Squeaks and Rattles in your VW California Campervan? *WATCH THIS!*
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- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- Have you been chasing annoying squeaks and rattles in your campervan?!
In this video we share all the squeaks and rattles we’ve had in our VW California and how we’ve fixed them. There’s quite a few!!
Links to what we suggest in the video:
Cloth (Loom) Tape: amzn.to/3GaLm0X
Silicone Spray: amzn.to/3gaU5pe
Keep a look out for our other new videos coming to the channel soon and a BIG thank you to all of our wonderful subscribers.
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This has to be one of the most useful and informative videos on the Cali that is out there, thanks very much Will. Rattles and squeaks drive me crazy so your advice is priceless, cheers!
Glad it was helpful! Over the (many) years of fixing rattles and squeaks in cars you get to pick up a few tricks. The other (not shown in the video, it's just too geeky) is to use a bit of rubber pipe, one end in your ear and the other pinpointing where the noise is coming from. Like a stethoscope :)
@@CampervanTime Lol, not geeky at all!!!
Great video. In my T6 Ocean, I currently have a mind destroying squeak coming from my back sliding seat when driving on slightly rough roads or bumps. Must be something to do with the rails. Also a new one above my head. Might be the awning or something inside the pillar. Going to be investigating and buying some cloth tape.
Great informative video again guys. When we finally collect our van, I’m actually looking forward to our first rattle now 😂
Best Wishes both
Thanks, we certainly hope you never have to use the info in this video, but it's there if you do !
You are funny as hell😂 - Bernard🙏🏻.
Very good video and perfect explanations.
Thanks a lot.🙋🏼♂️
Thanks! 😃
Great information, Will. We pick up our California next month, and as ours are a little bit different in Australia as we don't have the in-built kitchen and cabinets, I'm sure the other rattles in seats and roof will be the same.
Fantastic news yours isn't that far away. Yes I'm sure VW will have engineered in some squeak or rattle somewhere for you as a free gift !
Many thanks for this video. Our brand new cali had one really annoying loud rattle. I kept thinking it was the table or wardrobe.Turns out it was the rear cupboard,as per your video,which holds the gas cylinder. Sorted.
Brilliant!
Great Video Will. I think you've pinpointed a rattle I thought was coming from the B pillar trim on the driver's side but it may well be the window sliders. Thanks. One to add to the list that I had on my T6 is a creaking noise above the drivers head - it took me months to sort. All the forums said it was either the rubber roof seals or the false bit of roof above. Turned out that when I had jet washed the front section of the roof I had sprayed directly between the original T6 and the Cali roof add-on and I must have disturbed the fit somehow. I used some silicon from the outside which finally it.
Good find - it's always great when you finally silence an annoying noise !
Cracking video yet again, lots of things that affected my on my old t5 but amazingly on the new van as yet i havent heard a single rattle which is almost odd lol , maybe my build day was a monday and not a friday ? will for sure get a roll of the material tape didnt even know it existed thank you guys , also installed some shelves in the cupboard which has allowed me to put loads more in it so really love them
Excellent stuff. You need to send us a pic of the shelves in the cupboard - sounds like a V V good idea!
Great news…. we’ve found Bernard in our lovely new Cally! Guessing you don’t want him back? I’ll try and catch him at the weekend. Loom tape on order. Thanks for super informative video. May see you at the NEC on the 26th 👋🏻
Oh no! Bernard does get around everywhere !! Yep, hopefully see you on the 26th!
And I thought it was only custom builds that squeaked and rattled their way around! 🤣Cloth tape on order! Thanks Will.
I’m afraid not ☹️. Just one of those things really. Cloth tape is a saviour !
Thank you so much for another very very informative video, your my number one man for informative and very helpful advice
love watching and learning from your fantastic RUclips channel 👌👍👊 top notch 👍😁,
That’s very kind, thank you. We do try to give something helpful in our videos if we can :)
Wonderful, useful video. I like the way your video contain information you can use..👍
Thanks, we do try to help/give something useful in most of our videos. Some are just for fun, but we like to share what we’ve learnt over the years!
Again, a very nice and helpful video 👏🙏
Well done. Great video. You explain it so clearly.
Glad it was helpful!
