Beach or Ocean (SE)

[Barticus]

Hi everyone

I have been pestering my wife to let me buy a VW camper van for a long time and finally managed to get her to the van centre to look at one. The compromise was that she would rather have an OEM spec van which has not been modified as she had safety concerns with converting our own van.

After over 2 hours in the VW van centre and seeing a variety of Cali's, including the Ocean and Beach in both T6 and T5 flavour, we are no closer to deciding what we need or indeed what we would like. HELP...

How we plan to use the Cali...
We have a 5 month old baby and will be using the Cali for long weekends away and day trips to the beach etc. I am into mountain biking and the thought of being able to get into the warm and enjoy a cup of tea after a ride is very appealing (instead of having to change on the side of a road or in a car park). If my wife and daughter come along, it also gives them a comfortable and warm environment to sit in if the weather isn't great. In addition to this this, we would like to go out and explore the UK in our holidays touring up to Scotland or over to Ireland. We both want our daughter to have a healthy outdoorsy upbringing. We have been camping in the past but with the tent, cookers, creature comforts needed for a baby, its all become a bit of a hassle.

Advice from the van centre...
Buy a Beach. As we are going to buy a Vango (or similar) drive away awning and given we have a kitchen and cooker unit from camping, you only really losing a fridge and a wardrobe but gaining up to three extra seats and a full size bed (which is appealing as I'm not a small bloke). You can fit a cool box/fridge in the storage area and it will also accommodate the day trips more readily. If we are going out with both sets of grandparents, the seven seats will save taking two vehicles. He also points out there is a healthy cost saving albeit we would rather make the right choice of Cali first time instead of having to change in two or three years time.

Finally, T5 or T6...
Apart from some new engines, some internal workings, a much better dash board & infotainment system and some edgier lines on the exterior, there is not much noticeable difference between the two versions. Given that my wife already has a Tiguan and I drive a Passat, the van wont be a daily driver and therefore do we save some pennies and get a 2015 T5 where all the known issues have been resolved?

Sorry for the wordy intro but its a life changing purchase and I would appreciate some views from some existing Cali owners who may be able to give some useful insight into which version to buy.

Thank you

Brett

 

[T6 CFO]

Good explanation of the Dilemma Brett.
Well from someone who doesn't own one and is going to buy a T6 Ocean I reckon a Beach as it will be a more flexible option. I am retired, kids are grown up, so it's me and the wife and longer trips away with just two of us.
Deciding between A T6 or T5 ex-Demo/second hand comes down to the pennies. Good luck


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[splitmike]

My advise would be to buy the best van you can afford now. I'm not a small bloke either but the bed in the SE ( ocean ) is still cozy but with room to move now. Having had a van in the past with just a full width bed and a young child at the time. I ached to have the full conversion with storage everywhere and the fridge and hob in the van and not in the awning.
I've used my SE for cycling and for surfing with my now bigger son. It is so nice to leave the heater run on a cold day to come back too. The kettle boiling as you get changed and him or I not shivering on the side of the road to get changed.
I only wish I had the full van when he was a baby. Life would have been a little easier on those camping trips. I assure you.

 

[Hotel California]

Hi and welcome ,

Having a 2012 SE and loving it the diffrence with a beach seems not that big , still i think it is.
Travelling with a Beach and tent , carrying separate coocking gear , watertanks ,...is camping in style no doubts.
In a SE you can benefit from the equipment inside having everything needed within handsreach .
Arriving at a site or just stopping allong the road , takes two minutes to boil the ketlle , unload things from the fridge and cook a meal , all cosy inside heater on if the weather turns out less good.
With a Beach you would be unpacking the booth before even having a cup of coffee.
Putting tent up in wet weather ( for one night?) ,
If the weater is nice you can allways cook outside ( i also carry a small two pit gasburner)
I think the SE gives just a bit more ....but it coast more indeed
The thing you need to consider also is on what base you use the verhicle , daily driver or pure hollydays ( as we do )
Everyone has his own idea of how to travel and what to take .

A Beach got other plusses than a SE for sure !
Great loding space , more passengers , lower price ,...
Try to search your needs and compare the two verhicles ( pricewise)
A Beach with added options will also be expencive .


