VW Camper Tour - VW California Ocean T6
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 มี.ค. 2017
- A Van Tour of our Blackberry VW California Ocean T6 campervan showing how we use it and what's inside
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE - www.ABusAndBeyond.co.uk
PLEASE LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE and look out for future videos (Previously known as CaliforniaCamping)
Music -
Bay Breeze by FortyThr33 / fortythr33-43
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported- CC BY 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Music provided by Audio Library • Video
The only thing I don't care for is the christmas lights and the flowers. I can't stand clutter. But that's me. You enjoy yourself.
Fantastic video. I love the Cali even more now!
Best vehicle available! Great videos 👍🏼
Love your Van, it’s really lovely..thankyou for the tour
After a stressful weekend at work , another good little vid to remind me of adventures!
Thanks Mark! Work is definitely forgotten about as soon as we get away in the 'van!
That van is perfect! We love it, need to get ourselves one! 👍👍
Thank you very much! Glad you like it. You only live once :-)
Cracking vid, another subscriber on board!
Lovely van and great tour! 😎
Thanks guys! Your sticker arrived today! Can't wait to get it stuck in the van
On my bucket list...nice presentation...thank you. Certainly should be available in the States in near future. I've wanted a VW camper ever since about about 1975.
Glad you like it, thank you very much for watching. I've just been planning our Europe Trip for our Honeymoon in September! Soooo exciting!
Great job guys, love the Cali - such a cool space. Can't believe how much storage there is, a really well thought out design. Excited to follow your adventures this summer. More of the cinematic footage please, looks uber cool :) Andy
Thanks so much for your kind comment Andy
Beautiful car. Top Video. 🙀❤️👍🏼
Just found you guys in the past couple of days and subscribed. Working my way through all your videos . We want to tour in a camper in the next few years and seriously love the VW camper van you have. Loving your stuff on here . 👍
Thanks so much and welcome to the team!
Great Vid, Loved it.....We have just bought one....Must get the same ramp for my Lab....Will keep watching.
Skully there are a similar type ramp made in USA also.
Great clip!
Top dollar ..thank you the three of you.
great video.
The VW California......not sold in California , thank you very much VW , I can't have my dream come true; upgrade from my VW Vanagon.
Brilliant! Loved the arty shots too (*makes mental notes to steal - I mean emulate - style*) ;@)
Thank you very much Andrew. They were done with a brilliant app called Filmic Pro.
I'm going to watch this with my girlfriend tonight, she wants one too !
Really helpful video - I'm definitely buying one after seeing this!!!!!
Definitely do it! You won't regret it! :-)
Just watching your helpful video again before I pick up my rental cali’ tomorrow. I have also rented a vango kela driveaway awning as I’m worried there won’t be enough room for my husky and a friend as I won’t be sleeping in the roof due to a fused back. Worried also about lack of storage but I’m sure it will work out. I’m probably packing too much! Thanks again for this useful video 👍🏼
How exciting. Let us know how you get on. 😊
it's a very nice video. I am still waiting for my California Ocean. I hope I can get it in the end of this year in Taiwan. I am looking forward to watching your video.
Oh how exciting! Hope you get it soon and thanks for watching.
one more question, the portable toilet you showed in the video was the Porta Potti Qube 335 or 345?
Ours is the Porta Potti Qube 335.
Great Video thank you
Thank you so much watching
Great presentation! And very nice little camper. The disappointing irony is I live in California and we can't get the California camper because Volkswagen refuses to export them to the USA. Crazy!
It seems so crazy doesn't it! Such a shame too because it would be fantastic to have one out in California!
Brian Coley - No, they do not. To my knowledge, the Marco Polo is not sold anywhere in the USA. Apparently, VW and Mercedes believe that Americans are too in love with their SUVs and won't give them up for a camper van at a higher price.
