We have selected a number of differences from you guys, based on experiences of hiring a couple of 6.1 Cali’s. It’s mostly personal preference and experience, and budget of course. Having ordered our van a few months prior to this video, it’s interesting to see other’s views rather than influencing choice! There are a couple of potential regrets, but hey-ho. One item we selected was the chrome package. Added to the extra chrome bits, the b-pillar is painted black which makes the look of the van interesting with an uninterrupted run of black (windows) from front to back. Nice videos - very useful and entertaining.
Great stuff, hope the wait isn’t too long for your van. We’ve just fitted the little drawer in the bench seat as we really should have had it from the factory. Our only regret, so far!
On the 4x4 version the rear wheels are only driven when the fronts are spinning faster. The 200bhp kicks in after the engine passes around 3000rpm (from memory). You two must not like hanging around. Love the show!!
We find because of the weight of the van and the sometimes snatchy DSG box it's quite tricky to pull away in the wet up hill smoothly, the 4motion resolves this nicely. But yes, we also don't like hanging around!
Well, it’s heavy and a pain to put in and out, so unless you REALLY need it we’d say don’t bother. It really is a faff if you are at home, let alone if you were out camping and wanted to take it in/out all the time.
We’ve ordered the electric sliding door. I find the swoosh bang is just as noisy on camp sites, especially on older campers. If it gets annoying I’ll try and find where the beeper is and muffle it somehow.
The beeper is behind the side panel in the rear boot area (drivers side I believe). Lots on the T6 Forum about how to try to disable it, not much luck without unsoldering it from the PCB! I did look in to it too because I really quite fancied it. The auto latch on the T6.1 is nearly silent compared to the T6 too by the way 👍
Love your vids. I'm in the process of sorting the option on a new California and just watched your vid on driving the 6.1 with coil over spring. I've driven a performance car for many years and did find the Cali rather bouncy and the salesman suggested 30mm lowering springs. do you regret not getting the coil over springs as you seamed to love them?
Hi! Well not really is the answer. Our Cali isn't used daily so that means it tends to be for lazy holiday days etc so a comfy ride is just fine for us in our usage. I am sure the coilovers would be very comfy too and limit the body roll, but they come at a big cost. We'd be more likely to do VB air suspension I think, as that gives comfort, flexibility with ride height (car parks, barriers etc) and also auto-levelling on a campsite etc. The coilovers can be added later from VW themselves and you can keep your warranty too. (VB Air suspension is VW warranty approved also by the way)
Glad it's helpful. We had the 80l tank on the 2wd T6 204 we had and we have it on the new 4motion 204, and the MPG is very slightly better on the 4mo. I'd say we get 500+ miles on a full tank but haven't had this new one long enough to really say yet. Approx MPG is 39-40 on a normal UK motorway run, 34-36 when pottering on country lanes, 28-30 in town.
Hi Charles - it can tow 2500kg braked, or 750kg unbraked. People do tow caravans with their Calis and from everything I have heard they make great tow vehicles because of their large wheelbase and heavy vehicle weight. The 4motion is 2.7 tonnes!
I’ve just rewatched this excellent and informative video and on your strong recommendation have upgraded my seats to art velour….that’s another £1100 you’ve cost me! If we ever end up parked next to each other on a campsite the beer is on you Will 😂😂 I think it’s a good decision though 👍
Unfortunately not. The beeping comes from the control unit box itself which is buried in the rear quarter of the van and the only way people have stopped it is to remove that control box and unsolder the speaker!
You guys want to visit notts edging carpets and get a carpet whipped for your van! :-) Makes it look so much nicer and the whipping will cost you less than £10!
Hi Guys love watching your videos they are so informative i am just about to invest in a California ocean T6 year 2019 and im wondering is there anything i should look out for ? i have had the coast model before with the push up roof , im kinda worried about the electric roof as i hear so many bad stories about it , have you had any problems with the electric roof ? and should i be worried? it has around 60,000 kilometres on the engine and its a 150 bhp and its a dsg gearbox , anyhow any advice would be welcome anyhow keep the informative videos coming and thank you👌👋
Hi - how exciting! We’ve not had any issues with either of our electric roofs on either our T6 or T6.1. Both have worked perfectly all of the time. The 2019 year of the T6 California is quite a late one so any early T6 teething issues have been ironed out and you’ll also have the split worktop, ‘spice rack’ storage in the small pull out window blind next to the wardrobe and maybe even the panoramic roof canvas too. The 150hp is very reliable by all accounts (and single turbo too, rather than bi-turbo in the 204/199 engine). Worth checking that the DSG box has had it’s oil service completed - I think it is 40,000 miles or 4 years but I might be wrong. Apart from that it’s really just the usual car buying buyer beware. Service history, general condition, any warranty (has it got the extended 5yr factory warranty option??). Good luck!
