Buying a new camper....

[MrsH]

Hi folks!

I wondered whether I can ask for your help / opinions please?

My husband and I are looking to purchase a Campervan. We have previously owned a converted T4 which turned out to be a bit of a disaster all round!

Our budget this time round means we can buy a slightly older California or a newly converted T6.

I guess my preference is going for a California because they appear more reliable and solid internal build. Are there any other key differences / advantages of buying a Cali over a conversion?? Does anyone have an experience of both?

I hope that's not an entirely stupid question!!! Thanks in advance

 

[Freeley]

I think that the main advantage is that as a factory built conversion, if you have any problems with with either the base van or conversion, then your local VW van centre, something you won't get with any other conversion.
The California is also a better quality conversion with all the little built in details that other converters don't have, such as the deck chairs in the tailgate, the external table in the side door, the quickly stowed interior table which doesn't require any assembly/disassembly, the neatly hidden window blinds and the overhead control panel which controls and displays everything.
Having looked at various conversions over the years I don't think anything else can touch it in terms of build quality (and I include the major converters such as Autosleeper in this which are pretty shocking in my opinion).
Add in the superb residuals and it becomes a bit of a no brainer if you're in the market for a pop top camper van.

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[Freeley]

I missed out half a sentence while editing!
I meant to say , if you have any problems with with either the base van or conversion, then your local VW van centre will be able to sort it out.
with anything else you'll be taking it either to the van centre or the converter depending on what the fault is, which could be a major pain if the converter doesn't have a service centre near you.
My mother in law's Autosleeper had to go back to Gloucester a couple of times when under warranty which was a major pain seeing as they live in Devon!

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[Days out]

For me the option of having a bottle of gas held in place in a cupboard with a bungee or having a gas bottle inside a blow mounded plastic water tank with gas proof seal and escape route if a leak occurred is one of many reasons to go for the genuine California.

T6 drives well though but lots of conversions use low powered engine and might not always have A/C etc.

Have you looked at both back to back??

 

[T6 CFO]

I had my T6 in an auto electrical place recently for a job I needed doing and they get to work on many conversions.
In there opinion they are miles apart in terms of quality of build and they see some shocking conversions which are both poorly done and in some cases dangerous. Obviously there are good examples but very glad I opted for the Cali.



Mike

 

[Elmo3]

We went round the houses looking at various options. The decent conversions cost the same or even more than a Cali, so why bother? If you wanted something different, the only one worth a look in my opinion is the Club Joker City.

 

[Adamvanman]

We looked at a huge amount of conversions before deciding on a Cali, nothing comes near, also conversions can lose heaps of cash whereas as a Cali that is a few years old will retain its value.

 

[MrsH]

Thanks all! This is re-affirming the view we've had recently.

 

[Hotel California]

Welcome , two diffrent verhicles ...only one can be the best.
Most on this forum are Cali owners , some had conversions and don't think many of those want to turn back the clock....

 

[Velma's Dad]

We went round the houses looking at various options. The decent conversions cost the same or even more than a Cali, so why bother?

+1 for that. We looked at some of the decent-quality conversions, eg Camper King, but on a like-for-like they really weren't any cheaper than a Cali, so it was a no-brainer.

Also, unless you plan to keep the van forever, the eventual resale on a Cali is going to be way better than on a convo.

 

[JohnnyP]

Hi folks!

I wondered whether I can ask for your help / opinions please?

My husband and I are looking to purchase a Campervan. We have previously owned a converted T4 which turned out to be a bit of a disaster all round!

Our budget this time round means we can buy a slightly older California or a newly converted T6.

I guess my preference is going for a California because they appear more reliable and solid internal build. Are there any other key differences / advantages of buying a Cali over a conversion?? Does anyone have an experience of both?

