I got mine from bilston VW through the VW vehicle search on tinternet. It’s on the VW commercial website and look at used vans or something.

i’m only 200m from my local VW commercial centre at work – i can see that i’m going to be a nightmare customer…….

One of our guests had the edition 25 style california, fully loaded, beautiful bus. BUT it still rattled and squeaked like any other van……. I would have one in a shot if i could afford it, but more tha n happy with my T5 shuttle

As Col said think about the detachable towbar as it gives you an option to put the Atera Strada on which pivots out of the way enough to open the boot. And as we know all too well on here, you have the option to remove it quickly when not in use so as to avoid shouting BIKE to the local scumbags if you have them in the vicinity. The problem with the VW towel rails is they’re generally permanent fixtures. The steel wheel bloke on the forum is your man for winter activities – I paid about 450 quid for 4 x new VW steels + Mud+Snow tyres 😮

scuttler – thanks – assume the towbar is a no-brainer then ?

It’s a no brainer from the POV that if I was ordering from the factory I’d get one put on. I don’t have a bike rack currently as circumstances currently allow them to be carried inside but in the next year or so I’ll need a proper bike rack and I’d much prefer the towbar + Strada if budget permits. A towbar can obviously be added after market but it can cause complications with wiring, reversing sensors etc, which you don’t have with the standard bike rack.

Quick question. We’re on the verge of going for a T5 albeit getting a custom conversion rather than a cali. Need to rent one for a weekend first but are they really the best things ever for outdoorsy people? Only thing is it’d mean getting rid of our bmw but it sounds like the missus is ok with my suggestion of a clio 182 as a runabout 😉

Tlr-agree, I got mine within 3k of a used one with 8,000 miles so was a no brainier for me. Do expect a long wait though, it’s usually quoted as 16-20 weeks for a build, they give you a build date and it’s pretty accurate. Second getting a set of wheels off Benn as well, happy to put you in touch as he has 10 sets of winter wheels to sell.

but are they really the best things ever for outdoorsy people?

I associated outdoorsy with flexible and nimble, generally organised and with a broad range of obsessions (climbing, walking, skiing, bikes, canoes). You can do all of this in T5 land with some minor concessions to comfort but it’s a vehicle that will fit down any road, most campsites and that is great for stealth camping (in late, out early). There’s also a wide range of experience, accessories and modifications so you’ll never be the first to try something.

I think that’s a yes but I’m only on my first. Just wish I’d had one ten years ago.

• California SE 180hp BiTurbo DSG 4Motion
• Privacy Glass
• Black Awning integrated.
• Parking sensors F&R + Reversing Camera.
• Creta cloth interior.
• VW bike rack OR Towing Bar.
• Standard aircon
• DAB
• MDI + USB
• Safe box.
• Xenons.
• Tailgate trim.
• Bluetooth.

what have I missed ?

Is there a multi-function steering wheel in all that?
VW Monster Mats to seal the deal

I nearly bought a beach when they came out. I’d specced a fairly loaded 140 that was coming out at something like 38k. I’ve just tried it again and the same van is ~44k.

Both these prices were on autoebid. Basically there are far fewer deals around today it would seem which is a shame as I was thinking about swapping this summer. A few VW leisure dealers have closed in the last 2 years as well so there are far fewer vans available.

OP, DSG is fantastic.
I’d also get the parking heater from the factory.
I’d ditch the reversing camera as a factory option. Get an aftermarket one fitted to the base of the rear spoiler rather than in the numberplate. This is better if you go for a towbar & atera rather than the VW rack.
I do like my climatronic, so would probably spec it but not tried the std aircon.
Cruise is great on the Motorway.
If you’re going to colder climes the the laminated glass and double glazing are also worth considering (they’re options on the beach, may be std on the SE)

the edition 25 style california

That was a Caravelle only model IIRC, though I’ve seen beach models with the same white / black paintwork. Dealer specials I believe.

It’s a personal thing, but I prefer the flexibility of a beach over the SE. I always saw it as a halfway house between the Caravelle and the SE…basically a Caravelle with a poptop which is my ideal van.

NOT SURE WHY I’D TAKE THE TOWBAR RACK OPTION INSTEAD OF THE VW BIKE CARRIER ?

Try it but get the towbar from factory anyway. Many reasons.

mrs tlr is now veering back to the beach – bigger sleep area downstairs ! she’s also concerned that we’d not use the cooking facilities often enough in the SE……… this is a nightmare ! 😆

Having had a fully fitted camper van (admittedly an Iveco so a bit bigger), and now have a lwb T5 kombi with a removable bed behind the second row seats I think a beach would be my choice. With a removable compressor fridge like below

And something like the Maxxcamp unit linked on page one, either just as a storage cupboard/work surface on which I could use a camping stove (inside or out). Or with a small smev single burner / sink fitted, but then with gas, fresh and waste water there would be little storage left.

Of course what suits me won’t suit others. Maybe rent if you can to try out one or the other, or even both.

Tell Mrs TLR that there’s plenty of comfortable room upstairs for two normal sized adults and that the three seat bench in the Beach is huge but uncomfy as a bed without mats or a topper. Besides it’s far more pleasurable sleeping upstairs and living downstairs – when you get out of bed you just push the base of the bed up into the pop top and get on with getting dressed/breakfast.

^what he said. Upstairs is super comfy and huge. Downstairs is ok but you do need a topper for it. If you genuinely want a camper then the SE, if you want flexibility and or carry more than 4 peeps then Beach. Rent an SE , there is a place in Edinburgh has one.

back onto the SE. wild camping possibilities easier, aye ?

