T6.1 Love it or List it

[Virgil van Bike]

As a T6.1 owner, I though I’d give some feedback on my experiences so far, as a ‘first time’ owner.

I’ve driven high spec company cars for years and driving a ‘van’ has been great fun, and the technologies have added to the experience. The ACC works better than in my Velar, the sound from the speakers is excellent. The reversing cameras are top notch. The pop top is faultless and the canvas is ‘apparently’ thicker and less snag prone than before. I love the touch screen control panel and the discovery pro system, although despite being intuitive, takes a bit of getting used to.

The heater takes a bit of getting used to, with immediate heat turning off once the temperature is attained, and continuous I find perfect on setting 6.

The driving position is not as van like as I expected, due in part to the car like feel of the3 digital dash. I do have a bad habit of grabbing the door bin instead of the door handle, as this feels a little high. I guess I’ll get used to this.

I chose the 150 engine, and to be honest, it feels plenty powerful enough, and that’s stepping down from a 300 bhp daily ride.

The only real area of frustration is rotating the drivers seat as this takes precision and a bit of back and fore while rotating, with the seat in the upright position. I’ve invested in some helicopter tape for the B pillar to prevent scratching, as this is so damn close.

I’ve added solar and that’s working faultlessly, jackyards seat covers and I’m awaiting a warm day to fit my isotop.

Regarding the camping experience, I've come from tents so just being inside and warm is a luxury, so I don't feel able to be objective at this point, so post lockdown and a few weeks out and about either 2 up or 4 up I'll add to this.

It would be great to hear from fellow T6.1 owners. Any tips, tricks, likes or dislikes so we can learn from each other and hopefully give a balanced insight to any potential owners.

Let’s spread the love!

 

[AlisonF]

As a T6.1 owner, I though I’d give some feedback on my experiences so far, as a ‘first time’ owner.

I’ve driven high spec company cars for years and driving a ‘van’ has been great fun, and the technologies have added to the experience. The ACC works better than in my Velar, the sound from the speakers is excellent. The reversing cameras are top notch. The pop top is faultless and the canvas is ‘apparently’ thicker and less snag prone than before. I love the touch screen control panel and the discovery pro system, although despite being intuitive, takes a bit of getting used to.

The heater takes a bit of getting used to, with immediate heat turning off once the temperature is attained, and continuous I find perfect on setting 6.

The driving position is not as van like as I expected, due in part to the car like feel of the3 digital dash. I do have a bad habit of grabbing the door bin instead of the door handle, as this feels a little high. I guess I’ll get used to this.

I chose the 150 engine, and to be honest, it feels plenty powerful enough, and that’s stepping down from a 300 bhp daily ride.

The only real area of frustration is rotating the drivers seat as this takes precision and a bit of back and fore while rotating, with the seat in the upright position. I’ve invested in some helicopter tape for the B pillar to prevent scratching, as this is so damn close.

I’ve added solar and that’s working faultlessly, jackyards seat covers and I’m awaiting a warm day to fit my isotop.

Regarding the camping experience, I've come from tents so just being inside and warm is a luxury, so I don't feel able to be objective at this point, so post lockdown and a few weeks out and about either 2 up or 4 up I'll add to this.

It would be great to hear from fellow T6.1 owners. Any tips, tricks, likes or dislikes so we can learn from each other and hopefully give a balanced insight to any potential owners.

Let’s spread the love!

I have about 3 weeks to go to be able to compare (apples and pears) a T6 Ocean 204 4 Motion DSG with a T6.1 Beach Camper 150 DSG.
I know there will be differences and there are things I would have wanted on my Beach that aren’t available in the UK. But I am still excited and looking forward to being a proper member of the Cali forum again!

 

[Sad]

You'll get used to the seat...

We're very excited to be coming back into the fold, waiting now on our Coast

 

[Jenny H]

You'll get used to the seat...

We're very excited to be coming back into the fold, waiting now on our Coast

Thanks for sharing the video - cant wait to go spinning in my seats - not long now - excitingggg

 

[Jenny H]

As a T6.1 owner, I though I’d give some feedback on my experiences so far, as a ‘first time’ owner.

I’ve driven high spec company cars for years and driving a ‘van’ has been great fun, and the technologies have added to the experience. The ACC works better than in my Velar, the sound from the speakers is excellent. The reversing cameras are top notch. The pop top is faultless and the canvas is ‘apparently’ thicker and less snag prone than before. I love the touch screen control panel and the discovery pro system, although despite being intuitive, takes a bit of getting used to.

The heater takes a bit of getting used to, with immediate heat turning off once the temperature is attained, and continuous I find perfect on setting 6.

