T6.1 Impressions after first 6 months camping

[toeknee]

So we have done 2 separate weeks of camping in our relatively new T6.1 Coast this summer and here are my pros/cons thoughts.

Space

Frankly am very impressed. No problems packing up for 4 + dog. Both beds wide enough for 2 people to sleep.
My only thing would be I am 5’10” and bed just about long enough. Any taller and you’d need to sleep with legs bent I think.
We use a tent to dump all our stuff on site which works well.

Radio turns off after 30 mins

Come on! How hard would it be to wire up stereo to leisure battery. It’s a camper for gods sake. There must be a good reason for this as otherwise it’s an appalling design fault.

The manual roof is a pain to open/close

I fell into the smug ‘manual is better as it won’t break’ group but have found myself wishing I had the auto roof as the manual is genuinely hard to clip open and closed. My wife and kids can’t do it.

Some bits feel fragile, plasticky and prone to break

I’m looking at you window blinds, plastic clips on awning legs and catches on cupboard doors.
Also the cover on the bottom of the sliding door bracket snapped off randomly and the draw under the bench caught when sliding it back in and cracked (warranty issues I think).

I love driving it

High up, 150bhp is plenty, auto gearbox fab

The onboard kitchen is tremendously useful

Had been drawn to the Beach as was skeptical how useful the kitchen would be but so glad I went for the full fat. The fridge, cooker and sink have transformed our camping experience from when we were tent only.

I live in constant worry about getting stuck in a field without 4motion

Let’s face it. Camping in U.K. involves rain and this heavy van is spending a lot of time on wet grass. How much of a problem is getting stuck really? 4motion wasn’t an option for me as it is just too expensive.

I can live without most of the Ocean extras

The 4motion and auto roof being the only things I’d like but can’t get on a Coast.
I consider the reversing camera to be essential given the poor rear visibility.
I also added the rear aircon which is essential if you have kids in back.
I had the auto parking option which is useless.

The seats are a bit rubbish

They stain super easy.
The driver seat creaks.
Swiveling the seats is a pain and you HAVE TO TURN THE PARKING BREAK OFF. I FORGET EVERY TIME. AND ITS A PAIN IF YOU ARE ON CHOCKS.

Conclusion

The van makes camping a super posh experience and you’ll love it if like me, you are coming from a tent background. If however, you are not used to camping and think it will make camping palatable and more hotel like, think again. It’s still camping. Try before you buy.

 

[bob_summers]

Haven't been on here much as the wait until Feb for our Ocean is interminable! But glad to see you're (on the whole) enjoying the Coast. Would have much preferred one but it's not imported to Spain.

I have been nosey and chatted to any 6.1 Cali owners I've seen on various sites, one German couple (+ baby and toddler) were saying theirs was too small. However - they were 4 months into an 8 month Europe tour, (hi if you're the guy I met in Isaba Spain and you happen to be reading this!) so I can imagine it felt a little cramped after that! They got a good deal on an ex-rental Ocean but after 4 months wished it was a 5 seater Beach so mom and 2 kids could sit together in the back on long drives, and were mostly cooking outside anyway.

 

[bob_summers]

also, there *may* be a solution to the radio turning off:
Post in thread 'How do you play music in your California?' https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/how-do-you-play-music-in-your-california.40938/post-534524

 

[toeknee]

Haven't been on here much as the wait until Feb for our Ocean is interminable! But glad to see you're (on the whole) enjoying the Coast. Would have much preferred one but it's not imported to Spain.

I have been nosey and chatted to any 6.1 Cali owners I've seen on various sites, one German couple (+ baby and toddler) were saying theirs was too small. However - they were 4 months into an 8 month Europe tour, (hi if you're the guy I met in Isaba Spain and you happen to be reading this!) so I can imagine it felt a little cramped after that! They got a good deal on an ex-rental Ocean but after 4 months wished it was a 5 seater Beach so mom and 2 kids could sit together in the back on long drives, and were mostly cooking outside anyway.

I think with smaller kids you have to take so much more ‘baby’ stuff and I can imagine that would make it feel small. Especially if you are properly living in it. For us, we have a tent that quickly pitches so we can move all our stuff in there to free up space while on site. But I don’t think that would be such a realistic option if you are touring on different sites each night.

 

[toeknee]

Haven't been on here much as the wait until Feb for our Ocean is interminable! But glad to see you're (on the whole) enjoying the Coast. Would have much preferred one but it's not imported to Spain.