I have just recently discovered your channel and I want to say you've inspired me to rethink my getaways. Two years ago I adopted a dog and I either kennel her when I go away or find places where she can stay with me when I travel. Neither option is much fun, the first one-I miss her and wonder if she is being cared for and the second option is too confining (hotel, motel) Camping with her would be so much more enjoyable!! I'm looking into outfitting my vehicle for future escapes. Your family is adorable!
You would absolutely love it. We could never leave our pooch behind so this is the only option but we wouldn't have it any other way :-)
Thanks for all the videos... really helpful. I'm expecting delivery of mine in September. 204 4Motion DSG in Mother of Pearl White.
Very nice indeed! Exciting times. Thank you for watching
The best tour of a California on TH-cam, well done! I am planning/hoping to buy a California at the beginning of 2018 in New Zealand and your videos have really helped me get to know the California a bit better before I make a decision. Thank you again :-)
Can I please ask if you are able to leave the duvet in situ in the upper sleeping area when you bring the roof down? Thank you :-)
Thank you very much for your kind words and support. It means the world to us.
Unfortunately you can't leave anything in the roof apart from the mattress which comes with it. A few people have buckled the roof by leaving the smallest of things up there which is pretty scary. Let us know when you buy one, would love to see it! :-)
Fantastic guys. Most informative and fun to watch. Love the way you do these. Is that Hayling Island?
Yeah it sure is. Thank you very much for watching :-)
A Bus And Beyond wow! I live near there, what a goodie
thanks for sharing. Would you mind sharing where you got you windows tint done? Thanks.
We love your videos! We're hiring a California Ocean at the end of May before we take the plunge and buy one - probably next year. We're going to head off to Scotland and wondered whether you had any recommendations about how to keep the dreaded midges out?
We're looking forward to seeing your future videos - particularly any relating to the electrics as we're still not sure whether there's enough power to connect a toaster and tablet.
Thanks
Paul and Sally
That's so exciting!! Where are you hiring from? We are planning to do Scotland next March. As for midges there are companies like Brandrup that sell nets you can fix to the Cali but they are very expensive, fine if you end up buying one however too expensive when hiring one. Unfortunately that's why we are going in March to try and avoid them.
We will definitely get a video uploaded soon about the electrics. You'll have no problem at all with the tablet, they draw such a small amount of power. As for a toaster we are going to buy a gas hob toaster rack for a couple of quid. Anything with a heating element draws a lot of electricity. That's why we always use a gas kettle... plus they whistle which is cool! Obviously none of this is an issue whilst on electric hook up at a campsite though.
Thank you so much for your support and I can't wait to hear about your trip
Thanks for the advice. really useful. We're hiring from Vancations which we heard about when we went to a local VW dealer to look around a Cali. We've booked an automatic transmission as we may end up going for that and need to see what it's like first!
Thanks again and looking forward to the next video.
Good choice. I highly recommend the auto. You won't be disappointed! Make sure you take lots of pictures and show us! Enjoy!
We will, counting the days down, can't wait! :)
Have you thought about adding a solar panel to the roof?
Thanks for letting us join you in your van life. Really informative videos guys. BTW I am really interested in the way the gas bottle is stored. Here in Australia the local VW camper conversions don't seem to use gas anymore. They use stoves burning methylated spirits. I love the smell of propane and toast in the mornings. Really feel I am camping then. At 2.03 in the video we can see the bottle secured in a screw lid container. It looks like that would contain any gas leak at the bottle so it must be vented to outside. Does it exit beneath the vehicle or somewhere else? Is there a gas alarm built in? A rubber seal on the screw lid? Anything else? Thanks
Hi, yeah it's vented out the bottom in the case of a gas leak. It seems a pretty neat idea, there is even a small farm wedge included which allows you to wedge the bottle in so it doesn't move at all. The California doesn't come with a built in gas alarm but we have one that we bought from amazon which just sits on the side whilst camping. I'll have to check whether there is a rubber seal but it definitely feels tight when the lid is screwed down. Thanks for the question and feel free to ask any more.
you missed the burners and the fridge, as well as the awning. love the car. enjoy!
