altvic
This Sun Shade from Club shop is not only for shade but is see-through from van side, keeps rain out and gives some wind defence as well as privacy; wouldn't be without it.
Borris
Super Poster
VIP Member
At the moment with Covid changing the whole camping scene, number one has to be a portable toilet.
You'll figure the rest out as you go.
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
They are the attachments to an Ikea Tisken basket (idea from Aubergine-gone) but didn’t work out for me so now it’s in my kitchen stuck to the side of the fridge, next to the sink.Love your hooks clamped to the sink lid' underside
TISKEN Basket with suction cup, white - IKEA
TISKEN Basket with suction cup, white. TISKEN series puts things within easy reach without having to drill any holes into your walls. The tight-grip suction cups won’t let go of smooth surfaces like glass or tiles – unless you want them to.
www.ikea.com
capt kirk
VIP Member
I agree, they are probably my best buy.
Broch Hunter
VIP Member
I suspect like many others, I found the design for the blind by the sliding door was not the cleverest detail on the Cali. Fed up with the tendency for the blind to stick in its runners and, more annoyingly, the fact that when down it obstructed the doorway itself, I looked for an alternative.
I bought a Brandrup Isolite blind (100701526) which sits in the window frame and is easily fitted and removed when necessary. Far less faffing about than with the standard blind.
This photo was taken on the first trial fit, showing how it sat in place without using any of the supplied Velcro pads.
I bought a Brandrup Isolite blind (100701526) which sits in the window frame and is easily fitted and removed when necessary. Far less faffing about than with the standard blind.
This photo was taken on the first trial fit, showing how it sat in place without using any of the supplied Velcro pads.
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
I’m thinking of the drawers, wondering how much space you lose.
LowMan
VIP Member
- Messages
- 393
- Vehicle
- T5 SE 140
Unquestionably it would be this... our "Foxy Journal" that we've used to keep a note of all our wonderful adventures in her x
capt kirk
VIP Member
In reality not much and you can adjust the spacing to get taller items in. We have them set up with all the essentials for tea and washing up so no faffing about looking for them.
Nick&Sara
we are really liking your Foxy Journal, what a lovely idea.
Hi, where do you get the shelves from ? Thanks
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
Not just the kids. That's what my hubby has to put up too! I get way too excited!Something big and bright to attach to the steering wheel to remind you to turn off the gas and unplug the electric hook up before you drive off (and clip shut the hook up flap)
Less is more. I am generally removing stuff now rather than adding.
Packing cubes.
Seat covers you have
A small tent/awning for the car seat and other day to day spare stuff/drying/loo when on site a small cheap tent will be enough for a single night. My two group 3 seats will (Just) fit in the boot under the shelf and allow you to make up the bed but the slightly bigger group 1s might not go under. Front footwell or front passenger seat. Once No 2 comes along you might need to think again, but we don’t need the tent for weekend trips now.
Also, if you have a 20 month old don’t be too despondent after one night if the excitement of sleeping in the Cali leads to frayed nerves, a long late night and an early morning, Our older children still get too excited on the first night away even now, but usually crash the next night.
This is my happy dance, even if we're just popping to the shops in the Cali
. I love it if I can't use the car and have to take it to work. Gives a real feel good feeling, like I'm on holiday.Not quite the same as I work from home and look at it on the drive. But it still cheers me up even if I just go and sit in it for a bit.
kaf2546
VIP Member
Late into second Cali and including experience of a 6 month Winter trip can advise that whatever you do you'll enjoy fine tuning and are guaranteed to have a room or shed full of stuff you don't need. Made me think what ideas I would carry over to a later van:
Wee Bialetti coffee pot.
Ridge monkey (or equivalent TF Gear).
A padded picnic bag thing that lives in bottom left cupboard and stores all pans plates and big cutlery so no rattling.
Couple pull out flexi plastic Ikea boxes live on top left shelf for food etc.