I have been nosey and chatted to any 6.1 Cali owners I've seen on various sites, one German couple (+ baby and toddler) were saying theirs was too small. However - they were 4 months into an 8 month Europe tour, (hi if you're the guy I met in Isaba Spain and you happen to be reading this!) so I can imagine it felt a little cramped after that! They got a good deal on an ex-rental Ocean but after 4 months wished it was a 5 seater Beach so mom and 2 kids could sit together in the back on long drives, and were mostly cooking outside anyway.

Of course the main bonus that I didn’t mention is that it’s perfectly useable as a day to day vehicle as well, unlike a motor home. For us, this balance is perfect and makes any compromises more than acceptable.

 

[Borris]

Hello toeknee,
Regarding your stiff roof, one of the things that does make it stiffer to close is the manner in which you tuck the canvas behind the securing buckles. If you are rolling the canvas up neatly and pushing it behind the stubby seat belt tab that stands up behind each catch, then that does make the roof more difficult to close. Instead try stuffing it loosely behind the catches making sure everything is behind the seat belt tab and you can still clearly see the hook part on the ceiling. If you can't see the the catch engaging with that hook then there's a chance you'll nip the canvas causing two small puncture holes.

If it's still too stiff then have the catches adjusted. They can be rather tight when new.

 

[Perfectos]

Hi Toeknee,

Regarding the roof hard to put up and down “the manual is genuinely hard to clip open and closed”

the roof securing buckles are stiff (too stiff) when new, they work on a pivot movement in two directions and are reliant on the clips being loose enough for the buckle clip to move in several directions (forward and backwards) to their full extent.

I found My buckles were very stiff when new, to the point that my wife struggled to clip the roof back in once it was pulled down. The problem was the buckles were very stiff at the full extent of their pivoting capabilities meaning the process of clipping / un clipping required more force than it should To make the buckles reach their full range of movement.

The simple solution I found was to pop the roof and pull the buckles back to their full extent, ( two pivot points) pushing / pulling them against the two Pivot pins, to the full extent of travel (requires pressure in both directions) then push them forward to the full extent, do this as many times as is required to loosen up the pivots ( they will free up) to the extent where the buckles move freely at the pivot points, essentially you are freeing up the movement of the pivots so they can reach the full extent of their working range and work freely.
The buckles will naturally free up with use, which may take some time, the above just accelerated that bedding in process.

my wife and kids can pull the roof down and secure it no problem, the wife is vertically challenged but has no problem raising / lowering the roof & securing the main safety buckles since I freed up the pivoting mechanism.

I hope this helps.

 

[toeknee]

Hello toeknee,
Regarding your stiff roof, one of the things that does make it stiffer to close is the manner in which you tuck the canvas behind the securing buckles. If you are rolling the canvas up neatly and pushing it behind the stubby seat belt tab that stands up behind each catch, then that does make the roof more difficult to close. Instead try stuffing it loosely behind the catches making sure everything is behind the seat belt tab and you can still clearly see the hook part on the ceiling. If you can't see the the catch engaging with that hook then there's a chance you'll nip the canvas causing two small holes.

If it's still too stiff then have the catches adjusted. They can be rather tight when new.

Yes that’s exactly what I was doing! I will try your suggestions. Thanks for advice.

 

[toeknee]

Hi Toeknee,

Regarding the roof hard to put up and down “the manual is genuinely hard to clip open and closed”

the roof securing buckles are stiff (too stiff) when new, they work on a pivot movement in two directions and are reliant on the clips being loose enough for the buckle clip to move in several directions (forward and backwards) to their full extent.

I found My buckles were very stiff when new, to the point that my wife struggled to clip the roof back in once it was pulled down. The problem was the buckles were very stiff at the full extent of their pivoting capabilities meaning the process of clipping / un clipping required more force than it should To make the buckles reach their full range of movemen.

The simple solution I found was to pop the roof and pull the buckles back to their full extent, ( two pivot points) pushing / pulling them against the two Pivot pins, to the full extent of travel (requires pressure in both directions) then push them forward to the full extent, do this as many times as is required to loosen up the pivots ( they will free up) to the extent where the buckles move freely at the pivot points, essentially you are freeing up the movement of the pivots so they can reach the full extent of their working range and work freely.
The buckles will naturally free up with use, which may take some time, the above just accelerated that bedding in process.

my wife and kids can pull the roof down and secure it no problem, the wife is vertically challenged but has no problem raising / lowering the roof & securing the main safety buckles since I freed up the pivoting mechanism.

I hope this helps.

Well it’s encouraging to know that it shouldn’t be this hard. Atm I’m definitely the only one with the brute force to do it so will look at getting buckles to pivot more freely

 

[Sunstoner]

Conclusion

The van makes camping a super posh experience and you’ll love it if like me, you are coming from a tent background. If however, you are not used to camping and think it will make camping palatable and more hotel like, think again. It’s still camping. Try before you buy.

