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Used or new Beach. Advice needed.

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Serendipity C

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34
Location
Cheshire
Hi everyone,

I've enjoyed reading this forum whilst deciding what camper to purchase and loved the tips and advice everyone gives.

Just wondering if anyone can help me out with my dilemma.

Having seen the California Beach we instantly knew this was the right camper for us. We love the flexibility the seating gives, the rails to move the seats, the big bed, etc, and we really aren't bothered about having the cooking facilities as we can cook in the awning. This has really pushed our budget but I have seen a used California Beach with about 8k on the clock. It's in good condition with quite a few extras including one seat and awning. However there is no hook up and no heater.
I have seen loads of posts on hear about both of these issues. We couldn't do any of this work ourselves so if we decided to go ahead we would have to get someone else to do it for us at more expense.
How important are these items? Can you live with hookup through the window comfortably? Could you run an electric heater off this?

An alternative, is to really push ourselves and buy new and get hookup as standard. Financing this would be very tight and we could add on very few extras. The ones I would probably add on are awning, tinted windows, extra seats.
Again we would have no heater but hopefully someone can confirm if an electric heater would work.

Our plans are to use the camper to travel around UK and Europe over Easter, and during the summer and October half terms. (Husband, 2 kids and I). We may wild camp occasionally but only in the summer and for the odd night.

Any advice would be gratefully received.
 
Hi there.
There is no reason why you can't use a hook up lead but there are a couple of considerations.
First make sure it has a built in rcd.secondly remember that most are rated to 13amps
As a rule 5 amps == roughly 1kw Or 1000w so I personally would not use any more than 2kw
At anyone time having said that if you got a small 2kw fan heater you will be fine :thumb
Good luck
 
Serendipity C said:
Hi everyone,

I've enjoyed reading this forum whilst deciding what camper to purchase and loved the tips and advice everyone gives.

Just wondering if anyone can help me out with my dilemma.

Having seen the California Beach we instantly knew this was the right camper for us. We love the flexibility the seating gives, the rails to move the seats, the big bed, etc, and we really aren't bothered about having the cooking facilities as we can cook in the awning. This has really pushed our budget but I have seen a used California Beach with about 8k on the clock. It's in good condition with quite a few extras including one seat and awning. However there is no hook up and no heater.
I have seen loads of posts on hear about both of these issues. We couldn't do any of this work ourselves so if we decided to go ahead we would have to get someone else to do it for us at more expense.
How important are these items? Can you live with hookup through the window comfortably? Could you run an electric heater off this?

An alternative, is to really push ourselves and buy new and get hookup as standard. Financing this would be very tight and we could add on very few extras. The ones I would probably add on are awning, tinted windows, extra seats.
Again we would have no heater but hopefully someone can confirm if an electric heater would work.

Our plans are to use the camper to travel around UK and Europe over Easter, and during the summer and October half terms. (Husband, 2 kids and I). We may wild camp occasionally but only in the summer and for the odd night.

Any advice would be gratefully received.



Hi there

You can live without both items but for serious camping, you'd really want the heater, EHU is only available on the latest Beaches, so it will be finding the Beach you want within your budget,

Have you go anymore info on the Beach, pictures etc?

I've camped with a lead going through the open window and a small £30 heater from B&Q and it has been toasty warm, even with a window slightly down but if you want absolutely flexibility the parking heater will give you that.

Yu need to check the Beach and the first thing you need to do is the roof, it needs to go up and down without a problem and check the fabric.

Also, although extras and options can be personal you should expect privacy glass, parking sensors to be on it

James
 
An alternative, is to really push ourselves and buy new and get hookup as standard. Financing this would be very tight and we could add on very few extras. The ones I would probably add on are awning, tinted windows, extra seats.
Again we would have no heater but hopefully someone can confirm if an electric heater would work.

At the moment there are quite a few delivery mileage pre-registered dealer demonstrators around. Although specs won't be exactly what you want, you may get around 20-25% off list price (I did) :D Dealers may be happy to throw in extras like bike rack, tow bar etc. to seal the deal.

Mine came with double glazing, no tints which I really wanted, so I got it done afterwards for £250. Also came with Xenons which I wouldn't have ordered, but are really good. I'm going to buy £35 electric hookup from Amazon and put it through passenger door. I can't see me using EHU that much as the Waeco fridge will run for days off the leisure battery.