Thanks for watching. At 6:30 we show the burners and the fridge. The awning is shown in some of our other videos. :-)
When you go to a VW dealer in order to buy something for your beloved Syncro, they say that there is not such a thing as a t3 Syncro model.
And they are right since the official name of the 1979 VW bus, (2wd), or of the 1985 Syncro, (4wd), model is: t25.
But all the Syncronauts we know:
t25=t3
That is why t5/t6 cannot compete to the, highest, 4wd, named Syncro, with Gelande, dual lockers, auto central differential locking without hydraulics, (and maintenance), 50/50 weight ratio, symmetrical, (Mirage), transmission, Direct Drive rear differential, (no clutch), with unlimited, off road, load capabilities, Soft Start front differential, (never breaks), auto correction/auto regulation suspension, huge stealth stabilization spoiler, riding on the air feeling, (rear engine, forward control), i4/i5/v6/v8/w12 cheap engine modification, high snorkel, (~1.80 m), lowest IIHS of the 90's death rate, limited electronics and many others.
We have to accept it:
in the year 2200 the t25 will be, (again), available, (?).
(Counting 10 years for the introduction of a new t model as up to now).
2020=t7
2030=t8
2040=t9
2050=t10
2060=t11
2070=t12
2080=t13
2090=t14
2100=t15
2110=t16
2120=t17
2130=t18
2140=t19
2150=t20
2160=t21
2170=t22
2180=t23
2190=t24
2200=t25
The t3(=t25) Syncro is a 30 years old car, back to the future, from the next century, year 2200.
(Please don't worry. A 2018 Haldex t6 is readily available if you cannot wait for a t24 or a t25 from the next century).
The Syncro Heresy
Do you mind sharing the link to your two cover ?(that you store with the chairs) ? Also, how accurate are the two water level indicators?
Great video. I love the California but live in the U.S. where they are not for sale. I want one so bad. What camera did you use to shoot this? It looks great.
Its seems so crazy that they don't ship the California to you guys. Hopefully they get on and send it your way soon!
Amazingly this was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus using a great app called Filmic Pro.
Thank you so much for watching :-)
Not fair they don't sell in America but you can definitely build a similar layout for much cheaper.
Love your Cali! My question is about how you have attached the fairy lights lol! Did you say Velcro ?
Thank you so much. Yeah they are attached with a strip of Velcro and then small Velcro loops which allows us to take them down if we wish
Do you think I could live in this full time with just me and 2 cats? The cats are indoor only and never go out even though I live in a house right now. Also, what MPG do you get from it?
Hi! I just bought a California and I have a dog too. I wonder if it is possible to travel to camping for free beaches in Europe? I mean, wild camp etc. DO you know a nice website to discover such a list of spots?
Great vid. Just watched your Marco Polo vid as well as am thinking about buying a camper van to use alongside my wife’s horse box at events. One question on your Cali ... can you get heated captains seats? I’ve looked at the spec sheets and it seems like if you want anything heated or electric on the seats they can’t swivel around and need to be the fixed type which would be no use for us as a family.
Thanks for watching John. They are heated as standard you'll be pleased to know 👍
Hi Guys, Love the videos, i have a question regarding the limo tinting. I can see from your videos that you have the windows on the sliding door and kitchen tinted. However have you tinted the back window and the two side windows in the boot area?
Yeah it is tinted all the way round but the rear three windows are double glazed so from the outside, in some lights, it gives an internal reflection between the glass panes which makes it look a different tint. Thanks for watching
Hi, can you advise how you manage the portable loo ? Do you have a small tent you use ? Trying to think of how the privacy side of things work on this. Thanks for the vids, they are really useful !