I hope that's not an entirely stupid question!!! Thanks in advance

In the UK the modern Cali is pretty much a take it or leave it spec in terms of the camping equipment and design (other than choosing a Beach or Ocean) and the Cali certainly does not suit everyone's needs. If there is something about the Cali which doesn't suit your personal requirements there are many many other alternatives out there and a lot which can be made bespoke to suit individual preferences.
The downside to more flexible and bespoke conversions is that it is a minefield to navigate the multitude of converters and options so that you are happy with the end result after spending what is a big pile of cash.
I and most campervan owners (and probably yourselves as previous owners of a camper) go through this dilemma before choosing where to spend our hard earned £££. Many end up with a California (hence the high membership numbers of this club of California owners) as it is mostly a safe investment in lots of ways and the design covers the bases for many if not most campers.
If your options are to buy a used Cali in good condition or commission a conversion of a new T6 which costs less than a new T6 Cali I would go for the used Cali every time unless the Cali doesn't suit you in some way. This advice is given not only as a Cali owner but also someone who has been faced with a similar dilemma to yours.
There are countless happy owners of converted vans out there and I am sure I would be happy with some of these conversions as well. Could I see the bespoke conversion of my choice and test drive before buying? no, and I wasn't trusting or brave enough to give any converter lots of money before having a very good idea what the end result would be like and drive like (weight distribution, rattles etc). I did identify a converter with a good reputation but they only built to order and therefore didn't have any demonstrator stock and the cost was going to be more than a new Cali.
Ultimately the Cali is a great campervan and I don't have any doubts that choosing one was the right decision for me.

 

[flying banana]

I went through the same issues. looked at imperial vans in Scunthorpe. they are very nice but the cost is high and you get a 100hp engine. if ypu start with a high spec base vehicle the cost is too high.I recommend going to a camping show to look at hill side leisure etc and see for your self. I went to Birmingham nec caravan and camping show and fortunate to see 2 calls there with camper van tastic. getting to see or drive a cali is difficult. I bought a t6 2nd hand beach. just done 2.5 weeks in Scotland covered arpund 1500 mile and we love it. so many comments and questions come your way when you have one of these. I think we know the answer here. good luck. go to a show is my top tip

 

[GrannyJen]

My take: I went to all of the major converters and was incredibly impressed.

One converter had a California in the drive, part off the deal with VW apparently, to get the seal of approval off VW as a converter you must also offer the Cali.

I'm really glad they did. The electric roof, the efficient interior, the sheer design brilliance: Thank you, how do I order one?

It is completely utilitarian. Devoid of bling. No flashy bits. "Here! Have a mattress! If you want more then choose from the thousands of aftermarket suppliers".

Why I love my Cali. Totally basic, devoid of bling, engineering that works, design the best, if you want moe then choose from the myriad of after-market products. Nothing that I have personally tested comes close to the Cali.

 

[sapto]

Hi folks!

I wondered whether I can ask for your help / opinions please?

My husband and I are looking to purchase a Campervan. We have previously owned a converted T4 which turned out to be a bit of a disaster all round!

Our budget this time round means we can buy a slightly older California or a newly converted T6.

I guess my preference is going for a California because they appear more reliable and solid internal build. Are there any other key differences / advantages of buying a Cali over a conversion?? Does anyone have an experience of both?

I hope that's not an entirely stupid question!!! Thanks in advance

Welcome MrsH
Everything said I guess I can only add the idea of trying go test/hire both of them. I went for a old/used T5 (happy with it), looked at some customcampers.ch however they were too expensive for me.
Hope you find your new dream camper soon!
sapto

 

[Gasgas]

resale, resale, resale, plus membership to an exclusive club to boot

 

[GrannyJen]

resale, resale, resale, plus membership to an exclusive club to boot

Which club is that??

 

[FoodieLoobie]

We looked at a lot of different conversions before deciding on the California. Some conversions looked good, but started with a very basic van. Not many had air con in the cab.

Ultimately for us it was a safety aspect. If a van comes out of the VW factory as a camper it will be crash tested and safe. If someone had started with a van, cut bits out, cut off the roof and add on a heavy fibreglass top, added in a lot of heavy wood, how safe would this be in a crash?

We've had our Cali now for about 4 months, we love it and don't regret the purchase for a second. We can't imagine having any other type of camper.

 

[FoodieLoobie]

I should also have said that the interior build quality of the California is excellent. Much better than a lot of the conversions we saw.

