Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

California ordered - question regarding electric side door

  • Thread starter TwoMagpiesTravelling
  • Start date
TwoMagpiesTravelling

TwoMagpiesTravelling

VIP Member
Messages
3
Location
Surrey
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 150
Hi All,

My wife and I, after looking at different campervan makes and conversions, decided on the California Ocean (150, Ascot Grey). Our order has been placed with all the options we think will add value and comfort to our travels. However, since reading a few previous posts, I have noticed that there are some issues with the electric sliding side door, an option that we have selected. Are there any campers that enjoy this feature, or is it something that everyone that have opted for it, ended up regretting?

Thanks and happy travels!
 
We had it on our Hire camper when we tried a year before buying. For us it was more faff than it was worth and the beeping at a night was a pain.

We opted for manual.

Likely 50% of the peeps have the other view ;)
 
I find it useful. Ours is a 2008 and it’s never caused any problems. I think VW have had them on Caravelles for years. Some fail, most don’t.
 
Mine is a 2006, and not had any issues either, When I bought the van it wasnt woking properly, but this was because the sensor on the leading edge had become diconnected where the wires had broken. I replaced the door seal (which includes the sensor) and its been great since.

The beeping when it closes is a bit annoying at night time, but the door is pretty handy if you have your hands full carrying something, and you can just press the button on the key fob to open the door as you get there or leaving the van and it opens / closes for you to save you putting everything down.

As it came with the van its nice to have, but it wouldnt have affected my choice getting the van if it didnt have one.
 
We like ours and the beeping on a T6.1 is pretty quiet (quieter than slamming the door late at night anyway). Handy on the way back from a washroom or laden with shopping to play Star Trek and walk straight in. Would I bother choosing it again? Probably not.
 
TwoMagpiesTravelling said:
Hi All,

My wife and I, after looking at different campervan makes and conversions, decided on the California Ocean (150, Ascot Grey). Our order has been placed with all the options we think will add value and comfort to our travels. However, since reading a few previous posts, I have noticed that there are some issues with the electric sliding side door, an option that we have selected. Are there any campers that enjoy this feature, or is it something that everyone that have opted for it, ended up regretting?

Thanks and happy travels!
Click to expand...
We have the electric door on our MY21 Ocean and have had no problems. Quite useful being hands free if you’re carrying stuff but it’s a feature you could easily do without. Note, It can be disabled when camping via a dashboard switch.
 
yossarian said:
Good to know. Does it require slamming if disabled?
Click to expand...
A bit, but so does the loan van I have at the moment which has a manual door. Not done a side by side comparison.
 
I had an electric sliding door on one of mine.

Absolutely brilliant with one flaw. It's too easy to press the key, or have something in a handbag, that opens it :shocked

I once went shopping in Ardres, parked up in the busy market place, wandered off, spent an hour in Boursot's wine emporium, and came back to find that my van had been parked up with more ventilation than I would have wished for.

On another occasion, overnighting in a car park in North Norfolk, wandered off to meet my Sister in an hotel, had a most pleasant dinner with multiple glasses of wine, staggered back and I could hear my diesel heater from 100 yards away trying to heat an interior that was open to the elements.

With the cautionary proviso in mind, I loved it.




 
Last edited:
yossarian said:
Good to know. Does it require slamming if disabled?
Click to expand...
Yes, more than a non electric one. The problem is that although “disabled“, all that does is basically to switch off power to the motor and the “b###dy bleeper”. So when you slide the door manually you are also having to drag against the resistance of the motor and cable mechanism.
My powered door played up when I first got the Cali (over sensitive bounce back) but it was sorted by VW under warranty.
 
As above had it on a Caravelle exec we bought new in 2011, found it quite jerky. We kept the Caravelle for 5 years and for the last 2 years we were expecting it to fail/ cost £££
 
TwoMagpiesTravelling said:
Hi All,

My wife and I, after looking at different campervan makes and conversions, decided on the California Ocean (150, Ascot Grey). Our order has been placed with all the options we think will add value and comfort to our travels. However, since reading a few previous posts, I have noticed that there are some issues with the electric sliding side door, an option that we have selected. Are there any campers that enjoy this feature, or is it something that everyone that have opted for it, ended up regretting?

Thanks and happy travels!
Click to expand...