Guess you need to read the forum thru and have a (few) good night sleep on it....

 

[Ambler]

I agree with Mike. Buy the best you can afford.
Forget your comfort, you need to look after that baby.
Also, does the beach come with a heater? Mum and baby will need one.

 

[reserves]

I'd say SE personally if you can afford one, comes with a whole bunch of useful extras as standard. Plus if you want to make a cuppa it's all there laid out perfectly, no messing.

 

[motacyclist]

Hi and welcome ,

Having a 2012 SE and loving it the diffrence with a beach seems not that big , still i think it is.
Travelling with a Beach and tent , carrying separate coocking gear , watertanks ,...is camping in style no doubts.
In a SE you can benefit from the equipment inside having everything needed within handsreach .
Arriving at a site or just stopping allong the road , takes two minutes to boil the ketlle , unload things from the fridge and cook a meal , all cosy inside heater on if the weather turns out less good.
With a Beach you would be unpacking the booth before even having a cup of coffee.
Putting tent up in wet weather ( for one night?) ,
If the weater is nice you can allways cook outside ( i also carry a small two pit gasburner)
I think the SE gives just a bit more ....but it coast more indeed
The thing you need to consider also is on what base you use the verhicle , daily driver or pure hollydays ( as we do )
Everyone has his own idea of how to travel and what to take .

A Beach got other plusses than a SE for sure !
Great loding space , more passengers , lower price ,...
Try to search your needs and compare the two verhicles ( pricewise)
A Beach with added options will also be expencive .


Guess you need to read the forum thru and have a (few) good night sleep on it....

I often wonder whether we should have gone for the Beach but after reading these posts I think we made the right choice for our lifestyle!

Good luck, I'm sure you will enjoy the van whatever you choose

 

[Barticus]

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts. There seems to be a split between the two but a lot of positive comments for the SE.

I wondered about stopping and make a hot drink and the salesman said plug in a 13v kettle. I realise you have to unpack a box with tea making stuff in but perhaps not massively different from getting out of a cupboard? The salesman also said on wet days, with the table up on an SE, not a lot of room to move about. He also suggested the heater options may be retro fitted. I'm not worried about the wardrobes as I go away a lot and happy living out of a bag. Biggest issue for me is making a cuppa and keeping my girls snug. Has anyone retro fitted the heater unit as opposed to an oil filled rad the salesman suggested. How easily does the SE cope with four adults on a long weekend without putting up a side awning.

Thanks for all your very helpful comments so far.

 

[bigmac77]

A 13v kettle will take ages to boil.

 

[motacyclist]

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts. There seems to be a split between the two but a lot of positive comments for the SE.

I wondered about stopping and make a hot drink and the salesman said plug in a 13v kettle. I realise you have to unpack a box with tea making stuff in but perhaps not massively different from getting out of a cupboard? The salesman also said on wet days, with the table up on an SE, not a lot of room to move about. He also suggested the heater options may be retro fitted. I'm not worried about the wardrobes as I go away a lot and happy living out of a bag. Biggest issue for me is making a cuppa and keeping my girls snug. Has anyone retro fitted the heater unit as opposed to an oil filled rad the salesman suggested. How easily does the SE cope with four adults on a long weekend without putting up a side awning.

Thanks for all your very helpful comments so far.

Sounds to me like the salesman is desperately pushing the Beach for some reason.

You will wait an age for a 13v kettle to boil and it will drain the battery. Oil filled rad is totally unsuitable, takes too long to warm up and needs electric hook up.

The Eberspacher heater fitted as standard to the SE/Ocean is absolutely fantastic and is one of the stand out features. Remember too, it comes with a remote fob and can be turned on from half a mile away (or more) so the van is toasty when you open the door.

Retrofitting the heater can be done but is not cheap and is better specified on the order form.

 

[Borris]

Hi everyone

I have been pestering my wife to let me buy a VW camper van for a long time and finally managed to get her to the van centre to look at one. The compromise was that she would rather have an OEM spec van which has not been modified as she had safety concerns with converting our own van.

After over 2 hours in the VW van centre and seeing a variety of Cali's, including the Ocean and Beach in both T6 and T5 flavour, we are no closer to deciding what we need or indeed what we would like. HELP...

