View from/of your van.

Tirol Camp Leutasch, Austria
It’s been raining cats and dogs for two days, no water coming through the canvas, no topper. Today before putting the top down to go for a drive, I just wiped the beaded water off the fabric beforehand. On arrival, no dampness had come through to the upper bed. This is something that VW really did right, at least on the T5.1.

EA9EA4B0-E368-45CE-B062-C579A5A32B51.jpeg34BD6BB1-757F-46A1-B4FD-BA421C806D02.jpeg23676A96-805B-4E7B-8E34-40F90F847418.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Tirol Camp Leutasch, Austria
It’s been raining cats and dogs for two days, no water coming through the canvas, no topper. Today before putting the top down to go for a drive, I just wiped the beaded water off the fabric beforehand. On arrival, no dampness had come through to the upper bed. This is something that VW really did right, at least on the T5.1.

View attachment 63960View attachment 63961View attachment 63962

How do you like it? Stayed there last year and had the impression it was "overrated" (4 Stars?). However enjoy your stay!
 
How do you like it? Stayed there last year and had the impression it was "overrated" (4 Stars?). However enjoy your stay!
The star rating has nothing to do with how good you think the site is. It has all to do with what facilities there are.
If the site has a shop, restaurant, swimming pool, sports facilities, animation, ... it will have 5 stars, regardless of the quality of it all.
 
How do you like it? Stayed there last year and had the impression it was "overrated" (4 Stars?). However enjoy your stay!
The site is excellent. Great views, perfect location for serious hiking/mountain biking, great bathrooms and showers, washing up facilities, washer, dryer, freezer for the use of campers. Sauna and swimming pool included in price. That said, we NEVER stay in places this well equipped and, well, expensive, but it was getting late and we knew we were in for two days of downpour, so decided to break from our usual stealth mode (park after 11pm, roof down, lights out, leave by 6:00). You can buy a cheap ticket to park for three days in designated overnight parking areas in these Austrian valleys while you hike a multi-day route, but you are not allowed to camp. We found that out the hard way (we had bought our 3 day ticket and had the roof up and table and chairs out) but the park ranger only gave us a warning instead of a very expensive fine. So, if you want to keep the price reasonable, it pays to look for one of the more moderately priced campsites. No reservation was necessary, which I’m sure is not usually the case. There is a wide range of campers here, from backpackers in tents to large motor homes to BMWs pulling trailers bigger that my flat in Barcelona. Not our usual scene, but it was nice to be able to wash up with hot water during the downpour outside. 38€ per night for 2 people and a Cali, no hookup.
 
Lovely foto's! Could you explain to me how your tailgate stays up with the bikes? If I have (lightweight mountainbikes) bikes on the tailgate it takes all my strength to open the tailgate and it sure as hell won't stay up. Stronger gas struts? If so what strength and isn't that bad for the hinges?
 
Roof space clear out run to the recycling centre.
Boxes for things I don't own anymore and boxes for things I didn't even own in the first place!
33561287741d3cb87a3ddd3687d53673.jpg
20ebfb75b2b6471f37e4e48eff00e28a.jpg


Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
 
Roof space clear out run to the recycling centre.
Boxes for things I don't own anymore and boxes for things I didn't even own in the first place!
33561287741d3cb87a3ddd3687d53673.jpg
20ebfb75b2b6471f37e4e48eff00e28a.jpg


Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
I feel your pain PC! I won’t show this to my hubby as he’d say we couldn’t afford the fuel for the amount of trips we’d need. :D
 
Lovely foto's! Could you explain to me how your tailgate stays up with the bikes? If I have (lightweight mountainbikes) bikes on the tailgate it takes all my strength to open the tailgate and it sure as hell won't stay up. Stronger gas struts? If so what strength and isn't that bad for the hinges?
These are my factory struts. The van was sold new in Germany... here’s the part number so you can compare. It’s hot now in the valleys in Austria , but for 5 weeks in Scotland last summer they held the bikes up with no trouble. If it’s cold or windy, I either prop it up with a broom handle or close it and sit snugly inside. I usually don’t have trouble lifting the tailgate with the bikes on, but for this trip I hurt my lumbar muscles carrying the second row seats which I removed in preparation! It’s getting better, as of a few days ago I can once again open the tailgate with bikes on.
BA8259A4-1C91-49DC-BFD9-3AAB58E6F948.jpeg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
These are my factory struts. The van was sold new in Germany... here’s the part number so you can compare. It’s hot now in the valleys in Austria , but for 5 weeks in Scotland last summer they held the bikes up with no trouble. If it’s cold or windy, I either prop it up with a broom handle or close it and sit snugly inside. I usually don’t have trouble lifting the tailgate with the bikes on, but in preparation for this trip I hurt my lumbar muscles carrying the second row seats which I removed in preparation! It’s getting better, as of a few days ago I can once again open the tailgate with bikes on.
View attachment 64062View attachment 64063
Added photo, a little blurry, but so am I from Cotes du Rhône:

6D049948-B23E-4C75-86D5-C119C8C503BF.jpeg
 
Lovely foto's! Could you explain to me how your tailgate stays up with the bikes? If I have (lightweight mountainbikes) bikes on the tailgate it takes all my strength to open the tailgate and it sure as hell won't stay up. Stronger gas struts? If so what strength and isn't that bad for the hinges?
I’m curios: let me know if you have a different part number. It seems a lot of owners in the UK have struts which don’t hold bikes up. Uh oh, I feel another cam belt scam exposé coming on!
 
Lovely foto's! Could you explain to me how your tailgate stays up with the bikes? If I have (lightweight mountainbikes) bikes on the tailgate it takes all my strength to open the tailgate and it sure as hell won't stay up. Stronger gas struts? If so what strength and isn't that bad for the hinges?
PPS: BE SURE to turn the handle bars on the bikes and take care in locating the gripping arms, or you will dent your roof if you open the tailgate with bikes on when the roof is up. I have this down to a science, but I learned the hard way.
 
PPS: BE SURE to turn the handle bars on the bikes and take care in locating the gripping arms, or you will dent your roof if you open the tailgate with bikes on when the roof is up. I have this down to a science, but I learned the hard way.
Good and useful tip for anyone reading this now! Wish I had read it 6 months ago :-( haha Luckily the spray paint shop that did my roof corossion repair was kind enough to take the dent out of the roof edge, without even asking me. I was happily surprised. :)
 

Similar threads

S
Replies
4
Views
2K
YorkshireHeathen
YorkshireHeathen
Beachbum140
Replies
1
Views
2K
WelshGas
WelshGas
B
Replies
29
Views
4K
Hawthorn37
Hawthorn37

VW California Club

Back
Top