Porta potti on the Brandrup tray bottom right cupboard along with spare toilet fluid and washing liquids.
Collapsible bucket lives in tray above the toilet - real handy when using campsite washing up.
A couple cheap boot tidiers can be put between front seats, or beside rear bench for extra food, cables, head torch, batteries, cable ties, gaffer tape etc.
A Campinggaz Party grill stove with spare 907 bottle. We later ditched the spare as extra space and weight and just unhook the van one, fairly easy with practice and when we run out, which is not often, no hardship until we get another.
Brandrup front carpet cover.
Brandrup internal roof tent liner, wish that was standard!
Bike rack either towball or boot, pros and cons (used both).
Drive away Vango air beam awning good for long trips although takes up third the boot, ok with us but you might prefer the boot space.
Wardrobe used as big stuff sack for all bedding.
Mattress topper for bottom but we were ok up top without a topper.
Front side window top vents were good when stealth camping roof down.
Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
Actually, our best addition is one that we made ourselves: a false ceiling above the cabin. (I posted this nearly 2 years ago)
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
Just thought of something that is a big bonus for us. I have 2 stainless steel Thermos flasks that keep water seriously hot for 24 hours. Any water we boil that isn't used goes in them.
When we're camping I use my 1.5 ltr kellie kettle loads. As well as just for boiling water, cooking outside on top of it with the pot stand or starting/accelerating fuel for campfires or my Cobb. Storm kettles always must have water in them, so sometimes it's a happy bonus. Even if you are using it only for boiling water you can use free, foraged fuel, and boiling time is quick so it's worth doing a whole kettle and keeping some for later.
Our passenger seat stays facing forward as the dog's space so the flasks sit on the ledge when the seat's forward:
If we go out for the day, or are just on an overnight stopover, we boil the water at home and put the flasks in the back. Great for handwashing, especially at the mo.
When we're camping I use my 1.5 ltr kellie kettle loads. As well as just for boiling water, cooking outside on top of it with the pot stand or starting/accelerating fuel for campfires or my Cobb. Storm kettles always must have water in them, so sometimes it's a happy bonus. Even if you are using it only for boiling water you can use free, foraged fuel, and boiling time is quick so it's worth doing a whole kettle and keeping some for later.
Our passenger seat stays facing forward as the dog's space so the flasks sit on the ledge when the seat's forward:
If we go out for the day, or are just on an overnight stopover, we boil the water at home and put the flasks in the back. Great for handwashing, especially at the mo.
Last edited:
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
Ingeneous. Love the holes for the light switches and & socket.Actually, our best addition is one that we made ourselves: a false ceiling above the cabin. (I posted this nearly 2 years ago)
It's given me an idea. Will post if it works. If not, hey it'll distract me from home-working
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
Ikea Sunersta pots are really useful.
4 fit hooked in the back/top of the wardrobe permentently in situ using up dead space but storing odds and sods that you don't need all the time, like bug cream, emergency needle and thread, etc:
(The toothbrush holder is an Ikea tisken with suction cup on the mirror).
You can hang them from a Sunersta rail using Bigted's or other brackets and clip them on the little slide out blind with pockets next to the wardrobe in an Ocean. If you use Ikea Skadis pegboards you can clip them on to a top edge.
4 fit hooked in the back/top of the wardrobe permentently in situ using up dead space but storing odds and sods that you don't need all the time, like bug cream, emergency needle and thread, etc:
(The toothbrush holder is an Ikea tisken with suction cup on the mirror).
You can hang them from a Sunersta rail using Bigted's or other brackets and clip them on the little slide out blind with pockets next to the wardrobe in an Ocean. If you use Ikea Skadis pegboards you can clip them on to a top edge.
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
Couple of high viz vests stored under the drivers seat with the warning triangle.
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
A device with Internet (though usually a given these days). For all the times when you need to find out something about the van and it's either not included in the user manual or the info in it isn't correct.