Hi thanks for watching, we do have a toilet tent but we don't use it very often. We put the toilet in the living area at night time and we sleep up in the roof. We only use the toilet for emergencies and whilst one person uses the loo, the other is "upstairs" in bed usually. Hope that helps
Great van is the sliding side door on the same side as the steering wheel right hand Drive might make it risky if on the school run when dropping off in the left hand lane regards mike
Yeah that's what some people are concerned about with the California in the U.K. However it is also fairly easy to climb through to the passenger door if required.
How do you refill the gas or are they disposable tanks?
I would like to see a video on the water system ie drain it then film filling it using the sink and how to empty the grey water tank and where the water goes (dose it drop out of the bottom of the van?)
Oh and show hot the shower attachment works.
I see you shoot&edit video so you should be using laptops and quite a lot electricity is the default battery enough? what about solar? did you think about using it?
Great video keep them coming how old is Bentley ?
Hi, thank you for watching! Bentley is 3 :-)
Great video, thank very much. Is it possible to tell us more about battery autonomy and if you have the possibility to plug a laptop or to charge a mobile.... thanks.
We did cover the electrical system but had to cut it out as the video was getting too long. We will be doing a dedicated video about the electrics in the future but basically the leisure battery is charged by the engine, or the hook up at a campsite, automatically and we have a 230V socket which works when plugged in to hook up at campsite and we have about 5 12V sockets on board which work all the time off the leisure battery. Thank you very much for watching the video and look out for the future video which will cover this in more detail.
Hey guys great video 1 question where do you keep your clothes especially if your away for 2 weeks?
Hi, we are away at the minute and we have our clothes in a couple of boxes under the rear portion of the bed. We also use the drop down locker and the wardrobe too.
Been watching your video's recently as looking at starting the campervan life with the family. Stumbled across this one and couldn't help but notice the estate in the background of the first few seconds. Am I mistaken or is that the Coldest Mansion in Sarisbury Green, Fareham?
It sure is 👍
@@ABusAndBeyond :) my eyes didn't decieve me then. Used to live on that estate until just over a year ago but live round the corner now and cycle past the mansion on my way to/from work sometimes :)
I do a lot of cycle racing and wondered if there is a way to remove the rear frame (where you keep Bentley's ramp and the portable toilet) and fit a cycle in there with the frontwheel removed?
I would have thought so as you can move the rear bench seat all the way forward and you can remove the rear shelf
Please tell more about the 'fairy light' is it running on it's own battery?
Hi Henrik, yeah they have their own battery box that sits just behind the passenger seat. There is loads more cable with lights too so when we arrive on site we can extend them around the cab too.
Hello Folks, thanks for the tour of your van, beautiful. I have one silly question, sorry. How do you stay dry when it is raining when you are in bed, your pop up roof looks like it is made of material. Like I said silly question but smashing video :-)
Thanks for watching, no it's not a silly question at all. The material is similar to a tent. It it has a metal roof so it is only an issue in really strong "driving" rain but we have an extra roof cover for those conditions which we will do a video of in the near future.
Thanks for the reply.. we have a motorhome and we love him to bits.. just never away in him often enough lol.. keep up the great work folks, always good to see how others enjoy this lifestyle :-)
Hi great review thanks
We are just wanting to know if it's nice to drive and not too van like for my wife is it quite refined and a nice driving position. Cheers
Hi, thanks for watching.
Yeah we like how it drives. It certainly feels more like a van than a car, we came from a Volvo SUV and it feels more van than SUV but the driving position is even higher up than an SUV which is nice. I used to be an electrician and I had a transit. It certainly doesn't feel like a workmans van like the transit was. It feels like a very luxurious van if that makes sense.
Some people put lowering springs on which supposedly helps stop it leaning so much in the corners but it's never bothered us.
Nice videos thanks. I wondered if the cali top can stay on while traveling, or do you have to remove it every time. Is it a good accessary to have. Cheers. Bren
Unfortunately it needs putting on each time you get to site. It's a great bit of kit though and worth having. Thanks for watching.