Indeed , seat belt in hazardous position is a classic ! also all Pens , scapers and many things we forgot in storage pockets front doors ... thanks Will for your advise sliding window , i know what i have to do with it . All the best
Glad it's useful. Be careful with the windows if you do take them out. The kitchen side one is a bit of a pain because of the blind - but it is possible. Do the sliding door side first to see how it comes out.
@@CampervanTime Noted ! i'll do it carefully ... next Spring
Well done, team..! I've been chasing a mystery rattle & have discovered it's the drivers "A" pillar around towards the windscreen, Can stop it by holding it, which feels like a loose or broken clip, but how you get to it is another day job..
Sounds like when that trim was pushed in one of the clips didn’t locate properly and has probably snapped off. Seen it many times on other cars. I’ve not taken that trim off but with the roller blind in it I can imagine it might be a bit tricky. Maybe have a look at the speaker upgrade kits you can get, as you have to remove it to fit those - they might have online instructions perhaps??
I had an identical rattle from the driver's side A pillar. It comes and goes depending on how the windscreen blinds are retracted. Normally a quick pull out and retract sorts it for me.
Great stuff again Will, thanks. Need to check to see if the airline locker is the source of one of ours. Sorted our noisy wardrobe rail with a small amount of tape on the ends. The wardrobe and its shelves are certainly noisier when unloaded, found the rear shelves were quieter after rubber feet for the one ontop of the gas locker. Cloth tape could be a useful addition too. Thank you.
Good tip re the rear shelves, thank you!
@@CampervanTime Ah Will - Peace ! The rubber feet on that bottom removable shelf (the gas locker one) helped a little, but now with your loom tape applied to the perimeter where the removable shelf was able to move around touching the sides of the wardrobe, it has made such an improvement. Thank you. The best few £ spent ever !
Great video, very helpful.
Thank you so much for this video. We had a Bernard too and have just followed your instructions to removed the plates under the seat and found our rattle. Husband was threatening to sell the van if we didn’t find it!!! Have also bought the tape you suggested and got rid of so many more from your video! You guys have been sooooo helpful for us. Keep up the good work on the videos!
Glad we saved your sanity and allowed you to keep your van!! Depending on what tyres you have too, we've found a lot of ours have gone now we've swapped to wider and lower profile tyres too...
@@CampervanTime just about to watch your latest vlog now 👍
Oh bugger now we want the different tyres 🤣🤣. I did mean to say I was super glad you’d showed us the removal of the under seat plates as not only did we find our Bernard (we covered those metal stick things with the nylon tape) we realised one of the sticks had been put in the wrong way round which was why our mechanism was actually very ‘sticky’ at times and now the seat moves back and forward so much easier!
@@travellingtaylors8352 fantastic! Always nice when we finish the factories job for them eh!!
Thanks very much for doing this video. Very helpful.
You’re welcome!
Fixed a squeak in bench seat, would never have found the cause without your help!
Excellent stuff... had you had it long? Did you end up naming it? 🤣
Thanks Will waiting for my new California delivery ... So I will be ready if noises are coming !!
Fingers crossed you won’t need this video!
Thanks a lot for the video!! It is very useful 😄
You're welcome 😊
Hi, love all your videos, thank you. I notice you don’t keep pots, pans or plates etc under the sink, where do you store all your kitchen stuff? You’re so organised I know you’ll have some good ideas. Thanks 🙂
Hello! Under the bench seat - we use tefal ingenio pans as the handles are removable and then you can stack the pans inside each other. Super easy!
Useful and may save my sanity!!!
I hear you!! Hope it helps !
I had the same tinkle. Since installing the isotop
Certainly worth trying different locations of the zips - daft really!
Great mate!
Thank you for the tip with the table rattle, that has been driving me mad! I love the two mats you have on the floor behind the front seats - where did they come from?
Ah, peace at last! Our carpets came from campervancarpets.com - take a look at the website for some inspection and drop Ali a line! Superb carpets ☺️
Will, Brilliant video mate. Very reassuring, after watching a German chap who regularly rough-roads Californias on adventure trips, almost put me off one because of the excessive rattles and squeaks he experienced. I could hear the squeaks and rattles on some other UK B-Road videos. So, I wondered if this was normal. You confirmed the rattles don't just come as a result of off-road driving, but are common to VW van conversions, despite their otherwise solid design. I hope VW's R&D dept. watch your video, and address the issues, especially at £80+K.
Cheers
Yes I hope so. It’s like they have changed some of the plastics or the base materials in the T6.1 and places squeak and rattle where they just didn’t on the T6.