For example, last year the tyre pressure warning came on so we diligently stopped and topped up. Then we went to turn off the annoying warning, imagining it would be the same as our vw Polo, just a reset button in the glove box. After looking to no avail, I checked the manual and it says yes, there's a button in the glove box - simples. But there's not one and no other info in the book. So after sitting for 5 minutes getting more and more frustrated I thought to access these forums on the Internet. A quick search on here found that yes, the manual's incorrect but there's the non-logical way to do it through Cali's computer menu. Saved my sanity in the middle of a long drive at the start of our hols.
Also I have to always check how to pack away our pop up toilet/shower tent. It has the brains of a rocking horse! Another sanity saver.
For example, last year the tyre pressure warning came on so we diligently stopped and topped up. Then we went to turn off the annoying warning, imagining it would be the same as our vw Polo, just a reset button in the glove box. After looking to no avail, I checked the manual and it says yes, there's a button in the glove box - simples. But there's not one and no other info in the book. So after sitting for 5 minutes getting more and more frustrated I thought to access these forums on the Internet. A quick search on here found that yes, the manual's incorrect but there's the non-logical way to do it through Cali's computer menu. Saved my sanity in the middle of a long drive at the start of our hols.
Also I have to always check how to pack away our pop up toilet/shower tent. It has the brains of a rocking horse! Another sanity saver.
capt kirk
VIP Member
Club shop
H
HamishEeyore
Although we love the sound of a whistling kettle boiling on gas we find it very useful to also take a small electric kettle. We use the gas when out and about and the electric kettle when hooked up - not to save money, but to enable the glass hob cover to be down giving some much appreciated worktop space. This only applies to the models with a split worktop. Taking 2 kettles does sound a bit crazy, but we find it worth it on balance.
Karlos
we always have 2 kettles, one for gas and one electric. All eventualities covered.
Jodalo
Excellent, very Wainwright-like.
Elly Swanson
Top Poster
VIP Member
Interesting. I take a kettle for gas and my Kellie kettle for outdoors. You can use free, foraged fuel (twigs, pinecones, dried dung, in fact anything solid you can set fire to, not spirit or gas) also purchased wood and charcoal.
Over flame it‘s very quick to boil and with accessories you can use it to cook on too (then the hot water is a happy bonus). It has its own firebox/stand but I also use it on my Charcoal Cobb oven/bbq/grill, just to boil water but also to start and accelerate the initial charcoal burn For cooking and it’s great to boil water with the last bit of oomph in the charcoal after a cook. It was a godsend at a festival when the dog had a bad tummy and all his bedding had to be washed. It’s also a great conversation starter, especially gratifying if a grumpy site warden comes over and grunts “you can’t use that thing here”, I just love it when I can show them it’s over bbq charcoal in an “allowed” charcoal bbq grill.
Karlos
Good grief Elly, your van must weigh about 5 tons with all your gear.Interesting. I take a kettle for gas and my Kellie kettle for outdoors. You can use free, foraged fuel (twigs, pinecones, dried dung, in fact anything solid you can set fire to, not spirit or gas) also purchased wood and charcoal.
Over flame it‘s very quick to boil and with accessories you can use it to cook on too (then the hot water is a happy bonus). It has its own firebox/stand but I also use it on my Charcoal Cobb oven/bbq/grill, just to boil water but also to start and accelerate the initial charcoal burn For cooking and it’s great to boil water with the last bit of oomph in the charcoal after a cook. It was a godsend at a festival when the dog had a bad tummy and all his bedding had to be washed. It’s also a great conversation starter, especially gratifying if a grumpy site warden comes over and grunts “you can’t use that thing here”, I just love it when I can show them it’s over bbq charcoal in an “allowed” charcoal bbq grill.
Similar threads
- Resto-raider
- Introduce Yourself
Useful links
VW California Club
![Comfort Insurance](https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/square20ad20image.jpg"")
About us
The VW California Club is the worlds largest resource for all owners and enthusiasts of VW California campervans.
