Seasonal use of you California

[Borris]

Hi Everyone,
As a new member, I have been avidly reading through the various posts on this excellent forum in order to gen up and find out all the important dos and don'ts etc prior to collecting our new Cali. I have noticed many references to seasonal use. How many of you use your vehicle all year round?
Like many Calis, ours has the standard auxiliary parking heater. As it will only be my wife and I using it, are there any reasons why we shouldn't consider using it in all seasons?
We will also be buying a Cali topper for the roof and a bottle of something suitable, purely for medicinal purposes only, you understand, to keep out the cold.
We would both welcome your comments and experiences.

 

[GrannyJen]

There is no reason not to use it all round.

The Cali is a true 4 season vehicle and I spend as much time camping in it between January and March as I do any other quarter.

Roof up, no topper it gets a little bit draughty in Winter, but not uncomfortably so and I would rather have a draught than no ventilation.

The heater is excellent, economical and effective and I have never needed more than a 10 tog Duvet.

I do not use a roof topper, my itinerant use of the vehicle, where I am packing up and moving on almost every day, makes it a bit of a faff, especially when I sleep downstairs in winter anyway.

A porta-potti sits comfortably at the end of the downstairs bed so exiting the vehicle in the middle of a Winters night is unnecessary.

The long nights of winter can make living in it a bit cramped and claustrophobic, but an opposite sensation is also one of warm and fluffy cosiness. Heater on, music playing softly, blinds closed down, a glass of wine and a good book and the weather can do what it likes outside - and yes, do what it likes for the Cali excels at storm survival.

I love it any season, strangely high summer is when I use it least though.

 

[Californiaman]

We use ours all year too. Winter camping is great!

 

[briwy]

Definitley all year
Not good for vehicles to be laid up
Worst our cali has seen so far, came through no problems
http://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/snow.9060/

 

[Ricotansky]

I love using it in the winter. Waking up to a frosty sunrise all cosy under the duvet with the heater on while outside is all icy and fresh is the best. You also have the benefit of campsites being a lot quieter and much more peaceful.

We used a Cali topper, which does keep the heat in better and keeps the bellows dry, but is a bit of an arse to fit. We have got a pucer screen instead now which fits in seconds but does the same job. Not fully tested in the depths of winter yet though.

Having said that, we were out in the frost in February with no topper and it was fine, just leave the heater on a bit longer!

 

[The Blue Merle]

Hi
I use mine all year round have even gone to the Alps in jan for a snow hols.
Get yourself an isotop roof cover it fits inside and you don't have to mess around putting it on or taking it off, it has window vents what line up with factory ones too. Bit expensive though.
I had a van topper and they are a pain to store in van when wet and hassle of you travel about a lot.
Electric blanket comes in very handy if you have hook up too.

 

[WelshGas]

Definitely YES. We're already booked into Crystal Palace site, London, for this Christmas to visit The National Opera House Christmas Eve and undertake the Christmas Day Bike Ride in Central London. Will have a road trip before and after visiting family all over, staying in the California on sites or driveways. Great fun. Did something similar last year. In fact we are away at least once or twice every month for days or weeks at a time.
I just use the heater in the depths of winter and leave it on. Just set the temperature you want and let it do its thing.

 

[Freeley]

We spent a few days in ours at Looe over christmas - weather was freezing but with the topper on and using the parking heater all was well!
We also have a small heater we use for background warmth as we find the parking heater can be a bit suffocating even on the lowest setting.

 

[Rich]

this is great to hear, i've had my cali for a couple months now & camped in it almost every weekend so far, wasn't looking forward to winter as don't want to stop, sounds like there's reason to to do that

 

[WelshGas]

The one thing you must be aware of is adequate ventilation or the windows will be streaming. Only a problem if you use a Topper as most cover the ventilation grills in the roof, or if you don't have the roof raised. Just leave a window open slightly or, as I do, use the Brandrup window grill.

 

[Borris]

The one thing you must be aware of is adequate ventilation or the windows will be streaming. Only a problem if you use a Topper as most cover the ventilation grills in the roof, or if you don't have the roof raised. Just leave a window open slightly or, as I do, use the Brandrup window grill.

