Beach or Buzz

[Digger]

Just remember to notify insurer of mods.
It is a pity the first edition Buzz did not resemble pre production interior which had similar layout to the T7 and non of this would be neccessary. Maybe next version will sort this out and have increased range. My concern now is depreciation that seems to being felt by most ev's.

 

[Ajspicer]

Just remember to notify insurer of mods.
It is a pity the first edition Buzz did not resemble pre production interior which had similar layout to the T7 and non of this would be neccessary. Maybe next version will sort this out and have increased range. My concern now is depreciation that seems to being felt by most ev's.

Couldn’t agree more, I followed the evolution of the Buzz every step of the way and was disappointed to see the absence of the rail system, especially when the T7 uses it.

I dont see it making its way into the long wheel base either given the height of the motor in the back.

Who knows what magic VW will come up with for the ID California, I’m sure it’s designed already, just need a spy to leak it for us all.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Couldn’t agree more, I followed the evolution of the Buzz every step of the way and was disappointed to see the absence of the rail system, especially when the T7 uses it.

I dont see it making its way into the long wheel base either given the height of the motor in the back.

Who knows what magic VW will come up with for the ID California, I’m sure it’s designed already, just need a spy to leak it for us all.

Putting the multi-van rail system and and swivels into the Buzz seems an obvious over-sight. Makes you wonder why they didn’t…?
Cost or simply not possible…?

 

[Ajspicer]

Just not possible if you look at height of boot floor and available headroom. The raised boot floor is to accommodate the RWD motor.

Some clever folding bed positioned at the rear, who knows.!

 

[Ajspicer]

The conversion companies don’t mess about. ID Buzz with swivel seat/s and no silly hand brake in the way!

They could install Cali rails and a Cali rear bed I reckon, there is the width available, height might be a problem, I think I will have a measure later to compare head heights etc.

 

[Ajspicer]

Folding bed already developed and installed in an ID Cargo with swivel seats (see leg room between feet and bed) not bad.

 

[soulstyledevon]

It’s great to see some innovation.
But one of the California’s best features is the sliding bed seat. When we talk about a useable everyday van which you can camp in. Having it flexible is key.
Once things are fixed, you may as well move up to a bigger more dedicated camping vehicle.

 

[Ajspicer]

Rails will always win, especially T7 rails, they are next level compared to T5 & T6

 

[chockswahay]

As I have said before (another Buzz thread) the limitation with the current Buzz is no matter what you do it will always be like sleeping in the back of an estate car…… possible but no real fun. OK for a weekend perhaps but not my idea of fun for a big tour of France or Spain for example. And as for cooking/washing/storage etc……well it will be a compromise (do the rear windows slide/open?) Regarding the swivel seats they are a step in the right direction but still a squeeze to sit opposite each other. Also unless a pop top is fitted the bed will take up the entire space behind the front seats As for range I can not really see a practical range much beyond 150 to 180 miles when full and cold weather, even less if you go at motorway speeds.

I love the Buzz, I really do. I just don’t think it is a practical alternative to The California just yet.

 

[Amarillo]

We are a family of 4 with 2 young girls. Our Cali simply doesn’t accommodate 4 comfortably without an awning or tent as overflow. Possibly in a country with guaranteed sunshine like in the sales brochure, but not on a damp day on the Cornish coast.

Same position here, but with two boys (8 & 9). I toured Ireland last summer with just the boys (no wife) without a driveaway awning and it was fine. But with four a driveaway awning is a near essential for anything other than an overnight stop.

 

[Ajspicer]

Same position here, but with two boys (8 & 9). I toured Ireland last summer with just the boys (no wife) without a driveaway awning and it was fine. But with four a driveaway awning is a near essential for anything other than an overnight stop.

Snap, we have found 4up quite a challenge on damp days without any other form of shelter.

I agree with some comments regarding comparing a Beach to a Buzz, it really does all depend on your use case and type of trips etc.

If you are not obsessed with being able to do long driving stunts and you trust the charging networks it just goes to show that cost parity between EVs and ICE cars is getting close.