How we plan to use the Cali...
We have a 5 month old baby and will be using the Cali for long weekends away and day trips to the beach etc. I am into mountain biking and the thought of being able to get into the warm and enjoy a cup of tea after a ride is very appealing (instead of having to change on the side of a road or in a car park). If my wife and daughter come along, it also gives them a comfortable and warm environment to sit in if the weather isn't great. In addition to this this, we would like to go out and explore the UK in our holidays touring up to Scotland or over to Ireland. We both want our daughter to have a healthy outdoorsy upbringing. We have been camping in the past but with the tent, cookers, creature comforts needed for a baby, its all become a bit of a hassle.

Advice from the van centre...
Buy a Beach. As we are going to buy a Vango (or similar) drive away awning and given we have a kitchen and cooker unit from camping, you only really losing a fridge and a wardrobe but gaining up to three extra seats and a full size bed (which is appealing as I'm not a small bloke). You can fit a cool box/fridge in the storage area and it will also accommodate the day trips more readily. If we are going out with both sets of grandparents, the seven seats will save taking two vehicles. He also points out there is a healthy cost saving albeit we would rather make the right choice of Cali first time instead of having to change in two or three years time.

Finally, T5 or T6...
Apart from some new engines, some internal workings, a much better dash board & infotainment system and some edgier lines on the exterior, there is not much noticeable difference between the two versions. Given that my wife already has a Tiguan and I drive a Passat, the van wont be a daily driver and therefore do we save some pennies and get a 2015 T5 where all the known issues have been resolved?

Sorry for the wordy intro but its a life changing purchase and I would appreciate some views from some existing Cali owners who may be able to give some useful insight into which version to buy.

Thank you

Brett

Hello Brett,
Only you can make that decision but my thoughts on our choice may be of some help.
We also went through a similar thought process before finally deciding. We are grand parents with regular child care committments and like you, tried to find a vehicle that would be perfect for all occasions. Multi seat taxi for the grand kids and parents, removal truck, and finally, luxury camper van. No such vehicle exists.
So in the end we decided to be very self indulgent and get the full fat SE. All of the parents of our eight grand children each have their own cars so in the event that we need to go anywhere together we will just have to go separately. (Although it must be said that we are planning to buy a caravelle at some point to perform taxi duties when the grand kids out grow our car). On the very rare occasions that we need to move large items we will either hire a van or strip out the rear seat in the Cali (not very likely). However by choosing the SE/Ocean version we have a vehicle that is superbly designed as a pure camper van. It does everything well and is a very comfortable environment. I too am a large bloke and my wife and I sleep downstairs with absolutely no problems. Its very cosy.

If you are thinking of getting into your warm van after a long bike ride, don't forget that only the SE/Ocean variant has the very expensive auxilliary parking heater as standard. In my mind, this is an essential bit of kit as it turns the vehicle into a 365 days a year camper.

I would also imagine that having the fridge, cooker and sink in the van would also be emensly usefull with your having a young baby.

T5 or T6? Unless you are keen on owning the latest version or are impressed by the very minor design tweaks then I personnaly don't think it matters that much. Both versions do exactly the same thing. We decided to go for the T5 firstly because we found one that fitted our requirments perfectly and we didn't have to wait but also because I strongly beleive that at least some of the 6000 changes that VW say they have made to the T6 are bound to translate into faults. At least with the T5 the common issues are known and hopefully most have been rectified before the very last examples were made.

Which ever you decide to go for I am sure you will not regret your decision. They are all great vehicles.

Good luck.

 

[splitmike]

I can understand the salesman saying there isn't much room with the table up. But that's what the work tops are for you don't always need the table up just for a cuppa.
An eberspacher kit is about £900 then you need to get it fitted. And it won't be or look factory.
I've gone surfing with four of us all men ok we are all servicemen or Ex servicemen but there were no concerns at all. In fact it was a fantastic weekend.
If you get the beach then realise you havnt got the things you need in the van you will kick yourself. If you get the SE you will know in your heart it has it all. And babies need lots of stuff! Lol
Just my view.
Could it be worth hiring one before you buy. Or see if anybody lives near you that you can actually meet them and see for yourself. Id offer if you are in Devon.

