Dislike of Cali owners!

[Noeleen]

GrannyJen

You are the essence of the forum - friendly, good humoured, helpful, informative, open, young (yes!) , enthusiastic, , , all of these positive icons . . and so much more. You have told us all how you use your van, posted pictures, discussed portaloos in great detail, and mattress toppers.

I am grateful for all the advice received and look forward to more.

Bring back the dancing bananas .

All the best

Noeleen

 

[Borris]

GrannyJen,
Your experience and know how have been of immense help in both helping me to decide to buy a Cali in the first place and since then in preparation prior to collecting it this week. I have learnt so much in such a short time, including your toilet habits!
So please stay. I always like reading your comments.

 

[daveyboydanger]

You are probably right although at this moment I would disagree with you as I am currently embroiled in trying to breath new life into an enthusiast website that has virtually died simply because the involved, experienced mods and admin (me) left and the people running the show know little of the individuals or the type of banter that goes on.

However, a speculation, everything moves on, including old biddies like me so I will probably not be involved much at all here in the future.

Don't go GrannyJen. We need you.

 

[motacyclist]

However, a speculation, everything moves on, including old biddies like me so I will probably not be involved much at all here in the future.

Hi Jen, you did your best in that recent difficult situation and showed patience and understanding, all to no avail. Please ignore the childish comments that have been made and carry on the valuable contributions and observations on Cali life which are appreciated by all the adult Cali enthusiasts on here.

 

[CaliWidow]

Thanks for all your kind replies to my post last night.

I must admit, I switched off last night a bit scunnered and wondering if I should continue with the forum.
However, after yet another hard day at work, I took the easy/unhealthy/regrettable way out and stopped at the services for a burger meal....but best of all I indulged in the VWt magazine. So after turning off forum talk, I sat with a wee glass of wine and read about some AMAZING conversions.
I think VW owners can be so diverse and, I suppose like everyone, can be a bit clique'y, but isn't it great to look at what others have done to make it their own special mini-me home....we're all the same in some respects: love our VWs and love the life it brings us, whatever that is...
I now have my van at the house for a wee spit and polish and might do my wild camping thing up the valley for a cuppa again today.
I can even test my newly purchase faux fur rugs....£30 from the supermarket...just the job on cool days to wrap around us when we sit outdoors. The difficult bit is deciding which colour....I love the simple pleasures of my van!!
So we'll stick in there at the mo. Hope to see you all somewhere sometime...remember, just cos I haven't got a Cali doesn't mean I have horns or am unfriendly.
How about another Scottish get together soon?

We don't have a cali either, in fact next to a california we are downmarket but it was a california owner that got us interested and has been the biggest help to us so we are all just a big happy family, and I'm not going to embarrass that California owner but she's a member here which is how we came to be here.

 

[Gasgas]

".....I dont think I can mix with people that can afford to spend £50k on a van..."
I believe this part of the comment says it all - it's not so much about being passionate about VW's, campers or even camping, this more to do with money and who can afford what. I consider myself no better or worse than anyone else, just very fortunate to be able to own a Cali.
As mentioned above, this is about people.
Being the person I am, I won't stop saying hi to anyone I see, albeit a T4, T5 conversion or any other 'T'.
Today I drove past a Cali Berghaus, flashed my lights, waved, looked across but no response. Each to their own.
One thing for sure - other people's reactions won't alter my positive attitude towards others always..

Hey I understand what you are saying and that you are trying to be positive ,but come on if the poor guy/gal in the Cali didn't see you until you had passed, which is likely because it happens to me all the time then you are just getting the wrong Impression of them, I'm sure they would have waved if they had seen you ..I know this by the number of times I miss people !,,


Granny Jen you've got a good attitude a great spirit of freedom and people like you.. You have a following wether you like it or not.. In light of what has happened then I, plus lots of others think that this is not the right end to it ,you are a strong person and a force to be reckoned with , do not let the turbulence of the last few days put you off this forum ...it will be a poorer place without you ...

 

[MattBW]

I had a Cali wave recently but by the time I twigged they were almost alongside. I doubt they saw me wave back.

 

[Freeley]

Bet they thought you were a right miserable git!
I've done that loads of times apparently, I'm concentrating on where I'm going.

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[Skylark2.0]

I was grumbling that a White Cali didn't wave this weekend.
My boys pointed out that our Cali was at home on the drive and we were in the RAV!

 

[Skylark2.0]

You are probably right although at this moment I would disagree with you as I am currently embroiled in trying to breath new life into an enthusiast website that has virtually died simply because the involved, experienced mods and admin (me) left and the people running the show know little of the individuals or the type of banter that goes on.

However, a speculation, everything moves on, including old biddies like me so I will probably not be involved much at all here in the future.

Please stay. You make me giggle and smile with your banter

 

[GrannyJen]

Oh dear

As I am in quotation-spouting mode ..... "News of my death has been greatly exaggerated"....

Please put a "t" before "here" in the offending post... I was terribly tired that night .... my spelling was awful and being a londoner I am allowed to drop my aitches ....

and please all of you accept my thanks for so much support, really, really....