Had it on our first Cali, didn’t spec it on our second! Initially, it’s great fun opening the door at the push of a button but the novelty soon wears off. It’s noisy, uses up battery and on occasion appears to have a mind of its own, closing half way then opening again.
 
TwoMagpiesTravelling said:
Hi All,

My wife and I, after looking at different campervan makes and conversions, decided on the California Ocean (150, Ascot Grey). Our order has been placed with all the options we think will add value and comfort to our travels. However, since reading a few previous posts, I have noticed that there are some issues with the electric sliding side door, an option that we have selected. Are there any campers that enjoy this feature, or is it something that everyone that have opted for it, ended up regretting?

Thanks and happy travels!
Click to expand...
Word of warning, the full electric sliding door works off the engine starter battery, so be wary of using it in full electric mode, too often, when camping if not on EHU.
 
Yes, yes, yes..... but its been fine the last 6yrs.
 
We love it on our 2022 ocean. It is very quiet and soft. beep is much softer than earlier models. I doubt the switch on the dashboard to disable electric sliding door is meant to use the sliding door manually instead. we had ocean 2016 before without electric sliding door and do not regret this option now. Of course something more that can fail and when it does you will read about it on this forum as with all other stuff that can and will fail ..
 
2017 Beach with electric sliding door. No problems at all. No slamming to shut it either.
 
yossarian said:
Bear in mind that you don't need to slam a manual Ocean's door. The door has a power assisted close which is effective and quiet.
Click to expand...
Good point. That would've been my Coast owner brain answering, not my switched on one. Would have loved the power assist close but not an option on the Coast. Ironically, if we switch the electric sliding door to manual and pull it closed, it does have the powers assistance for the last little bit. Go figure!
 
Graham T said:
Good point. That would've been my Coast owner brain answering, not my switched on one. Would have loved the power assist close but not an option on the Coast. Ironically, if we switch the electric sliding door to manual and pull it closed, it does have the powers assistance for the last little bit. Go figure!
Click to expand...
EU Coasts can be optioned with soft close. I guess VW-UK wanted their Coasts to be poverty-spec, to encourage sales of Ocean's. Best 130 Euro I spent on the van.
 
TwoMagpiesTravelling said:
Hi All,

My wife and I, after looking at different campervan makes and conversions, decided on the California Ocean (150, Ascot Grey). Our order has been placed with all the options we think will add value and comfort to our travels. However, since reading a few previous posts, I have noticed that there are some issues with the electric sliding side door, an option that we have selected. Are there any campers that enjoy this feature, or is it something that everyone that have opted for it, ended up regretting?

Thanks and happy travels!
Click to expand...
Opted out on the the electric sliding door, but selected the soft close option on the manual sliding door, and very happy with that option. No slamming doors.
 
GrannyJen said:
I had an electric sliding door on one of mine.

Absolutely brilliant with one flaw. It's too easy to press the key, or have something in a handbag, that opens it :shocked

I once went shopping in Ardres, parked up in the busy market place, wandered off, spent an hour in Boursot's wine emporium, and came back to find that my van had been parked up with more ventilation than I would have wished for.

On another occasion, overnighting in a car park in North Norfolk, wandered off to meet my Sister in an hotel, had a most pleasant dinner with multiple glasses of wine, staggered back and I could hear my diesel heater from 100 yards away trying to heat an interior that was open to the elements.

With the cautionary proviso in mind, I loved it.




Click to expand...
I sense a good strong common theme in your stories . Cheers
 
We have one, love it. Not an option I would have picked but we find it very useful.
 
The soft close on new Calis is excellent, no more slamming required. If you switch off an electric door it is heavy to close. You can flatten you engine battery quite easily. Manual imo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
electric side door
2 3
Replies
56
Views
9K
Blue Knight
B
RetroRed5
New Ocean with Electric Sliding Door...
2
Replies
31
Views
6K
2into1
2into1
PaulBishop
Electric side door issue
Replies
0
Views
864
PaulBishop
PaulBishop
G
Electric Side Door No Longer Working
Replies
2
Views
1K
SlidePods
S
M
Electric rear and side door on t6
Replies
11
Views
2K
briwy
briwy

Useful links

VW California Club

  • Comfort Insurance
  • VIP Membership
  • Comfort Insurance
  • CampervanBits Accessories
  • Conquest
  • Hire a Vw California

About us

The VW California Club is the worlds largest resource for all owners and enthusiasts of VW California campervans.

Our Partners

Our Partners

Back
Top