Thinking about the future of the T7

[RetroRed5]

I've followed the T7 from initial concept, press releases, through to the launch and my initial impressions were that I didn't like it much as much as past versions, although having seen it in the flesh, I've done a 180 and I do think it is a very nice version of the California.

About a year ago, me and the Mrs did discuss the idea of maybe going for a T7 once it launches, but in the end we actually went for a low mileage T6 (my favourite of all the California's to date and my 2nd T6 Cali).

I do see a future where we would go for a new more modern incarnation of the California, but given we've literally just got a T6, then it is going to be a few years before this would be an option; so this got me thinking, just for fun, what tweaks/changes would I like to see in a T7.1 if and when one arrives in a few years time...

Here is my list (in no particular order)...

• Make the two sliding doors an option
• If only one door is chosen, you can choose which side it goes on
• If only one door is chosen, have the option of a larger kitchen with two burners
• Space for some other type of cooking appliance (i.e. microwave)
• Hot water as an option
• Solar panel as an option
• Offer larger colour palette for the two-tones as a custom option (I'd go for Candy White over Cherry Red).
• Figure out a way to get more camping storage included in the living area and boot.
• Add more storage to the dash (similar to the comfort dash with colour coded inserts)
• Add self-levelling suspension as an option

What would you want to see in a future California?

 

[JohnCalifornia]

Electric rotating seats………..

 

[The big K]

Here in Australia it would have to be a VW kangaroo deterrent badge. Actually available for the Amarok!https://www.volkswagen.com.au/en/ro...nrO3yej4SXKzLs7d4ASDz5N5T3CwKPSao3igFwALPfc7Y

 

[omelius]

Dont have cali yet, so this list contains only items that was not listed by anyone else and i think they will be useful:

- leather seats
- wooden yacht floor
- one plug to charge all batteries
- bike rack
- roof tent from material like decathlon fresh and black
- phev with diesel engine
- redesigned fridge without holes on the side walls when opened
- 360° cameras with remote access and notifications when someone is doing something suspicious around your car
- API access to all systems in car (allow custom apps/items in hud display, screens and so on)
- harman kardon soundsystem
- carplay 2.0 (not yet released)
- higher load capacity
- better engine with acceleration like mercedes marco polo (500 Nm)

 

[RetroRed5]

Electric rotating seats………..

Yup, that would be cool!

 

[Gecko_Bioyag77]

Here in Australia it would have to be a VW kangaroo deterrent badge. Actually available for the Amarok!https://www.volkswagen.com.au/en/ro...nrO3yej4SXKzLs7d4ASDz5N5T3CwKPSao3igFwALPfc7Y

I thought this RooBadge may have been an April fools joke but its a very interesting idea and would be helpful in Europe to avoid deer in rural areas. However if they had a Yobohs badge for deterring YoBohs when wild camping I would be fun and I would be very interested ;-)

 

[WelshGas]

Dont have cali yet, so this list contains only items that was not listed by anyone else and i think they will be useful:

- leather seats
- wooden yacht floor
- one plug to charge all batteries
- bike rack
- roof tent from material like decathlon fresh and black
- phev with diesel engine
- redesigned fridge without holes on the side walls when opened
- 360° cameras with remote access and notifications when someone is doing something suspicious around your car
- API access to all systems in car (allow custom apps/items in hud display, screens and so on)
- harman kardon soundsystem
- carplay 2.0 (not yet released)
- higher load capacity
- better engine with acceleration like mercedes marco polo (500 Nm)

It's called a Motorhome.
The T7 Hybrid would give a Marco Polo a run for its money.
A diesel/PHEV hybrid? You can't be serious.

 

[omelius]

Electric engine for short trips and diesel for long ones

 

[WelshGas]

Electric engine for short trips and diesel for long ones

In Hybrid mode the IC engine doesn't run continuously. You can select EV until battery capacity drops to 10% then IC engine used intermittently.

 

[Melyn]

After owning its for nearly 2 months now and 7 or so camping trips.

for me the main things I’d like :

The sliding window fly sheets that were advertised provided
A midge cover for the pop top roof vents
Removal of the god awful storage bin in the roof
Another side table (small one) then can have one inside and one outside at the same time (I prefer to do my tea / coffee via a jet boil and aeropress outside and the food on the stove)
A better method of using the large table inside - it feels clunky to setup with the rails that are super stiff
Magnetic blinds for all - as the pull down ones as referenced in another thread can’t really be cleaned easily.
A cleaner way of getting upstairs - both the side and front metal sections don’t really feel safe to put any weight on so you do need to commando crawl up.
A way to turn off ignition ready
More intuitive heating - cooling for the rear. It’s a bit clunky changing the rear temp when driving and I’m not a fan of the tablet to set aircon
Sturdier sliding cupboard rails. Feels they block or are sticky a bit too easily, and the rear sliding cupboard is awkward to get into - an opening door would have been better imo
Ability to setup the bed minus one section without it being the underside. There is very limited room with the bed fully down if the front seats aren’t rotated. So if it’s raining and you want to stay inside you can’t really have the bed out fully until bed time and sitting facing the bed out gives you very little leg room (add in two dogs makes it problematic)

Don’t get me wrong I love the van after having a conversion but compared to my friends t6 there is a few things that just feel worse. As the car market gets smaller I guess we have to deal with these as everyone wants to cut costs.

