What have you bought for your Cali today :-)

[Vagophile]

A ferry ticket from Ardnurmurchan to Mull

Interesting ferry cargo - two camper vans. Was there any other traffic?

 

[BeagleMum]

Interesting ferry cargo - two camper vans. Was there any other traffic?

No just us & a transporter

 

[GillianC]

A new step. The first one I ran over at Pease Pottage Services and the second has got a dodgy leg so I don't trust it. New blue one on the way.

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[MickyTwoPints]

Today I invested in a mini projector and screen ready for those long cold winters evenings. Quite happy with the result really.

 

[IainB]

Today I invested in a mini projector and screen ready for those long cold winters eveningsView attachment 85645. Quite happy with the result really.

Nice, can I ask what you have used to hang the screen up?

 

[MickyTwoPints]

I watched the video in this thread where they seem to use treasury tags slotted into the thin gap at the top of the roof.

I didn't have any of those so I made my own by cutting four bits about an inch and a half/2 inches long from an old metal coat hanger, cutting a dent in the middle to keep the line in place and tied them together using some fishing line I had. It was a little fiddly turning them 90 degrees into the slot but I got there after a few minutes.

I've since lowered the screen a little since taking this photo so that it now rests on the base to take some of the weight.

 

[IainB]

I watched the video in this thread where they seem to use treasury tags slotted into the thin gap at the top of the roof.

I didn't have any of those so I made my own by cutting four bits about an inch and a half/2 inches long from an old metal coat hanger, cutting a dent in the middle to keep the line in place and tied them together using some fishing line I had. It was a little fiddly turning them 90 degrees into the slot but I got there after a few minutes.

I've since lowered the screen a little since taking this photo so that it now rests on the base to take some of the weight.

Thanks for the information, will give it a go.

 

[bob_summers]

FYI The Picopresso is back in stock, about to pull the trigger on one

edit: Oooff was dearer than I thought. Didn't realise it's 125Eur plus VAT.

Worked out 157Eur plus shipping from official Wacaco site, or 143Eur inc shipping from "official"(?) Wacaco Aliexpress shop, but won't ship til 25th Oct.

Arrived today. Made two shots: first one p"·*ed through, the second completely choked and the safety valve opened. Question of getting the grind dialled in, but it takes a lot longer to clean and set up again than, say, an Aeropress. Can't wait to get it right, it does look like it'll do a proper shot.

 

[subthree]

A new awning from California Camping in Germany - hope to try it in the next couple of days.

I ordered the "short" (vertical) front panel which goes straight down, the same as the Comfortz one. Then Ulli called me a couple of weeks ago and said "Sorry, we made you a long front panel. I can ship that to you today and I'll send you the two triangular side panels for free. Is that ok?". Eh, yes! Wow, what service - those triangular panels are 120 Euros. So our new complete awning looks like the photo below with the two-tone finish. The side panel extends 1.2m further from the edge of the Thule awning. The material is the same as the Brandrup panels - Airtex 240.

Just now I have found that in the tailgate I can pack; 2 Helinox Sunset chairs, 2 side panels, 2 triangular panels and the front panel inside the VW chairs! Very, very happy with that.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

A new awning from California Camping in Germany - hope to try it in the next couple of days.

I ordered the "short" (vertical) front panel which goes straight down, the same as the Comfortz one. Then Ulli called me a couple of weeks ago and said "Sorry, we made you a long front panel. I can ship that to you today and I'll send you the two triangular side panels for free. Is that ok?". Eh, yes! Wow, what service - those triangular panels are 120 Euros. So our new complete awning looks like the photo below with the two-tone finish. The side panel extends 1.2m further from the edge of the Thule awning. The material is the same as the Brandrup panels - Airtex 240.

Just now I have found that in the tailgate I can pack; 2 Helinox Sunset chairs, 2 side panels, 2 triangular panels and the front panel inside the VW chairs! Very, very happy with that.

