Your hardest Cali decision?

[Sp0_0k]

T5 demo SE or new T6 Beach. SE was cheaper. Though really liked how T6 rides and T5s didn't have ACC which I wanted bad. Didn't need a kitchen, though the price for the demo was really nice considering it was packed to the top.

 

[CALI FATE]

Yes - but what bar length ?

For me the shortest possible but depends on use i suppose - or 3m if you really want to make an impact

 

[Teejay]

Ours is colour and SATNAV, but we take our California like our tea, White without.

 

[MattBW]

Order and wait or take the Demo, I took the demo...

 

[sampsonr]

Replaced my 2006 Cali 4motion recently with 204 Ocean 4Mot with full options incl DSG this time - easy decision (and stayed with same colour - reflex silver) Hardest decision though has been re suspension - had Bilstein B6 shocks on previous Cali which I miss - too wallowy now even with upgraded antiroll bars. So after hours of deliberation gone for VB air - ordered and will be fitted next month! Bilsteins a great upgrade for money though as an alternative - new green Bilstein Komforts could work well as well with maybe a more comfortable ride than the firmer yellows - but height control should be great to have with the new air system

 

[soulstyledevon]

Order and wait or take the Demo, I took the demo...

Yep me too.
Saved 6k on book price. It was a no brainer

 

[soulstyledevon]

Can't decide about buying another. Really want rear climate, but other than that, have no real need to change vehicle.
Plus the add blue on the new T6 puts we well off...!!!

 

[calimera]

Selling my trusted 9 yr old BMW( 318i sport touring) tomorrow to help fund our new T6 Ocean ( collecting 4 th June ).

 

[Borris]

For us, the hardest decision was initially deciding which VW transporter based vehicle best suited our needs. We didn't start out looking for a campervan or specifically, a Cali but had decided to keep an open mind and look at all options. We had already looked at many other makes and configurations including coachbuilts and one by one we had kicked them all into the long grass. Our requirements were for a vehicle that provided the following:

1. Seating for up to seven maybe eight. (We have eight grandchildren and I don't think their respective parents have found out what's causing it yet so there may be even more to come!)

2. The ability to use the vehicle for moving stuff around.

3. It had to be spacious and well equipped enough to picnic in and sleep in comfortably.

4. It had to be able to go anywhere and be used all the time even though we do have other vehicles for regular use.

So as the Transporter Shuttle is just a glorified works bus, that was out. That left the seven seater LWB Caravelle with the bed pack as the front runner. However after having looked at the California in detail that led to our second biggest decision and the one applicable to this thread. Beach or SE/Ocean?

Well quite frankly we saw either option as a compromise and that was unacceptable. So we decided to deal with our most immediate and to be honest, selfish need, and buy an ex demo SE. The SE was a no compromise solution to points 3 and 4 and would provide us with a much needed luxury escape capsule. We would source another no compromise solution to items 1 and 2 when the issue became a little more pressing. We have recently purchased a perfect solution to points 1 and 2 so all is now satisfactorily resolved.

We had hoped to find one vehicle to service all these requirements well but there just isn't one.

 

[estresao]

I'm facing my hardest decision rigth now, one year after take delivery of my beloved Cali Beach 4Motion.... I'm very very tempted to swap it for a Westfalia Amundsen/Columbus.

 

[calimera]

I'm facing my hardest decision rigth now, one year after take delivery of my beloved Cali Beach 4Motion.... I'm very very tempted to swap it for a Westfalia Amundsen/Columbus.

Why ?

 

[BikerGran]

Mine should have neen whether or not to buy the used Cali I was looking at. Looking for my first campervan I had decided NOT a Cali (door on the wrong side), it had to be automatic, and I wanted LWB and high top, and hopefully a clour other than silver(ish) or black.

So I went to see this van cos it was automatic and there are few enough of those it had to be looked at - California, SWB, pop top. And fell instantly, totally and completely in lust! And bought it on the spot cos I knew if I didn't the next person would!

You may be able to tell I'm a bit over-excited - collect it Tuesday!

 

[GrannyJen]

Mine should have neen whether or not to buy the used Cali I was looking at. Looking for my first campervan I had decided NOT a Cali (door on the wrong side), it had to be automatic, and I wanted LWB and high top, and hopefully a clour other than silver(ish) or black.

So I went to see this van cos it was automatic and there are few enough of those it had to be looked at - California, SWB, pop top. And fell instantly, totally and completely in lust! And bought it on the spot cos I knew if I didn't the next person would!

You may be able to tell I'm a bit over-excited - collect it Tuesday!

Goodness, with that level of excitement I wish that I was joining you .... great excuse to crack open a bottle or three

 

[ejmoore]

Not a difficult decision, but certainly the best one, was to buy a (used) California rather than a conversion. Generally I tend to buy a cheap option first & then end up having to replace it with a better one. So, for example, have just replaced the (home-made) wrap-around Pucer-style cosy with a proper Cali-cap Mütze thing. But we made the right choice in buying the VW bike rack.

 

[estresao]

Why ?

I've got not a short answer to that, but I'll try to summarize it taking the risk of miss some of my thoughts.

First of all, I'm very very happy with my Cali's configuration, it's a Cali Beach 140cv 4Motion LHD with two seats bench and, if I were buying it again now, I wouldn't change this configuration, maybe I would think about the 180cv option, but I'm not sure about that. Each Cali's configuration should meet the owners needs, and mine one do.

The way we travel is with no plans at all (or few plans): we drive to the location we want to visit and drive around, stopping anywhere any-when. This way to travel means no campings and overnight anywhere. We love do it in cities centre to be able to full enjoy each city (food, monuments, people, day/night) and, to do that, I usually set my Cali in what I call "ninja mode", with basically consist in pass as unnoticed as we can.

To set the Cali in "Ninja mode" obviously we don't open the pop roof. In my Beach sleep downstairs it's very nice because the bed is 150cm wide, but we cannot avoid play Tetris inside to set/unset it. I feel really jealous of those which just "park and sleep", with the proper size you can do still being in "Ninja mode".

Another reason is the shower. I'm working on that and hopefully I'll have a solution very soon to be able to have a shower inside my Cali, which means do it even in "Ninja mode", but obviously it will never be as comfortable as a bigger van.

The more I visit campervans and motorhomes shows and pop into models like Westfalia Amundsen/Columbus, Himercar, etc... the more I think those vehicles could fit better to me.

I don't think I'll decide to go for one of those easily, but who knows, anything could happens if the proper opportunity comes out.

 

[MattBW]

Yep me too.
Saved 6k on book price. It was a no brainer

Similar saving here and like you I didn't think about it very long. In fact I think I put a refundable deposit down after the test drive.

 

[PC-Flyer]

My biggest decision was pick up a showroom T5 now or order and wait for a T6. Glad I was (and am) impatient.

I made the same decison, very happy with my T5 ex demo

 

[Bjohnson]

Colour!! Took me ages to get it chosen