@@CampervanTime Thank you so much for your advice ye are very good 👌, yes it has the extended warranty up until February 2024 and it also has the panoramic roof canvas in strawberry red, It is two tone red and white colour and looks fab , so i im covered by warranty up until February 2024 , so that is peace of mind i guess 👌, thank you for such a prompt response, love watching your videos, happy camping and hope ye have a fantastic summer season 🥰
Of course! Well, we did. Lots of reasons but a few are; Sarah is short so her legs dangle off a rock and roll bed in a conversion if it isn’t the Cali bed. Proper crash protection and body bracing with the roof cut out. 5yr factory warranty (3yrs standard and 2yrs extra for £400 when buying new). Heritage. OEM finish inside. Spares availability like any other mass produced car. Fantastic van spec even as standard Beach, Coast or Ocean. VW Finance PCP deals. Easy accessories because it’s a ‘standard model’ manufactures build accessories for specifically. And finally, when you spec up a conversion to the same level and then take the discount off a Cali, they’re about the same price. The list goes on…!
@@CampervanTime thanks for the reply, we are a couple of years away from ours but we r going to hire a few out in different configuration etc before making our decision. We really like Three Bridge or Jebra up here in Scotland but the finance appeals for Calis like you say. Enjoy your travels and I look forward to seeing your videos along the way
Lots of time to look and try things out then. Some of the conversions are fantastic quality and innovation for sure. Very nice indeed 👍. You’ll know when you find the right can for you 😀
Unfortunately not I'm afraid - only the short wheel base version. One of our friends ordered a conversion T6 specifically for that reason - they wanted a long wheel base. If you want an alternative though, the Mercedes Benz Marco Polo is longer than the Cali and does have a bit more interior space. The only issue then is the outside seat and table storage taking up the space behind the bench seat in the boot !
We were happy with the deal we got at the time and did get some discount (can't remember what %). The best way to find out what is possible is to have a look at www.drivethedeal.com - but anywhere between 7 and 9% is typical I think.
Correct, no fixed toilet option on a California. We carry a portapotti with us just in case we need it though. There are other VW transporter-based campervans that do have a toilet though. Just not in a Cali. 👍
Hopefully one day, VW will sell the California VW campers in USA (specifically in California!)..... The VW USA web site has no options for any VW campers, I wonder why they have refused to sell them in US.
![ค้าง (STILL) - GEMINI [ OFFICIAL MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ftxx3hk5vkU/mqdefault.jpg)
That was very helpful, nice getting your perspectives, thanks for sharing this video.
You’re very welcome ☺️
Like you we have a T6 We bought it new September 2017 and love it…now thinking to go fir the T6.2 so you info is a great help 👍thanks
Brilliant! Glad it’s of help 👍
I’ve stumbled across you guys and I’m so glad I did , love your videos they are so informative and very well edited !! Keep it rolling !
Thanks for finding us and glad you’re finding them useful 👍😀
We have selected a number of differences from you guys, based on experiences of hiring a couple of 6.1 Cali’s. It’s mostly personal preference and experience, and budget of course. Having ordered our van a few months prior to this video, it’s interesting to see other’s views rather than influencing choice! There are a couple of potential regrets, but hey-ho. One item we selected was the chrome package. Added to the extra chrome bits, the b-pillar is painted black which makes the look of the van interesting with an uninterrupted run of black (windows) from front to back. Nice videos - very useful and entertaining.
Great stuff, hope the wait isn’t too long for your van. We’ve just fitted the little drawer in the bench seat as we really should have had it from the factory. Our only regret, so far!
On the 4x4 version the rear wheels are only driven when the fronts are spinning faster. The 200bhp kicks in after the engine passes around 3000rpm (from memory). You two must not like hanging around. Love the show!!