View attachment 85850

View attachment 85851

Really good @subthree and much more spacious than the Comfortz awning room we have.

 

[subthree]

Really good @subthree and much more spacious than the Comfortz awning room we have.

What I really like is you specify which panels you want the door/window, whether you want a shade behind the window. Very flexible arrangement.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

What I really like is you specify which panels you want the door/window, whether you want a shade behind the window. Very flexible arrangement.

I do find the Comfortz awning room to be OK but perhaps it feels a little small with front both sides installed. We also have the Outwell Hillcrest tarp for flexibility and have just bought the matching Outwell Fallcrest sides from a club member. If I was starting from scratch would go for the one you’ve bought I think.

 

[Loz]

Bought a 6 pack of glass break alarms 4 in the house and 2 for the Cali. If anyone tries to bang the sliding window in, it sets off a 130db sounder.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07B2T394G/?tag=vwcalifornia-21

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Bought a 6 pack of glass break alarms 4 in the house and 2 for the Cali. If anyone tries to bang the sliding window in, it sets off a 130db sounder.
View attachment 86078

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07B2T394G/?tag=vwcalifornia-21

Hope they don’t go off if you hit a pothole in the road @Loz

 

[McGoogly]

I’ve been looking at the Brandrup Airscreen but decided that £80 plus postage was ridiculous so I bought some acrylic sheet cut to size (80cm x 55cm) and pre-drilled with three holes along the bottom edge (https://www.acrylicsheetcuttosize.co.uk) for £26 and some suction cups from Amazon for about £4 - and voila! A cheaper solution to allow me to have the sliding window open in the pouring rain which is the only kind of weather we ever experience on holiday!

 

[subthree]

I’ve been looking at the Brandrup Airscreen but decided that £80 plus postage was ridiculous so I bought some acrylic sheet cut to size (80cm x 55cm) and pre-drilled with three holes along the bottom edge (https://www.acrylicsheetcuttosize.co.uk) for £26 and some suction cups from Amazon for about £4 - and voila! A cheaper solution to allow me to have the sliding window open in the pouring rain which is the only kind of weather we ever experience on holiday!

View attachment 86259

Looks excellent, well done.

Have you put anything on the top edge to help fix it into the channel?

 

[McGoogly]

Looks excellent, well done.

Have you put anything on the top edge to help fix it into the channel?

No. It seems to sit in there quite happily. I did manage to crack the acrylic the first time I tried to take it down because the suction caps are so strong. Rookie error but it still works fine. I just had to reinforce it with some clear Gorilla tape.

 

[Cali Phillip]

No. It seems to sit in there quite happily. I did manage to crack the acrylic the first time I tried to take it down because the suction caps are so strong. Rookie error but it still works fine. I just had to reinforce it with some clear Gorilla tape.

I used thin polycarbonate sheet, more robust I thought.

 

[Perfectos]

Posted here to help others:

Just been out to my van to give it a clean

guess what I found ?

below are photos of a Brand new seal fitted following the second failure of a roof seal. This seal was fitted two weeks ago !

you can clearly see the rust on the tape (tape applied by the dealer, at my request following a failure of the previous seal along the front edge) fortunately the rust has wiped off and the dealer had been informed of the failure Of the new part !

This is an absolute disgrace by VW, this is a new part supplied to the dealer, that has subsequently failed within weeks !

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Posted here to help others:

Just been out to my van to give it a clean

guess what I found ?

below are photos of a Brand new seal fitted following the second failure of a roof seal. This seal was fitted two weeks ago !

you can clearly see the rust on the tape (tape applied by the dealer, at my request following a failure of the previous seal along the front edge) fortunately the rust has wiped off and the dealer had been informed of the failure Of the new part !

This is an absolute disgrace by VW, this is a new part supplied to the dealer, that has subsequently failed within weeks !

View attachment 86485

View attachment 86486

View attachment 86487

Not good. For my reference do people lift the seal on a regular basis to check for rust i.e. annually? Is rust here a common problem?

