Too tall for a Cali?

[thetallguy]

I am looking at buying a California for us - myself, my wife and two boys (nearly six and nearly a year) - probably handing over hard earned cash in around a year. We did the sensible thing and visited our local VW Commercials dealer in Exeter and had a look around a T6 Ocean. It's perfect, except for one thing...

My wife is 5'0". I'm not. At 6'5" I'm certainly on the taller size of average to the point that vehicles can be a challenge. In fact, I've had to test drive cars reasonably early in the morning as I lose around 1.5 inches through the day (I once bought a Fiesta van late in the afternoon and couldn't work out why I couldn't drive it the following morning with my head bent double against the roof...

So we tried the beds - all good. We tried standing up with the roof up - all good. Then I sat in the driver's seat - less good. Basically my head was brushing against the roller blind. It seemed survivable, though not ideal. The van was brand new and did have the rotating seats.

On this basis, here are my questions:

1) Do the seats squish down a bit over the first few thousand miles? I'll be parking my 16st frame on it so that should help it on its way, no? If that's the case then problem solved - I'll just have to live with it for a few months. Or only drive it in the afternoon.

2) Looking at the current options list online, it would seem that you can (at last) specify a height adjustable seat on one side and a rotating seat on the other. If this were the case, and I went for a rotating seat for the passenger side and a height adjustable seat for the driver's side, how much lower would it go (at its lowest) compared to having rotators on both sides? I accept that it could affect residuals, but I'm not too bothered as we'd be hanging on to it for (hopefully) many years. I definitely don't want non-rotating seats on both sides though.

Any other thoughts warmly welcomed...

Tom

 

[andyinluton]

Would your wife ever need to drive it? you might find that you won't fit in the passenger seat as the rearwards movement is restricted by the sink.

There was a thread on here about using an aftermarket swivel mechanism on a none swivelling seat, that suggested the swivel was thiner than the VW one resulting in a lower seat might be worth looking into.

Could you not just raise the front of the roof by 12 inches & look out the front roof window when you drive?

 

[thetallguy]

Now that's the sort of practical advice I was looking for! Having owned a Smart Cabrio at my height, I'm used to ridicule... Anyway, wouldn't raising the roof 12" affect fuel consumption?

Yes, my wife would regularly drive it, and found the height of the standard swivel seat very comfortable when we were in the dealership. I'm not sure that it would be an issue if there wasn't much space in the front passenger seat as I could just turf one of the kids into the front and sit in the back with my legs outstretched!

 

[2into1]

I'm assuming you had the steering wheel fully adjusted (reach and rake?) to see if you could adopt a more reclined position? (Although the seating position does suit a 'truck driver' upright back)

That blind never stays shut (even after 13 years of opportunity for VW to fix it), so you would get temporary relief after the first acceleration .......until the 'tent' becomes a hat!

I'm 6'3" and remember it being a bit tight when I had a T5 SE

 

[Teejay]

Not entirely sure but I believe he seat doesn't go any lower it only goes up from the standard Ocean seat.

 

[Big Bloke]

I'm 6ft 5 (17.5 st), the wife is 5ft 2. We've had our Beach for 2 & half years with no problems at all. If I sit very upright I can feel that my head is not far from the ellavating roof cover/blind.......perhaps I slouch a bit when driving? We've undertaken an almost 5k trip up into Scandinavia, a 2k trip down to Croatia and most recently a 2k trip around Northern Spain, with no back problems due to the driving position in the Calli. We have another T5, that is my work van, which has a non swivelling captain seat, which gives me more headroom & is possibly more comfortable than the Calli.

 

[Hotel California]

Welcome , how tall is that in cm ?

Beware that placing a lower seat you might end up having a problem with your legs?

 

[kave]

Well, that is 198cm, I am 186cm and even I am really close to the roof, but without actually touching it. Can you test a Caravelle? I guess that is as close to a California with height adjustable seats you can get.

 

[thetallguy]

Thank you all for your comments. I think that I'll hire one from the Exeter dealership as that should have a few miles under it's belt, and perhaps an inch or so of seat squishing from the drivers before me!

