So many questions

mintyman · Oct 9, 2023

Ok folks, I think i've convinced myself to buy a new California Ocean, but I have some questions first to help calm my mind......

Apologies if I should have split out into separate posts. Here goes:

I got a quote through DriveTheDeal. Seems almost too good to be true, with over £9,200 discount for 204hp plus some options, bringing the total in just over £71.5K. I'm seeing some used ones with 20K on the clock going for more e.g. here. Am I missing something?
Is the current VW offer of £1,500 free options, plus free servicing + MOTs a genuinely good deal, or are there always these sorts of deals (akin to a DFS sofa 'sale)?
I've added some options but not sure if there are any 'must have' have people think are mandatory (or, conversely, pointless). I've added:
- 'Art velour' seats
- Storage net + 2nd drawer
- Bed extension + mat
- Can't decide on 'acoustic package with heated windscreen'. Does this add much of an improvement?
While I love the look of the black alloys and splitters on the sports pack, I can live without the black underbelly, darkened tail lights, and darker privacy glass. Would I be better to take the standard rims, then get an aftermarket set once the first set of tires wear out? I can add splitters after too I believe if I wanted.

Thank you!

Hawthorn37 · Oct 9, 2023

1. Yes that sounds a good deal to me. We got the same percentage around 18 months ago (Liverpool VC) and we shopped around lots.
2. Yes - we got £1000 of options, but had to pay for the servicing deal.
3.

Art velour' seats - we didn’t get these, but now we would spec them.
Storage net + 2nd drawer - I wouldn’t bother, the space where the drawer fits is useful for longer items in the boot.
Bed extension + mat - yes definitely - others will disagree i know, but it makes a good base to build comfort on, like a topper.
Can't decide on 'acoustic package with heated windscreen'. Does this add much of an improvement? - We didn’t, but we would now spec this for the heated windscreen. Very useful in our car, and we often need to wait to clear mist in the van.

4. Darker privacy glass would be nice. No opinion on the other stuff, personal preference.

Tomdbreeze · Oct 10, 2023

mintyman said:
Ok folks, I think i've convinced myself to buy a new California Ocean, but I have some questions first to help calm my mind......

Apologies if I should have split out into separate posts. Here goes:

I got a quote through DriveTheDeal. Seems almost too good to be true, with over £9,200 discount for 204hp plus some options, bringing the total in just over £71.5K. I'm seeing some used ones with 20K on the clock going for more e.g. here. Am I missing something?

Is the current VW offer of £1,500 free options, plus free servicing + MOTs a genuinely good deal, or are there always these sorts of deals (akin to a DFS sofa 'sale)?

I've added some options but not sure if there are any 'must have' have people think are mandatory (or, conversely, pointless). I've added:

'Art velour' seats

Storage net + 2nd drawer

Bed extension + mat

Can't decide on 'acoustic package with heated windscreen'. Does this add much of an improvement?

While I love the look of the black alloys and splitters on the sports pack, I can live without the black underbelly, darkened tail lights, and darker privacy glass. Would I be better to take the standard rims, then get an aftermarket set once the first set of tires wear out? I can add splitters after too I believe if I wanted.

Thank you!

Hi excellent post and definitely some key things to ask.

1-The DTD quote is legit and there isn’t any catches or anything like that with the quotations, they do quite a finance cost so the discount is slightly different if you want to pay cash.
2- The deals have been strong this year but this deal is by far the strongest offering in my time working for the brand in 7 years.
3- the options you have added obviously are specific to your requirements and what you think you need. The art velours are lovely and look great on a vehicle to be honest, but the cloth seats are just as good! The other bits are worth having.
4- the sports pack is excellent and actually includes the acoustic pack with headed windscreen for free as well so you don’t end up paying for that on top of the sports pack so another added benefit.

If there was any questions you had don’t hesitate to contact me on Tom.davidson@breeze.co.uk

Jimmylondon07 · Oct 10, 2023

Oh and a further piece of advice, have a chat with Tom above prior to going through DTD. Eurovans fulfill DTD orders and I’ve had a less than stellar experience with them. Have never seen a bad word said about Breeze.

Tomdbreeze · Oct 10, 2023

Jimmylondon07 said:
Oh and a further piece of advice, have a chat with Tom above prior to going through DTD. Eurovans fulfill DTD orders and I’ve had a less than stellar experience with them. Have never seen a bad word said about Breeze.