 

[MrsH]

Thank you all so much, this has been really helpful. Points about safety are really valid and have actually sealed the deal for me - it's got to be a California!

Just need to find one now....they sell like hot cakes!

 

[Cali-on-Camping]

Our experience was that we were always intrigued about buying a camper but didn't know much abut them so we decided that we would hire one for a week and see how we got on. Whilst looking at hire companies we were so inexperienced we didn't even really know the difference between a Cali and a non-VW conversion. We hired a Cali (probably more luck than judgement) and spent the week testing it as a family making notes each day.

Afterwards, we were so set on buying that we also looked at conversions; we went to a couple of companies and saw some vans in production and this really helped our decision making, there was no doubt that the Cali was right choice.

I shudder to think what would have happened if we had hired a converted van.........

 

[WelshGas]

Thank you all so much, this has been really helpful. Points about safety are really valid and have actually sealed the deal for me - it's got to be a California!

Just need to find one now....they sell like hot cakes!

Autumn or Winter seasons. There will be a greater selection.

 

[MrsH]

Autumn or Winter seasons. There will be a greater selection.

Yeah, that's what I was hoping for! Can't wait to get back on the road again.

 

[Julie and Archie]

Went to Birmingham show and looked at lots of conversions. In discussion with a big brand converter I asked him why people bought California's. He said California's are for poseurs! Therefore had to have one

I quite like the westfalia though as can walk about into kitchen area and it has a toilet. But think it's a lwd and stress of backing into drive would be too much though

 

[ChrisB]

HI,
Although this applies specifically to Spain, I would think it would also apply in the UK. Having considered various options to the point of brain damage, in my opinion, the factory built California or Mercedes Marco Polo are the most cost effective and best quality options.

What I did find out was this. Any alteration to the original ex works spec' of a van (base vehicle) in Spain, will have an adverse effect on the manufacturers warranty no matter who does that conversion. In every case, the dealer said that this would either partially or completely invalidate the vehicle warranty. This single factor was the most important feature that made me chose a factory built California over a conversion. I just couldn't accept spending thousands of euros on a vehicle that effectively had almost no warranty to speak of.

California residuals in Spain are also higher than any comparative vehicle, including the Mercedes Marco Polo.

After much soul searching and hand wringing over the outrageous cost, I have placed my order for a California because I prefer it to the Mercedes. I await delivery of a new Ocean in November which I hope will serve us for many years to come.

Hope this helps

ChrisB

 

[DOUG MILNE]

T

I think that the main advantage is that as a factory built conversion, if you have any problems with with either the base van or conversion, then your local VW van centre, something you won't get with any other conversion.
The California is also a better quality conversion with all the little built in details that other converters don't have, such as the deck chairs in the tailgate, the external table in the side door, the quickly stowed interior table which doesn't require any assembly/disassembly, the neatly hidden window blinds and the overhead control panel which controls and displays everything.
Having looked at various conversions over the years I don't think anything else can touch it in terms of build quality (and I include the major converters such as Autosleeper in this which are pretty shocking in my opinion).
Add in the superb residuals and it becomes a bit of a no brainer if you're in the market for a pop top camper van.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatal
.

Thank goodness your opinion re AUTOSLEEPERS is only yours. We purchased an Autosleeper VW Trident back in 1999. Travelled approx. 130,000 km in it. We shipped it to Canada, USA,Alaska, Australia, Europe, Ireland & finally home to New Zealand. Not one problem with it. Fantastic Campervan. If this was not a test nothing was. The only problem we had was a Defective Harmonic Balancer, which was the VW faulty engine bit, of which they would not admit until I contacted VW Germany direct with evidence. WR LOVED OUR AUTOSLEEPER. My opinion , AUTOSLEEPER you are BRILLIANT. Thank goodness we are all allowed opinions & some times they are positive. I have had a previous California & reckoned I would never buy another because of faults experienced, reckon I would never buy another ,but we just purchased a new 4wd t6 California Ocean DSG, 180hp. Here we are a trying to be positive. GO CALI. Drive carefully[/QUOTE]