 

[Skylark2.0]

Why not just open the hatch and make a hole in the roof fabric?
It won't get any better than a designed hole in the roof you know.
My son is 6'4" and loves it, mind you, he used to squeeze into a hard top Torota Granvia with determination!

 

[pjm-84]

I'm 194cm so just a tad under 6ft 5in. However I have relatively short legs and a long back! My head just brushes the top so I have added a little more rake to the seat.

 

[pjm-84]

Also keep my hair cut short!

 

[T6 CFO]

Thank you all for your comments. I think that I'll hire one from the Exeter dealership as that should have a few miles under it's belt, and perhaps an inch or so of seat squishing from the drivers before me!

Good move and I'm sure you will be able to work out a solution. Cycling mate of mine is 6'9" but he is particularly long in leg rather than body and fits in most motors. He's awesome to draft on the flats but bikes cost him a fortune.
Like I said sure you'll sort it. Keeps us posted.



Mike

 

[AlanC]

Remember to duck when you get in through the side door.
The edge of the pull down screen doesn't 'alf hurt !!!!! {

Alan

 

[Eye2iart]

Similar height discrepancy for us; I'm 6'6" and my wife is 5'4". I'm usually ok driving any VAG vehicle, and our Cali is OK but only just. I've also got ample headroom, but ours is a 2007 vehicle, so maybe that makes a difference? My wife finds the drivers seat a little too low for her.

We prefer sleeping upstairs too - in fact it was the size of the bed that clinched us getting a Cali.

As a passenger though, I prefer sitting in the rear (for the legroom, but can also reach the beers and food...)

 

[d1rtym0nk3y]

I'm 6'5" and don't find headroom an issue, it's tight thoigh. I like to think I have a good upright posture, and keep the seat back quit upright. Our 2015 T5 had swivel seats with alcantara, all things considered they're not the most comfy seat, but I've survived some pretty long day driving.

My wife is also tiny at 5'1" which helps with fitting into the downstairs bed, and the kids ( 6 & 3) love sleeping up top.

If in doubt rent one for a weekend to get a proper feel for it.

 

[Borris]

I am looking at buying a California for us - myself, my wife and two boys (nearly six and nearly a year) - probably handing over hard earned cash in around a year. We did the sensible thing and visited our local VW Commercials dealer in Exeter and had a look around a T6 Ocean. It's perfect, except for one thing...

My wife is 5'0". I'm not. At 6'5" I'm certainly on the taller size of average to the point that vehicles can be a challenge. In fact, I've had to test drive cars reasonably early in the morning as I lose around 1.5 inches through the day (I once bought a Fiesta van late in the afternoon and couldn't work out why I couldn't drive it the following morning with my head bent double against the roof...

So we tried the beds - all good. We tried standing up with the roof up - all good. Then I sat in the driver's seat - less good. Basically my head was brushing against the roller blind. It seemed survivable, though not ideal. The van was brand new and did have the rotating seats.

On this basis, here are my questions:

1) Do the seats squish down a bit over the first few thousand miles? I'll be parking my 16st frame on it so that should help it on its way, no? If that's the case then problem solved - I'll just have to live with it for a few months. Or only drive it in the afternoon.

2) Looking at the current options list online, it would seem that you can (at last) specify a height adjustable seat on one side and a rotating seat on the other. If this were the case, and I went for a rotating seat for the passenger side and a height adjustable seat for the driver's side, how much lower would it go (at its lowest) compared to having rotators on both sides? I accept that it could affect residuals, but I'm not too bothered as we'd be hanging on to it for (hopefully) many years. I definitely don't want non-rotating seats on both sides though.

Any other thoughts warmly welcomed...

Tom

 

[Borris]

Hello Tom,
I doubt if the seat base will squash down that much over time. I imagine that VW wouldn't want their seats to change their characteristics like that so design them to resist too much permanent deformation. Still they might just give a little.

IMO if you are going to get a Cali you need the swivel seats. They make the vehicle much more versatile for all the occupants. With one seat fixed in the forward position you would loose some of the practicality.