Thanks for the comment much appreciated.

Don’t get me wrong we don’t always get it right but we will certainly make sure it’s put right if something did go wrong.

RockinNRollin · Oct 10, 2023

Eurovans are just a high turnover outfit with a minimal customer interface. If you just want your van then they’re fine. If you want a fuzzier customer service experience then go with someone else. Breeze might even price match or come close. Location might be a factor too - EuroVans are in Crawley.

dspuk · Oct 10, 2023

mintyman said:
Ok folks, I think i've convinced myself to buy a new California Ocean, but I have some questions first to help calm my mind......

Apologies if I should have split out into separate posts. Here goes:

I got a quote through DriveTheDeal. Seems almost too good to be true, with over £9,200 discount for 204hp plus some options, bringing the total in just over £71.5K. I'm seeing some used ones with 20K on the clock going for more e.g. here. Am I missing something?

Is the current VW offer of £1,500 free options, plus free servicing + MOTs a genuinely good deal, or are there always these sorts of deals (akin to a DFS sofa 'sale)?

I've added some options but not sure if there are any 'must have' have people think are mandatory (or, conversely, pointless). I've added:

'Art velour' seats

Storage net + 2nd drawer

Bed extension + mat

Can't decide on 'acoustic package with heated windscreen'. Does this add much of an improvement?

While I love the look of the black alloys and splitters on the sports pack, I can live without the black underbelly, darkened tail lights, and darker privacy glass. Would I be better to take the standard rims, then get an aftermarket set once the first set of tires wear out? I can add splitters after too I believe if I wanted.

Thank you!

1 - Not missing anything. Residials on nearly new remain high as there are people who do not want to wait and will pay a premium. We used Eurovans with zero issues and good customer service. Crawley is a pain to get to, but we treat it as a good day out. There is another thread about EV. Some like, some don’t, some good, some bad - so, the usual. Many rave about Breeze so if it’s more convenient and price is right, why not. Most dealers like EV and Breeze are just selling at near cost (to them) and using the dealer sales bonus to make their profit.
2 - The sales are seasonal and based on target needs. If they selling them all super fast, like 21/22 - limited offers. If not and they need a push these offers pop along. They are not “always” there, but the ones out now are about as good as they will get, esp with the Cali run out ongoing.
3 - Threads on this. How long is a piece of string. Only thing I will say is buy as much as you can afford. No-one wishes they didn't get more. Many wish they did. Wood floor, 2 tone and largest satnav were our musts. We then got a few more on top of that.
4 - No comment, not my area. @andyinluton has the pack and can advise.

larrylamb · Oct 10, 2023

1, As above dtd is a good price, some dealers will match this. Vans for sale on here for more than that price are mostly from people still thinking the covid effect is still in force. ie you pay a premium for a nearly new van as it's available now, no waiting time.
2. Cracking deal
3.options are a personal thing, Art velour seats are worth it if you can afford, we really liked the 2nd drawer and roof storage net but like many others found the bed extension mattress way too hard. 3rd party toppers are better.
4.Sports pack is a good buy as you do get other options thrown in. We liked the acoustic cab glass.

andyinluton · Oct 10, 2023

Wood floor is a waste of money if you are going to cover it with carpet.

I love the look of the sports pack but depends on van colour, on a black or dark blue van there is no contrast & the clack bits cant really be seen.

The darker tint windows on the sports pack is not noticeable on the inside looking out but is on the outside looking in.

The acoustic pack makes quite a difference at motorway speeds.

Th bigger screen on the media unit for me is well worth having.

2nd draw - you either want it or you don't, you loose a handy place to put long items like a set of windbreak poles, but we keep tea & coffee mugs etc in that draw & saves everyone on the back seat having to lift their legs so you can get the big draw open.

I would consider the 3rd seat rail, its only a few quid & future proofs the van just in case you would ever need a 5th seat. As very few vans have it now, I think it could be good for resale value.

Think hard about a towbar - factory fit is cheapest & opens up further choices re bike racks, back boxes for more storage etc.

At the end of the day, don't worry about it, the T6.1 ocean with zero options is just about perfect & comes with just about everything that would have been an option on earlier models.

