I don't 'Get' the Beach. Tell me what I'm missing

[2into1]

This question has been nagging away at me, so this question is asked in a generous "I'm probably wrong" spirit.

I admit it. I don't understand the Beach!. I know it has a long heritage dating back through multivans etc, but by definition, to me a campervan needs to have cupboards and a 'cooker' of some type. You may well pack a tent, but if you are just having a day out, or arrive on an overnighter in foul weather, you are essentially already in a tiny cafe / hotel room.

As something to go 'camping' WITH, I sort of get the Beach. Verses a big estate car you get swivel seats to create a lounge, a bed up-top and downstairs but surely you NEED a tent / awning to set up your cooking gear which you've carried in the boot.

This seems a poor solution vs the SE where you have cupboards, a sink, a wardrobe etc.

My old Westy (LWB, high top) goes further with a Loo, dressing room, headroom, weight etc, and I'm always pondering whether I should swap it for a pop top SE...............but to get to a Beach to me is just a step way too far.

So what am I missing? I do look at the 2 seater Beach as a possibility as I like the manual roof and the ability to fit kitchen units down the side (and therefore make a simple SE), but just to use it as-supplied feels alien.

Are Beach buyers campers who appreciate a 'hard and dry' tent, or do they have bigger families than would fit in the SE and that dictates their choice? I know they are lighter, cheaper, simpler but so is my old Skoda Estate.

Looking at Autotrader, the VW dealers seem to know the answer and seem to be ordering loads of Beaches without having found customers. They must be moving them, so tell me, what am I missing?

 

[Jaydub]

Price could be a major factor at nearly £8000 difference. For us it was a larger bed.not wanting or feeling the need to cook inside.flexibility of space inside.main use as a day van or for short 1 or 2 night trips away.maybe when we have more time on our hands a full fat Cali as some call them might be the best option.in the mean time happy with the half way option from a tent to a full camper.

 

[bvddobb]

[...] So what am I missing? [...] I know they are lighter, cheaper, simpler but so is my old Skoda Estate.

I guess you have it pretty much there! Plus they have more seats and a larger downstairs bed.

 

[helmguy]

Depends on what you want the vehicle for. I go away a lot scuba diving and often stay over night for 1 or 2 nights. The beach gives me flexibility of being our daily car, or somewhere to sleep or a van or a 7 seater. There just the 2 of us and we dont really need the sink, we have a cooker we can carry with us and we havr a cool box. We used to have a caravan and a land rover before we got our Cali beach so we are used to more 'stuff' but we don't miss it.

Again is depends on what you're using the van for. If we had kids or we spent longer periods of time away in it then the se might be more appropriate but its not for us.

 

[2into1]

I go away a lot scuba diving and often stay over night for 1 or 2 nights.

Wouldn't somewhere to boil water for coffee, and store your mug, transform the experience? (From your bed or without going into the boot).

 

[helmguy]

Personally that wouldnt be worth loosing the flexibility of having a van/7 seated for 95% of the time I'm using the van and not sleeping in it. Besides grabbing the stove and mug which I have in a drawer isn't exactly a chore. Like I said beach is a far better vehicle than the SE for what we need but YMMV.

 

[Ma77sc]

Three kids (two at the time), limited budget, flexible daily driver, fairweather camper looking for more spontaneous nights/weekends away meant a Beach was a no-brainer for us. It's been perfect and I couldn't imagine having an SE until I get rich or the kids move out. Cooking is usually 1) when the weather's good, 2) under the awning if not, 3) in the Kela if away for more than a couple of days or 4) in the pub so no real issue. Sure it'd be nice to boil the kettle without getting up but one of the things about being away camping for me is none of that lying about but getting up and out and boiling a kettle outside kickstarts that process. Days out in the van (Beach or SE) are infinitely more fun than going out in a car so again another dimension that canvas and an estate don't provide. To me it is a rigid tent that doesn't need erecting, drying out, cleaning (in the tent sense) or putting away - we had a tent and it rarely got used when the family came along.

I don't know any different though - coming from the 'motorhome' (you have a bog ) end of things I'd imagine the Beach would be hard to 'get'.

 

[estresao]

I've got a Beach because it will be my daily vehicle, and I don't want go to the grocery bringing a cupboards, a sink, a wardrobe etc... I prefer use this stuff as detachable devices, which I'll mount when necessary.

