The good old days……

[Perfectos]

Well, I still think that a Beach is way better than an Ocean! Just saying.

You've got waaaaay more back up now Borris , plenty of T7 Beach boys and girls now.

 

[Perfectos]

Anyway, back on subject.

Has everybody changed their tyre winter air to summer air ?

 

[Chriskend]

Anyway, back on subject.

Has everybody changed their tyre winter air to summer air ?

I got upgraded to all weather air

 

[andyinluton]

Well, I still think that a Beach is way better than an Ocean! Just saying.

I wouldn't go that far, maybe stretch to a T6.1 Beach is as good as an Ocean.

The T7 beach looks like the worst of both worlds, boot is full of kitchen & no 7 seat option.

 

[WelshGas]

I wouldn't go that far, maybe stretch to a T6.1 Beach is as good as an Ocean.

The T7 beach looks like the worst of both worlds, boot is full of kitchen & no 7 seat option.

But at least it meets more of the DVLA Definition of a Campervan.

The T5/5.1/6 and 6.1 were basically a Caravelle with a Pop Top. How VW got away with it being registered/ defined as a Campervan remains a mystery.

 

[Perfectos]

See, times don't change

 

[sidepod]

Here we go again……strap in!

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

But at least it meets more of the DVLA Definition of a Campervan.

The T5/5.1/6 and 6.1 were basically a Caravelle with a Pop Top. How VW got away with it being registered/ defined as a Campervan remains a mystery.

Don't know if the T5, T5.1 & T6 were officially classed as a campervan but the T6.1 has a gas cooker so definitely meets the DVLA's requirements:

Internal features for motor caravans

www.gov.uk

 

[Perfectos]

Don't know if the T5, T5.1 & T6 were officially classed as a campervan but the T6.1 has a gas cooker so definitely meets the DVLA's requirements:

Internal features for motor caravans

www.gov.uk

Don't get him started

 

[KevH]

Well, I still think that a Beach is way better than an Ocean! Just saying.

That's a bit like saying a flat blade screwdriver is better than a crosshead.
Surely both are great at doing the same thing but in different circumstances.

 

[Chriskend]

Always a crosshead …every time, do they still call them Phillips screwdrivers?

 

[acer]

Always a crosshead …every time, do they still call them Phillips screwdrivers?

Steady! Some people get a Crosshead when you confuse Pozidrive with Philips

 

[andyinluton]

That's a bit like saying a flat blade screwdriver is better than a crosshead.
Surely both are great at doing the same thing but in different circumstances.

Not a good analogy, the crosshead is like the Ocean far superior.

 

[sidepod]

I guess that makes the T7 a crow bar?

 

[Californication69]

I guess that makes the T7 a crow bar?

T7 is like a set of Facom screwdrivers

 

[Borris]

That's a bit like saying a flat blade screwdriver is better than a crosshead.
Surely both are great at doing the same thing but in different circumstances.

Yes, both are great but the Beach is like having a multi tool instead of a single cross head screwdriver.

 

[andyinluton]

Yes, both are great but the Beach is like having a multi tool instead of a single cross head screwdriver.

Ah yes the multitool, tries to do lots of things & does none of them particularly well.

 

[sidepod]

Oooh some quality exchanges here, lots of new material , keep it up

 

[Perfectos]

Oooh some quality exchanges here, lots of new material , keep it up

Errr that's all old material, like the good old days

 

[stoobthealien]

Well, I still think that a Beach is way better than an Ocean! Just saying.

My T7 Beach is the best of all!

 

[Californication69]

Ah yes the multitool, tries to do lots of things & does none of them particularly well.

That’s what my boss says, no wait, what my wife says, no wait, she says just a tool :/

 

[Dyddi]

1982. Bought a 1969 (G reg) bay camper off a garage forecourt. Drove it in England for a week, then drove to Greece via Yugoslavia. No break down insurance, who needs that with a VW? Stayed in Greece for the summer, then decided to leave through Bulgaria, which had just been "liberated".
Greek border police told us we had overstayed (never did find out why) and were in trouble. Knowing the Greek psyche, persuaded them to let us go, detention was too much paperwork. Arrived at Bulgarian border post, refused entry. "If you have a visa you will be welcome in our country". Returned to Greek border. Much consternation. Eventually convinced them that we would immediately travel west to Yugoslavian border and leave there. At Greek/Yugoslavian border, met a Dutch man who told us there was no petrol available anywhere in Yugoslavia. Bought 50 litre plastic drum, filled it with petrol and put it between the front seats. No problem leaving Greece as during the earlier encounter, the Greek police had written a screed of notes taking up two pages of my passport (must have been favourable). Returned home without further incident.
To me, that is the type of trip experience in the good old days, never been gassed, but often experienced the hospitality of local people, usually very friendly.

Hear, hear! Most years 1981 - 2019 drove out to Greece and back using variety of routes. Too many experiences to record but learned that people everywhere are welcoming and helpful. The further we travelled the more we were appreciated for being English/British. On return we'd be asked by neighbours seeking tales of horror, "How did it go?", and our happy responses were sometimes received with apparent disappointment. Covid broke the pattern. Only one trip to Croatia since which turned out to be quite boring apart from one site which was run on Yugoslavian bureaucratic lines. Definitely pain (?) from the past. Bring back free cross-border travel!

 

[WelshGas]

Hear, hear! Most years 1981 - 2019 drove out to Greece and back using variety of routes. Too many experiences to record but learned that people everywhere are welcoming and helpful. The further we travelled the more we were appreciated for being English/British. On return we'd be asked by neighbours seeking tales of horror, "How did it go?", and our happy responses were sometimes received with apparent disappointment. Covid broke the pattern. Only one trip to Croatia since which turned out to be quite boring apart from one site which was run on Yugoslavian bureaucratic lines. Definitely pain (?) from the past. Bring back free cross-border travel!

Spain would disagree with your last sentiment as do a number of other EU countries.

 

[jts46]

Don't know if the T5, T5.1 & T6 were officially classed as a campervan but the T6.1 has a gas cooker so definitely meets the DVLA's requirements:

Internal features for motor caravans

www.gov.uk

My T5 is classed as a Motor Caravan

 

[Borris]

My T7 Beach is the best of all!

I'm sure it is.

I freely admit that I don't know anything about the T7 but IMO, from the perspective of versatility, simplicity and build quality, peak California came in the form of the VW California Beach T6 with seven seats and the 'Comfort Dash'. The T6.1 was got at by the bean counters and VW also messed about with the spec affectively reducing its flexabilty.
Our last of the line T6 Beach "multi-tool" does every thing exceptionally well as oppossed to the Ocean which makes a great camper but that's it. ( We previously had one so the comparison is our real experience).
The only down side was the ill thought out vacillations of the then Government over VED. Even though we swopped a 2016 seven seat T6 Beach for a repeat prescription in 2019 the new one was classed as an MPV wheras the previous one wasn't! This meant that for the first 6 years we paid a squillion pounds a year in VED. However, that may have a silver lining in that as an MPV we should be able to park
anywhere there is one of those NIMBY "No Campervans or Motorhome" signs displayed. Haven't tested it yet though.