Andy
 
"At the moment there are quite a few delivery mileage pre-registered dealer demonstrators around. Although specs won't be exactly what you want, you may get around 20-25% off list price

Andy[/quote]"



I would also at his time of year look at pre registeded vans we made a huge saving for the 99 miles on the clock
 
Goldie is spot on regards the demo as is the other comment regards pre-reg deals.
There appears to be a lot of them about and it's probably just a case of keeping your eye on the prices and one with hook up might come up sooner than you think(Parking heater much rarer) but you sound like you almost have your ideal Beach anyway.
Your reasons for the Beach were exactly the same as ours and it hasn't disappointed us at all. We have been really happy with it and the space inside it without the kitchen (that we wouldn't use much) and like you ours came with a few thousand miles on it for a good price with some extras thrown in.

I would say that if you are wild camping in the summer then the heater won't be a requirement and the hook up no use anyway. For use on a campsite, it appears that the cable run through an open window (and some wind deflectors to keep any rain out) will allow you to run a heater of some sort off it (a la James' suggestion) should you go away in winter occasionally. Wild camping in the depths of winter then a parking heater is a requirement for comfort and sitting about at night. Accepting the compromise of no EHU probably results in savings of many £000's and will allow you to invest in good sleeping bags....!
We were thinking about retrofitting a hook up but while I wouldn't rule it out totally, I am not sure we will bother now having lived with it. (Get it and live with it is probably the best advice I have read in loads of posts on the forum!)

Happy camping, whatever your decision....
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Goldie/Andy,
I'm assuming as you both have ex demos that you don't have Electric Hook Up or Heaters. How do you find this? Do you camp a lot?

We don't want to wait until the ex demos have the hook up as we want to use it this summer. We won't have that many years whilst the kids are happy to share the top bunk so we don't want to miss any., but I fear that if we have no heating from either the diesel heater or a fan heater on hookup the kids won't enjoy the experience. I don't want to have to trade the van in in a couple of years as we regret not having hook up or a heater.

Dilemmas, dilemmas dilemmas...
 
Serendipity C said:
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Goldie/Andy,
I'm assuming as you both have ex demos that you don't have Electric Hook Up or Heaters. How do you find this? Do you camp a lot?

We don't want to wait until the ex demos have the hook up as we want to use it this summer. We won't have that many years whilst the kids are happy to share the top bunk so we don't want to miss any., but I fear that if we have no heating from either the diesel heater or a fan heater on hookup the kids won't enjoy the experience. I don't want to have to trade the van in in a couple of years as we regret not having hook up or a heater.

Dilemmas, dilemmas dilemmas...

Remember that while you will save thousands over buying a new van you could fit a hook up for a few hundred and a parking heater for under £1200.
 
Thanks Defender,
Doesn't that mean cutting into the bodywork and trim and invalidating the warranty?
I also thought that it would push up insurance costs as it would be a modified vehicle.
 
I'm no expert on the hook up but there are a couple of neat relatively un-intrusive retrofits done by members that I have seen. The cutting of trim is minimal I was told by my dealer that mods such as heater and hook up wouldn't affect warranty for engine, suspension or otherwise. It was only if the mod had contributed to the failure of a component that it could cause a problem with the 3 year warranty.

I told my insurance company about the heater (Admiral) and no change in premium.
 
Buy it, go and enjoy it!

As above, if you find that things change, you can always have the EHU and heater added. Do it after the warrant period if it bothers you. I can't imagine it'll impact on the insurance much - it isn't like you are adding anything that'll make it faster or of more interest to thieving scumbags!

On the few occasions where you'll want a heater in the meantime, just drop a hookup cable through one of the front windows. When camping you'll probably want some ventilation anyway. We have a windscreen cover from silverscreens. This coupled with wind deflectors means that you can have the windows open an inch or so for some ventilation with no risk of drips etc. As kevin says, get a cable with an RCD to make sure you are as safe as you can be.
 
Thanks guys,
Just hearing from someone who has done it makes it all sound more possible.
I'll try ringing around and get some prices. Is there anyone that you recommend? An ex demonstrator seems so much more achievable for us and then we can add the heater later.
At least then it gives us time to save up.

Thanks James for the advice on checking the roof too.

Can't wait to get one!
 
It all depends on what part of the country your in, I bought my Beach brand new from Leicester van centre and got what I thought was a good deal and have got no complaints at all. I haven't got a hook up or heater but I haven't tried camping in the middle of winter either :hello
 
defender1 said:
Serendipity C said:
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Goldie/Andy,
I'm assuming as you both have ex demos that you don't have Electric Hook Up or Heaters. How do you find this? Do you camp a lot?

We don't want to wait until the ex demos have the hook up as we want to use it this summer. We won't have that many years whilst the kids are happy to share the top bunk so we don't want to miss any., but I fear that if we have no heating from either the diesel heater or a fan heater on hookup the kids won't enjoy the experience. I don't want to have to trade the van in in a couple of years as we regret not having hook up or a heater.

Dilemmas, dilemmas dilemmas...