We find because of the weight of the van and the sometimes snatchy DSG box it's quite tricky to pull away in the wet up hill smoothly, the 4motion resolves this nicely. But yes, we also don't like hanging around!
Thanks for the Link👍 glad you sent it I thought the shower was standard! We too have a large Dog so is needed.
No problem, they’re complicated things to buy !
Learnt ALOT from this video😀 thank you so much. Just started following you, got a lot of catching up to do 😊
Thank you for watching! Yes, quite a back catalogue of content now :) Lots more to come of course too…
Very interesting and informative.... fantastic 👌🍾
Thank you 😊
Hi, Love the videos. I am configuring an Ocean and wondered if you had any thoughts on the 5th seat?
Well, it’s heavy and a pain to put in and out, so unless you REALLY need it we’d say don’t bother. It really is a faff if you are at home, let alone if you were out camping and wanted to take it in/out all the time.
@@CampervanTime Many thanks for that.
We’ve ordered the electric sliding door. I find the swoosh bang is just as noisy on camp sites, especially on older campers. If it gets annoying I’ll try and find where the beeper is and muffle it somehow.
The beeper is behind the side panel in the rear boot area (drivers side I believe). Lots on the T6 Forum about how to try to disable it, not much luck without unsoldering it from the PCB! I did look in to it too because I really quite fancied it. The auto latch on the T6.1 is nearly silent compared to the T6 too by the way 👍
Love your vids. I'm in the process of sorting the option on a new California and just watched your vid on driving the 6.1 with coil over spring.
I've driven a performance car for many years and did find the Cali rather bouncy and the salesman suggested 30mm lowering springs. do you regret not getting the coil over springs as you seamed to love them?
Hi! Well not really is the answer. Our Cali isn't used daily so that means it tends to be for lazy holiday days etc so a comfy ride is just fine for us in our usage. I am sure the coilovers would be very comfy too and limit the body roll, but they come at a big cost. We'd be more likely to do VB air suspension I think, as that gives comfort, flexibility with ride height (car parks, barriers etc) and also auto-levelling on a campsite etc. The coilovers can be added later from VW themselves and you can keep your warranty too. (VB Air suspension is VW warranty approved also by the way)
Nice explanation - what locking bolt did you go for? See VW offer one as do SpareSafe and wondering which is best?
Spare safe for us. We’ve had it for years. Power coating came off it but rubbed it down and painted it with black hammerite 👍
Very useful, but i would really want LWB
Brill vid. Thanks for sharing!
How many miles are you getting with a full tank with the 4M compared to the 2wd ?
Glad it's helpful. We had the 80l tank on the 2wd T6 204 we had and we have it on the new 4motion 204, and the MPG is very slightly better on the 4mo. I'd say we get 500+ miles on a full tank but haven't had this new one long enough to really say yet. Approx MPG is 39-40 on a normal UK motorway run, 34-36 when pottering on country lanes, 28-30 in town.
Love your specification
What is the towing capacity?
On a long Europe trip I may tow a caravan what weight could it tow ?
Thanks again Charles
Hi Charles - it can tow 2500kg braked, or 750kg unbraked. People do tow caravans with their Calis and from everything I have heard they make great tow vehicles because of their large wheelbase and heavy vehicle weight. The 4motion is 2.7 tonnes!
I’ve just rewatched this excellent and informative video and on your strong recommendation have upgraded my seats to art velour….that’s another £1100 you’ve cost me! If we ever end up parked next to each other on a campsite the beer is on you Will 😂😂 I think it’s a good decision though 👍
Oops! Sorry about that 😆. Always up for a beer though 🍻 👍
Hi, great video. Can the electric door beep be muted with Carista ? Thanks
Unfortunately not. The beeping comes from the control unit box itself which is buried in the rear quarter of the van and the only way people have stopped it is to remove that control box and unsolder the speaker!
Thank you for your reply. It’s such a nice option for day to day. Can I live with the 2 beeps 🤔
You guys want to visit notts edging carpets and get a carpet whipped for your van! :-) Makes it look so much nicer and the whipping will cost you less than £10!
Thanks for the tip!