 

[Duncan]

We have actually gone the other way! We had an SE and have now changed to a Beach and love it.

Our main reasons:

1. We now use it as our main vehicle and having just three passenger seats in the SE did not work for us, we now can now take the kids friends out with us ( we did have a 5th seat before but I think these are not at all practical as they are so heavy and they are a recipe for causing damage to the floor when taking in and out)

2. Our roof jammed in the up position whilst on holiday in Italy and it ruined the trip as we ended up staying in hotels for the remaining part of the holiday, the Beach has a manual roof which is a big plus for us now.

3. I am also a big person and the downstairs bed in the SE is just a large singe bed !! ( measure it, you will be surprised how small it is) In our Beach we now have two big king size beds and it is sooooo much more comfortable downstairs

4. With the cost being so much cheaper you can spec it out with loads more goodies and what is left over will pay for all your holidays for the next few years.

5. OK, you dont have a a hob but to be honest we only ever used to use the kettle inside the van as it is much nicer using the outside portable cooker to cook food.

6. The only negative we had with the Beach is there is no fixed fridge and we do miss this, however we now have a really good portable fridge that cost us £200. The fridge in the Cali is over a £1000 to replace so at least if mine goes wrong I just buy another one.

7. Having had both the SE and a Beach I can confrm the Beach is much more economical on fuel, I assume this is down to not having all the fitted cupboards etc. We get a good +7 extra MPG on our Beach.

8. Finally the heater, we chose the aux heater as an option and works the same as the one in the SE

So in summary the beach is much much better for our situation but realise this may not suit everyone.

 

[WelshGas]

Look on it this way.
Beach - Tent on wheels but no heating or internal kitchen.
SE - Caravan on wheels with everything but internal, fixed toilet or shower.

Both get you from A to B , both allow you to sleep in, BUT, when you stop to make that cup of tea?

Unless of course you buy a Beach and have it outfitted with Diesel Heater, Fridge and Full Kitchen Pod that can be accessed from within the vehicle, there will be compromises to be made.

The Beach can carry more passengers if you forgoe the Internal Pods, but how often will you need that facility?

 

[splitmike]

It's really nice to read so many positives for both vans instead of there being the mandatory Moaning and winging about this and that.
Helpful and informative comments what the forum is all about in my mind.

 

[Duncan]

Certainly not a tent on wheels! You could call a folding camper a tent on wheels, but not a Beach! Plus you are wrong as you can have the heater as well. As for stopping for a cup of tea I can buy A LOT of cups of tea with the masiving saving I made over a SE! If we are desperate to make a cuppa in the van we take a flask with us which is much quicker than waiting for the kettle to boil.

Please rember I did have an SE for three years so I do know the differences.

 

[T6Beach]

We also chose the parking heater as an option, it works the same as the SE heater.

 

[CALI FATE]

haha this ones going to roll and roll - You have to hand it to VW, they have produced a vehicle that is appealing to such a wide spectrum of users.

Its great fun working out which format works best for you - Beach or Ocean ? - then all the confusing options and then all the aftermarket kit. This forum is a fantastic resource, and the answer to most questions can be found here somewhere.

As my 3 seater beach floats across the north sea to blighty, i am sitting here thinking ive cracked it. For me a 150 Cali Beach with a few essential options is the way to go. It will be my daily driver, 7 x seater family car, mountain biking van, overnight stopover motel, weekender and summer holiday camper. Ive saved £10k vs the Ocean, it will be cheaper to run, more flexible to use and there is far less fancy stuff to go wrong. A few storage tubs of gear and essentials and maybe a clip-in Maxxcamp kitchen unit and you have the best of all worlds.

I might just be the smuggest bloke ever to have driven a yellow van - watch this space

 

[WelshGas]

I don't see how you can "Disagree" Duncan. The Beach and the Ocean or SE are two different vehicles built on the same chassis. You cannot turn a Beach into a SE without compromising on certain aspects and likewise turn a SE into a Beach. It depends totally on your requirements. Otherwise VW would have sold a base vehicle that could have been accessorised upto a SE , but they didn't. Likewise no one sells a tent that can be accessorised upto a caravan.
I'm sat at my local beach, nice and cosy, watching the waves crash in enjoying a cup of tea while the rain thunders down, on my iPad, and I haven't had to step outside the van since I arrived.

