Too tall for a Cali?

[TripleBee]

Wow. I thought I was big, but with my 195cm I am just a small boy between the big guys over here.
When I sit upright at the steering wheel (left hand driving) the seat is completely at the back, and the back of the seat has a print of the kitchen on it. When I sit very straight my 6 mm hair on my head brushes the roof blind (which stays closed now after I have found a solution).
The bed, well, it's feet against the tent and cushion half over the mattress at the front. Even diagonal in the top bed is just doable.
Looks like you will have to not share the beds, but both have your own bed? One on top and one downstairs?

 

[westfalia]

Wow. I thought I was big, but with my 195cm I am just a small boy between the big guys over here.
When I sit upright at the steering wheel (left hand driving) the seat is completely at the back, and the back of the seat has a print of the kitchen on it. When I sit very straight my 6 mm hair on my head brushes the roof blind (which stays closed now after I have found a solution).
The bed, well, it's feet against the tent and cushion half over the mattress at the front. Even diagonal in the top bed is just doable.
Looks like you will have to not share the beds, but both have your own bed? One on top and one downstairs?

Maybe you need to have a haircut.

 

[TripleBee]

Maybe you need to have a haircut.

Might go to America for a descalpation (<- word?) then?

 

[Skylark2.0]

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

Our 6'4" son says sleep upstairs with your head at the front and get used to sleeping with your feet in the hatch. He has a longer than usual single quilt which go over them. If you don't company you could sleep diagonally? The upstairs bed is one of the biggest campervan beds on the market!

 

[toni39]

I will just have to see how do proportions stuck up .

The other problem is obviously convincing myself and my other half to spend ~ 45000 eur for good used cali with less than 50000 km on the clock (to be used as main and only vehicle for the next ~ 10 years).

 

[TripleBee]

I will just have to see how do proportions stuck up .

The other problem is obviously convincing myself and my other half to spend ~ 45000 eur for good used cali with less than 50000 km on the clock (to be used as main and only vehicle for the next ~ 10 years).

Why spend 45000 on a new car where you can't sleep in well, cook your diner, have a private wine/beer cooler, sit in relaxed with good traffic overview, if you can have a California?

 

[SailSki]

I used to do that with a Renault 5 with a fabric roof.
Must have looked like Mr. Bean

 

[WelshGas]

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

You can get a cut down lowered seat base for the Transporter that will fit, easily swopped, and also fit a 3rd party swivel base so you could swivel the front drivers seat and retain the height adjustment. The plastic seat base trim wouldn't fit but something could be done to make it look good.

 

[Barbara]

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

Just a comment for your wife. I am 5ft (1.5m ish) and it is prefect to drive but the seat belt needs a pad to stop it riding up to my neck. I made my own, put poppers on it instead of Velcro which catches on clothes but they are easily available. I find most cars seat belts even with adjustments on the pillar still need a pad.