Expensive Panel Vans

[soulstyledevon]

So the Cali gets a lot of stick online about price.
But a sporty panel van at £68k
Am I missing something or what...?

Don’t get me wrong, the workmanship of Vanworx is pretty good. But their prices are beyond silly....

https://www.facebook.com/205987109424627/posts/3385997521423554

 

[California4x4]

So the Cali gets a lot of stick online about price.
But a sporty panel van at £68k
Am I missing something or what...?

Don’t get me wrong, the workmanship of Vanworx is pretty good. But their prices are beyond silly....

https://www.facebook.com/205987109424627/posts/3385997521423554

It’s just like a 4Motion Ocean without the ground clearance or ability to live in it. It’ll look well fancy in a gathering in a Tesco car park though. Someone’s going to get all the pretty boys and girls leaving sticky marks all over it.

 

[GrannyJen]

I have just posted something similar elsewhere.

I have spent the last week doing nothing else but speccing up Cali-type conversions, and 5.4m Ducato PVC's from Hymer (Ayers Rock), Westfalia (Amundsen and Columbus) and Knaus (Boxlife, Boxstar).

This morning I was at camper sales, Burgess hill, with Rob, looking at 65k of Hymers and Westfalia's, lovely fittings but no 4mo, ACC, pop-top, and lots of other bits ( not even front proximity sensors) and riding on 15 inch steels. looking at a a hugely expensive Autohaus, and later on an online conversation with Phil at Adventure leisure where I manage to top £70k on another vehicle.

Oh, and I was being quoted at July 2021 for delivery of the hymers.

 

[tuono001]

Vanworx do like to charge hefty prices.
Was it close to 100k for the crafter conversion!

 

[Jay20cali]

I have just posted something similar elsewhere.

I have spent the last week doing nothing else but speccing up Cali-type conversions, and 5.4m Ducato PVC's from Hymer (Ayers Rock), Westfalia (Amundsen and Columbus) and Knaus (Boxlife, Boxstar).

This morning I was at camper sales, Burgess hill, with Rob, looking at 65k of Hymers and Westfalia's, lovely fittings but no 4mo, ACC, pop-top, and lots of other bits ( not even front proximity sensors) and riding on 15 inch steels. looking at a a hugely expensive Autohaus, and later on an online conversation with Phil at Adventure leisure where I manage to top £70k on another vehicle.

Oh, and I was being quoted at July 2021 for delivery of the hymers.

Hi jen
We went to travel world a few times looking at the hymer Grand Canyon it’s lovely and I so wanted to like it but a couple of things really did grate on us....
Lovely big fridge and lounge area but the rear bed felt very closed in.
And the shower was pretty tight too.
That shower curtain would Most definitely stick to you when trying to wash in the shower .
Love the big 4x4 Grand Canyon but the same Issues ....I think I could possibly see past this for the go anywhere beast it is...
But 85k is a big chunk of money for something with a claustrophobic sleeping area.
We in the end went for a Sven hedin because we have owned a Westfalia before and they feel light more roomey,
But
Check out the Winnebago revel.
That’s a peice of kit....
I have watched Many utube videos on it that would be my dream van...
There’s a place in the uk the bring them in but there big money!

 

[sidepod]

If the muppets will pay then take em for every penny they’ve got.

 

[Wogga]

I specced a Kombi to get as close to an Ocean as I could, LED lights, Discovery SatNav etc obviously without the heater, pop roof, beds, tailgate goodies and kitchen, came to £51k. Ordered a Cali. I don't see the fixed bed, fridge on the floor as in most conversions very practical.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I specced a Kombi to get as close to an Ocean as I could, LED lights, Discovery SatNav etc obviously without the heater, pop roof, beds, tailgate goodies and kitchen, came to £51k. Ordered a Cali. I don't see the fixed bed, fridge on the floor as in most conversions very practical.

It really isnt...
But apparently it’s bespoke, according to all the conversion boys. However, you’ve seen one awkward layout, you’ve seen them all.

