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New T6.1 Ocean Essentials

mogfor

mogfor

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41
Location
London
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 204 4 motion
Hi After a 12 month wait our California is finally awaiting a boat from Germany so should be with us in a few weeks. Didn't want to jinx things before but finally starting to look at ordering a few essential accessories . My dealer isn't very proactive at responding to these sort of queries and I'm sure this has been done to death many times before but just wanted to sound others out on the key essentials that don't come with the van (I think?):

1. Gas Bottle - Do I need to buy one separately? Standard size? Specific bottle fitting?

2. Bedding - I'm pretty sure I ordered with comfort sleeping mat but think this is for the lower bed? Will mainly use the one in the roof (dogs down below) so any form of topper needed? Also, do standard double bed sheets/ duvet etc fit?

3. Mains Connection lead and home adapter - can't see anywhere that this comes with the van so presumably need one. Is it a standard 3 pin connector (not uk plug!) at the van end?

4. Freshwater Refill - I was going to get a standard water jerry can with spout for refilling fresh water - do these work ok?

5. Waste Water - do I need a similar bucket/ jerry can for waste water tank?

6. Fire extinguisher - maybe not an essential accessory but assume these don't come with the van as standard?

7. Anything else?!

Thanks.
 
Hey


Hi After a 12 month wait our California is finally awaiting a boat from Germany so should be with us in a few weeks. Didn't want to jinx things before but finally starting to look at ordering a few essential accessories . My dealer isn't very proactive at responding to these sort of queries and I'm sure this has been done to death many times before but just wanted to sound others out on the key essentials that don't come with the van (I think?):

1. Gas Bottle - Do I need to buy one separately? Standard size? Specific bottle fitting?

2. Bedding - I'm pretty sure I ordered with comfort sleeping mat but think this is for the lower bed? Will mainly use the one in the roof (dogs down below) so any form of topper needed? Also, do standard double bed sheets/ duvet etc fit?

3. Mains Connection lead and home adapter - can't see anywhere that this comes with the van so presumably need one. Is it a standard 3 pin connector (not uk plug!) at the van end?

4. Freshwater Refill - I was going to get a standard water jerry can with spout for refilling fresh water - do these work ok?

5. Waste Water - do I need a similar bucket/ jerry can for waste water tank?

6. Fire extinguisher - maybe not an essential accessory but assume these don't come with the van as standard?

7. Anything else?!

Thanks.

1. I got mine here https://chorleybottlegas.co.uk/ via ebay

2. we don't use toppers. And a standard ikea fitted sheet fits both nicely.

3. it's a camping standard, commonly referred to as 16amp, you can get good deals on eBay, don't bother with more than 15metres. If you need longer get two!

4. get a collapsible one! EBay again!!

5. nah. Use waste water drop sites.

6. not standard but prob worth the piece of mind.
 
4. Freshwater Refill - I was going to get a standard water jerry can with spout for refilling fresh water - do these work ok?
Hosepipe one end on tap other straight into van no faffing with jerry cans. (Many only use a Food grade hose)

. Mains Connection lead and home adapter - can't see anywhere that this comes with the van so presumably need one. Is it a standard 3 pin connector (not uk plug!) at the van end?
you need one of these lengths is up to you, we have 25m one https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15901195/maypole-caravan-site-extension-lead-10m-230v-15901195
 
Calor gas 907 bottle. Empty ones sold at Halford but our local tool hire company sells full ones.

If you buy a single quilt cover, the top mattress fits in it perfectly. Better than any fitted sheet. No topper needed. Try it before you buy 1. I've bought a 2/3 bed topper from dunelm but the roof wouldn't close with it on. We didn't buy the mattress for downstairs so have used the mattress topper instead. Again, it fits perfectly into a single quilt cover. So cheap and easy to change and wash. We use a double bed quilt for bedding.

It comes with a tiny mains European connector.
Weve bought a UK 3 pin socket to van 10m connector from b&q for a few pounds for charging at home and a 25 meter cable for campsites.

Food grade hosepipe is what we use to fill the van with water. We can connect it to our outside tap from home and from the water taps on campsites. A collapsible bucket is what we use to collect the waste water.
 
A few added tips..

1. Along with the 907 bottle, make sure you have the 90deg shut off valve. The Van should have it supplied, but we hired a van last year before ordering and it was missing.

