felt glass rather than plastic was best or they might deport us back north of the Thames.

Next trip in a couple of weeks is to west Wales so presumably there we'll just hack a sheep to death and suck the warm moisture from its damp entrails.

Sorry, we're still drunk from the joys of Cali-ing, made better with all the fab advice we've had from the forum before we ever put rubber to road.

Goodness,

Now,

a confession. I cannot drink wine from cut lead crystal.

However, when home in Sussex it has to be crystal so uncut vinum glasses.

In the Cali I carry ISO tasting glasses.

 

[Velma's Dad]

ISO tasting glasses indeed GJ - well it's great to have a pro on the forum. Although actually we found that even some supermarket plonk tasted like fine burgundy while sitting at the ancillary table (yes the secret one in the door, BikerGran ) gazing out over the South Downs on Sunday eve.

Since return yesterday I've found that one of our (now-grown-up) son's old compartmented Lego containers is a near-perfect fit for a couple of wine glasses together with other gubbins, and fits neatly in one of the under-hob cupboards. Hooray!

Then had a blissful evening Amazoning other gizmos, based on 360-degree feedback (helpfully provided by Mrs VD and the dog) from our test weekend, including:

- Hanging cupboard organiser for the wardrobe. I'll make up some supports so it hangs open-side facing the door. Keeping clothes in there will I think suit us better than leaning over the bench seat to root through a bag full of Mrs VD's corsetry and silk stockings just to find my tee shirt.

- Carabiner clips for dog tether lead (seven-month spaniel Betty obv. feels other people's tents/vans MUCH more interesting than ours).

- Some bungee cord and hooks to make up a multi-purpose washing/towel drying line. Plus a couple of plastic-covered spring clamps to create ad-hoc hanging options.

- Over-door hooks which I plan to bodge to fit into trim above rear cupboard, for hanging coats, log lead etc etc. PLUS: Suction-cup coat hooks for the sliding door glass, for wet rain gear to drip quietly into the door threshold (bring it on, west Wales and Scotland!).

- Not ordered yet but VERY tempted by the nifty side shelf (calitop.eu) that I know a lot of folks have tried and praised.

Also (and thanks yet again to you Forumistas) I discovered what the little black nylon strap is for that came with Velma - it's for suspending the folding table in a position above the bench seat while cooking etc. Or, perhaps, as a station for decanting the vintage port.

One last thing, while I'm in kit delirium: I'm really chuffed by a decision I took before our first trip to use some ultra-cheap black corrugated plastic sheet (sold as 'surface protector' - £4.20 per big sheet from B&Q) to make up a 'fitted' floor covering. Sounds a bit utilitarian but actually the plastic sheet itself is quite soft and warm underfoot, and we then have a loose rug on top. I also made up a cover using the same stuff for the rear mattress, to protect it from the dog crate, mud and crud etc.