 

[WelshGas]

Certainly not a tent on wheels! You could call a folding camper a tent on wheels, but not a Beach! Plus you are wrong as you can have the heater as well. As for stopping for a cup of tea I can buy A LOT of cups of tea with the masiving saving I made over a SE! If we are desperate to make a cuppa in the van we take a flask with us which is much quicker than waiting for the kettle to boil.

Please rember I did have an SE for three years so I do know the differences.

Exactly my point, you have accessorised your vehicle to what YOU want, and I have decided that what suits my requirements is an SE as I do not wish to compromise on anything. Running costs are not a consideration for me but is for others.

The Beach, as standard does not come with a heater. It is an accessory. The SE has a heater as standard which illustrates my point exactly. By the way, I can't buy a cup of tea where I am at the moment. No beach cafe and can't be bothered making flasks etc, not spontaneous enough for me.

 

[WelshGas]

We also chose the parking heater as an option, it works the same as the SE heater.

Exactly my point, you can accessorise your Beach to get the Vehicle you want but only so far. The next stage is a SE or Ocean.
And my point is if you want extra seats and a heater you can but you then have to compromise on other things such as having to use an awning maybe for your camping kitchen, if that's what you want. If you want a mechanical roof then you have no alternative to a Beach. The choice is yours. But please don't try and make out that one is better than the other. They have some abilities in common, but also differences.

 

[Hotel California]

It is always the same ,
The Beach owners vs. SE owners.....

In the end it is each their own ....think you need hire if undiseded....but it could well make the choice even harder....

I say you must have at least fresh/ water tank inbuild , good heating and enough lesure battery power to go on trips being indipendent and not have to stay on sites( camping ,...) every day .
In that view we got a SE instead of Beach.

Upgrading a Beach closer to the SE is silly

 

[daveyboydanger]

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts. There seems to be a split between the two but a lot of positive comments for the SE.

I wondered about stopping and make a hot drink and the salesman said plug in a 13v kettle. I realise you have to unpack a box with tea making stuff in but perhaps not massively different from getting out of a cupboard? The salesman also said on wet days, with the table up on an SE, not a lot of room to move about. He also suggested the heater options may be retro fitted. I'm not worried about the wardrobes as I go away a lot and happy living out of a bag. Biggest issue for me is making a cuppa and keeping my girls snug. Has anyone retro fitted the heater unit as opposed to an oil filled rad the salesman suggested. How easily does the SE cope with four adults on a long weekend without putting up a side awning.

Thanks for all your very helpful comments so far.

If you're still pondering in a few weeks time you'd be welcome to try my t6 beach before you buy. Should be rentable by mid january.

 

[daveyboydanger]

It is always the same ,
The Beach owners vs. SE owners.....

In the end it is each their own ....think you need hire if undiseded....but it could well make the choice even harder....

I say you must have at least fresh/ water tank inbuild , good heating and enough lesure battery power to go on trips being indipendent and not have to stay on sites( camping ,...) every day .
In that view we got a SE instead of Beach.

Upgrading a Beach closer to the SE is silly

Unless you need 5 seats.

 

[blondebier]

Hi Barticus,

We had the same dilemma. We've got 2 young kids and wanted something we could drive every day with 7 seats. It had to be a beach for that reason.

We've gone for the T6 as the price difference against a nearly new T5 wasn't significant enough. I also thought T5's would take a hit and depreciate because of the T6's release.

We have gone for some options including the parking heater. As the beach doesn't have the kitchen unit, we're going to have to go aftermarket and I think we've pretty much decided on a Slide Pod. (See http://www.slidepods.co.uk ) It's removable if you want it to be and can be freestanding in a drive away awning. We liked the appeal of more space with the kids. The 2 extra seats are removable so we can take them out for more space when we don't need them.

We haven't decided which awning yet. Reviews seem quite mixed. I'm quite drawn to an inflatable air awnings. I'd be interested to hear what you go for when you order.

In summary, I can't really say much else than what's already been said. It's horses for courses.

You've just got to pick your horse.

All the best.