Sportline Beach

The Sportline modifications have been completed by SMG Cowfold.  I'm really happy with them. 

 

We had:

• Sportline front spoiler
• Sportline rear spoiler
• Sportline chrome side rails
• Sportline 18" alloys (old school style)
• Sportline 30mm lowering springs
• Limo tinted glass throughout.

Very happy with the new look to the van.

 Importantly the van now drives really well.  It feels firmer and stiffer, the handling is better and it drives even more like a car than a van now.  This is as a result of the lowering springs and thinner tyres.

All in all, really pleased with the mods.

Inka Waterproof Seat Covers

As soon as we had the van we ordered some Inka Waterproof covers for it.  They arrived today - super speedy delievery.  We had them specially tailored to allow the ISOFIX system to still work in the back.

Rear 3-seat bench

As you can see they are not a very tight fit - they probably could be made better if you were prepared to spend hours straightening them out, but as soon as you sit on them they shift anyway.

From the picture you can see that we have fitted an ISOFIX base (near) and a seatbelt fitted base (far) into the seats perfectly happily with no issues.  Hopefully the seat covers will protect the seats from the inevitable child incidents.

Front cab seats

The front seat covers are even less of a clean fit.  They are slotted down the side to enable the air bag to function.  Other than that they seem to fit pretty well though.  I did find that the head rest covers do not fit properly.   I need to see if this is the case for all their Cali sets or an issue with mine.

Anyway, these covers should help protect the seat covers from mud and water when we use the van for biking trips or camping.  Well worth the money.

It's Here

Yesterday we picked up the Beach from the dealer and brought it home.  We stopped off on the way home to drop off the spare two middle seats in storage as we won't need them most of the time.  So now we have a 5 seater van with the option to add two extra seats in when needed.

Pics of what it looks like today:

Front

As you can see it is pretty plain at the moment - the default California in Reflex Silver.  We have a plan to change that later this week with a visit to SMG Cowfold to bling it up a bit, but I'll save that for a fresh post at the weekend.

Front Side

First impressions on getting it home:  Pretty cool.  I'm loving the electrical side door, it's dead handy to be able to open it by remote control when carrying a heavy car seat in the rain for example.  I think it will be a great addition until it breaks....

We took the removeable 12v cool box out of the back and stored that away for when we need it.  Not something we would have ordered but as it came with the van anyway, it's an added bonus.

Rear side

This van came with Premium Bluetooth.  Again, not something we would have ordered if we bought from new but as it's in there we may as well use it.  Hooked my phone up to it and have tested making calls and playing music through it.  All works a treat.

Side

As you can see from the pictures we have removed the side awning.  Personal choice but we found we hardly ever used the one on the SE, it was windy and rattled as we drove along and can only have added to the fuel consumption too.  Plus it was an ugly lump on the side of the van.   I'm very happy with the improved looks on the Beach without it.   There is still the side rail on both sides so you can still hook up a drive away awning directly to the van - which is important.

One thing which is really annoying is the rear 3-seater bench.  In our old SE it was really simple to shift the bench foreward and back.  You simply pulled a lever on the front of the bench and slid it.  With the Beach it seems this is no longer the case.  From the manual (which is not very clear) it appears you need to fold the back of the bench down first.   This is clearly impossible with 2 child seats fitted so as yet I've not managed to shift the bench.   I've posted a question on the ever excellent California Forum to see if that actually is the way to shift it and will see what answers I get from the clever people there.

UPDATE:  Yes, it seems that you do need to fold the back seat down before you can shift the rear bench.  Not a great design from a user point of view, but I tried it and it is easy to move the bench singlehanded once the rear seat drops down.  Just can't do it with the kid seats in.

Life's a Beach

Some 18 months after selling the California SE, we have bought another van. This one is the new California Beach model.

The original Beach

It's basically the same van as the SE but with all the camping equipment removed.  So no cooker, no fridge, no cupboards.  No wardrobe, no overhead lockers.  No kitchen sink.  This is actually a bonus for us over the SE as it means there is loads more room inside the van, including a 3-seater rear bench where the SE has a 2-seater.  It also means we are not driving around with a bunch of kit in the van we don't use day to day.  Sure we will have to rethink how we use the van for camping but this Cali was bought more as a big family car than as a camper, with the added bonus that we can camp in it if we want to.

The Beach does still have many of the features we loved about the Cali SE.  It has the pop top roof.  This one is manual, but is otherwise completely the same as the old model, including that lovely, comfortable bed.  It has the superbly flexible rail system down the middle of the van, allowing the rear bench inside to be slid forward or back at will.  We have 2 extra seats which can slot into the middle section of the van, thus making it a 7-seater if wanted.  They can also be removed to give more space.

It has a 240v electrical hook up with a single socket in the van.  This is perfect for getting power when camping.  The front two seats swivel, allowing the van to be turned into sociable living room - and in fact the missing kitchen units mean that the passenger side seat swivels much more easily than in an SE.

The Full Specification of the van is as follows:

VW California Beach 2.0 TDI 140PS BlueMotion Technology

• Reflex Silver
• 3 Seat Rear Bench
• 2 Additional Seats
• “Milan” Fabric Seat Coverings
• Electric Side Door
• Power Latching for Tailgate
• Leather Steering Wheel, Gear Knob and Gaiter
• Bluetooth Premium
• Laminated Glass
• Cool/Warm Box
• Tyre Pressure Warning Light
• Front and Rear Parking Sensors
• Removable 13-Pin Towbar
• Supagard Paint and  Upholstery Protection

We pick the van up on 1st December.  Looking forward to it loads!

New Van - Cienna Sportline Edition

It's been a while.  In fact it's over a year since we sold the Cali - sadly the little one didn't take to camping in the van very well, and that combined with the horrendous summer made our minds up to sell the van and buy a car.   That was back in April 2013.

So, now, a year later, I have built a new van.   Yes.  Built.  Okay three of us built it.  In an hour.  But the little one prefers this new van to the old one so I guess it's a success.

Presenting the VW Sportline Cienna Edition...

VW Sportline Cienna Edition Front End

Crafted from finest cardboard boxes recovered from the recycling bin and decorated with the latest pipecleaner windscreen wipers, the new Sportline is very distinctive.

VW Sportline Cienna Edition Side View

The alloys are a curious mixture of cereal packets and more recycled cardboard with a combination of 8 and 9 spokes.  The distinctive VW badge finishes them off.   The "windows" are easy to use - even a 2 year old can figure out how to look through them and there are no complicated buttons to make them go up and down.

Front View with the roof off.   The only configuration it has.

This Sportline is the Cabriolet version, with no roof - perfect for looking cool in on a hot summer's day. 

The good news is Mrs Blakey has conceded that a new van would be "a pretty good idea" so I'm starting to look again.   In the meantime, this Cienna Edition may be seen all around the lounge and dining room...