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Is your bench hard to operate (slide back and forward)

brooodie

brooodie

Messages
146
Location
Glasgow
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 204
I have a MY21 6.1 Ocean and the operation of the sliding bench has always bothered me. It's really fiddly to get the handle to 'catch' and operate the sliding mechanism. Basically there is a lot of 'play' in the handle and I find the only way to get it to work is to sit on the seat above the handle pulling it up and rocking back and forward to get it to 'catch' to the point where I can then slide it backwards.

I've now got used to it, but getting anyone else to use it requires a training session and using it while standing outside the van is impossible.

The van is due in for a(nother) warranty repair next week and I'm swithering on wether or not to mention it to them, mainly because it's a commercial van centre and I'm not sure how much experience the techs will have with the bench (they've always been good with me to be fair but I've read horrer stories on here about techs touching camping components they are not familiar with).

Also it's not exactly 'broken'. It works - just really badly. Is it meant to be this difficult to use or is it worth bringing it up? I have a 5 year warranty so still have some time. Ideally I'd have other vans to compare it to but I've never actually checked another van (unlikely they will have one to compare to in the van centre - last time I was there the Cali Demonstrator had been replaced by a T7 Multivan).

Looking at a Cali Chris video (
) his seems to operate much more reliably but I'm also conscious that he likely does it many times a week so can make it look effortless, when I do it I end up sitting there rubbing back and forward for ages like a dog with an itchy arse.

(tried to search forum but search currently broken for me).

Am I neurotic or does anyone else hate their bench?
 
mine is exactly the same as you described. I hoped it would get easier. It’s 6 months old
 
It’s tricky, if you sit on the bench and keep it straight it works ok. If you try and do it slightly off set it can get stuck and take a lot of messing about to get it to move. I can’t say if yours is right or not but no harm in getting the garage to check it out.
 
Mines the same. It’s because it’s so heavy. Always have to sit on it.

Never bothered me. Life’s too short. Sorry
 
Lambeth Cali said:
Never bothered me. Life’s too short. Sorry
Click to expand...
Agree. Usually I wouldn't bother but it's piled on top of a litany of other issues with the van so I've been getting twitchy about the warranty period coming up and making sure everything that annoys me is looked at.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Won't bother with this one, seems to be just the way it is.
 
We've owned lots of California’s. They are all different. I've had some where I have to almost thrust my whole body forward to get the damn thing to move and others that I can easily operate from outside the van with just 3 fingers to lift the lever and slide it forward. Just seems to be the luck of the draw.
 
You do indeed have to sit on it, as far back as possible and then move the bench. It is is as you describe.
 
Need to sit on it, could not move it all once and dealer had to clean the rails, ( high pressure air thing) sand and mud! More careful now what gets in the runners using a rug etc.
 
I get the impression (purely on feel, nothing more substantiated than that!) while the "locking" component of the mechanism is actuated by the lever, there are guides that slide in the rails constantly and these are the ones that tend catch if you don't sit on the bench, i.e. forcing it to run smoothly and squarely to the rails. It's still not exactly a breeze, but I've never found it too hard work. Biggest error is if you have the comfort mattress, not remembering to put the headrests back up as if they're in the down position they'll clash with the comfort mattress as the bench reaches the end of the travel.
 
brooodie said:
I have a MY21 6.1 Ocean and the operation of the sliding bench has always bothered me. It's really fiddly to get the handle to 'catch' and operate the sliding mechanism. Basically there is a lot of 'play' in the handle and I find the only way to get it to work is to sit on the seat above the handle pulling it up and rocking back and forward to get it to 'catch' to the point where I can then slide it backwards.

I've now got used to it, but getting anyone else to use it requires a training session and using it while standing outside the van is impossible.

The van is due in for a(nother) warranty repair next week and I'm swithering on wether or not to mention it to them, mainly because it's a commercial van centre and I'm not sure how much experience the techs will have with the bench (they've always been good with me to be fair but I've read horrer stories on here about techs touching camping components they are not familiar with).

Also it's not exactly 'broken'. It works - just really badly. Is it meant to be this difficult to use or is it worth bringing it up? I have a 5 year warranty so still have some time. Ideally I'd have other vans to compare it to but I've never actually checked another van (unlikely they will have one to compare to in the van centre - last time I was there the Cali Demonstrator had been replaced by a T7 Multivan).

Looking at a Cali Chris video (
) his seems to operate much more reliably but I'm also conscious that he likely does it many times a week so can make it look effortless, when I do it I end up sitting there rubbing back and forward for ages like a dog with an itchy arse.

(tried to search forum but search currently broken for me).

Am I neurotic or does anyone else hate their bench?
Click to expand...
I've had occasions when it was impossible to get the thing unlatched and moving. All my techniques mirror yours. I removed the sliding drawer and gained some benefit with careful use of aerosol graphite spray on the side levers and mechanism.. The bed is impossible to move if the van is at all pointed uphill.
 
Same here. I try to sit dead centre leaning back, but I need to jerk so much that I end up leaning forward which seems to create even more friction.
It is possibly my main disappointment in an otherwise lovely van.
 
Same here…I can fold down the seat in my 2023 Ocean without too much difficulty, but putting it back is a completely different story! Seems to be a common problem! Hey ho!
 
Gets covered every so often this one. We found the knack is to realise that the lever has two points to get through. The first point is a false one - when you pull the level and it feels like it stops there is actually another inch to go. What you need to do is pull it that other inch - it will feel like it is going to snap. It wont. Then we have no issues moving back and forth, sat on or not.
 