Definitely this......so true

 

[The Merle]

Yes that’s exactly what I was doing! I will try your suggestions. Thanks for advice.

The sliding door cover always gets dislodged by my dog when on the lead tends to hook round it, have cracked mine too.
You can buy replacement ones on eBay, pretty cheap or just leave if off, most transporters don’t have them just cosmetic I think.

 

[Neilos]

On the roof buckles. What Borris said is true. I nipped our isotop somehow when it was new. There’s a lot more material to fold in once an isotop is fitted. I actually adjusted our buckles after that. It’s a bit trial and error. Enough tension to close the roof properly and make a seal but loose enough to do up and undo. Made a big difference. Got it about right now. Simple to do. You might want to do that if all else fails. Manual roof is good but you do need some strength in your hands and there is a knack to it. You could ask the dealer to do it but they’ll probably just f it up! My experience of asking the dealer to do anything that’s not on a standard transporter so far!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[66tim99]

Radio turns off after 30 mins

Come on! How hard would it be to wire up stereo to leisure battery. It’s a camper for gods sake. There must be a good reason for this as otherwise it’s an appalling design fault.

Sounds like that has recently been a factory upgrade. Wonder if it can be retro fitted
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/posts/534462/bookmark

 

[two-saabs]

So we have done 2 separate weeks of camping in our relatively new T6.1 Coast this summer and here are my pros/cons thoughts.

Space

Frankly am very impressed. No problems packing up for 4 + dog. Both beds wide enough for 2 people to sleep.
My only thing would be I am 5’10” and bed just about long enough. Any taller and you’d need to sleep with legs bent I think.
We use a tent to dump all our stuff on site which works well.

Radio turns off after 30 mins

Come on! How hard would it be to wire up stereo to leisure battery. It’s a camper for gods sake. There must be a good reason for this as otherwise it’s an appalling design fault.

The manual roof is a pain to open/close

I fell into the smug ‘manual is better as it won’t break’ group but have found myself wishing I had the auto roof as the manual is genuinely hard to clip open and closed. My wife and kids can’t do it.

Some bits feel fragile, plasticky and prone to break

I’m looking at you window blinds, plastic clips on awning legs and catches on cupboard doors.
Also the cover on the bottom of the sliding door bracket snapped off randomly and the draw under the bench caught when sliding it back in and cracked (warranty issues I think).

I love driving it

High up, 150bhp is plenty, auto gearbox fab

The onboard kitchen is tremendously useful

Had been drawn to the Beach as was skeptical how useful the kitchen would be but so glad I went for the full fat. The fridge, cooker and sink have transformed our camping experience from when we were tent only.

I live in constant worry about getting stuck in a field without 4motion

Let’s face it. Camping in U.K. involves rain and this heavy van is spending a lot of time on wet grass. How much of a problem is getting stuck really? 4motion wasn’t an option for me as it is just too expensive.

I can live without most of the Ocean extras

The 4motion and auto roof being the only things I’d like but can’t get on a Coast.
I consider the reversing camera to be essential given the poor rear visibility.
I also added the rear aircon which is essential if you have kids in back.
I had the auto parking option which is useless.

The seats are a bit rubbish

They stain super easy.
The driver seat creaks.
Swiveling the seats is a pain and you HAVE TO TURN THE PARKING BREAK OFF. I FORGET EVERY TIME. AND ITS A PAIN IF YOU ARE ON CHOCKS.

Conclusion

The van makes camping a super posh experience and you’ll love it if like me, you are coming from a tent background. If however, you are not used to camping and think it will make camping palatable and more hotel like, think again. It’s still camping. Try before you buy.

Great review! Very helpful, thanks for sharing.

 

[Borris]

The 4motion thing has been quite contentious in the past. For some it's essential, for others not so. Each to their own.

Our first Cali had both 4Motion and diff locks. It was an ex demo van so came with these options. Had it been a factory order I wouldn't have included them. In the time we had it we never had cause to need either. Since then we've had two 2wd Beaches and again have never needed these options.

Think of it like this: if you were ever stuck on a campsite I'm sure the owner would pull you out probably without charge as he/she will want to clear and restore the pitch for the next punter. If he/she isn't interested in helping, then the most it should cost you is probably around a tenner. A bottle of wine or a few tins of beer should usually square it. Just look for someone with a big "chelsea tractor" and I'm sure they'll be only too pleased to show off its 4x4 capability, probably for the first time.