@@CampervanTime Right. That's very good to know. You referenced that a bit in your comparison video of your new T6.1 and the T6, suggesting that some of the surfaces were nicer on your older rig, especially the dash/door panels. Its likely the case all-round.
Hi Both - love the video's and for someone that is new to this its extremely useful - Could I ask which size really useful box have you got between the seats and does it stay there all the time and does it get in the way of the handbrake?
Hi! We'll measure it for you and no, don't get in the way at all just sat there :)
That’s what’s known as ‘a really useful video’ . Thanks, all good to know for the future I suspect. Cloth tape now added to my list 🤦🏻♂️
Good stuff! Glad it's helpful. It sometimes feels a bit funny doing videos like this but we then think back and say to ourselves 'if only someone had told us XYZ' and then a video idea is born!!
@@CampervanTime Exactly that.. Of course it means we will have to re-view all your videos again when we actually get the thing 😂 🍻
Have you *still* not got it yet! 🤣
We had the windscreen replaced on our T6 and the installers didn’t put the mirror cowling back on properly. It then rattled and squeaked when you drove the van. Took it back twice to the depot and they finally sorted it out. Initially, they fobbed me off saying that it was the actual windscreen that was rattling and I had to wait 2 weeks for the glue to set. Then they said it was the front window blinds! But all sorted now.
Have you done a video about your Anker power bank? The under seat charging point is a real faff to get to and that looks like a neat solution.
We haven’t done one on that actually. I went to find it again a little while ago and it looks like they’ve stopped making that exact one, but I need to look at what alternatives there are now. It’s a neat solution for a (useless otherwise) 12v socket.
After being irritated by awning rattles a ouple of extra stainless steel roller springs (acquired from Thule at the NEC) to apply pressure on the roller helped but did not cure.
Eventually after ensuring legs put away tightly,felt furniture floor protector (Screwfix) anywhere in the awning casing where the legs vibrate against the aluminium. The tell tale is a often a black mark. Felt pats sometimes can apply more pressure. Both in the anti- rattle kit.
Finally. I often don’t clip a sun visor in to prevent fighting with a stiff clip if I need to move it quickly. If it then rattles against the clip the reflection on the windscreen can sometimes make it sound like a dashboard rattle which had me searching in the wrong place before I realised the problem was self inflicted.
Great video Will. On a slightly different tack; we seemed to have lightly scratched the fridge worktop. The fridge, stove and sink have the same glass surface. However, the glass seems to have a soft veneer surface. Or maybe it’s a type of soft glass? Anyway, any ideas on how to remove the scratch?
Oh dear 😩. We’ve not had that issue in the Cali, but I have used glass polishes before on a car window that was scratched (have a look at Frost.co.uk and search for glass polish). It’s time consuming and you need to be really careful of heat build up, but it is possible to remove light scratches. Alternatively, have you considered having a vinyl transfer (semi transparent maybe?) made up of a favourite landscape photo and putting it across the fridge, hob and sink glass tops ?
@@CampervanTime Thanks for getting back to me. Yes, I think maybe a vinyl transfer may be a way forward. If you haven’t scratched yours then be careful!! We can’t think how we’ve done it. Certainly in the short term we will keep a tea-towel over the fridge,
Great vid
You're welcome, thank you!
Will, wasn’t sure the best way to contact you, so posted a comment here as it seemed somewhat relevant. You mentioned taking out the sliding window (to fit some cloth tape). I’ve got the common “leaking sliding window” issue with water dripping into the kitchen cupboards and wondered if you could share how you removed the window. I’d like to see if there is anything in the channels that is affecting the window seal. It’s a new Cali, so will take it back to the dealers, but the Cali forum doesn’t hold much hope for a fix from VW. Thanks in advance and Happy New Year to you all - and happy birthday to Sarah..🎉
Hi Simon, if I remember correctly I didn’t actually have to dismantle anything to get them out, it was more a case of holding the opening mechanism open (pinching in fingers, usual way) and then pushing the whole sliding window part up in the frame as it gives some space at the bottom to get the leading edge out of the track. Then slide it along and wiggle it out. Have a practice on the sliding door one first before you do the kitchen one. This is because on the kitchen side it’s very tight to get it out with the window blind there. You need the blind fully up and even even you have to squeeze it past it. Maybe put some cloth tape along the aluminium bottom handle edge so it doesn’t get marked. There is also a T6 forum which covers the 6.1 too (all vans) which might have more info also.