Stealth campers don’t attract attention, worth considering if you want to wild camp. Also, recent Transporters have a very angry face, as do other recent German cars. The idea of a happy lifestyle vehicle having black masked/DRL, I want to bum you eyes-Doesn’t sit well.

We wild camp all the time, pull up, lax out, cook dinner, kid in roof, shut hatch, whisky and chocs. Lovely. Easy to do in the SE. For two people I reckon it’s spot on.

Yep, we’re back agreeing it’s the SE.

Residuals – you can almost afford to make a mistake. However I’m convinced the SE is for you.

Yes, me too. We will wild camp, we will have a van go awning, BBQ, etc but need heating for winter trips to cairngorm, etc. the 4motion should work too. SE it must be.

Get the elec diff then, that plus winter s and m wheels will work well. We get up stuff some 4wds can’t !

it comes with an electric diff, the mechanical diff lock is the option to go for 🙂 another £500 😯

Ah yes sorry was thinking back to front. It’s worth it, we have deployed ours a few times already and got out of a steep grass field then towed a couple of 4x out afterwards. It’s a heavy van. I would also strongly recommend the -30mm springs , they dramatically change the way the van drives with no negative effect on the ride or entry exit angles. I couldn’t get them in NZ so we drove that van for 15000kms as standard , our new one has them and it’s like night and day, esp for passengers. 100 quid I think as an option, it also helps you get into 2m car parks

Yep, lowered springs good option. Tidies up the look of the van but seems a bit odd on a 4m.

Get the towbar and bike rack, it’s a pita to fit a towbar afterwards. If you don’t like the vow rack it’ll be easy to sell afterwards. Plenty of bikey t5 people on here!

Mfsw and cruise is a must. I wouldn’t worry ref reverse camera as the rear/ front sensors give you a radar style pic of what’s happening on the radio display.

Bluetooth a must as well, did I miss that?

Sounds like for you guys se is a must over the beach. Cooking in the van is easy, we end up doing it all the time and only BBQ if wet. It just extends the usefulness and hence vfm of the van.

ffs….will you lot stop it!!
i cant afford to look at VWs

This thread has been really useful for me as I’m just starting out on the dream of a california. Our needs are a bit different as we have 3 kids to run around day today and fit in for camping trips. The Beach is the obvious option and we should all squeeze in for the odd night while they are small. Probably need to get a drive away tent for longer trips to keep things comfortable.

It is dangerous drawing up an options list as the price gets out of control very quickly :D.

i’m not getting a T5 conversion, but wonder if other have or have not and their reasons why ! ???? !

We looked into it

Rail system
Germanic efficiency to hide an outdoor table, seats, gas and water
Pop roof is bigger that we saw on conversions
Integrated blinds
5 year factory warranty (we negotiated it as part of the deal)

On the other side the Cali is better in lhd as the passenger seat rotates into space then. But not so flash for Uk driving. Sme of the conversions are really nice but for total package

mrchrispy +1 🙁

@riofer – I’m in W Yorkshire if you’re local and want to come and have a gander at a 3 seat Beach and understand what its like to live with/in.

whats the road fund licence on the 180 DSG ?

It’s looking increasingly like we’ll be selling up our caravan and getting a again in the not too distant future. 😀 should never have sold the old one really.

Can’t remember what we pay for our 180 Cali. Not massive, about £260/ yr perhaps? Think it might be £285 now? Haven’t been outside to look.

We looked into a conversion as we had done a t4 conversion 6 yrs ago ourselves but wanted a more modern van with a pop top and hence the t5. We looked at a number of conversions and had thought about getting the roof done and riemo seats on a rail and doing the rest ourselves. We looked at conversions by a decent company in Portland and a guy called uberbus in Bournemouth. Thing was to get the car like spec of a Cali you needed to get hold of a decent van to start with, even a shuttle or caravelle.

When I odd a spreadsheet and factored in a van/ shuttle, roof, seat/ bed and everything we had in out t4 but to a high std we were pretty close to a second hand Cali anyway. When you factor in the rock solid residuals and look at the build quality of a Cali vs a conversion it really is a no brainer. We looked at a Cali in Guildford and spent an hour or more with the sales guy going through the whole van and it just worked for us. Storage, flexibility, comfort, safety etc. it just all works.

As above the roof bed is the best I’ve seen/ been in.
The seat bed downstairs on the rail is amazing. It just works and makes the vehicle really flexible.
The table/ chairs are genius.
Blinds are a work of art.
Cupboards/ storage is also cavernous and just works.

Incidentally, my mother in law is down at the mo. She said she was in a shop this morning, got talking to some woman at the checkout and within 5 mins told her she has a Cali that she’s just sold today to get a big motor home with a toilet. The woman said they have had it 2 yrs from new, done 10k miles in it and put it on the market yesterday, a guy phoned, came round this morning offering the asking price with half of the 20k in cash as a deposit and bank transferred the rest straight away. She bought it new a couple of yrs ago and sold it for £5k less than she paid for it within 24 hrs of putting it on the market. She might have underpriced it even!

Base van is a good point, Cali is actually a multivan comfort line so has the multivan suspension which is v different to transporter suspension. Getting a decent base van isn’t cheap.

for those with 4motion, do you have the diff lock and if so is it a must ?

Not a must but useful as they are heavy and it’s got me out of places I was surprised to get out of.
This written as I recline with a whisky gazing at a stormy isle of mull in my Cali. Wife and daughter upstairs sleeping, I’m supping and surfing – excellent !