Bentley is my hero!
:-)
DreamBus
Wow what a super van. I never realised how great they are! Let me be the first to ask - how do you use that loo at the back? (Privacy wise) or is that a silly question?
Nope not a silly question at all, we only use it at night time and we move it in to the main cabin just before we go to sleep. You do have to fight Bentley whilst using it though! Glad you like the van :-)
Ironic that the van is not available in California or N.A.,. Improved since my 1970 Westphalia1
4x4 is it how many miles to gallon does it do? How far have you driven have gone abroad?
I have seen both of your videos for the VW California and the Mercedes MarcoPolo now and wondered how they would compare to each other. Is the Mercedes really bigger? Which of them do you find more handy and which of them would you recommend more?
The Mercedes is definitely slightly longer and has a bit more room inside.
We like the California that little bit more but it totally depends on your requirements. I think your best bet is to have a close look at both and see which works best for you.
Nice van. Couple of questions. Is there a way to blackout the roof bed and did you chose to have the sliding door on the Euro side? Lovely Bentley. We have a Goldie too. 🐾
Thanks Dawn, the best way to make it darker "upstairs" is by using a "Cali topper" which is an extra cover that goes over the pop top once we arrive. Otherwise with the light on at night it can be a bit "revealing"! All VW California's have the sliding door on the Euro side which hasn't been a problem for us but I know some don't like it. Another excuse to go to Europe I suppose! :-)
Hi Guys, does the normal 5" screen include satnav ?? and wondered what your thoughts were on the new two tone colours the California no comes in..
Hi, no the standard screen doesn't have sat nav. We just use our phone for sat nav. I like the two tone colours. It certainly something we'd have considered if they were around when we ordered.
CaliforniaCamping cheers again guys for helping with info....😀👍😀
I`m just about getting a california and I`m wondering, how easy it is to put tinting foil on the window where the closet is. do they have to remove the closet for tinting?
Hi, the company that did ours just tinted the tiny window at the side as the back of the wardrobe is black already.
Good morning couple! I wanted to ask u how does the grey water tank empties?
Hi!! There is a small valve in the bottom of the kitchen sink that you turn and it empties out through the bottom of the van. You do that over a drain whilst at a motorhome service point. It seems to be ages until it needs emptying but that's probably because all we have is a small sink and we mainly wash up at the appropriate points on the campsites.
Awesome! Thank u very much! Keep going with the chanel it's very nice!
Its so unfair VW does not bring it to America. I'd love to test drive one.
Another question - me again ..... you mentioned in one of your uploads that you have had the windows tinted over and above the factory option. Is this correct and what would you recommend? The factory privacy glass with heat insulation isn't as good as it should be or rather the tint isn't.
We didn't spec any tint or heat insulated glass at all from the factory because we knew the rear windows were double glazed and that we wanted to go for a darker tint anyway so we just paid to have them tinted once we collected the van. If we were buying again we would do exactly the same. We love the privacy the dark tints give.
thanks once again!
Hi CC can I ask, do you use your camper as your main vehicle as well as for camping? If so how do you find the running costs? Thanks Teresa 👍
Yeah we do, we replaced our Volvo XC60 2.0 diesel with our Cali. It's a 150bhp 2.0 diesel and we get about 36-38mpg day to day but more like 40-42mpg on a decent run (and that's fully loaded going camping). Thankfully we got in just before the hike in VED (Road tax) too so that's not too much either. It's just like any other car, you just have to be careful with height restrictions (ours is just under 2.1metres tall) and you can't reverse too far back to an obstacle otherwise you can't open the tailgate.
Thank you
Hello!
sorry for my english ... Where can I get the ramp for the dog?
Thanks!
The dog ramp is from easyanimal.co.uk but I then modified using parts from a DIY shop.