The driving position is not as van like as I expected, due in part to the car like feel of the3 digital dash. I do have a bad habit of grabbing the door bin instead of the door handle, as this feels a little high. I guess I’ll get used to this.

I chose the 150 engine, and to be honest, it feels plenty powerful enough, and that’s stepping down from a 300 bhp daily ride.

The only real area of frustration is rotating the drivers seat as this takes precision and a bit of back and fore while rotating, with the seat in the upright position. I’ve invested in some helicopter tape for the B pillar to prevent scratching, as this is so damn close.

I’ve added solar and that’s working faultlessly, jackyards seat covers and I’m awaiting a warm day to fit my isotop.

Regarding the camping experience, I've come from tents so just being inside and warm is a luxury, so I don't feel able to be objective at this point, so post lockdown and a few weeks out and about either 2 up or 4 up I'll add to this.

It would be great to hear from fellow T6.1 owners. Any tips, tricks, likes or dislikes so we can learn from each other and hopefully give a balanced insight to any potential owners.

Let’s spread the love!

Thats great feedback to here - Im quite glad I delayed my pick up to after 1st March as wouldnt relish driving brand new Cali in the snow! Not sure how long it will take to get used to driving with the kitchen in the back but getting super excited now & trying not to get daunted by all the techy bits as hopefully they are more straightforward when there in front of you!!

 

[66tim99]

I have about 3 weeks to go to be able to compare (apples and pears) a T6 Ocean 204 4 Motion DSG with a T6.1 Beach Camper 150 DSG.
I know there will be differences and there are things I would have wanted on my Beach that aren’t available in the UK. But I am still excited and looking forward to being a proper member of the Cali forum again!

Look forward to reading about your thoughts, particularly on the ‘downgrade’ of the bhp and 4wd.

 

[The Blue Merle]

I have about 3 weeks to go to be able to compare (apples and pears) a T6 Ocean 204 4 Motion DSG with a T6.1 Beach Camper 150 DSG.
I know there will be differences and there are things I would have wanted on my Beach that aren’t available in the UK. But I am still excited and looking forward to being a proper member of the Cali forum again!

Them new beach campers look very cool, love the little pop out stove. If they done a 4motion and brought back the grape yellow I’d want one!
Looking forward to seeing pics and review when you get it.

 

[Rams66]

Thats great feedback to here - Im quite glad I delayed my pick up to after 1st March as wouldnt relish driving brand new Cali in the snow! Not sure how long it will take to get used to driving with the kitchen in the back but getting super excited now & trying not to get daunted by all the techy bits as hopefully they are more straightforward when there in front of you!!

We pick ours up on 1st March too. Excitement building. Started looking at booking campsites and some are already full through the summer. I've picked up so many tips from the forum, don't think I need the manual

 

[Jenny H]

We pick ours up on 1st March too. Excitement building. Started looking at booking campsites and some are already full through the summer. I've picked up so many tips from the forum, don't think I need the manual

I havent decided whether to collect or ask for delivery as was awaiting lockdown update!
I have booked 2 campsites for June though, couldnt help myself!
Ive stopped trying to decipher how to work everything as started to worry its all too complicated but think it will become clear once in front of me! I hope .....

 

[Rams66]

I'm taking it that it will be fine to collect. Someone will have to travel either the dealer or me so it shouldn't make any difference to this 'essential trip' (fingers crossed)!

 

[Jenny H]

I'm taking it that it will be fine to collect. Someone will have to travel either the dealer or me so it shouldn't make any difference to this 'essential trip' (fingers crossed)!

Did you order from SMG Tonbridge?
We're a bit further away so need to assess trip but given the checklist will take me about 2 hours to check it would be better to go & collect myself!

 

[Virgil van Bike]

Thats great feedback to here - Im quite glad I delayed my pick up to after 1st March as wouldnt relish driving brand new Cali in the snow! Not sure how long it will take to get used to driving with the kitchen in the back but getting super excited now & trying not to get daunted by all the techy bits as hopefully they are more straightforward when there in front of you!!

My experience with all of it is it certainly makes more sense once you've got your hands on it! It's pretty intuitive and with the odd tip on this forum, very easy to understand. To be honest, half the fun is finding out!

 

[Virgil van Bike]

You'll get used to the seat...

We're very excited to be coming back into the fold, waiting now on our Coast

Ha, thanks! I've learned something there, I was trying to turn it outwards rather than inwards!

The power of the forum!

 

[Dreed2703]

As a T6.1 owner, I though I’d give some feedback on my experiences so far, as a ‘first time’ owner.

