Hookup or Not

Gina-B · Sep 10, 2023

Advice please - I'm going overseas early next year for about 6 weeks without my precious Cali Ocean (MY21). Should I leave it permanently hooked up whilst away or not? Also should I get my neighbour to move it a couple of feet now and then to take the weight off one area of my tyres? (He would of course unplug before moving it!) Anything else I should consider? Advice very much appreciated.

WelshGas · Sep 10, 2023

Gina-B said:
Advice please - I'm going overseas early next year for about 6 weeks without my precious Cali Ocean (MY21). Should I leave it permanently hooked up whilst away or not? Also should I get my neighbour to move it a couple of feet now and then to take the weight off one area of my tyres? (He would of course unplug before moving it!) Anything else I should consider? Advice very much appreciated.

For 6 weeks you really don't need to do anything. If you want to leave it plugged in that's fine. You don't need to move it.
If it was 6 months, different situation.

Hawthorn37 · Sep 10, 2023

Agree - we leave ours hooked up between trips and on a timer to charge for 2 hours every night, although I do know it could be on 24/7. We sometimes don‘t move ours for 4-6 weeks, or until I have the unsupressable urge to give it a drive! The only thing we’ve noticed is that the parking brake can bind on a bit.

yossarian · Sep 11, 2023

Gina-B said:
Should I leave it permanently hooked up whilst away or not?

I would if I had this option.

andybeary · Sep 11, 2023

we have a couple of solars, we went on a 5 week trip abroad and came back to a topped up van. If you want extra security get a webcam or something so you can keep an eye on it every now and then. I also use an Airtag and tuck it in the van hidden.

dspuk · Sep 11, 2023

WelshGas said:
For 6 weeks you really don't need to do anything. If you want to leave it plugged in that's fine. You don't need to move it.
If it was 6 months, different situation.

Agree with WG. Just plug in. We have solar and the leisures are always full but even with the solar trickle charging the starter it has a habit of creeping down the voltage. Have even plugged it in tonight so the starter get more juice. Immediately on plug in starter went from 12.1 to 13. Just leave in and forget. Take more than 6 weeks to flatten the tyres.

Gina-B · Sep 13, 2023

WelshGas said:
For 6 weeks you really don't need to do anything. If you want to leave it plugged in that's fine. You don't need to move it.
If it was 6 months, different situation.

Thanks WG, as always.

Gina-B · Sep 13, 2023

Hawthorn37 said:
Agree - we leave ours hooked up between trips and on a timer to charge for 2 hours every night, although I do know it could be on 24/7. We sometimes don‘t move ours for 4-6 weeks, or until I have the unsupressable urge to give it a drive! The only thing we’ve noticed is that the parking brake can bind on a bit.

Thanks Hawthorn37 - Hadn't considered a timer. Will give that some thought. I know what you mean by the 'unsupressable urge' to drive. Gonna miss the cali so much for six weeks!

Gina-B · Sep 13, 2023

yossarian said:
I would if I had this option.

Thanks yossarian!

Gina-B · Sep 13, 2023

andybeary said:
we have a couple of solars, we went on a 5 week trip abroad and came back to a topped up van. If you want extra security get a webcam or something so you can keep an eye on it every now and then. I also use an Airtag and tuck it in the van hidden.

Thanks for that advice andybeary. My tracker should keep me updated, but an Airtag sounds like a great device.

Gina-B · Sep 13, 2023

dspuk said:
Agree with WG. Just plug in. We have solar and the leisures are always full but even with the solar trickle charging the starter it has a habit of creeping down the voltage. Have even plugged it in tonight so the starters get more juice. Immediately on plug in starter went from 12.1 to 13. Just leave in and forget. Take more than 6 weeks to flatten the tyres.

Thanks for that dspuk. Good info. Re the tyres, I wasn't thinking that they would flatten, it was more about the actual condition of the rubber. On one of my other cars that was left for some time, the rubber started to crack and I was told that the vehicle should have been moved more frequently. But I guess those tyres were also pretty old. I get a bit paranoid now! The Cali tyres are two years old so should be ok stationary for six weeks??

dspuk · Sep 13, 2023

Gina-B said:
Thanks for that dspuk. Good info. Re the tyres, I wasn't thinking that they would flatten, it was more about the actual condition of the rubber. On one of my other cars that was left for some time, the rubber started to crack and I was told that the vehicle should have been moved more frequently. But I guess those tyres were also pretty old. I get a bit paranoid now! The Cali tyres are two years old so should be ok stationary for six weeks??

Yup, be fine.

Laying up and maintaining your car | The AA

If you're leaving your car parked up for a while, here are a few simple things you can do to make sure it'll be raring to go when you get back.

www.theaa.com

GrannyJen · Sep 13, 2023

Gina-B said:
Advice please - I'm going overseas early next year for about 6 weeks without my precious Cali Ocean (MY21). Should I leave it permanently hooked up whilst away or not? Also should I get my neighbour to move it a couple of feet now and then to take the weight off one area of my tyres? (He would of course unplug before moving it!) Anything else I should consider? Advice very much appreciated.

Leave it plugged in. No problems.

Gina-B · Sep 15, 2023

GrannyJen said:
Leave it plugged in. No problems.

Thanks GrannyJen

dspuk said:
Yup, be fine.

Laying up and maintaining your car | The AA

If you're leaving your car parked up for a while, here are a few simple things you can do to make sure it'll be raring to go when you get back.

www.theaa.com

Some good advice there from the AA. Thanks again dspuk

flying banana · Sep 15, 2023

leave it plugged in and in gear with the handbrake off. if on a slope,chock it.

Gavin Fleming · Sep 15, 2023

Agree. Handbrake will bind.

Hawthorn37 · Sep 15, 2023

flying banana said:
leave it plugged in and in gear with the handbrake off. if on a slope,chock it.

Good call on the handbrake! Had to use a sledge hammer to unstick my sons rear wheels after 2 weeks on the drive last winter

vmaxkiddy · Sep 16, 2023

A lot of owners wish the Cali had an electric handbrake to make seat turning easier. Leaving it off isn’t possible with an auto box or a full EV vehicle, it’s applied automatically when shutting down, can’t even be coded out by the dealer. Also makes brake pad changes impossible without a computer hooked up to release them. Be careful what you wish for.

flying banana · Sep 16, 2023

vmaxkiddy said:
A lot of owners wish the Cali had an electric handbrake to make seat turning easier. Leaving it off isn’t possible with an auto box or a full EV vehicle, it’s applied automatically when shutting down, can’t even be coded out by the dealer. Also makes brake pad changes impossible without a computer hooked up to release them. Be careful what you wish for.

Who said that?

Hookup or Not

Gina-B

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

Hawthorn37

Retired, and working hard at it

yossarian

andybeary

dspuk

Dave

Gina-B

Gina-B

Gina-B

Gina-B

Gina-B

dspuk

Dave

Laying up and maintaining your car | The AA

GrannyJen

Gina-B

Laying up and maintaining your car | The AA

Laying up and maintaining your car | The AA

flying banana

T6 Ocean 204ps manual

Gavin Fleming

Hawthorn37

Retired, and working hard at it

vmaxkiddy

flying banana

T6 Ocean 204ps manual

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