Last edited:
Just practice guys, come on. It's not a common problem, not at all. Stay positive; it is the same system as every other California ever produced (since t5): same mechanism and same rails so not something new of the latest. Practice until you can do it. It takes some training. You can do it! :thumb
 
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brooodie said:
Tenho um MY21 6.1 Ocean e o funcionamento do banco deslizante sempre me incomodou. É realmente complicado fazer com que a alça 'pegue' e opere o mecanismo deslizante. Basicamente, há muita 'folga' na alça e acho que a única maneira de fazê-la funcionar é sentar no assento acima da alça, puxando-a para cima e balançando para frente e para trás para fazê-la 'pegar' até o ponto onde posso deslizá-lo para trás.

Agora me acostumei, mas fazer com que outra pessoa o use requer uma sessão de treinamento e usá-lo do lado de fora da van é impossível.

A van deve passar por um (outro) reparo em garantia na próxima semana e estou pensando se devo ou não mencionar isso a eles, principalmente porque é um centro de van comercial e não tenho certeza de quanta experiência os técnicos terão com o banco (para ser justo, eles sempre foram bons comigo, mas li histórias horríveis aqui sobre técnicos tocando em componentes de camping com os quais não estão familiarizados).

Além disso, não está exatamente 'quebrado'. Funciona - muito mal. É para ser tão difícil de usar ou vale a pena mencioná-lo? Tenho garantia de 5 anos, então ainda tenho algum tempo. Idealmente, eu teria outras vans para comparar, mas nunca verifiquei outra van (é improvável que eles tenham uma para comparar no centro de vans - da última vez que estive lá, o Cali Demonstrator foi substituído por uma T7 Multivan) .

Olhando para um vídeo de Cali Chris (
) ele parece operar de forma muito mais confiável, mas também estou ciente de que ele provavelmente faz isso muitas vezes por semana, então pode fazer com que pareça fácil, quando Eu faço isso e acabo sentado ali, esfregando-me para frente e para trás por muito tempo, como um cachorro com coceira na bunda.

(tentei pesquisar no fórum, mas a pesquisa está quebrada para mim).

Sou neurótico ou alguém odeia seu banco?
Click to expand...
Muito simples, tem uma abertura no plástico do lado do banco que é virado para a rua,
onde deve inserir uma chave de fenda a qual deve ficar presa depois de puxar a alça até cima, uma vez trancado com a chave de fenda o banco desliza facilmente.
 
calibusje said:
Just practice guys, come on. It's not a common problem, not at all. Stay positive; it is the same system as every other California ever produced (since t5): same mechanism and same rails so not something new of the latest. Practice until you can do it. It takes some training. You can do it! :thumb
Click to expand...
Ok, I’m going to practice, next time it rains I’ll head into the van and will slide that bench, come what may.
Watch this space… :thumb
 
dspuk said:
Gets covered every so often this one. We found the knack is to realise that the lever has two points to get through. The first point is a false one - when you pull the level and it feels like it stops there is actually another inch to go. What you need to do is pull it that other inch - it will feel like it is going to snap. It wont. Then we have no issues moving back and forth, sat on or not.
Click to expand...
Yes, I found the same - you have to go to the point where you find yourself swearing, "Another damn piece of broken plastic for 45 Pounds!"
 
Last edited:
Received my new Cali last month, it is a good deal more difficult to unlatch than my previous Cali. Not good for the old back either so I will be asking VW to look at it....
 
KevH said:
Ok, I’m going to practice, next time it rains I’ll head into the van and will slide that bench, come what may.
Watch this space… :thumb
Click to expand...
It's all about practice (the only requirement being that there are no defects, of course).
You can try this: while sitting as far back as possible, in the middle of the seat, place your feet a little further from the bench, pull the lever all the way up (you will hear -and feel- it ‘snap’, say a clang sound but it is not broken) and slide. You pull the bench forward with your legs, as it were, and push forward with your butt.
Succes!
 
Last edited:
calibusje said:
It's all about practice (the only requirement being that there are no defects, of course).
You can try this: while sitting as far back as possible, in the middle of the seat, place your feet a little further from the bench, pull the lever all the way up (you will hear -and feel- it ‘snap’, say a clang sound but it is not broken) and slide. You pull the bench forward with your legs, as it were, and push forward with your butt.
Succes!
Click to expand...
This sounds very much like what I have been doing but I’ll focus more on the leg and butt action. Could save me a gym membership perhaps (wink).
Many thanks for your advice :thanks
 
I think most of you are using the wrong technique on this. Totally.

My approach is as follows:
As night falls and bed time approachs you carefully put away the cabin table, open the sliding door and step out into the darkened campsite. You walk quietly and firmly to the washroom. Clean your teeth and use the loo as required. Do not rush. Return to the van. By now all the blinds will be drawn. Carefully open the sliding door and you will find the bed pulled out to its full extent and your wife lying in it reading a book. Carefully lift in & position the porta potti which lives outside during the day. Then step inside, close the door, pull down the window blind before changing into your pyjamas and join her.

This is the method I have used for many years and I hope it helps.
 
Vamos lá resolver isto de uma vez por todas. Puxe a alavanca de plástico para cima ao mesmo tempo que introduz uma chave de fendas no orifício do lado esquerdo existente na lateral do banco, empurre a chave de fendas até esta trancar o mecanismo, uma vez feito o banco desliza facilmente.
 
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