I’ve driven high spec company cars for years and driving a ‘van’ has been great fun, and the technologies have added to the experience. The ACC works better than in my Velar, the sound from the speakers is excellent. The reversing cameras are top notch. The pop top is faultless and the canvas is ‘apparently’ thicker and less snag prone than before. I love the touch screen control panel and the discovery pro system, although despite being intuitive, takes a bit of getting used to.

The heater takes a bit of getting used to, with immediate heat turning off once the temperature is attained, and continuous I find perfect on setting 6.

The driving position is not as van like as I expected, due in part to the car like feel of the3 digital dash. I do have a bad habit of grabbing the door bin instead of the door handle, as this feels a little high. I guess I’ll get used to this.

I chose the 150 engine, and to be honest, it feels plenty powerful enough, and that’s stepping down from a 300 bhp daily ride.

The only real area of frustration is rotating the drivers seat as this takes precision and a bit of back and fore while rotating, with the seat in the upright position. I’ve invested in some helicopter tape for the B pillar to prevent scratching, as this is so damn close.

I’ve added solar and that’s working faultlessly, jackyards seat covers and I’m awaiting a warm day to fit my isotop.

Regarding the camping experience, I've come from tents so just being inside and warm is a luxury, so I don't feel able to be objective at this point, so post lockdown and a few weeks out and about either 2 up or 4 up I'll add to this.

It would be great to hear from fellow T6.1 owners. Any tips, tricks, likes or dislikes so we can learn from each other and hopefully give a balanced insight to any potential owners.

Let’s spread the love!

Thank you for this! Really excited, ordered our 6.1 Jan 22nd, obviously going to be a way off before we can get our hands on it but great to read of your positive experience - especially of the 150, as I didn't see any reason for us us to go for the higher power version. Have you got the Ocean model? and did you load up on options?

 

[Virgil van Bike]

Thank you for this! Really excited, ordered our 6.1 Jan 22nd, obviously going to be a way off before we can get our hands on it but great to read of your positive experience - especially of the 150, as I didn't see any reason for us us to go for the higher power version. Have you got the Ocean model? and did you load up on options?

Yes, it's the Ocean.
I went for the following spec;
Indium Grey Metallic
Comfort sleeping mat, although an option is the sea to summit, as a lot seem to like this. Bear in mind the lifting portion of the bed though.
Navigation Pro upgrade - nice and slick looking on the dash
17” Woodstock alloy wheels,
High beam assist
Outdoor shower connection.
and about £2k worth of extra kit so far, and that's before I add a dashcam..
I debated over the 150Ds vs 199DS, but I couldn't justify spending more just so I could accelerate faster - it's a campervan after all! Time will tell if not getting 4M was wise, but I'm banking on not being alone in a boggy field! Reading widely, if I'm likely to be venturing into snow, then tyres are more important, but as it stands I'd probably be avoiding using it in that kind of weather, especially as it's not my everyday vehicle.

 

[Rams66]

Did you order from SMG Tonbridge?
We're a bit further away so need to assess trip but given the checklist will take me about 2 hours to check it would be better to go & collect myself!

No, Eurovans in Crawley about an hour for me but will be a train journey as we have already sold our car!
The guy at Eurovans said it's good to check it over there and then as the mechanics are on hand if anything isn't quite right.

 

[66tim99]

No, Eurovans in Crawley about an hour for me but will be a train journey as we have already sold our car!
The guy at Eurovans said it's good to check it over there and then as the mechanics are on hand if anything isn't quite right.

Mines coming from Eurovans too. I hope their pre-delivery checks are better than their communication. Almost sounds from this that they're expecting you to check it over!

 

[Rams66]

Mines coming from Eurovans too. I hope their pre-delivery checks are better than their communication. Almost sounds from this that they're expecting you to check it over!

Communication?!!!
I found them very responsive when I have asked them but not at all proactive sadly. That said it hasn't affected me negatively.
For the pick up as they can't show me over the van due to Covid so they said they'll leave us to it and then we can ask any questions before we go. This forum has helped us know what to look for otherwise we'd be a bit lost.
There's a good collection snag list that has been posted in the resources section which helps
Wish us luck!!!

 

[66tim99]

I found them very responsive when I have asked them but not at all proactive sadly. That said it hasn't affected me negatively.
For the pick up as they can't show me over the van due to Covid so they said they'll leave us to it and then we can ask any questions before we go. This forum has helped us know what to look for otherwise we'd be a bit lost.
There's a good collection snag list that has been posted in the resources section which helps
Wish us luck!!!