 

[Karlos]

After having both a conversion and an Ocean, the top loading fridge in the Ocean is by far better IMO.

 

[Wongo]

Had Transits, Other conversions, T2 & T25’s. Looked at everything else out there.
The Ocean (or Beach if you need) is despite its inevitable compromises is the best.

 

[sidepod]

Depreciation curve.

 

[Saesneg Shaun]

After having both a conversion and an Ocean, the top loading fridge in the Ocean is by far better IMO.

I have a TVP camper conversion at the moment with a side loading fridge and fixed bed. The bed blocks the fridge when its down and is a PITA.

Of course ordering a cali is an expensive way to get a top loading fridge lol.

 

[The Merle]

I have just posted something similar elsewhere.

I have spent the last week doing nothing else but speccing up Cali-type conversions, and 5.4m Ducato PVC's from Hymer (Ayers Rock), Westfalia (Amundsen and Columbus) and Knaus (Boxlife, Boxstar).

This morning I was at camper sales, Burgess hill, with Rob, looking at 65k of Hymers and Westfalia's, lovely fittings but no 4mo, ACC, pop-top, and lots of other bits ( not even front proximity sensors) and riding on 15 inch steels. looking at a a hugely expensive Autohaus, and later on an online conversation with Phil at Adventure leisure where I manage to top £70k on another vehicle.

Oh, and I was being quoted at July 2021 for delivery of the hymers.

Have you thought about 4motion club joker, I’m sure that can tick a lot of them boxes.
Yes expensive but if you need something bigger than a cali and not as big as a Motorhome then definitely worth a look.

 

[GrannyJen]

Have you thought about 4motion club joker, I’m sure that can tick a lot of them boxes.
Yes expensive but if you need something bigger than a cali and not as big as a Motorhome then definitely worth a look.

Yes, lovely vehicle. Drooled over them for years but .... the person buying must have barn doors ....

oh well ,,,,,

 

[The Merle]

Yes, lovely vehicle. Drooled over them for years but .... the person buying must have barn doors ....

oh well ,,,,,

Are you looking to change from the Cali then?
Mercedes sprinter 4x4 the way to go, I nearly went down the route of privately converting one.
Sounds stupid but 6m van is just to small to give me the same space as my 5.3 joker. It’s the roof bed that gives me so much cabin space.

 

[Paul S]

I really don’t understand why people pour money into such things. But I fear this means I’m just becoming a very grumpy old fart and will soon start every sentence with “it wasn’t like this back in my day”. Even VWs prices are - by any objective yardstick - getting daft. The interior of the California is still - with a few minor tweaks that don’t cost thousands of pounds - the same as it was in 2005. And back then a 135bhp T5 SE was what £35k? The only thing that keeps them in touch with sanity is that everything else has gone up too because the market has basically accepted it. So £68k for a converted panel van is arguably insane. Surely the people buying these are financing them? What’s going to happen if the music stops playing and the moneygoround comes to a shuddering halt? I dunno, this never happened in my day etc etc etc.

 

[GSX1300R]

I really don’t understand why people pour money into such things. But I fear this means I’m just becoming a very grumpy old fart and will soon start every sentence with “it wasn’t like this back in my day”. Even VWs prices are - by any objective yardstick - getting daft. The interior of the California is still - with a few minor tweaks that don’t cost thousands of pounds - the same as it was in 2005. And back then a 135bhp T5 SE was what £35k? The only thing that keeps them in touch with sanity is that everything else has gone up too because the market has basically accepted it. So £68k for a converted panel van is arguably insane. Surely the people buying these are financing them? What’s going to happen if the music stops playing and the moneygoround comes to a shuddering halt? I dunno, this never happened in my day etc etc etc.

I suppose to some £68k is not a lot of money and to others it’s a kings ransom. We all cut our cloth in different ways. Normally California owners are “Older” no not all but most because having a massive disposable amount of cash the babies have flown the nest and mortgage is paid..Also the large lump sum From a pension...When I was in my 30s and 40s the last thing I could afford was a camper van ..Times change, priorities change you get older. Lots of spare time.. So either a World cruise or a Camper van..