2. I know many are okay with the standard roof mattress, but it depends how hard you like your mattress. We‘d prefer a topper although haven’t yet sourced on yet. 3/4 size for bedding. We use natural wool duvets which are thin but warm.

3. We have found a 20m 16 amp cable is needed for many sites as the electric point is often 2 pitch widths away. Also get a short (0.5m) adaptor to connect the 16A plug to a domestic plug type. You can buy UK or EU plug types.

4. A 3 metre or so water hose with a click on tap adaptor (Hozelock type) with the tap piece also. Most campsites use these devices for filling points.

5. Nothing needed. The water drops to the ground just in front of the LH side rear wheel.

7. Lots! Our top buys have been Camping Gaz small BBQ/ stove- very neat and avoids cooking in the van all the time, and you can use the same Gaz bottle; plastic storage trays that fit in the kitchen cupboards, nice and cheap from Dunelm; non slip and heat resistant mats for the kitchen top; Ridge Monkey toaster and square pan.

Enjoy your van!
 
We use a dunelm topper for the upstairs which works perfectly. We take it off before shutting the roof. We use it with pillows and two Alpkit Cloud 9 sleeping bags and we're toasty. We also had another layer of insulation fitted inside the canvas in roof (can't remember what this is called!). We resisted a porta potty for a while but now have one and wouldn't be without it. We use a cadac safari chef for outside cooking. We don't bother with an awning as they are a faff and use a decathlon pup tent for all the extra stuff we want to leave if we go out for the day (eg bedding). Start with as little as possible and buy kit as and when. Most people find they don't use a lot of what they buy initially. Happy camping!
 
We bought this one. You can fill it up yourself if you have a bigger bottle, or at your local Propane supplier.


1. Gas Bottle - Do I need to buy one separately? Standard size? Specific bottle fitting?
 
Hi After a 12 month wait our California is finally awaiting a boat from Germany so should be with us in a few weeks. Didn't want to jinx things before but finally starting to look at ordering a few essential accessories . My dealer isn't very proactive at responding to these sort of queries and I'm sure this has been done to death many times before but just wanted to sound others out on the key essentials that don't come with the van (I think?):

1. Gas Bottle - Do I need to buy one separately? Standard size? Specific bottle fitting?

2. Bedding - I'm pretty sure I ordered with comfort sleeping mat but think this is for the lower bed? Will mainly use the one in the roof (dogs down below) so any form of topper needed? Also, do standard double bed sheets/ duvet etc fit?

3. Mains Connection lead and home adapter - can't see anywhere that this comes with the van so presumably need one. Is it a standard 3 pin connector (not uk plug!) at the van end?

4. Freshwater Refill - I was going to get a standard water jerry can with spout for refilling fresh water - do these work ok?

5. Waste Water - do I need a similar bucket/ jerry can for waste water tank?

6. Fire extinguisher - maybe not an essential accessory but assume these don't come with the van as standard?

7. Anything else?!

Thanks.
6. I went for a blanket
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XC36MMG/?tag=eliteelect-21

and an aerosol extinguisher
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08XWJGYSF/?tag=eliteelect-21
 
2 - we use ‘Small Double’ mattress protector and Jersey cotton fitted sheet for the upper bed as it’s nice and stretchy. Same would fit the lower bed in the Ocean.
 
Towsure are currently selling 907s for twenty quid. Cheaper than most deposits.
 
Can someone explain the theory about getting two shorter EHU cables please! You would still have to store the same overall length of cable in the van, but you have introduced a weak point in the middle if you have to use them both joined together.
 
Can someone explain the theory about getting two shorter EHU cables please! You would still have to store the same overall length of cable in the van, but you have introduced a weak point in the middle if you have to use them both joined together.
A 10m and a 5m will usually give you the shortest cable for any connection, so less faff, less cable hanging around than a 15m cable, but can be joined if necessary. Its not really a weak point.
 
you don't need a jerry can. just a hosepipe.
you don't need a fire extinguisher either
you need nothing for waste water
cable i have a 10m and a 15m. plugged together gives a whopping 25 m. ( sometimes i needed to do this).
bottle is campingaz 907 as said. get an empty one off ebay then exchange it for a full one at go outdoors or a boat yard.
anything else ? yes. gas and electric kettle.
some sort of bbq (i have a very well worn cadac)
bedding as said small double sheets and toppers from dunelm. dove grey matches the van
beers for the fridge
job done
 

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