Remember that while you will save thousands over buying a new van you could fit a hook up for a few hundred and a parking heater for under £1200.

I looked for one with a heater but was going to pay around £5k more than I eventually paid. There are 18 used Beaches on the VW UK site (they seem cheaper up North and I bought mine in Northern Ireland). Find a couple you like and phone the dealer for the full spec (ask for the list of factory extras) and then cost the options against the brochure. I did that and found I was getting a good deal, I also negotiated a tow bar, front fogs, Bluetooth, sidebars, bike rack and roof rack and in the end saved about £10k over list - don't forget the options cost the dealer a fraction of the brochure price. The specification wasn't exactly what I wanted but I was very happy and grown to like my Thunders, Xenons etc. :bananadance The dealer advertised price is a starting point, be bold and ask for a good discount and /or essential extras on top. VW finance may also be a good option to consider.

Looks like you are considering using it from April to October - no fun camping during dark winter nights so it shouldn't be freezing. The thing is to wrap up warm, take a double quilt as well as sleeping bags - better to have it than end up cold . I'm going to buy an electric overblanket and run it off an inverter (I'll check consumption at home first) for the colder nights and keep the wife happy.

If later you feel you really need a parking heater, there are some really good aftermarket fits that you can find on here.

Good luck and happy hunting.

Andy
 
Extra Seats/Parking Heaters on demos often command more than their cost as an option, it is worth factoring that in.

The other thing is, whilst the Beach is great to go away in, it has all round usability and practically that will only become trull apparent when you one.

mine was a demo, one of the early ones, at the time, vans with a parking heater commanded at least 5k and they often didn't have the options I had and mine was quite basic to start with.

So with any demo, you need to look at what you're paying for. I would certainly look for a Beach that has climtronic because this has the residual heat feature and dealers fit them to their demos because they're an extra with a visible presence.

Whilst there are certainly bargains to be had with any demo, you never get something for nothing and unless you are lucky or you not that concerned about spec, it will be a compromise.

I think EHU makes the Beach a hugely desirable vehicle now but you can live without it and the parking heater, well, then if you do camp a lot, it become important.

One thing that is certain is that the options list is extensive on the Beach, don't pay for things on a demo you don't need or want.


James :)
 
We've got a caravelle & looking to get a beach in the spring but I would happily manage without ehu but opt for Heater or retro fit. Nothing worse than cold kids & due to the flexibility of the beach you might find you use it not only for camping but also day trips etc. We spend most weekends out & about with bikes, watching tennis lessons, hanging around for swimming lessons to start & therefore a heater would be useful several times a week for us.


We use an ehu lead from go outdoors which is a bit bulky but a good cheap option. Used it to camp in the snow in our t4 with electric blankets & tiny oil filled radiator, toasty!

Whatever extras you end up with there's always going to be things you wish you'd had so if in doubt prioritise the essentials that can't be changed in the future and worry about anything that can be added at a later date when funds allow.
 
Good morning guys!

I just wanted to post a big thank you to everyone who posted on this thread and to those in the many other threads that I have read. This really is a great forum and has provided me with the info to have finally bought my first camper nearly a year after my husband and I decided we wanted a motorhome. (Yes I know it's not a motor home - it's bigger (smaller actually) and better!

I can't wait for two weeks to pass until we pick up our little silver Cali Beach which we got for about 25% discount on new.
Whilst I really wanted a parking heater I couldn't justify the extra £6k to get a new drive the deal one with less spec so we have opted for an ex vw company car with 4k on the clock and will retro fit a heater when the warranty is nearly up.

Parking sensors were not high on my priority list until I read this forum. I don't have them on my car so why do I need them on the Beach? Well erm it's a bigger car and cost a lot more than the fiesta! we also have a narrow drive! Thanks guys for the suggestion I'm sure they will be really useful.

Well now we are skint and I need, the topper, the mattress topper, the thermal screen, the bike rack, the seat covers and the kitchen sink! I think this is going to be an expensive new lifestyle, but for now seat covers, camping mattresses and a bucket will have to do! (Bucket is for the kitchen sink not to be used as a porta potty)

Thanks again all, I'm sure I am going to become an avid reader and poster as we start our new journey with our new Beach!
 
Serendipity C said:
Good morning guys!

I just wanted to post a big thank you to everyone who posted on this thread and to those in the many other threads that I have read. This really is a great forum and has provided me with the info to have finally bought my first camper nearly a year after my husband and I decided we wanted a motorhome. (Yes I know it's not a motor home - it's bigger (smaller actually) and better!

I can't wait for two weeks to pass until we pick up our little silver Cali Beach which we got for about 25% discount on new.
Whilst I really wanted a parking heater I couldn't justify the extra £6k to get a new drive the deal one with less spec so we have opted for an ex vw company car with 4k on the clock and will retro fit a heater when the warranty is nearly up.

