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Thoughts on T6 Ocean 204 4 Motion DSG after 9 months...

Aidy P

Aidy P

Don't play that 'What If?' game, you'll never win!
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953
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 204 4Motion
I used this forum a lot when ordering and speccing my van. After having Nemo the van for nearly nine months and coming back today from another priceless (memories) trip, I thought I'd drop back in the forum and share my thoughts...

Have I used the van? Yes. 7200 miles on the clock. I've now sold my T2 bay window van and I have no regrets.

It's been used for school runs, kids cross country race meets, commuting, overnight stays in friends drives, water skiing trips, an Alps skiing trip, Glastonbury festival, mountain bike trips, picnics and lots of camping trips.

How many sleep in it? 2 adults. 2 kids and a massive black labrador. It's cosy but with a few rules (e.g. 1 up..all up) it works.

4 Motion? Yes. I drive it all year round and I've driven through mud (getting out of Glasto) and snow. I use winter tyres on steels from October and it's superb on snow and ice in the Yorkshire Dales.

DSG? Occasionally high revs up hill. But other than then, very smooth.

I turned off the 'coast mode' as I prefer some engine breaking. Useful on the French motorways where the wasn't any traffic.

204 BHP? Fully loaded with 4 + dog + gear. Drives like a dream.

Unused options? Mechanical Diff Lock. Roof rails.

Seat covers are useful due to the light fabric but can get a bit sweaty on long trips.

Dynaudio? Love the quality of the sound when on long journeys. Integration with my iphone is great. Annoying it turns itself off when ignition is off after a while. I use a portable speaker though now.

Remote heater? Great on really cold days to warm the van from the house before getting in.

Heated screen. Useful when very frosty. Clears much quicker than the heater.

What's the coldest I've slept in it? -2'C. Fine downstairs. Bit Brrr up top. Have great sleeping bags and used a topper in the Alps.

I think the bed up top is better for sleeping in because its wider. Can be cooler though.

Hottest? 31'C (in Yorkshire). Roasted like an oven. Bought a USB fan.

Dislikes.

1. The bloody rattles. I turn up the stereo!
2. Removing & replacing the spare. Good luck if you haven't tried that yet! It's a pain.
3. The light coloured carpets!!! Why?! A darker option would be sensible.

Most useful non VW option? Comfortz Leisure awning. Takes up no space but gives you a great room in minutes. Bit 'industrial' looking though. Would be nice if it didn't feel like a tarp.

Longest stay without hookup? 6 nights at Glasto and the fridge still worked!

The shower? Use it to wash down kit and the dog (and my hair at Glasto).

Bike rack? went for the Altera Strada DL tow ball mounted option. With 4 bikes on you can still get in the boot.

Toilet? Bog in a Bag for emergencies but tend to stay at campsites with a proper loo for the children.

Fridge? Lid needs a bang to close it. I tend to run it at no. 4. If away for more than a couple of days make sure you empty it and dry out the condensation.

A small USB adapter is geat for the 12v point next to the rear seat for the kids to use on long journeys and for bedtime charging. I still haven't used the 3 pin socket yet.

LED headlights? Very bright in the countryside at night wher we live. Give great visibility. Don't need stickers on the headlights when on the continent. There's a menu option to change them for contingencies driving.

Longest days driving? 660 miles from the UK to Samoen in the French Alps. The van ate up the miles!

Bungee fastening cables are useful on the awning rails to create a drying line. Can also be used on the Driver and Passenger grab handles too if the awning isn't up.

Be careful with the locking wheel nuts. They're not a great fit and can lose their shape. I had to have one drilled off and then buy another set. This was because I was changing wheels myself from Summers to Winters and I struggled to get the purchase.

A trolley jack is very useful if you plan on changing your own wheels.

I use a local 'hand car wash' and have had no issues. I don't have the time or inclination to wash and wax it myself.

I fill the water tank with a hose pipe and haven't suffered any ill health. If using Milton to sterilise the tank be careful as it took ages to get rid of the taste.

Finally. It will get scratched. It will get dirty. Bits will break. This means that you are using it.

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We are 4 in the Cali and are currently giving serious consideration to getting a small dog to complete our family (children ages 9 & 11). Would you mind sharing where your dog travels and sleeps as that's something we've not quite got our heads around yet?

Great write up too, very informative.
 
