Would you lend your Cali?

[Norfolk Jim]

Ok mines not a Cali yet (looking extremely likely this summer though) but is insured full comp for 4 drivers since we bought it in Jan 2015. My wife & I and two sons (35 & 33). Although the wife has never driven it she's on there as ajust in case...........The older son is OCD on cars and polishes it to death and I know it's in excellent hands. He took his girlfriend down to Naples 5 years ago and proposed to her on Amalfi cost. She's now his wife. The other took it all around Ireland for 2 months (with his Galway girlfriend) during 2020 lockdown when Ireland was open and they get married next year. All that has happened in this time is big white clipped the drivers door mirror and broke just the glass - they said it was their fault and paid for new glass. Having said that not long after buying the camper, one of my younger sons mates (bit of a jack the lad) asked him if he thought I'd allow him to borrow it. He was told immediately no by my son, but the lad still called me a said my son had told him he was sure he could borrow the camper to go to a festival with couple of mates, and could he come and have a practice drive. I politely asked him to obtain fully comp insurance for the test drive and then if I was happy with his driving I'd need a £2k deposit from him prior to the weekend to cover and damage and cleaning.....................needless to say I never heard anymore and neither did my son!!

 

[T5_Big_Blueberry]

Very interesting comments. My eldest son asked me about 12 years ago (my Cali is from 2008), if he could borrow it to go to a festival. I said "no!" and he has never asked again : I think he understands why! Having said that, I now - in my older years - feel very guilty about the Cali sitting on our drive for most of the time: holidays in it are very rare now, for various reasons. So maybe I should let others appreciate it. The roof is - as someone has posted - the biggest issue with inexperienced users. Mine now has 5 mended spilts. 2 of them were recently (although I can't prove it) caused by a great repair yard restoring a large area of seriously damaged bodywork. They did a great job, but admitted they were struggling with opening and closing the roof - done to establish whether the main frame had become twisted. I suppose the answer is to leave the bunjee on if lending the van to others.

"Leave the bungee on"?

 

[willwander]

depends…I think the only people I’d be happy lending it to are the ones that would never ask.
I have actually lent it out a couple of times, but it was at my suggestion. There are a couple of other people, who I would love to lend it to and I’ve offered many times, but they are just too damn nice and won’t take it, maybe because they know it’s my pride and joy.