Parking sensors were not high on my priority list until I read this forum. I don't have them on my car so why do I need them on the Beach? Well erm it's a bigger car and cost a lot more than the fiesta! we also have a narrow drive! Thanks guys for the suggestion I'm sure they will be really useful.

Well now we are skint and I need, the topper, the mattress topper, the thermal screen, the bike rack, the seat covers and the kitchen sink! I think this is going to be an expensive new lifestyle, but for now seat covers, camping mattresses and a bucket will have to do! (Bucket is for the kitchen sink not to be used as a porta potty)

Thanks again all, I'm sure I am going to become an avid reader and poster as we start our new journey with our new Beach!


There's always cost for the Parking Heater if you're not ordering new - 2nd Hand Beaches command around 4k for the privilege and as you say, you lose other options - I had a similar dilemma when I bought mine and in the end went 'no heater' - retrofit might make more sense.

Parking Sensors a good idea, not least because when you come to sell it, people will expect, of hopefully that will be in years to come.

This might sound strnage but the Beach is one of the easiest vehicles I have ever parked - I have no issues with parallel parking etc. It's big, square and glass all round.

Post pictures :)

James
 
Serendipity C said:
Hi everyone,

I've enjoyed reading this forum whilst deciding what camper to purchase and loved the tips and advice everyone gives.

Just wondering if anyone can help me out with my dilemma.

Having seen the California Beach we instantly knew this was the right camper for us. We love the flexibility the seating gives, the rails to move the seats, the big bed, etc, and we really aren't bothered about having the cooking facilities as we can cook in the awning. This has really pushed our budget but I have seen a used California Beach with about 8k on the clock. It's in good condition with quite a few extras including one seat and awning. However there is no hook up and no heater.
I have seen loads of posts on hear about both of these issues. We couldn't do any of this work ourselves so if we decided to go ahead we would have to get someone else to do it for us at more expense.

How important are these items? Can you live with hookup through the window comfortably? Could you run an electric heater off this?

An alternative, is to really push ourselves and buy new and get hookup as standard. Financing this would be very tight and we could add on very few extras. The ones I would probably add on are awning, tinted windows, extra seats.
Again we would have no heater but hopefully someone can confirm if an electric heater would work.

Our plans are to use the camper to travel around UK and Europe over Easter, and during the summer and October half terms. (Husband, 2 kids and I). We may wild camp occasionally but only in the summer and for the odd night.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Evening Welcome

Colleced are Beach only to weeks ago and love it better than we had hoped... :D

My main advice would be decide what extras you want see what demos are about with the spec you can live with, Dont let your partner see one in Blackberry ( My wife saw one then thats the only colour she wanted had to buy new...lol )

And give Gary Lewis a call at CityGate High Wycombe worth chatting about new and pricing up, Bill has bought one from him after we had....

Enjoy searching pick the colour best to start...

Shaun
 
Serendipity C said:
Good morning guys!

I just wanted to post a big thank you to everyone who posted on this thread and to those in the many other threads that I have read. This really is a great forum and has provided me with the info to have finally bought my first camper nearly a year after my husband and I decided we wanted a motorhome. (Yes I know it's not a motor home - it's bigger (smaller actually) and better!

I can't wait for two weeks to pass until we pick up our little silver Cali Beach which we got for about 25% discount on new.
Whilst I really wanted a parking heater I couldn't justify the extra £6k to get a new drive the deal one with less spec so we have opted for an ex vw company car with 4k on the clock and will retro fit a heater when the warranty is nearly up.

Parking sensors were not high on my priority list until I read this forum. I don't have them on my car so why do I need them on the Beach? Well erm it's a bigger car and cost a lot more than the fiesta! we also have a narrow drive! Thanks guys for the suggestion I'm sure they will be really useful.

Well now we are skint and I need, the topper, the mattress topper, the thermal screen, the bike rack, the seat covers and the kitchen sink! I think this is going to be an expensive new lifestyle, but for now seat covers, camping mattresses and a bucket will have to do! (Bucket is for the kitchen sink not to be used as a porta potty)

Thanks again all, I'm sure I am going to become an avid reader and poster as we start our new journey with our new Beach!

Good to see you got an excellent deal on a demonstrator. I'm sure you won't regret it and think of all the goodies you can buy with the cash you saved. Of course the goodies you choose will vary on whether you have the two or three seat rear seat as some things are definitely required (mattress topper for three seat bench) and the Waeco fridge won't fit under the two seat bench flexiboard so mine is behind the passenger seat.

As you say, plenty of good advice on here and don't be afraid to ask.

Andy
 

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