Children and Californias - handy hints

[welshcat]

Hi all

As a family we are hoping to buy our first California (still not decided on the Beach or the full works), and wondered if any of you have any handy hints/lessons learnt about holidaying in a California with 2 small children!

(hmmm, the word DON'T comes to mind so any stories/tips on how to make it fun would be great)

Cheers, Cat

 

[sebking]

The Cali is more fragile than you think, use seat covers. Other than that go for it!

 

[KernowLad]

Cat - added a few ideas in the other thread! We've had our Cali since January, slept in it about a dozen times and have a 3 and a 1 year old plus a Labrador!

 

[sebking]

40 nights + a year. Admit though we shove the kids in a tent (9 and 11)

 

[Stu]

Our Son is a little under two so we make up his bed in the rear section of the Cali between the tailgate and the rear seats. He has the mattress on the rear load area and the rear seat backs give it the effect of being a cot.

We sleep in the roof and then this allows us to use the main area as a lounge in the evening.

I imagine that with 2 children you'd have to have them sleeping in the roof and would sleep downstairs yourself.

 

[MKRW]

Try and make sure they leave muddy shoes and boots outside! :headwall

 

[Graham]

I agree with Seb. Seat covers and go for it. At the end of the day, the Cali is just a thing and will eventually wear out. Good childhood memories are far more precious and more valuable.

 

[John]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

What a great question especially with the weather being the way it has been since April with the wettest months on record.

There is not a lot of space in a Cali but what there is has been well utilised. You can also of course attach a drive-away awning with doubles your living space and gives a area that you can utilise for the kids to play and dine.

The other advantage of the Cali is its size means it can be taking into city and town centres as it is no longer than a large family car and being approx 2 metres high it can also be parked in some multi story car parks.

I would say rent a Cali before committing to buying one and see how it goes. Also give yourself some flexibility with the area and camp-site that you choose to go away to. Think worst case, say a week of rain with the kids, and check out what wet day things there are to do there.

Have fun.

John

 

[Ewan]

Hi Cat,

Mine are 7 and 11. Top tips would be: seat covers; DVD players and games; their own seat back organisers with favourite toys; awning / separate tent if you're going to be on the same site for a few nights; and if not, send them to get washed or play outside while you put the beds up or down. Good organisation helps!

 

[sebking]

the kids are 9 and 11 - they sleep in a tent We sleep in the roof and that means "downstairs" is a living space. The tent is a 3 man Vango with a big porch so good for general storage.

 

[mikeramseyer]

We have 3 grandchildren and are considering a California for the occasional (probably a lot!) of trips with them all. Ages are 10, 7 and 5.
Are there seatbelts for all of them plus the two of us?

 

[calikev]

Hi mike welcome. As far as I'm aware there are only 2 seats belted in the back
You could go for a Cali with 3 rails and a 5th seat or prehaps the Cali beach
Lots of info on here about the beach in our beach section

 

[Stu]

You would need a van with the 5th seat optional extra.

 

[KernowLad]

You would need a van with the 5th seat optional extra.

Yep but it cannot be 4Motion - for some odd reason, 4Motions can't have the extra seat!

 

[rob.wheatley]

Ours are 5 and 9, but we've been going away with them for the last 2 years.

1) Seat covers are a must.
2) iPad (for games and movies)
3) The kids sleep 'down stairs' and the iPad's cover slips under the top bunk and works well as a flip down TV to watch a movie at night while we're having a drink outside.
4) We have pop-up tent to throw the kids seats into (along with other stuff) as soon as we arrive anywhere. We used to have a drive away awning, but we couldnt be bothered putting it up and down all the time, plus it takes up loads of room. We now just have the tent for storage, use the side awning and have a windbreaker.
5) Toys - things go in and out of the van all the time, so nothing specific here.
6) 2-way radios. They like to play with these, but they're also good if the site's playground is out of sight.
7) Wet wipes for spillages. In fact, have these with no kids too as they are a quick and easy way to clean things up.
8) The obvious cutlery for them, plus plastic cups.

There you go, all off the top of my head so I may have missed a bunch of stuff we take for granted.

 

[KernowLad]

Wet wipes - the most useful invention ever! I've used them as a makeshift bandage, they clean oil off bikes, grease off surfaces, etc, etc. I think I'll be buying them long after the kids have left home!

 

[campbellious]

Cat, the obvious has been said, seat covers are a must. Weve got a couple of little terrors and they love getting out in the Calli. Weve got a collapsable ladder to help them get 'upstairs' and as there's 4 of us we needed two extra picnic seats so went for a couple of cheap stools which stow away nicely in with the picinc chairs in the boot.

Entertainment wise we just opted for a cheap dvd player which weve attatched to the front seat headrest.

 

[KernowLad]

Don't forget to "pack" a laid back attitude. The first night WILL be tough, you'll probably doubt what you'e bought. But once you've got that night out of the way, you'll see how the kids enjoy themselves, how close you feel as a family and see how the good points completely blast away the compromises and you'll realise you've made the right choice.

I grew up with two younger sisters and my parents always had campers - some of the most fun childhood memories were had in them!

 

[calikev]

Don't forget to "pack" a laid back attitude. The first night WILL be tough, you'll probably doubt what you'e bought. But once you've got that night out of the way, you'll see how the kids enjoy themselves, how close you feel as a family and see how the good points completely blast away the compromises and you'll realise you've made the right choice.

Well said that's exactly right

 

[CaliGreg]

We have a 5 year old daughter and had our California 2 years now.

Firstly, she loves camping in it probably more than we do. She sleeps upstairs, which means that we can use the downstairs space after she's gone to sleep.

We always fit a drive away awning on if we are away for more than a night as it more than doubles your space.

Daddy enforces a 'no shoes' rule once we are set up - saves the seats and carpets.
Ipad and lots of board games are a must!

Go on - do it - the whole family loves our Cali!

 

[AndyFromTheBrac]

What's the best position or seat to use the rear-facing baby seat on?

We've a 5th seat which seems ideal but it's quite close to the drivers seat & is that an issue or are rear-facing baby seats designed with this in mind? (to use the front seats as a kind of protector?)

Part of me thinks put 5th seat facing forward in position by kitchen as there's no issue with front seats being too close. Then put rear facing baby seat in, but then if summat flies thru the windscreen will it clobber jnr?

Rear bench arguably furthest away so this better if hit from front - but if travelling in 5-up configuration, rear bench, shoved back, is quite close to the rear & vulnerable to a rear end shunt?

I guess each to their own and you can't really worry about every eventuality, but just wondered what you guys think?

Great thread BTW & daresay I'll be adding to it more, from May

Cheers, Andy

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