@@CampervanTime thanks Will, I’ll give it a go. We’re just at the Chatsworth site and I was contemplating taking it out. Good idea to try the sliding door side first. Plus, I’ve currently taped up the kitchen window to stop the water coming in….it’s not stopped raining for days. Great advert for a 2 month old £70k van. At this rate I’ll be swapping ours too…!
Sorry to hear that. Ours never leaked but just rattled / made ticking noises. We did find that water would sit in the channel when we opened it, which then could go down the rear inside of the kitchen unit but it wasn’t a leak as such.
You didn’t cover seat back storage when you did your storage video. If you keep a roll of loom tape in there what else is there ?
Well, for us there is just a reusable shopping bag and that’s it. We’re always worried that we will leave indentations in the fabric/fake leather material!
That’s the difference between ,mass produced vehicles and “one off” self build . Sorry but they tend to throw it together as it is just a job to them .diy is the way to go if you have the ability to do so . If not get a bit of help where you struggle 👍👍😎😎
I can absolutely see when you build it yourself you can pay special attention to every single aspect and I have great respect for those that do that - some fantastic, lovely vans out there 👍
Well … we won’t be needing those bits of foam we used to use to wedge the table in place to stop it rattling 🤣🤣🤣 thanks for the tip about storing the table 👍👍 one less rattle/squeak to have to deal with 😀
Brilliant! Glad it helped.
We used bits of foam too!! Problem solved.
Does it work the same for T6? Using blanket corners to silence it currently 😅
Yes, it does!
Awesome! Thank you so much 🥰
You would hope VW will watch this and implement your fixes when building in factory
Ha! Let's hope so!
Thank you
You're welcome
my 2018 skoda superb have no any squeaks or rattles. and in 2024 i want to change it for cali.
You’re the Sherlock Holmes of rattling trim 🤣🤣🤣
I'm sure I've got a suitable hat somewhere here... LOL
Will, how did you remove the side windows to get at those slides? I thought it’d be obvious but i’m frightened of breaking something.
It’s best to try the one in the sliding door first. You basically have to push it upwards in the frame whilst pinching together the unlocking mechanism as you usually would to open the window. Then slide it open and you’ll find the spot where the bottom starts to come free out of the rail. Then just slide it along and out from the bottom, then it just falls out from the top rail. Hope that helps!
@@CampervanTime its out!! Brill and thx
Does the fabric tape work on irritatingly noisy and squeaking travel companions too?
Absolutely, as long as you use enough 😁🤣🤣
hahah love it
Music on 98% of the time and 2% sleeping so sorted. Handy for my hubby. He makes me wear earbuds...... xc
We also have the radio on most of the time too which we agree, does help a lot!!
I called my van Bernard because my name is Darren Barson and Bernard is an anagram of Darren B 🙂
Now that is CLEVER - and deserves a sticker if you’re in to those! Email us at contact@californiatime.co.uk and we’ll send you one out :)
@@CampervanTime Thank you so much, I have sent an email 🙂
What exactly is "SEX WAX" asking for a friend of course
Well.... it's surf board wax - so it sticks to your feet ! Plus, their air fresheners are a wonderful coconut scent !!
£80k 😂 omg sounds like a rip off to me, I would expect higher standards from VW. Happy with my 2009 T5 sportline LWB converted my myself for £15k, no squeaks or rattles in mine, yes it’s got cloth tape too but used it on the wiring lumes.
Who would spend £80k on a vw camper ?? 😢
This isn’t just a VW California issue unfortunately - it’s a modern VAG group issue. Quality has deteriorated over the last 5 or so years and can be seen across a range of models where cheaper materials are being used, much to my annoyance.
Names squeaks 😳
Got to cheer ourselves up about it somehow!!
Interesting detective work, hope to avoid Bernard!!
We had to name ‘him’ and laugh about it because otherwise I think it would have driven us mad on that long drive home !!
Why didn't you just take it back to VW, IMO for a vechile of this cost one should not be having thse oissues and one should certainly not be fixing them oneself.
Because it's a 100 mile round trip and a day off work to do that, for something I can fix myself in 10 mins. If I lived round the corner from the dealer then yes of course, it would have gone back.