With Mum's stroke, Jo - my sister - and I having to be full time carers for six weeks it has been a long exhausting time.

I have no intention of leaving this forum. I love Albert, I love the camper van community, I love the lifestyle and I love the people in this forum too much ....

I'm going to have my very healthy green salad with my less than healthy lasagne, baked in my quest mini oven whilst sat in a field near to Chatham historic dockyard and raise a glass of ever so healthy red wine to you all whilst thinking just what a lovely place this is ....

NOW!!

Will one of you mods PLEASE tidy up the steering column threads! I'm sick of asking

 

[GrannyJen]

I got to page 2 then read the calidreaming post :-

'I have just been bought to this page by a thread on the Cali Forum and I have to defend us Cali owners.

Yes, we may own £50k plus campers but we work hard to get them, I think the only reason we get this abuse is because people that convert their own vans just can't afford a Cali!!!'


I then felt embarrassed by this 'cali owner' close the thread and walked away.

Pathetic is all I can say

I might suggest that this wholly offensive post may just have been posted by a sock puppet of someone wishing to spread disharmony.

The post is in response to this thread presumably, notifying us of an attack on Cali owners, yet if I read it correctly the poster opened their account a few hours before this thread was posted.

It does seem, looking at the Mods comment when closing that other thread, there has been a history of provoking disharmony by elements in that forum.

 

[Rich20]

Glad you are staying Jen. Your posts are brilliant and always a good read. Enjoy your evening glass (or two) and have a lovely evening.

 

[calicasas]

Hi Gas Gas, you are right, there is a chance they didn't see me, although it was a narrow road we were travelling slowly and flashing my lights from a distance..
There are people out there who are just not interested as one UK Cali owner I met on a campsite in Venice whom although I tried to talk to him, he was clearly not interested in conversation of any type.
I still waved goodbye when I left the campsite though....

Hey I understand what you are saying and that you are trying to be positive ,but come on if the poor guy/gal in the Cali didn't see you until you had passed, which is likely because it happens to me all the time then you are just getting the wrong Impression of them, I'm sure they would have waved if they had seen you ..I know this by the number of times I miss people !,,


Granny Jen you've got a good attitude a great spirit of freedom and people like you.. You have a following wether you like it or not.. In light of what has happened then I, plus lots of others think that this is not the right end to it ,you are a strong person and a force to be reckoned with , do not let the turbulence of the last few days put you off this forum ...it will be a poorer place without you ...

Hi

 

[GrannyJen]

Glad you are staying Jen. Your posts are brilliant and always a good read. Enjoy your evening glass (or two) and have a lovely evening.

Thank you. That is a very nice thing to say. All I hope is that my posts reflect the joy that I get from being part of a lifestyle that should put a smile on all our faces, leave the scowls and growls in the car park ...
...preferably with the parking warden

 

[LindaF]

I was grumbling that a White Cali didn't wave this weekend.
My boys pointed out that our Cali was at home on the drive and we were in the RAV!

We had to stop ourselves waving at Calis/vans the other day when we were out in my Fiat 500 - would have looked like complete numptys

 

[SimplyDubs]

There are people out there who are just not interested

Very true... sometimes we need to remember that with the Cali being available from a VW dealer then many people buy it just because they want a camper and have no interest in being part of a scene... VW, Cali or otherwise.

Over the years have come across a few (not many) Cali owners who have been a little surprised and indeed a little put out when I've popped across to say "Hi" which I'll do to any VW or indeed other classic camper... (I've a particular fondness for Commers and H-vans...)

To these people they are just a campervan, not a VW and not a "Cali"... It suits their purposes... which is to get away. Any other conversion could do the job but they liked the idea of buying from a main dealer, close to home where they saw the product. (One owner referred to his as his new (VW) Bongo, as that's what he'd traded in to replace... Fair enough, he was happy)

I'd guess less than 50% of us are "scene types"... the rest just want to enjoy campering. Very different from the "Classic VW's" - (Which I include the T4 Cali's in) with their obvious associated lifestyle perceptions.

As such we shouldn't be upset when we don't get waves back.

Rgds
Mark

 

[Californiaman]

Mine is just a camper. I'm not really into the VW scene as such but I will wave at anyone!!

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[jts46]

Thank you. That is a very nice thing to say. All I hope is that my posts reflect the joy that I get from being part of a lifestyle that should put a smile on all our faces, leave the scowls and growls in the car park ...
...preferably with the parking warden

Also glad to see you staying

John

 

[Swissian]

I have no intention of leaving this forum. I love Albert, I love the camper van community, I love the lifestyle and I love the people in this forum too much ....

and that's all I have to say.

 

[GrannyJen]

Thank you

and that's all I have to say.

 

[MattBW]

Will one of you mods PLEASE tidy up the steering column threads! I'm sick of asking

Can you use the report function or Pm me with the link and what's up with it and I'll take a look.

 

[GrannyJen]

Can you use the report function or Pm me with the link and what's up with it and I'll take a look.

Too late

I've fixed it ....

 

[motacyclist]

Winter tyres too please

 

[GrannyJen]

Winter tyres too please

With or without custard?