What have you done with your California today?

[Vagophile]

Had the hook up on overnight. All batteries now 13.4 V. As recommended by @Boris ran the heater for 30 minutes. It's the first time that I have done this; it's noisier and smellier than I expected, but that may just be lack of use. We'll see.

 

[Calimili]

I already have a solar panel and victron controller wired to the leisure side of the Cali, this is just an addition to transfer charge over to the vehicle battery.

Loz, worst case but very possible realistic scenario, your LBs are at 100% while the SB at 75%. By connecting LBs and SB with such a cable, with such a sudden transfer of power as the batteries try to equalise, is there a way to calculate of many ampere would will pass through? I am concerned it may blow the fuse of either cig socket.
This is not a critic, it's a genuine question, that applies more to me than to you as you are likely to have both SB and LBs already at similiar charge level due to your modification employing a dc-dc charger and bypassing the relay that connects/disconnecr SB to LBs. Thx

 

[campandfly]

Loz, worst case but very possible realistic scenario, your LBs are at 100% while the SB at 75%. By connecting LBs and SB with such a cable, with such a sudden transfer of power as the batteries try to equalise, is there a way to calculate of many ampere would will pass through? I am concerned it may blow the fuse of either cig socket.
This is not a critic, it's a genuine question, that applies more to me than to you as you are likely to have both SB and LBs already at similiar charge level due to your modification employing a dc-dc charger and bypassing the relay that connects/disconnecr SB to LBs. Thx

Mine is fused. So hopefully protected. I hope not to let the difference be a large one in any case.
I DO NOT intend to use this cable when on hook up though.
Yes it would be useful if there is a calculation for balancing batteries.

 

[Jay20cali]

Washed it and it wasn’t even dirty

 

[Loz]

Loz, worst case but very possible realistic scenario, your LBs are at 100% while the SB at 75%. By connecting LBs and SB with such a cable, with such a sudden transfer of power as the batteries try to equalise, is there a way to calculate of many ampere would will pass through? I am concerned it may blow the fuse of either cig socket.
This is not a critic, it's a genuine question, that applies more to me than to you as you are likely to have both SB and LBs already at similiar charge level due to your modification employing a dc-dc charger and bypassing the relay that connects/disconnecr SB to LBs. Thx

The fuses In the plugs are lower than the socket fuses so they would blow first.
With the vehicle at 80% and the leisure batteries at 100% the control panel was showing a draw of 4.2 amps initially.

 

[WelshGas]

Any green mould on the window rubbers? Toothbrush got it off?

Caravan cleaner by Autoglym gets rid of that.

 

[WelshGas]

Went for a drive in the California - to the local Farm Shop to collect our order.
You stay in the vehicle, they bring the order to you and pop it in the boot.

 

[TripleBee]

I have done nothing with my California today, as I didn't for the last few weeks apart from giving it a good clean.
I had taken off my awning and awning brackets, changed my right hydraulic roof cylinder and came to some conclusions:

The right ram had some rust on the piece that holds the arm for the roof (will take some pictures later), so I changed it for the left ram (that I changed before to try to solve the sagging roof).
And also the nuts, for holding the awning brackets on the awning rail, are quite rusty. One of them was kind of falling apart, so I made some new ones from RVS.

 

[Borris]

I moved it twenty five feet, cut the grass then moved it back again and that's as far as I've been in it for over three weeks!

 

[TripleBee]

I moved it twenty five feet, cut the grass then moved it back again and that's as far as I've been in it for over three weeks!

I hope you did a little drive up and down your street to park it back on another spot on the tyres to prevent flat spots?

 

[westfalia]

I have done nothing with my California today, as I didn't for the last few weeks apart from giving it a good clean.
I had taken off my awning and awning brackets, changed my right hydraulic roof cylinder and came to some conclusions:

The right ram had some rust on the piece that holds the arm for the roof (will take some pictures later), so I changed it for the left ram (that I changed before to try to solve the sagging roof).
And also the nuts, for holding the awning brackets on the awning rail, are quite rusty. One of them was kind of falling apart, so I made some new ones from RVS.

View attachment 57262
View attachment 57263
View attachment 57264
View attachment 57265

I did the same with the awning nuts - changed for stainless steel,
the front one wouldn't unscrew all the way and started to round so had to jiggle the bracket down
to the end to release it then i got it off.

Couldn't find any the right size - off the shelf so had to make them.

 

[Borris]

I hope you did a little drive up and down your street to park it back on another spot on the tyres to prevent flat spots?

No afraid not. It'll give it character.

 

[California4x4]

Some small parts arrived today in a large box. There was a surprise VW Easter bunny - nice touch. Now to repair the sliding door.

 

[Wongo]

Fitted the pull out shelf from the shop, straightforward and a well made robust piece of kit, carried our cutting up some rubber for the shelf base.

 

[T6 CFO]

After giving the Cali a good wash, clean and charge I was surprised to find the battery very low a few days later.
Discovered I’d accidentally hit the tailgate light switch.
Charged up again only to discover battery a couple of days later was at 90% hmmmm
Discovered I’d hit the top of my USB adapter that turns on a light to show its active, plugs in to right of bench.
Back on charge. 3rd time lucky.