Lack of towbar or bike rack after market is still a huge issue for me. How can a van that’s been out 6+ months now in Europe have nothing compatible when majority of previous oceans came with bike racks

 

[RetroRed5]

After owning its for nearly 2 months now and 7 or so camping trips.

for me the main things I’d like :

The sliding window fly sheets that were advertised provided
A midge cover for the pop top roof vents
Removal of the god awful storage bin in the roof
Another side table (small one) then can have one inside and one outside at the same time (I prefer to do my tea / coffee via a jet boil and aeropress outside and the food on the stove)
A better method of using the large table inside - it feels clunky to setup with the rails that are super stiff
Magnetic blinds for all - as the pull down ones as referenced in another thread can’t really be cleaned easily.
A cleaner way of getting upstairs - both the side and front metal sections don’t really feel safe to put any weight on so you do need to commando crawl up.
A way to turn off ignition ready
More intuitive heating - cooling for the rear. It’s a bit clunky changing the rear temp when driving and I’m not a fan of the tablet to set aircon
Sturdier sliding cupboard rails. Feels they block or are sticky a bit too easily, and the rear sliding cupboard is awkward to get into - an opening door would have been better imo
Ability to setup the bed minus one section without it being the underside. There is very limited room with the bed fully down if the front seats aren’t rotated. So if it’s raining and you want to stay inside you can’t really have the bed out fully until bed time and sitting facing the bed out gives you very little leg room (add in two dogs makes it problematic)

Don’t get me wrong I love the van after having a conversion but compared to my friends t6 there is a few things that just feel worse. As the car market gets smaller I guess we have to deal with these as everyone wants to cut costs.

Lack of towbar or bike rack after market is still a huge issue for me. How can a van that’s been out 6+ months now in Europe have nothing compatible when majority of previous oceans came with bike racks

All good stuff for VW to consider, especially coming from an actual T7 owner

I meant to include the sliding table on my list, this is a great feature and I'd miss it a lot if I had a T7 and so hopefully VW may bring it back for the T7.1.

 

[omelius]

After owning its for nearly 2 months now and 7 or so camping trips.

for me the main things I’d like :

The sliding window fly sheets that were advertised provided
A midge cover for the pop top roof vents
Removal of the god awful storage bin in the roof
Another side table (small one) then can have one inside and one outside at the same time (I prefer to do my tea / coffee via a jet boil and aeropress outside and the food on the stove)
A better method of using the large table inside - it feels clunky to setup with the rails that are super stiff
Magnetic blinds for all - as the pull down ones as referenced in another thread can’t really be cleaned easily.
A cleaner way of getting upstairs - both the side and front metal sections don’t really feel safe to put any weight on so you do need to commando crawl up.
A way to turn off ignition ready
More intuitive heating - cooling for the rear. It’s a bit clunky changing the rear temp when driving and I’m not a fan of the tablet to set aircon
Sturdier sliding cupboard rails. Feels they block or are sticky a bit too easily, and the rear sliding cupboard is awkward to get into - an opening door would have been better imo
Ability to setup the bed minus one section without it being the underside. There is very limited room with the bed fully down if the front seats aren’t rotated. So if it’s raining and you want to stay inside you can’t really have the bed out fully until bed time and sitting facing the bed out gives you very little leg room (add in two dogs makes it problematic)

Don’t get me wrong I love the van after having a conversion but compared to my friends t6 there is a few things that just feel worse. As the car market gets smaller I guess we have to deal with these as everyone wants to cut costs.

Lack of towbar or bike rack after market is still a huge issue for me. How can a van that’s been out 6+ months now in Europe have nothing compatible when majority of previous oceans came with bike racks

Have you added options 4JN and 4FN? Then you replaced windows with fly sheets with windows without them

 

[Melyn]

Have you added options 4JN and 4FN? Then you replaced windows with fly sheets with windows without them

Nope but as one of the first t7s apparently it was missed in error - vw will provide them free to me but who knows when…

 

[flying banana]

I've followed the T7 from initial concept, press releases, through to the launch and my initial impressions were that I didn't like it much as much as past versions, although having seen it in the flesh, I've done a 180 and I do think it is a very nice version of the California.

About a year ago, me and the Mrs did discuss the idea of maybe going for a T7 once it launches, but in the end we actually went for a low mileage T6 (my favourite of all the California's to date and my 2nd T6 Cali).

I do see a future where we would go for a new more modern incarnation of the California, but given we've literally just got a T6, then it is going to be a few years before this would be an option; so this got me thinking, just for fun, what tweaks/changes would I like to see in a T7.1 if and when one arrives in a few years time...

Here is my list (in no particular order)...

• Make the two sliding doors an option
• If only one door is chosen, you can choose which side it goes on
• If only one door is chosen, have the option of a larger kitchen with two burners
• Space for some other type of cooking appliance (i.e. microwave)
• Hot water as an option
• Solar panel as an option
• Offer larger colour palette for the two-tones as a custom option (I'd go for Candy White over Cherry Red).
• Figure out a way to get more camping storage included in the living area and boot.
• Add more storage to the dash (similar to the comfort dash with colour coded inserts)
• Add self-levelling suspension as an option

What would you want to see in a future California?

In other words ,build it more like the T6.

 

[RetroRed5]

In other words ,build it more like the T6.

hehe, I guess so