I it were not my daily vehicle as well, for the price of a California SE maybe I would buy a bigger campervan or RV

 

[owen_h]

I suspect the proportion of people who have the Beach as a daily drive and/or only vehicle is higher than the SE.
For me the Beach gives me the flexibility to load up with bikes / windsurfers etc and have a comfortable warm & dry base to return to. I completely take the point about having the ability to make a cup of tea / meal when I return hence why I have added a kitchen pod.
For me it wasn't a choice between a Beach or SE. The decision was between a van + conversion or Beach + pod. By the time I had added up the cost of getting a conversion done to the standard I wanted (neat roof, crash tested sliding seat etc) I was in Beach money territory. The SE was beyond my price range.
Its all personal decisions based on what constraints we have and what we want to get out of the vehicle. If we get it wrong with a Cali at least the residuals cushion the blow.

 

[estresao]

There are also the case of people that know how to save +10000 euros.... have a look this this post, it's in Spanish, but pictures will perfectly show you what I mean:

http://www.furgovw.org/index.php?topic=246799.0

 

[Big Bloke]

For us, our beach is our daily drive. We have the two seater and the downstairs bed is fantastic! No being cramped up for us!In fact we only use upstairs if the van is packed downstairs when touring.If we are staying more than one night, we unload into the awning and use downstairs. We thought very long and very hard about what we wanted. In the end the comfortable downstairs bed outweighed everything else!

 

[soulstyledevon]

Its a Swiss army knife...!!!

Transporting people around
Large luggage area for picking up bulky items etc
Spacious day van for trips to the Beach
Works as a compact campervan for trips to Europe
Comfortable motorway cruiser
Nimble enough for trips around towns

It does everything.

Having owned various Volkswagen campervans over the last 15 years, I found little need for cooking inside my vans. The cupboards were always awkward and never seemed to have enough space for my kit. I find I can carry all my camping gear easily within the Beach and I don't use an additional tent of any kind.
I have a coolbox connected to the power points of the van, a Cobb BBQ for cooking under the roll-out awning. Leisure power for the interior lights etc and the diesel heater to keep us warm at night. A full width bed for a good nights sleep which is priority on trips. Those 3/4 beds are just too narrow for two adults.

The Beach is the ultimate vehicle for us.
We have used ours for so many camping trips local and a-far. Weekends/bank holidays crashing on a friends driveway for New Year. We have gone over to Belguim for 5 days, Switzerland for two weeks and completed a 3 week trip last year to Germany/Austria and plan this year on a two week trip to Norway. In Feb she is 2 years old and we have no plans on changing.

My only gripe is, I wish Volkswagen had put in a switch hand-brake so the drivers seat didn't fowl against the seat base when rotating it round.

Its the best out there at the moment and I cant understand why people purchase converted vans or the SE. The Beach price point kills them both off.
The Beach is the best all-rounder :cool

 

[Meoncoast]

Looked at both, SE met our needs - each to their own. our only drive

 

[Maud]

Ariadne is my daily drive for my 45mile round commute and my only vehicle but I am more than happy to be taking all the extra 'fat' with me I didn't even consider the Beach as it seems more of a day van to me - I know that plenty of people use them for longer holidays etc. but I guess having holidayed in touring caravans from 6 months old, I am used to having everything on the inside and ready to go. I have no need for extra seats and the bed size isn't an issue for 1 woman + dogs. I had a dream of having a little home on wheels and, to me, a home should come with a kitchen sink built in :lol:

Each to their own though, and I can see the benefits of the beach for some. As long as we are all happy with our own

Maud

 

[2into1]

Thanks for the responses so far. Interesting to read. I'm taking away (not in any particular order)

- Bigger Bed (SE 3/4 bed too small for 2 adults)
- Lighter / Nimbler vs SE
- Cheaper
- Room / Practicality for bikes / boards etc
- Can seat more than 4
- The importance of the awning as more has to happen outside
- Flexibility to still fit a pod (or 2)
- Feels less precious for trips to the tip with gardening waste etc

Keep them coming

 

[Big Bloke]

Dare I add that theres also slightly less to go wrong with a Beach?

 

[2into1]

Dare I add that theres also slightly less to go wrong with a Beach?