Also I would be very surprised if the other non swivelling Comfort seats give you anymore head room. However it would be best to find a van with those fitted and give it a test drive.

Having thought about your post, two things come to mind:

1 Why not ask your local dealer for an extended test drive for two or three days to see how you get on with the standard swivel seats. If the dealer doesn't agree then why not hire one for a long test.

2. You could try discussing this issue with a reputable coach trimmer. I don't know how the front seats are constructed but they might be able to replace and retrim the seat base padding with something that still provides a similar level of comfort but allows you to sit lower in the seat. It is amazing what they can do by shaping and bonding various densities of foam. If it were me, I would try and source a similar but second hand Cali driving seat to experiment with. There are companies on Ebay that seem to have lots of Cali interior parts for sale.

If all else fails you could try a conversion instead.

I hope you get things sorted and place your order soon. Happy adventures. It will change your life.

 

[AlisonF]

I'm assuming you had the steering wheel fully adjusted (reach and rake?) to see if you could adopt a more reclined position? (Although the seating position does suit a 'truck driver' upright back)

That blind never stays shut (even after 13 years of opportunity for VW to fix it), so you would get temporary relief after the first acceleration .......until the 'tent' becomes a hat!

I'm 6'3" and remember it being a bit tight when I had a T5 SE

The overhead 'blind' stays shut better with an internal topper (albeit harder to close)
Now @T4WFA, I thought your previous threads said 6'4"... are you shrinking...?

 

[toni39]

I am in the same boat. Currently thinking about getting a used California, however being a 6'.7" (204 cm), the first thing that is causing me worries is bed length. Looking at VW specifications, bed length both up and down in California is 2 meters. At home I am used to sleep in 30-40cm longer bed that my actual height (for most comfort). Although I sleep most of the time on my side and I dont need such length, I always find myself lying on the back as least some time which requirs a longer bed. I am wonder how do longer owners find bed length in California and are there some temporary modifications to make it longer?

Fiting beind the drivers seat is another issue ofcourse

 

[B J G]

The height problem is related to your body length rather than total height. Short legs and long body are a problem.

Only solution I've come across is removal of the seat swivel mechanism.

 

[thetallguy]

I’m a mere 6’5” and I specified our MY18 Ocean with a height adjustable driver’s seat and the standard swivel passenger seat. It is a compromise during meals with only one front seat swivelling but worthwhile overall.

As regards other issues, I find the passenger seat to be pretty cramped in terms of both headroom and legroom and the seat doesn’t go far back due to the kitchen sink. In fact, I’ll generally put one of the kids up front if my wife (5’0”) is driving, and I’ll stretch out in the back.

I find the downstairs bed absolutely fine but the upstairs bed works best with my head to the rear of the vehicle and my feet hanging over the hatch. Of course, this way round I’m at the wrong end for the light switches, etc.

The only other real challenge is the bending double bit to get in through the sliding door. I’m more used to it now, and once inside with the upper bed lifted into the roof, it’s fine, but I have returned from a few days away absolutely crippled.

So my advice: rent one and try it, and if you’re anywhere near Devon, you’re welcome to try the height-adjustable seat in ours.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Meoncoast]

Stick your feet out of the tailgate.
I guess you put some sort of board in to fill gap between rear bench and front seats.

 

[2into1]

You can of course make the downstairs bed 7' long if you want by removing the stops in the rails.....it's just you'll have a 12"' gap 1/3rd of the way down! I'm sure there is a creative way to fill that gap (perhaps just do 6") with carefully selected packing boxes or similar in the boot. The rear part of the mattress can be dragged forward, and the gap at the tailgate filled with an extra pillow. Just an idea to experiment with.

 

[SailSki]

I’m 2.00m / 6’7” and find both beds absolutely fine for length.
Both upstairs and downstairs I sleep with my head at the back and have no issues except a caterpillar shuffle to get in/out of the top bed. However i still find that better than folding my long legs up to swivel around and then still shuffle to the right position of head towards the front.