 

[Perfectos]

Not good. For my reference do people lift the seal on a regular basis to check for rust i.e. annually? Is rust here a common problem?

Hi GG

I check mine twice a year since new and this is the third instance of rust, all in Different places!

The seals are not fit for purpose and should be checked regularly, interestingly the dealer would rather you left it !

When I pointed out, to the dealer, that this seal is Brand New ( 2 weeks old) and it has failed & if left the result would be a £4K warranty repair and a year long wait for said repair, I was met with Silence!

it’s a fact that VW have designed and continue to fit a part that is not fit for purpose, this site has been banging on about it since God was a Boy.

VW offer a one off repair!
when that fails, as many have (look on the forum) you are on your own or your left to argue with VW’s nominated repair co.
yes the repair compayny VW send you to but don’t warrant their work !
The repair company have no interest in doing another repair (the details of which are probably specified by VW) for free, particularly as the original job probably didn’t pay too well either !

VW knowing this, simply stick a bit of tape on three sides of the roof to slow down the process (Probably reduce the incidence of in warranty claims enough to justify VW doing nothing about the wider Known issue)
If your roof seal fails (becomes rusty) the chances of your roof getting the dreaded corrosion are very high if left for a period of time.

The front of the roof is at risk as much as the sides, two failures of seals along the front section have proved that.

Check and clean you roof edge and roof seal regularly, treat it as part of your maintenance regime.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Hi GG

I check mine twice a year since new and this is the third instance of rust, all in Different places!

The seals are not fit for purpose and should be checked regularly, interestingly the dealer would rather you left it !

When I pointed out, to the dealer, that this seal is Brand New ( 2 weeks old) and it has failed & if left the result would be a £4K warranty repair and a year long wait for said repair, I was met with Silence!

it’s a fact that VW have designed and continue to fit a part that is not fit for purpose, this site has been banging on about it since God was a Boy.

VW offer a one off repair!
when that fails, as many have (look on the forum) you are on your own or your left to argue with VW’s nominated repair co.
yes the repair compayny VW send you to but don’t warrant their work !
The repair company have no interest in doing another repair (the details of which are probably specified by VW) for free, particularly as the original job probably didn’t pay too well either !

VW knowing this, simply stick a bit of tape on three sides of the roof to slow down the process (Probably reduce the incidence of in warranty claims enough to justify VW doing nothing about the wider Known issue)
If your roof seal fails (becomes rusty) the chances of your roof getting the dreaded corrosion are very high if left for a period of time.

The front of the roof is at risk as much as the sides, two failures of seals along the front section have proved that.

Check and clean you roof edge and roof seal regularly, treat it as part of your maintenance regime.

Thanks @Perfectos will check mine on the next dry day. Is a smear of Waxoil or similar a worthwile precaution?

 

[Perfectos]

Thanks @Perfectos will check mine on the next dry day. Is a smear of Waxoil or similar a worthwile precaution?

I can’t see that adding anything will effectively stop the rust particles from touching your roof, once the rust forms it’s able to penetrate the paint and react with the Aluminium which then corrodes and bubbles the paintwork and so the process goes on !
the method adopted by VW, create an impermeable barrier, appears to be the most reliable long term but does rely on you noticing when the seal fails and the rust form , then change the roof seal ASAP warranty of £75 per pop if out of warranty!

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I can’t see that adding anything will effectively stop the rust particles from touching your roof, once the rust forms it’s able to penetrate the paint and react with the Aluminium which then corrodes and bubbles the paintwork and so the process goes on !
the method adopted by VW, create an impermeable barrier, appears to be the most reliable long term but does rely on you noticing when the seal fails and the rust form , then change the roof seal ASAP warranty of £75 per pop if out of warranty!

Thanks.

 

[Dell]

Today, I received a set of air vents for front windows. really look the part and I think they are much better than wind deflectors.