Maybe a more appropriate comparison would be Buzz vs 204ps T6.1 Kombi with lots of extras to get it close to the high spec levels on a Buzz. I have just played with the VW configuration tool and was very surprised to see the Kombi at £71k !

Makes a similar options spec Buzz and Beach seem like a bargain!

 

[sidepod]

Those aftermarket swivel bases, crash certified then? Probably not.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Those aftermarket swivel bases, crash certified then? Probably not.

The ones that were fitted to our T4 were crash tested, so would assume that Buzz would be the same as regs as quite tight these days.

Only issue is that it can raise the seat height slightly which is not an issue for most.

 

[soulstyledevon]

The ones that were fitted to our T4 were crash tested, so would assume that Buzz would be the same as regs as quite tight these days.

Only issue is that it can raise the seat height slightly which is not an issue for most.

I doubt 3rd parties are crash testing Buzzes for a couple of swivel seats…

 

[Digger]

Interesting idea on using Buzz as camper. Now we just need decent range and charging.

 

[Corradobrit]

Interesting idea on using Buzz as camper. Now we just need decent range and charging.

And a poptop

 

[Ch1pbutty]

And a poptop

& LWB

 

[Corradobrit]

& LWB

and swivel front seats & rear seats on runners

 

[Steeble]

Think the hybrid multivan makes the most sense at the moment

 

[Beaker]

For anyone who is contemplating the switch to electric but thinks a Buzz is overpriced, I got over some of my spend guilt by looking at it like this:

California Beach £65k to £70k new
50k miles at £7.50 a gallon = £11k
Servicing and Road tax for 5 years £2.5k
Total £83.5k

ID Buzz Style with Multiflex board and swivel seats £65k to £70k depending on ootions
50k miles at current home charging rates if no solar £5k. Much cheaper on night time tariffs or solar
Servicing for 5 years £1k max
Total £71k to £76k for Style, 5k cheaper for Life.

I am sure a pop top will be available soon, which would probably make the Buzz a cheaper option than a Cali Beach (if purchased new) and the comfort and driving pleasure is not comparable. The Buzz drives like a very comfortable car. Furthermore the ongoing servicing and fuel costs will continue to save you money if you keep the vehicle for years.

Only time will tell how each one will compare when it comes to depreciation though!

Whilst we are over the moon with our new Buzz, we will be really sad to see our lovely Cali go when we sell it later in the Spring.

You may need to look at how you will use a Buzz to Understand the change in mindset and vary costs for EV. Charging at fast chargers if on a long trip £0.55 to £1 per kWH.
Journeys will take longer due to charging times and queues, especially at peak times of the year.
Cheaper night time charging comes at the higher cost to your day time use.
Variable tariffs and smart chargers at home may mean that you have plan more of when you charge if you need to charge more than just overnight.
I am not trying to be negative, just expanding my experience of owning an EV and Beech.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

Having been initially very interested in a Buzz, I did some math based on the available public charging costs to charge up. I found that the cheapest fast charger available locally was 65p per kWh and in the winter the vastly reduced range coupled with the extortionate (and rising!) electricity prices made a 2 litre 35mpg Cali a far, far more attractive proposition.

I think if you have a home charger and sub 20p per kWh tariff and lots of patience, the Buzz CAN work - I love the sliding centre console that turns into 2 pop-up tables and there is plenty of after-market sinks and furniture that can slide into the rails - however, purely on economic grounds, the good old 150 DSG auto diesel Cali is a no-brainer at present. Sadly.

 

[BaTmobile Ocean]

I looked prettty seriously at the Buzz as a camper platform before rejecting and buying an Ocean. For those considering this route, the Buzz Cargo is a MUCH cheaper base at £45k rather than £63k for passenger version.

The Challenges
Fitting a fullish length pop top may not be possible due to 'stuff' VW have fitted into roof (aka' The mild hybrid Transporter).

The batteries raise the floor about a foot compromising headroom.

The batteries are right under the floor. You would have to be VERY careful how you fit camper furniture !

Perhaps the real killer, the total allowable payload is 600kg.

It seems we must wait for VW to release LWB version, 2 to 3 years?

 

[BaTmobile Ocean]

PS Insurance with LV, £330