Cali drivers don't wave.

[SteveW]

Hi all

We're just fresh back from our first two weeks in our now not so shinny new Cali. We did see 4 other Cali's on our travels and as you would expect I was waving hello like a loone to the other drivers. But everyone just gave me a look like I was a hoody about to mug them ? :idea: Really a little put out by this as I thought I was now part of a group of enthusiasts. Or did I just find the only 4 grumpy Cali drivers in Cornwall ?

Anyway we loved the Cali although we did get a tad wet the one night sleeping upstairs at Pentuwan sands. Roof cover on the list then. At one point I was putting things away in the boot when the Mrs head appeared between the head rests and I heard the words " don't shout at me" I looked up to see her eyes starting to fill with tears as she passed me the tap from the sink I let her stress for five until I popped it back on :rofl

So can you tell me guys is there some kind of special wave I need to know or secret hand shake ?

Cheers
Steve

 

[Graham]

Bah humbug! No Cali gets past me without a wave. Even when I'm in a tearing rush (relatively speaking of course).

 

[MichaelB]

I always wave if I reconise a Cali in time. I initiate waves using the single light flash followed by the waved hands. I have found Cali waves in short supply so now wave to all VW Campers and Modded Transporters. On the whole I have found the Transporter gang to be the most willing to wave. Sad to say we now keep a played for and got scores on journey. A score of 1 wave for every 2 attemps is considered a result.

Off now to play with my cayons in my room with padded wallpaper now

 

[Meoncoast]

If i spot you, you get a wave but being new to the camper van clan I have waved to Bob the builder and Bill the plumber in their work vans !!!!!!!!!!! -------so working on my Cali spotting :hello

 

[Californiaman]

They must have been locals assuming you were a Grockle...

I wave at most stuff. Motorbikes, Camper vans etc... often when I am in an unrelated vehicle which confuses the hell out of people.

 

[James]

They must have been locals assuming you were a Grockle...

I wave at most stuff. Motorbikes, Camper vans etc... often when I am in an unrelated vehicle which confuses the hell out of people.

I got waved at by a Mazda Bongo the other day.

Make of that what you will.

James

 

[John]

I got waved at by a Mazda Bongo the other day.

Make of that what you will.

James

:rofl

John

 

[GrahamBland]

Perhaps I am not sufficient a 'motor head' but I struggle to identify a Cali (over a Caravelle or other T5) until I am almost passed it. Consequently I have missed waving to some Cali owners and have waved furiously at confused van drivers

 

[KernowLad]

Perhaps I am not sufficient a 'motor head' but I struggle to identify a Cali (over a Caravelle or other T5) until I am almost passed it. Consequently I have missed waving to some Cali owners and have waved furiously at confused van drivers

Similar here despite usually being a car geek! Bit if it has an awning, I always wave!

BTW tourists are Emmets to the Cornish, Grockles to those from Devon.

 

[Freeley]

GrahamBland wrote:<br />Perhaps I am not sufficient a 'motor head' but I struggle to identify a Cali (over a Caravelle or other T5) until I am almost passed it. Consequently I have missed waving to some Cali owners and have waved furiously at confused van drivers

<br /><br />Similar here despite usually being a car geek! Bit if it has an awning, I always wave!<br /><br />BTW tourists are Emmets to the Cornish, Grockles to those from Devon.

Never heard of emmets before you learn something every day :smile:
Yes they're definitely grockles around these here parts.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[choplee]

being an old skool air-cooled guy i learned to wave at most things VW and even the water-cooled crew i used to get a wave if they where in the vw scene .... :hello ...now with the cali i do wave at more than most and get waves from some old and some new ,but unless the cali i wave at is in the cali scene or on this forum i get a blank face :doh

 

[KernowLad]

Received a huge, smiley wave from a couple in a stunning splitty two days ago - so returned it.

I just love seeing people having fun!

 

[SteveW]

Glad to hear its not just me finding this then. As I've had mini's ( proper ones ) and spent a lot of time in old Vw's I'm used to waving and getting plenty of smiles and thumbs up back. Seems we may have to educated a few of the more Cali owners.