Hi Guys,
I'm placing an order for an Ocean 150ps DSG tomorrow ... wish me luck. I was a bit disappointed to hear they have discontinued Blackberry. Also the 204PS engine is no longer available to order. No idea why .... anyway - with regards to accessories what would you recommend? I've got the following list so far:
Pop top bungee
Cali topper (or another make, need some advice on this)
Some seat covers
front screen and side door wrap around insulator (any make you'd recommend?)
Would you recommend any specific options? I think the bed extension which is effectively a mattress topper for the lower bed is probably a must. What would you spec having had the benfit of living with the van so far
Hi, yeah we were very surprised to see that Blackberry has gone, seems a fairly popular colour. I hadn't seen that the 204PS engine had gone though, I'm wondering if that is a supply issue maybe. However, we find the 150PS with DSG more than enough.
Your list of accessories seems a good start. The Comfortz Leisure Cali Topper (black with windows) is what we have and highly recommend. We also have the Comfortz Leisure black thermal screen, again we'd highly recommend that, I think you can buy both together as a package. Have a look at the California "starter pack" in the California Owners Club shop, seems fairly good value for money.
As far as options go, we kept ours fairly basic and don't really feel we are missing anything. For me cruise control was a must, along with parking sensors. We got the rear camera as well as it's quite useful to see how far back before we can go before we can no longer open the tailgate. We have the basic stereo which is very average but suits us fine and we don't even have the multi function steering wheel, but I can easily reach the stereo.
We use a Duvalay mattress topper which perfectly fits the upper bed and makes it so so comfy, it also fits the downstairs bed very well too. When travelling it rolls up on the back seat. It would easily fit on the parcel shelf if you don't have a dog though. We didn't get the bed extension as we wouldn't use it and takes up a bit too much room where Bentley would sit when travelling otherwise. If you are going to be sleeping downstairs a lot maybe the extension would suit better and it depends if you have kids and/or a dog too.
Very exciting times ahead. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like.
Thanks
Brilliant, many thanks, that is very helpful. I'll look into the Comfortz products.
I did try and look at the owners club shop, but the link seems to have been broken from the forum. I'll do a bit of searching to see if I can get the correct URL.
No doubt i'll have some further questions shortly.
Best regards
Chris
Thanks! got it ....
Putting together my spec now......hoping for the 204, one of the better dealers think sit to do with up coming changes in specs. The 2018 updates start production next month so any changes/tweaks will come in then.
Beautiful van, great video. 😀 Does your heating run off gas, electric or the diesel engine?
Thank you very much. The heater runs off the diesel. It gets so warm and uses hardly any diesel at all. Truly an all year round van.
If you could choose again between black and grey interior, which one you would take?
I still like the interior we picked. We would’ve put seat covers on regardless as we have the dog but I like the colour of our kitchen units.
Having had it for a while how do you find sleeping on top - we don’t have a dog so if you had a choice and the dog wasn’t with you where would you sleep ( of course now Bentley has gone his own way you have a choice ) lol
The bed upstairs is slightly bigger but when we were away in Europe (without Bentley) we found ourselves sleeping downstairs most of the time because with the roof up it gives a huge sense of space. Both beds are very good but a mattress topper is essential on the bottom bed.
Where do you put your luggage? Thank you?
Hi, a lot of it goes under the part of the bed at the back and in the cupboards and the rest just goes on the floor behind the driver and passenger seats.
Where did you buy your van? Glenys
VW Van Centre Guildford 👍
what's the name of the song at 0:19
All the music is in the description 😊
How many seats are there?
Just the 4
Thanks
dog ramp? very cute, but he's a big healthy dog , his little body won't thank you for the pampering as he gets older. I could be wrong tho
He's a heavy dog and he goes in the Cali every day. His joints would take a battering everyday dropping from that height, and being a dog - he can't tell us if it's hurting him!
that should have been..."now comes in " ....
What convinced you to spend around £60000 on a vehicle and did you use any finance?