I just hope they do their pre-delivery checks before you arrive then...
I seem to remember a pre-pick-up video from Eurovans to @GrumpyGrandad showing him round.
Good luck! Let me know how you get on.

 

[Bobcat01]

Having had a GC delivered recently from Crawley I can assure you there pre delivery checks are equally as bad as there communications. I would suggest none existent. I had several very obvious parts missing and I’m still trying to get them to provide one of the parts two months later. Good luck.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I just hope they do their pre-delivery checks before you arrive then...
I seem to remember a pre-pick-up video from Eurovans to @GrumpyGrandad showing him round.
Good luck! Let me know how you get on.

Hard to say how thorough the pre-delivery check is and whether it equally covers the van side and camping side. Advisable therefore to take a fairly comprehensive checklist with you. Even with a checklist you can’t test everything i.e. cooker operation, sink and shower operation unless you take gas and water with you.
I failed to check the operation of the lower bed when I collected mine from Eurovans and it proved to be faulty when I tried it at home. Citygate VW fixed it in a reasonable timeframe.

 

[Rams66]

Hard to say how thorough the pre-delivery check is and whether it equally covers the van side and camping side. Advisable therefore to take a fairly comprehensive checklist with you. Even with a checklist you can’t test everything i.e. cooker operation, sink and shower operation unless you take gas and water with you.
I failed to check the operation of the lower bed when I collected mine from Eurovans and it proved to be faulty when I tried it at home. Citygate VW fixed it in a reasonable timeframe.

Thanks. Hopefully, we'll get through most of it leaving the rest for home such as gas and water.

 

[Dreed2703]

Yes, it's the Ocean.
I went for the following spec;
Indium Grey Metallic
Comfort sleeping mat, although an option is the sea to summit, as a lot seem to like this. Bear in mind the lifting portion of the bed though.
Navigation Pro upgrade - nice and slick looking on the dash
17” Woodstock alloy wheels,
High beam assist
Outdoor shower connection.
and about £2k worth of extra kit so far, and that's before I add a dashcam..
I debated over the 150Ds vs 199DS, but I couldn't justify spending more just so I could accelerate faster - it's a campervan after all! Time will tell if not getting 4M was wise, but I'm banking on not being alone in a boggy field! Reading widely, if I'm likely to be venturing into snow, then tyres are more important, but as it stands I'd probably be avoiding using it in that kind of weather, especially as it's not my everyday vehicle.

Very nice, I too went for the woodstocks, but couldn't resist the deep pearl black. Think the only omissions from my choice of options were the DCC (can't think of a reason for this in a camper) and the upgraded engine.... felt like an investment in an additional set of steelies with winter tyres would be the better choice to be honest!

 

[66tim99]

Very nice, I too went for the woodstocks, but couldn't resist the deep pearl black. Think the only omissions from my choice of options were the DCC (can't think of a reason for this in a camper) and the upgraded engine.... felt like an investment in an additional set of steelies with winter tyres would be the better choice to be honest!

The reason I added DCC to my spec (when my provisional build week was cancelled) was because of the complaints I've read on this forum about ride and handling. People spend a lot on upgrading suspension after market, and real suspension aficionado's probably wouldn't begin with DCC. DCC has some positive mentions again on this forum, though and I like the thought of factory fitted. Comfort mode is apparently great round town for absorbing potholes, and on the motorway, and Sport for firming it up for windey roads. I hear its useful when towing too.
I still intend to upgrade the anti-roll bars though...
California Chris has said he intends to post a video about DCC shortly. I wonder if VW have taken the opportunity to firm up the 6.1's electronic steering, in addition to the T6 version's suspension changes.

 

[Dreed2703]

The reason I added DCC to my spec (when my provisional build week was cancelled) was because of the complaints I've read on this forum about ride and handling. People spend a lot on upgrading suspension after market, and real suspension aficionado's probably wouldn't begin with DCC. DCC has some positive mentions again on this forum, though and I like the thought of factory fitted. Comfort mode is apparently great round town for absorbing potholes, and on the motorway, and Sport for firming it up for windey roads. I hear its useful when towing too.
I still intend to upgrade the anti-roll bars though...
California Chris has said he intends to post a video about DCC shortly. I wonder if VW have taken the opportunity to firm up the 6.1's electronic steering, in addition to the T6 version's suspension changes.

Everything you say makes sense, it's just..... I'm doubtful how much difference it could make in a vehicle like this, guess I'm just not too fussed about the ride improvements in a van considering the price of the upgrade - this coupled with the fact I'm likely to forget I have it most of the time and just leave it in the default setting!

I like gadgets and extras that I can see and show off... like the electric door - gimmicky I know, but more my kind of gizmo