Steve

 

[Nighters]

I took mine out for the first time last Saturday and two silver cali's went past me on the M4 and both waved.

I was waving to alot of VW vans thinking they might be cali's only to find out they were just normal vans. Got a few strange looks that day .

 

[SteveW]

I took mine out for the first time last Saturday and two silver cali's went past me on the M4 and both waved.

I was waving to alot of VW vans thinking they might be cali's only to find out they were just normal vans. Got a few strange looks that day .

You're lucky, had my baby nearly 5 weeks now and not a single wave apart from the one fingered wave i exchanged with some muppet who pulled out on my yesterday :censor

Im think of arranging a meet somewhere so we can all just drive around waving to eachother and grinning like fools :smile

 

[James]

Locally me and the mysterious ED25 owner now wave - having exchanged excited words at the traffics lights. We see each other out and about, I even saw him going up to Basildon yesterday and we waved.

Essex is not a big VW place, although others have disagreed with me on that. It certainly doesn't match the wild south west - always get lots of waves in Cornwall mostly from Kombi owners.

T4 owners wave the least - sorry - they just don't, I don't know why. Nearly all T25 owners wave to me, as a Vanagon owner this pleases me.

It can be hard to tell the difference between Caravelles and Calis etc - i wave at Caravelles but this often results in what I call the 'fail wave' - the one where you wave and then realise oh, that Velle was just a taxi... lol


James

 

[choplee]

James ... U know I'll disagree Essex is a big Vw county compared to a lot of others ...

 

[James]

James ... U know I'll disagree Essex is a big Vw county compared to a lot of others ...

i know - I just don't see it.

That said we have a couple of big VW places - Karman Connection for example.

There's quite a few bays and T25's. There's also a VW place in Battlesbridge - I guess the aircooled scene is more active than the watercooled.

Perhaps that's a better way of putting it.

James

 

[muttley]

I also struggle to recognise a Cali in time, and have waved at many a Kombi / Caravelle before sheepishly driving past! I did get a big thumbs up and wave from a T4 camper in Dorset, and I'm always happy to acknowledge any VW camper new or old.

It is surprising to find how many closet vw enthusiasts there are out there - my wife is constantly being cornered in the playground by mums keen to ask about the Cali, and add themselves onto a 'can we borrow it sometime' list. Nice try!

Simon

 

[GeoffB]

We wave at VW campers old and new, and usually get a wave back. As we pass by we notice most of the T5s are transporter conversions, hard to tell Calis from the front - an awning is no guarantee it's the right thing.

We followed and Austrian Cali along the Via Aurelia and through Rapallo this summer, the driver kept on waving every time we stopped at traffic lights. At one stage we lost him and ten minutes later he appeared behind us, waving and flashing. Nice to see there's an international brotherhood of VW camper drivers!

 

[BMVS-Camper-Hire]

I always wave, whenever Im in any of my T5's. :hello

 

[David Eccles]

having migrated from the classic bus world I am becoming increasingly aware of the "builders vans with big wheels" attitude from airheads ... so well done if you got a Split to wave at you :lol:

 

[choplee]

having migrated from the classic bus world I am becoming increasingly aware of the "builders vans with big wheels" attitude from airheads ... so well done if you got a Split to wave at you :lol:

David i'm with you on that one .... :doh

 

[David Eccles]

plus its very hard to differentiate between a Cali and a Caravelle or Kombi or working T5 when its coming towards you..and quite a lot of T5 owners fall into the category of "chelsea tractor" children ferrier who simply are not into or aware of a vw bus community or camping side as thats not why they bought it...
but that dont stop me giving them the wave and looking at the confused face!

 

[choplee]

plus its very hard to differentiate between a Cali and a Caravelle or Kombi or working T5 when its coming towards you..and quite a lot of T5 owners fall into the category of "chelsea tractor" children ferrier who simply are not into or aware of a vw bus community or camping side as thats not why they bought it...
but that dont stop me giving them the wave and looking at the confused face!

you took the words right from my mouth David ....."ditto" :?