Mike

 

[TripleBee]

After giving the Cali a good wash, clean and charge I was surprised to find the battery very low a few days later.
Discovered I’d accidentally hit the tailgate light switch.
Charged up again only to discover battery a couple of days later was at 90% hmmmm
Discovered I’d hit the top of my USB adapter that turns on a light to show its active, plugs in to right of bench.
Back on charge. 3rd time lucky.



Mike

You might find out tomorrow you accidentally did it right this time?

 

[soulstyledevon]

Went for a drive in the California - to the local Farm Shop to collect our order.
You stay in the vehicle, they bring the order to you and pop it in the boot.

On the weekends a local Pizza company has gone mobile and set up a trailer pizza oven drive thru at the local Rugby club.
You must preorder and get allocated a time slot to collect.
Stay in the vehicle and they drop it on your roof when you arrive and park.

I know some will say it’s not essential. But it’s helping keep a local company going...

 

[SailSki]

Had a go at building some storage next to the sliding seat - inspired by Calisolar.ch but dumbstruck by their prices.
Made from 3mm ACM in Silver from wholesalepos on fleebay. Enough left over from a 100x50cm sheet to do another part too.
Struggled to get it looking as good as I had in mind - found the ACM easy to work with, but after trying with epoxy ended up using clear Gorilla tape (similar to helicopter tape) and will see how it lasts. May re-stick a couple of parts to make it look a bit slicker at some point

 

[campandfly]

Had a go at building some storage next to the sliding seat - inspired by Calisolar.ch but dumbstruck by their prices.
Made from 3mm ACM in Silver from wholesalepos on fleebay. Enough left over from a 100x50cm sheet to do another part too.
Struggled to get it looking as good as I had in mind - found the ACM easy to work with, but after trying with epoxy ended up using clear Gorilla tape (similar to helicopter tape) and will see how it lasts. May re-stick a couple of parts to make it look a bit slicker at some point
View attachment 57312

Nice work well done !

 

[SailSki]

Thanks @campandfly. Happy to share the measurements of the panels if anyone is interested. Wish I had taken more time with the finishing as it would have looked better close up, but at 41quid for the ACM plus some absorbing hobby time I’m fairly happy

 

[campandfly]

Thanks @campandfly. Happy to share the measurements of the panels if anyone is interested. Wish I had taken more time with the finishing as it would have looked better close up, but at 41quid for the ACM plus some absorbing hobby time I’m fairly happy

Yes please for the measurements. If you have a strip of that ACM left over you could make a strip for your side door table storage. SEE HERE https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/side-door-table-storage.17752/post-411205

 

[kurienp]

Had a go at building some storage next to the sliding seat - inspired by Calisolar.ch but dumbstruck by their prices.
Made from 3mm ACM in Silver from wholesalepos on fleebay. Enough left over from a 100x50cm sheet to do another part too.
Struggled to get it looking as good as I had in mind - found the ACM easy to work with, but after trying with epoxy ended up using clear Gorilla tape (similar to helicopter tape) and will see how it lasts. May re-stick a couple of parts to make it look a bit slicker at some point
View attachment 57312

Nice one SailSki. A question - how does it stay in place? What/where have you attached it to?

Thanks

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[sapto]

Had a go at building some storage next to the sliding seat - inspired by Calisolar.ch but dumbstruck by their prices.
Made from 3mm ACM in Silver from wholesalepos on fleebay. Enough left over from a 100x50cm sheet to do another part too.
Struggled to get it looking as good as I had in mind - found the ACM easy to work with, but after trying with epoxy ended up using clear Gorilla tape (similar to helicopter tape) and will see how it lasts. May re-stick a couple of parts to make it look a bit slicker at some point
View attachment 57312

Saw it over there too...yours look exactly the sameGreat work!

 

[Wesel]

Yesterday: nothing
today: nothing
tomorrow: nothing.....

Good work. Have you managed to finish it?

 

[SailSki]

Thanks for the thought on the sliding door storage. I managed to slide a couple of longer things into it already but will have a go with a proper solution another time - probably just with a piece of plywood.

Storage by sliding door (all in centimeters)
Outer vertical panel: 40 high x 20 wide
Inner vertical panel: 26 high (25 probably better) x 31 wide
Horizontal panels x 2: 31 wide at inner end, 20 wide at outer end, 20 deep.
Shelf fronts x 2: 20 wide x 4 high

The horizontal panels need a curve cutting out to fit the curve of the corner with the air vent - used a contour gauge and was fairly accurate.
Beware that the table for the sliding door will then have a smaller space to be slotted into as the shelf encroaches into the room used to get it into position, but it seems ok.
I am also considering trimming the top outer lip to reduce the risk of someone carltchi g it as they get it of the van.

The remainder of the ACM was used to make 3 sides for some storage I have in mind on the left of the rear tailgate area. I recently made something for this in cardboard reinforced with old Tupperware box sections but I think the ACM will be better.
48 high x 20wide x 5.5 deep

All the sections were initially templated in cardboard to find the best combination for cutting the ACM but with the measurements above it should be possible to going straight to drawing out in the ACM protection film and then cutting.