Hi Guys love watching your videos they are so informative
i am just about to invest in a California ocean T6 year 2019 and im wondering is there anything i should look out for ?
i have had the coast model before with the push up roof , im kinda worried about the electric roof as i hear so many bad stories about it , have you had any problems with the electric roof ? and should i be worried?
it has around 60,000 kilometres on the engine and its a 150 bhp and its a dsg gearbox ,
anyhow any advice would be welcome
anyhow keep the informative videos coming and thank you👌👋
Hi - how exciting! We’ve not had any issues with either of our electric roofs on either our T6 or T6.1. Both have worked perfectly all of the time. The 2019 year of the T6 California is quite a late one so any early T6 teething issues have been ironed out and you’ll also have the split worktop, ‘spice rack’ storage in the small pull out window blind next to the wardrobe and maybe even the panoramic roof canvas too. The 150hp is very reliable by all accounts (and single turbo too, rather than bi-turbo in the 204/199 engine). Worth checking that the DSG box has had it’s oil service completed - I think it is 40,000 miles or 4 years but I might be wrong. Apart from that it’s really just the usual car buying buyer beware. Service history, general condition, any warranty (has it got the extended 5yr factory warranty option??). Good luck!
@@CampervanTime
Thank you so much for your advice ye are very good 👌, yes it has the extended warranty up until February 2024 and it also has the panoramic roof canvas in strawberry red, It is two tone red and white colour and looks fab , so i im covered by warranty up until February 2024 , so that is peace of mind i guess 👌, thank you for such a prompt response, love watching your videos, happy camping and hope ye have a fantastic summer season 🥰
Sounds fantastic - go for it!
On your program showing the Outwell awnings I noticed you have very smart Strap type ties for your van awning, are these VW supplied or from a dealer?
They are Thule hold down straps - there is a link to them in the description in the video we did about the campervan essentials :)
Very helpful 👍
Glad it’s helpful 👍
Can I be cheeky and ask why you did not look at a conversion? Enjoying videos btw
Of course! Well, we did. Lots of reasons but a few are; Sarah is short so her legs dangle off a rock and roll bed in a conversion if it isn’t the Cali bed. Proper crash protection and body bracing with the roof cut out. 5yr factory warranty (3yrs standard and 2yrs extra for £400 when buying new). Heritage. OEM finish inside. Spares availability like any other mass produced car. Fantastic van spec even as standard Beach, Coast or Ocean. VW Finance PCP deals. Easy accessories because it’s a ‘standard model’ manufactures build accessories for specifically. And finally, when you spec up a conversion to the same level and then take the discount off a Cali, they’re about the same price. The list goes on…!
@@CampervanTime thanks for the reply, we are a couple of years away from ours but we r going to hire a few out in different configuration etc before making our decision. We really like Three Bridge or Jebra up here in Scotland but the finance appeals for Calis like you say. Enjoy your travels and I look forward to seeing your videos along the way
Lots of time to look and try things out then. Some of the conversions are fantastic quality and innovation for sure. Very nice indeed 👍. You’ll know when you find the right can for you 😀
Can you tell me if they do a long wheel base Caledonia ocean.xx
Unfortunately not I'm afraid - only the short wheel base version. One of our friends ordered a conversion T6 specifically for that reason - they wanted a long wheel base. If you want an alternative though, the Mercedes Benz Marco Polo is longer than the Cali and does have a bit more interior space. The only issue then is the outside seat and table storage taking up the space behind the bench seat in the boot !
@@CampervanTime Also the Marco Polo has a lower roof - for a lanky bloke like me that means less headroom under the awning.
Did you manage to get much of a discount off the list price? I’m wearing 9 months for my new Cali but there seems to be little discounts offered
We were happy with the deal we got at the time and did get some discount (can't remember what %). The best way to find out what is possible is to have a look at www.drivethedeal.com - but anywhere between 7 and 9% is typical I think.
Working fine here
I wonder if it was still processing the upload, given it's such a long video...
No toilet option? Major benefit of an MH is being able to stop anywhere and use the toilet.
Correct, no fixed toilet option on a California. We carry a portapotti with us just in case we need it though. There are other VW transporter-based campervans that do have a toilet though. Just not in a Cali. 👍
For me it's lack of any form of toilet compartment... otherwise I love them
Hopefully one day, VW will sell the California VW campers in USA (specifically in California!)..... The VW USA web site has no options for any VW campers, I wonder why they have refused to sell them in US.
No video !!
How odd! It seems to work ok on my machine here?
Working now - was just a black image !!
Excellent, maybe it was still processing when it first went live - you're very keen!! Thanks for watching :)