 

[tuono001]

Expensive cars are easier to get nowadays due to pcp. I've heard of stories about pcp where people have a flash car but next to nothing to live on for each month.
Peoples priorities seem very skewed nowadays. Fur coat no knickers

 

[willwander]

Expensive cars are easier to get nowadays due to pcp. I've heard of stories about pcp where people have a flash car but next to nothing to live on for each month.
Peoples priorities seem very skewed nowadays. Fur coat no knickers

When I ask the older guys at work how much a car costs they say £50k
When I ask the younger guys the same question they say £450............(a month!)

 

[WelshGas]

Ignoring the camper side of things and concentrating on the vehicle side only, it seems very difficult/expensive to get a van with the options, both standard and optional that a California Ocean comes with to allow a half decent conversion on top of the base cost of a comparable van.
In the past VW curtailed which models/options a converter was allowed to buy for a new registration Campervan conversion. The only way was for the owner to spec a new van and then hand it to a converter.
When I was looking, some years ago, none of the VW Associate Converters were able to purchase a 4 Motion base vehicle from VW, I had to and then give it to them.

 

[California4x4]

Ignoring the camper side of things and concentrating on the vehicle side only, it seems very difficult/expensive to get a van with the options, both standard and optional that a California Ocean comes with to allow a half decent conversion on top of the base cost of a comparable van.
In the past VW curtailed which models/options a converter was allowed to buy for a new registration Campervan conversion. The only way was for the owner to spec a new van and then hand it to a converter.
When I was looking, some years ago, none of the VW Associate Converters to purchase a 4 Motion base vehicle from VW, I had to and then give it to them.

This doesn’t surprise me. And when you do this, it is easy to get a T6 and now T6.1 to California Coast money by the time you have selected some of the options that will be standard. In the U.K. it is now only possible to get a 4Motion California in top of the range Ocean guise for approx £70k. It would be possible to get a T6.1 Transporter 4Motion 150 manual for approx £35k without selecting some of the options that would be standard on the Ocean (that I don’t consider to be must haves) like rear AC. That gives you quite a bit of head room to get a good quality roof and bed but it’s still difficult to see where the companies are making their money.

 

[Paul S]

When I ask the older guys at work how much a car costs they say £50k
When I ask the younger guys the same question they say £450............(a month!)

Yes, I think that people’s priorities have shifted. My neighbours son’s first car was a £13,000 nearly new small hatchback. He’s only had it a year and has changed to a nearly new BMW 4-Series. I’m struggling to make sense of It. The insurance cost alone (20 year old with 1 years NCD) must be enough to service the debt of a small country. But I’ve heard plenty of tales from The Young People that they have no desire to own (or be tied) to property so they spend their disposable on other things. It wasn’t like that in my day . My first car was a £500 Beetle and if it broke I fixed it myself etc etc blah blah. Didn’t get a car with a carpet until I was 21.

 

[tuono001]

I know a youf that bought a newish car, small hatchback, £3000 insurance

 

[Tarquers]

This doesn’t surprise me. And when you do this, it is easy to get a T6 and now T6.1 to California Coast money by the time you have selected some of the options that will be standard. In the U.K. it is now only possible to get a 4Motion California in top of the range Ocean guise for approx £70k. It would be possible to get a T6.1 Transporter 4Motion 150 manual for approx £35k without selecting some of the options that would be standard on the Ocean (that I don’t consider to be must haves) like rear AC. That gives you quite a bit of head room to get a good quality roof and bed but it’s still difficult to see where the companies are making their money.

Some of the cost goes with VAT and some with discounts, I would guess a lot of their profit is in the discount they get buying the vehicle rather than on the conversion. Us lucky consumers still get to pay VAT on top so we never see the true costs.

 

[Paul S]

I know a youf that bought a newish car, small hatchback, £3000 insurance

The insurance costs are a whole other topic that has the potential to break the Forum .