We are 4 in the Cali and are currently giving serious consideration to getting a small dog to complete our family (children ages 9 & 11). Would you mind sharing where your dog travels and sleeps as that's something we've not quite got our heads around yet?

Great write up too, very informative.
Thanks. He's a 35kg lab and sleeps on the floor between the bed and the front seats. There's enough room for him to stand up and turn around and he seems quite happy. The 5am wake ups are the challenge in the summer when it gets light and he then wants to wake up. The routine is one of us takes him out for the toilet and breakfast and then he settles back down again (and sometimes creeps onto the bottom of the bed. Seat covers are a must). Travelling he lies between the front seats. You can secure a dog with a short lead via the passenger seat belt to comply with 'the law'. He likes being there and being stroked as we drive! We use the rear cupboard for his food and things so its separate to ours.
 
Thank you for sharing that . We are thinking along the lines of border terrier size so hopefully we would all fit although we might have to set up a rota between all four of us if doggie is an early riser!
 
Thank you for sharing that . We are thinking along the lines of border terrier size so hopefully we would all fit although we might have to set up a rota between all four of us if doggie is an early riser!
The rule in our van is whoever is downstairs 'does the dog'.
 
thanks @Sp0_0k & @Teejay1 that's why this forum is useful. Just goes to show I'm still learning about the van!
 
Brilliant summary - echo everything said in the OP (right down to the locking wheel nuts - about to remove mine I think...)
Good move, had a go at mine and with the VW brace which is angled I just managed to shift it and that's on a new Cali. Now got myself a breaker bar with socket and torque wrench as insurance.


Mike
 
Good move, had a go at mine and with the VW brace which is angled I just managed to shift it and that's on a new Cali. Now got myself a breaker bar with socket and torque wrench as insurance.


Mike
On my Christmas list!! Was annoyed after buying a trolley jack and a cross wrench I couldn't get the dame things off.
 
Or there's this that I got just for wheel-changing:

http://amzn.eu/070yJrF

31GQE21BR2L.jpg


Comes with a couple of double-ended sockets (oo-er!) so can be used on various wheels/vehicles.

My first job on acquiring any 'new' vehicle is to remove those pesky locking wheel nuts/bolts and consign them to recycling - far more trouble than they're worth IMHO. With the possible exception of Cali spare wheels, I don't think any low-life has nicked alloys since the '80s - far too much effort for the disaffected 'entrepreneurs' of today.
 
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I mentioned this on another post. With the DSG if you flip to manual it engine brakes, flip it back with coasting enabled and it coasts again.
When I get caught up in heavy motorway traffic moving at about 60 to 80mph, drop it into Sport mode using the engine braking in 6th and 7th gears. Works well.
 
Thank you for sharing that . We are thinking along the lines of border terrier size so hopefully we would all fit although we might have to set up a rota between all four of us if doggie is an early riser!
We have a border terrier. He sleeps in if we do. Very accommodating of him but never troublesome.
 
Thanks. He's a 35kg lab and sleeps on the floor between the bed and the front seats. There's enough room for him to stand up and turn around and he seems quite happy. The 5am wake ups are the challenge in the summer when it gets light and he then wants to wake up. The routine is one of us takes him out for the toilet and breakfast and then he settles back down again (and sometimes creeps onto the bottom of the bed. Seat covers are a must). Travelling he lies between the front seats. You can secure a dog with a short lead via the passenger seat belt to comply with 'the law'. He likes being there and being stroked as we drive! We use the rear cupboard for his food and things so its separate to ours.
We have a 35 kilo golden lab and he comes everywhere with us. We were a little concerned whether there would be enough room in-between the seats for him to lie between us. This has been the position he acquired when we hired a larger motorhome. We knew he liked it there and thought there wouldn't be enough room. Your post is extremely helpful and also comforting as Hugo will be very happy!
 
We have a 35 kilo golden lab and he comes everywhere with us. We were a little concerned whether there would be enough room in-between the seats for him to lie between us. This has been the position he acquired when we hired a larger motorhome. We knew he liked it there and thought there wouldn't be enough room. Your post is extremely helpful and also comforting as Hugo will be very happy!
He’s 40kg now and still fits too and loves his spot!
 
He’s 40kg now and still fits too and loves his spot!

My Bella used to love that spot.

It seems empty now when we travel, I keep looking for down there :(
 
My Bella used to love that spot.

It seems empty now when we travel, I keep looking for down there :(
That’s sad. H is 6 now and has a grey beard
 
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