Too right!

 

[jamesC]

The Beach for me is the vehicle I use for school runs, and trips to Sainsburys, but it also means I can go camping with my buddies in January.... Awesome!!

(Incidentally they have T4 Exclusives)


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[WelshGas]

Having 5 kids, all now sorted with their own lives to lead it was time for a little us time. The SE is my daily drive and ready to go at any time. Basics on board already, just throw in a few clothes, depending on where we are going, and off we go.
SWMBO has her MX5 and I have the SE. 7 weeks old and 3000 miles on the clock.have spent 6 nights in it and 5 nights in hotels in the past 7 weeks. Lots of trips already on the calendar including 3 to 4 week trip to Nordkap. The SE is for us and the Beach for you. Enjoy. I am.

 

[James]

I would happily tell you what you are missing


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[Ma77sc]

James you're making me cry. Is the back seat of the Golf not much cop for sleeping in? How can the bloke who had his picture in the brochure sell his soul like this. Maybe you could be in the next brochure as 'The guy who regretted selling his Cali'

 

[Zebopp]

We have 2 kids. We all ski and winter/summer surf. We have a 3 seat bench. We live in Scotland - camping heater. Drive to Cornwall in the summer. No desire to wild camp. I drive to work (multi-storey carpark). Don't want to take a sink to drop off kids and park at work. Retro fitting a parking heater was out because of hassle factor. We like overnight/ 2 night hookup weekend trips. We don't like to cook in the van. BBQ in the awning is fun - cafe at ski slope fun too. The beach is ideal for all of that. A full fat camper just wouldn't work as a town runaround / second car....for us anyway.

 

[rippers]

Having had a 7 seat Beach, we thought it was great for weekend breaks but having gone away in it for a two week holiday it very quickly got compromised.

Things I liked
Space.. it was huge! very comfortable for three adults to sit on the bench seat.
7 seats.. the ability to have a mini bus*
Price.. ours was a bargain in fact we made money on when we sold it
12v Socket in the roof was nice.
*7 seats was great but the two extra seats are ridiculously heavy and hard to get in and out/ store etc and wouldn't want to camp with them in place!

Things I disliked
Bed.. the three seater bed is unbearably hard and lumpy. Spent a £350 on a Brandrup topper which made just about bearable but what a huge item to carry around. Also this was incredibly stiff to use and fold up and down, my wife couldn't do it at all. Also you had to remove the head rests and line it up perfectly with the multiplex board or you had gaps.. terrible
Cool box.. performed very poorly, only of use in this country, anything over 20Degrees and you might swell put your beers in a bucket of water. Also it very awkward shaped, totally in the way inside the van difficult to access in the boot if under the multiplex board
Manual roof.. catches were so stiff and its either up or down which is no use when trying to fit a topper.
Internal table way too far away from the front seats when turned around.
The worst thing was the storage, the drawers under the three seat bench are tiny. Basically without any proper drawers, cupboards or wardrobe you basically are living out of your suitcase or storage boxes in our case. Plus you have all of your outside cooking/leisure equipment amongst all your stuff.

It was my wife daily and to sum up it was too compromised as a daily and to compromised as a camper.

So basically we have gone the expensive route and bought a daily driver and the SE.


Also ours didn't have the hook up.. which was a royal pita, given my time again I would have insisted on this and a parking heater.


Cue the disagree's/dislikes but it s my own personal experience sorry if anything offends

 

[Kirk]

100% agree with you on this Rippers, our Beach was fine for short breaks and trips to the Beach but when it come to the 3 week holiday in South of France it did not meet our expectations for exactley the same reasons you have stated above. We now have an SE and love it, much more refined to drive as well compared to the Beach.

I can see us now getting a hammering from other Beach owners, I was a Beach owner once though, for all six months! luckily I did not lose any money on it

 

[marshian70]

100% agree with you on this Rippers, our Beach was fine for short breaks and trips to the Beach but when it come to the 3 week holiday in South of France it did not meet our expectations for exactley the same reasons you have stated above. We now have an SE and love it, much more refined to drive as well compared to the Beach.

I can see us now getting a hammering from other Beach owners, I was a Beach owner once though, for all six months! luckily I did not lose any money on it

Kirk interested why you find the Cali more refined than the Beach?
From a Cali owner