 

[toeknee]

The 4motion thing has been quite contentious in the past. For some it's essential, for others not so. Each to their own.

Our first Cali had both 4Motion and diff locks. It was an ex demo van so came with these options. Had it been a factory order I wouldn't have included them. In the time we had it we never had cause to need either. Since then we've had two 2wd Beaches and again have never needed these options.

Think of it like this: if you were ever stuck on a campsite I'm sure the owner would pull you out probably without charge as he/she will want to clear and restore the pitch for the next punter. If he/she isn't interested in helping, then the most it should cost you is probably around a tenner. A bottle of wine or a few tins of beer should usually square it. Just look for someone with a big "chelsea tractor" and I'm sure they'll be only too pleased to show off their 4x4 capability, probably for the first time.

Haha. That last point gave me a genuine out loud lol

 

[bob_summers]

It's very true, I read in the Westmorland Gazette years ago that a Lakes farmer would regularly get people knocking on his door asking if he could tow their 4x4 out of a ditch somehere with his tractor. 9 times out of ten he'd just whizz round in his Mini Metro and do it, to their shame..

 

[Yorkieboi]

When i asked my dealer if we should consider 4Mo he said this. If you plan on towing, regularly 4Mo is worth considering. I you plan to use campsites frequently, don't bother with 4Mo, pay the extra for hardstanding not grass. If plan to wild park, and get stuck, you deserve it.

 

[Trudi]

Picked our coast up on Monday.
Absolutely love it.
With regards to the roof, the dealer opened it up the 1st time as he mentioned it would ge stiff. Since then I've put it up twice since and down all on my own. Super proud of myself . At 5ft 4" tall with a bad back I was dreading it but I took my time and managed it.
Not left the radio on yet so not sure about the time.
It has a couple of errors that the dealer is sorting out this week and has been brilliant with (they pointed them out ) cruise control isn't working nor stop start. However it's come with an extra side window that wasn't ordered so swings and roundabouts.

Love it so much though.

 

[Stu@rt]

Picked our coast up on Monday.
Absolutely love it.
With regards to the roof, the dealer opened it up the 1st time as he mentioned it would ge stiff. Since then I've put it up twice since and down all on my own. Super proud of myself . At 5ft 4" tall with a bad back I was dreading it but I took my time and managed it.
Not left the radio on yet so not sure about the time.
It has a couple of errors that the dealer is sorting out this week and has been brilliant with (they pointed them out ) cruise control isn't working nor stop start. However it's come with an extra side window that wasn't ordered so swings and roundabouts.

Love it so much though.

Errors? Prey tell......

 

[Trudi]

Errors? Prey tell......

Cruise control isn't working. It worked on Saturday when they did all their tests but after their valeting it stopped. They think they may have knocked the sensor. And the start stop doesn't work.
To be fair, they pointed them out. Booked it straight back in to sort and have arranged pick up and drop off. And ordered some mats as a sorry. Can't fault the dealer at all.
These things happen. They don't effect the drive. And the way they've handled it have proven I was right to choose that dealer.
Love the van. As soon as its all sorted I will post pictures.

 

[Stu@rt]

Cruise control isn't working. It worked on Saturday when they did all their tests but after their valeting it stopped. They think they may have knocked the sensor. And the start stop doesn't work.
To be fair, they pointed them out. Booked it straight back in to sort and have arranged pick up and drop off. And ordered some mats as a sorry. Can't fault the dealer at all.
These things happen. They don't effect the drive. And the way they've handled it have proven I was right to choose that dealer.
Love the van. As soon as its all sorted I will post pictures.

Awesome. It's really refreshing to hear a positive dealer experience and great that it hasn't taken the edge off the your enjoyment too. Thanks for sharing.

 

[bob_summers]

It has a couple of errors that the dealer is sorting out this week and has been brilliant with (they pointed them out ) cruise control isn't working nor stop start. However it's come with an extra side window that wasn't ordered so swings and roundabouts.

Love it so much though.

there might be someone somewhere who ordered a coast without ACC or stop start, with an extra side window, who still hasn’t had a build week

 

[SusiBus]

Radio turning off after 30 mins.
Good news, on the T9 the radio will be connected to the leasure battery. See, VW are listening to owners wishes, but the the seats will still stain with water droplets.

 

[bob_summers]

Radio turning off after 30 mins.
Good news, on the T9 the radio will be connected to the leasure battery. See, VW are listening to owners wishes, but the the seats will still stain with water droplets.

Susi please tell us: will the side window still leak on the T9?! And will the driver’s seat turn around without doing handbrake ballet