Thanks WelshGas,
Excellent tip. I will order some of those wind deflector things.

 

[jts46]

In use all year

John

 

[teeboy]

Ours is normally used as a car or a day van from Mid-November to Easter.

However we are a family of four, so as some have hinted above it is lovelly and cozy downstairs with the heater on (even with the roof up), but can be a bit draughty up top - and you also have to keep away from the sides of the "tent" in rain, which is hard to get kids to do. Our kids are getting a bit big to sleep together as well, so we normally use an awning - which would be freezing in the winter (we would not use the heater with the awning attached as the fumes would vent into the tent.

Also if you are confined to the van when the weather is bad it can be cramped 4 up!

I suspect most of the 12 month campers are singles or couples - feel free to correct me.

I see Borris that you are a couple - so you should be fine.

T

 

[Borris]

Ours is normally used as a car or a day van from Mid-November to Easter.

However we are a family of four, so as some have hinted above it is lovelly and cozy downstairs with the heater on (even with the roof up), but can be a bit draughty up top - and you also have to keep away from the sides of the "tent" in rain, which is hard to get kids to do. Our kids are getting a bit big to sleep together as well, so we normally use an awning - which would be freezing in the winter (we would not use the heater with the awning attached as the fumes would vent into the tent.

Also if you are confined to the van when the weather is bad it can be cramped 4 up!

I suspect most of the 12 month campers are singles or couples - feel free to correct me.

I see Borris that you are a couple - so you should be fine.

T

Thanks Teeboy,
Yes, there's just the two of us and all the the replies have been very helpful and informative. Thank you everyone for your input.
We are buying our Cali mainly for the freedom and spontaneity that it will provide but also to give us a large, black, four wheel drive, luxurious, escape tunnel from our three nearest, utterly gorgeous but extremely tiring grandchildren. We have just about survived having them five days a week during the kids holidays (The rest of the year only two days a week). We are now in need of a long rest in a warm darkened Cali in some remote place with no phone! It can rain, snow, sleet or blow outside, we care not a jot. Shame, we don't pick it up till the end of the month.

 

[GrannyJen]

Thanks Teeboy,
Yes, there's just the two of us and all the the replies have been very helpful and informative. Thank you everyone for your input.
We are buying our Cali mainly for the freedom and spontaneity that it will provide but also to give us a large, black, four wheel drive, luxurious, escape tunnel from our three nearest, utterly gorgeous but extremely tiring grandchildren. We have just about survived having them five days a week during the kids holidays (The rest of the year only two days a week). We are now in need of a long rest in a warm darkened Cali in some remote place with no phone! It can rain, snow, sleet or blow outside, we care not a jot. Shame, we don't pick it up till the end of the month.

I had my grandchildren (only two) for two weeks, followed by nonagenarian Mother for two weeks before she had a stroke and is now with us for at least three more weeks. Another Sister joined us on the Mother-care shift this week and the ability to just go, 5 minutes and wheels are rolling, is fabulous,

I have three days of sanity restoration before going back home on Friday, the Cali escape module proves itself again.

 

[Borris]

Perh

I had my grandchildren (only two) for two weeks, followed by nonagenarian Mother for two weeks before she had a stroke and is now with us for at least three more weeks. Another Sister joined us on the Mother-care shift this week and the ability to just go, 5 minutes and wheels are rolling, is fabulous,

I have three days of sanity restoration before going back home on Friday, the Cali escape module proves itself again.

I am sensing that there maybe many more escape modules out there, if not all of them. Are all Cali's owned by people who are running away? Are all Cali owners deeply disturbed? Could this be the basis of a psychological research project? Perhaps resulting in a recognized medical condition, maybe, Calitosis?
Err, perhaps not.
Could we then get a Cali on the NHS to help with our condition? Maybe I've had the grandchildren for too long. I better go and lie down.

 

[Ricotansky]

I can empathise with the escape capsule mentality. I'd like to quit the rat race and run away in the van, abandoning the daily drudgery.

Fortunately/unfortunately my better half can see that this is not a good long term plan and won't allow it.

At least the van allows lots of short temporary escapes!

 

[NZCol]

We've been using our Cali all year round - including a 2.5 year old, we just rug her up in the winter.