RockinNRollin · Oct 10, 2023

It's easy with a new vehicle and faced with an almost limitless options list to get carried away, but as Andy says, the Ocean is very well equipped already. I would favour seat covers over up-specced seats (and did) as it's easy to wash them and means less worrying about spills/wet clothes etc. If you get the extra drawer, I expect you will lose a fair bit of the gap that sits alongside the normal drawer inside the boot; this is the perfect shape for levelling ramps to slide into, so if you've got a drawer there you will need to rehome those.

The only other thing I would say is consider the vehicle value when loaded with extras; some insurance companies have a "break point" beyond which a tracker will become mandatory, but you might not be fussed about that and you might be planning to get one anyway.

GrumpyGranddad · Oct 10, 2023

RockinNRollin said:
Eurovans are just a high turnover outfit with a minimal customer interface. If you just want your van then they’re fine. If you want a fuzzier customer service experience then go with someone else. Breeze might even price match or come close. Location might be a factor too - EuroVans are in Crawley.

A point to note is that if your DTD order is fulfilled by Eurovans, that doesn’t tie you to them. Once you have the van you can use any VW Van Centre for warranty claims/servicing/etc.

mintyman · Oct 10, 2023

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I've learned a few new things

I didn't realise the sports pack came bundled with the acoustic option so that's great to hear. I'll be going for the Ascot Grey so the black would contrast well.
I also initially thought that I needed to buy the bed extension in order to use the downstairs bed. Now I realise it's just the 'mattress'. When we hired one in the summer, my wife had a terrible time getting sleep as the mattress was so hard so buying a 3rd party one might be the way to go.
I never gave it a second thought that the 2nd drawer would eat into the boot space
I live in Berkshire so Crawley is quite convenient. However, i've seen a lot of people mention @Tomdbreeze in Poole. I would happily travel further to get better service. After all, it is a LOT of money to spend.

andyinluton · Oct 10, 2023

mintyman said:
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I've learned a few new things

[*]I never gave it a second thought that the 2nd drawer would eat into the boot space

It still leaves the main boot floor clear, the back of the draw doesn't go back any further than the big draw , it just fills the recess next to it.
If you were thinking of fitting the aftermarket draws under the sink you may not need it. Our porta potty goes in that cupboard so an extra draw is useful.

GrumpyGranddad · Oct 10, 2023

andyinluton said:
It still leaves the main boot floor clear, the back of the draw doesn't go back any further than the big draw , it just fills the recess next to it.
If you were thinking of fitting the aftermarket draws under the sink you may not need it. Our porta potty goes in that cupboard so an extra draw is useful.

As Andy says it doesn’t really eat into the boot space. IMO not having the 2nd drawer under the bench seat is only useful if you want to stash long items I.e. Skis.
We have the 2nd drawer and find it very useful. We store outside camping lights, mosquito zappers, BT speaker, etc, etc in there.

mintyman · Oct 10, 2023

Contacted Tom + Breeze to get a quote. Can't believe there's 5 year 0% HP, £1,000 finance contribution, 5 free services, 3 free MOTs, 5 years warranty and 5 years' roadside assistance!!!!!!!

Kayleigh · Oct 10, 2023

GrumpyGranddad said:
As Andy says it doesn’t really eat into the boot space. IMO not having the 2nd drawer under the bench seat is only useful if you want to stash long items I.e. Skis.
We have the 2nd drawer and find it very useful. We store outside camping lights, mosquito zappers, BT speaker, etc, etc in there.

I had the 2nd drawer on the Ocean I returned. My observation is that the drawer is not as big as you may expect. It has metal bars along both sides that restrict the width of items that can be stored. In
My view it would be good for mugs and small containers with coffee, tea etc. If you have a dog it would provide a convenient location for tins of food.
I would not spec it again as I didn’t find it as useful as I thought it would be. The option also comes with a roof net which was useful for holding towels when I ran my bellows tests.

Kayleigh · Oct 10, 2023

mintyman said:
'Art velour' seats

Storage net + 2nd drawer

Bed extension + mat

Can't decide on 'acoustic package with heated windscreen'. Does this add much of an improvement?

I wouldn’t bother with Art velours again and would just get covers.
2nd drawer I covered my previous post.
Don’t get the bed extension it’s really uncomfortable in the 6.1. The T6 version was better, although lots here will disagree.
Got the heated windscreen in my Beach and ordered it for the Ocean. I would not be without it.

18ME · Oct 10, 2023

andyinluton said:
It still leaves the main boot floor clear, the back of the draw doesn't go back any further than the big draw , it just fills the recess next to it.
If you were thinking of fitting the aftermarket draws under the sink you may not need it. Our porta potty goes in that cupboard so an extra draw is useful.

If you do option the extra drawer, can it be removed easily for any reason that you wanted to use the extra length from the boot?

larrylamb · Oct 10, 2023

martin.edwards said:
If you do option the extra drawer, can it be removed easily for any reason that you wanted to use the extra length from the boot?

No, not easily.

Aubisque · Oct 10, 2023

We keep the levelling ramps in a bag in the drawer space, fit perfectly. Can access quickly when parking up.
And then can fit skiis in also when needed.

Barry Chuckle · Oct 10, 2023

mintyman said:
Contacted Tom + Breeze to get a quote. Can't believe there's 5 year 0% HP, £1,000 finance contribution, 5 free services, 3 free MOTs, 5 years warranty and 5 years' roadside assistance!!!!!!!

Remember that DTD will take a fee from Eurovans for the referral I think it's around £400 so if you go directly to EV or anyone else you can potentially use this to lever your deal a little further...

As a matter of interest this Breeze match or better the EV deal?

andybeary · Oct 10, 2023

mintyman said:
Ok folks, I think i've convinced myself to buy a new California Ocean, but I have some questions first to help calm my mind......

Apologies if I should have split out into separate posts. Here goes:

I got a quote through DriveTheDeal. Seems almost too good to be true, with over £9,200 discount for 204hp plus some options, bringing the total in just over £71.5K. I'm seeing some used ones with 20K on the clock going for more e.g. here. Am I missing something?

Is the current VW offer of £1,500 free options, plus free servicing + MOTs a genuinely good deal, or are there always these sorts of deals (akin to a DFS sofa 'sale)?

I've added some options but not sure if there are any 'must have' have people think are mandatory (or, conversely, pointless). I've added:

'Art velour' seats

Storage net + 2nd drawer

Bed extension + mat

Can't decide on 'acoustic package with heated windscreen'. Does this add much of an improvement?

While I love the look of the black alloys and splitters on the sports pack, I can live without the black underbelly, darkened tail lights, and darker privacy glass. Would I be better to take the standard rims, then get an aftermarket set once the first set of tires wear out? I can add splitters after too I believe if I wanted.

Thank you!

1. i used the quote to then ask Liverpool to match and they met me most of the way...
3.
seats - i got art vel, but cover with seat covers

prob only good if you were to resell.
storage - i didn't get as i wanted more boot space, i use for the levelling ramps as they fit perfectly down that side.
Bed ext mat is a must i think but depends if you are looking at aftermarket options.

Camperfamily · Oct 10, 2023

larrylamb said:
No, not easily.

It’s held in by two bolts. Remove in <5 mins

dspuk · Oct 10, 2023

We’d not be without the drawer - more spaces to put things the better. We use as a cleaning draw. We stored our ramps in the best place for them - file 13.

mintyman · Oct 10, 2023

Barry Chuckle said:
Remember that DTD will take a fee from Eurovans for the referral I think it's around £400 so if you go directly to EV or anyone else you can potentially use this to lever your deal a little further...

As a matter of interest this Breeze match or better the EV deal?

I've contacted both EuroVan and Breeze to compare so i'll report back once I have responses from both

After discussing with my wife, we feel that having space for chocks / windbreak etc would be better. When we hired, we didn't feel that we were short on storage space, but did have to keep the windbreak in the rear passenger area which wasn't ideal. We'll put the money we save towards other options e.g. towbar prep.

We have also decided to skip the comfort mattress. My wife had a terrible time getting a good nights' sleep due to the mattress and from what I can tell from other threads, aftermarket mattresses seem to be much more comfortable. I'm interested in the Sea to Summit since it got good reviews. Will probably wait until I receive the van since I can always return if no good.

So many questions

mintyman

Hawthorn37

Retired, and working hard at it

Tomdbreeze

Jimmylondon07

Tomdbreeze

RockinNRollin

Where to next?

dspuk

Dave

larrylamb

Cali owner.

andyinluton

RockinNRollin

Where to next?

GrumpyGranddad

mintyman

andyinluton

GrumpyGranddad

mintyman

Kayleigh

Back in the ‘non-leaking’ T6 Beach

Kayleigh

Back in the ‘non-leaking’ T6 Beach

18ME

larrylamb

Cali owner.

Aubisque

Barry Chuckle

andybeary

Camperfamily

dspuk

Dave

mintyman

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