Cali or Marco Polo?

[DonnyMac]

^agreed. I was thinking of adding an aftermarket webasto/eberthingy, inverter and a second battery.

We had a microwave in our last van so a hefty inverter was a must - we only used it once in two years when we ran out of gas though

 

[2haw]

I like the look of the MP but 4 things that would rule it out for me are:

1) No 7 seat option in the UK
2) Tables and chairs take up too much room in the boot
3) The curtains. Much prefer the Cali blinds in the rear.
4) No gas struts to hold the bed up. I believe the MP has straps?

 

[parrot2]

Buy what suits you if we all felt the same way there would only be one make of vehicle on the road.If the mp suits you more than the cali then go with it and enjoy.

 

[frenchie]

I would think very carefully about fitting a 2nd battery to the mb. There are a few posts on German forums about the electrical systems not taking to the 2nd battery and lots of resulting problems. Also it may effect the warranty if you cut into the wiring. As for the suitcase just remove it and purchase some good roll up chairs and table, job done. Its a nice looking van with lots of good points.better headlights,suspension, and leather. Being points that stood out for me. But I dont think it is for off mains camping. F

 

[Roy C]

There is a marco polo forum, but do beware that a lot of the members are in fact Mercedes employees talking up the van. F

Do you know that for a fact or are you drawing conclusions based on what you’ve seen posted? I am a member on that sister MP forum and it looks to me like the standard positive bias you get when people want to validate their decisions.

Anyway, back on topic. I decided on the Marco Polo because it personally suited what I wanted. I thought hard about the type of trips I’d take (e.g. hook ups where possible avoiding off grid for more than the odd night or two), whether I needed it as a daily driver (I do and I like the premium car feel) and personal taste (“bling” and gadgets) and tried to to see which vehicle fitted best for me. There are pros and cons for both the VW and Merc but ultimately it’s trying to match to your expected use alongside the emotional pull to one or the other that’s hard to define.

I don’t actually have my MP yet because I only placed the order a couple of weeks ago and I’ve never owned a campervan so I’m looking forward to finding out if I made the “right” choice once I take delivery and I’ve gone on a couple of trips.

 

[DonnyMac]

I like the look of the MP but 4 things that would rule it out for me are:

1) No 7 seat option in the UK
2) Tables and chairs take up too much room in the boot
3) The curtains. Much prefer the Cali blinds in the rear.
4) No gas struts to hold the bed up. I believe the MP has straps?

Is there not a 7 seat that could be specced on the 'Activity' platform?

I'd probably get my own table and chairs as I did before.

The Marco Polo has blinds not curtains.

Correct on the gas struts, took me a couple of secs and a flick to disconnect the from the roof, although someone did day their partner couldn't reach - hmm, if you can jump up there from the captain's seat you could undo them from there too if you were vertically challenged.

 

[2haw]

Is there not a 7 seat that could be specced on the 'Activity' platform?

I'd probably get my own table and chairs as I did before.

The Marco Polo has blinds not curtains.

Correct on the gas struts, took me a couple of secs and a flick to disconnect the from the roof, although someone did day their partner couldn't reach - hmm, if you can jump up there from the captain's seat you could undo them from there too if you were vertically challenged.

Sorry, i didn't realise I had posted a blank post during the night.

 

[frenchie]

fact, my brother worked for Mercedes and knows the inside story. F

 

[GrannyJen]

There is a marco polo forum, but do beware that a lot of the members are in fact Mercedes employees talking up the van.

I don't know about the MP forum but in the last few months we have seen a few first time posters pop up in this forum in different places, "wanting to buy a camper".. then over a number of posts progressively trash the Cali before flouncing off never to be seen again. I have had my suspicions.

 

[braysaway]

I don't know about the MP forum but in the last few months we have seen a few first time posters pop up in this forum in different places, "wanting to buy a camper".. then over a number of posts progressively trash the Cali before flouncing off never to be seen again. I have had my suspicions.

I have to agree and it's the same people with the same negative agendas and changing user names....Hmm! (admin must see it?) I'm afraid it has turned me into a reader of posts much more that a contributor on the MP forum. I must say that reading this VW forum is great for me being new to the campervan lifestyle, I have picked up so much knowledge that is transferable, I just have to get better at filtering the rubbish without reacting.

 

[GrannyJen]

I have to agree and it's the same people with the same negative agendas and changing user names....Hmm! (admin must see it?) I'm afraid it has turned me into a reader of posts much more that a contributor on the MP forum. I must say that reading this VW forum is great for me being new to the campervan lifestyle, I have picked up so much knowledge that is transferable, I just have to get better at filtering the rubbish without reacting.

With over 10,000 members and sometimes over 500 posts in a day it is impossible to pick everything up and no one wants a forum with heavy-handed moderation.

Human signatures though are quite different, and interesting to note same posting styles in this forum appear elsewhere such as Facebook pages

I'm pleased you are finding this forum useful, we all share the same lifestyle and whilst we are all going to be partisan regarding our own particular machinery that we share the the lifestyle with there is a lot to be gained from sharing experiences.

 

[2haw]

Yes i didnt realise that they offered blinds on the full MP but It seems that the 7 seat MP Horizon version that i would consider, if it were available in the UK, does have curtains.

 

[braysaway]

With over 10,000 members and sometimes over 500 posts in a day it is impossible to pick everything up and no one wants a forum with heavy-handed moderation.

Human signatures though are quite different, and interesting to note same posting styles in this forum appear elsewhere such as Facebook pages

I'm pleased you are finding this forum useful, we all share the same lifestyle and whilst we are all going to be partisan regarding our own particular machinery that we share the the lifestyle with there is a lot to be gained from sharing experiences.

Yes, I take your point.
I think with the MP forum being very much in its infancy and with few members/posts the personal signatures are that much easier to see, they then leap out on other platforms as you suggest, although Im only a member of this and the MP forum (and ebay) so wouldn't know about elsewhere

 

[Seán Kerr]

We spent near on 2 years perfecting a bespoke built 5.1, bespoke craftsman built kitchen, corien surfaces, 3000w inverter, microwave the lot - it was stunning.

Sadly, it was stolen a month or so back.

Rather than go through the whole build again we were in the market for a California, which although wasn't to the same spec as our van would be a good base to start from.

Then a friend sent us a link to the Marco Polo.

Wow. It's stunning.

Has anyone switched - are you happy/ made a mistake?

Upside/ downsides?

Thanks,
Donny

I recently took delivery of a Cali 204 TDI DSG 4Motion but considered the Marco Polo before placing my order. To cut a long story short, I quickly ruled out the MP mainly because of the lack of a 4WD option (essential for my needs) and because the dealer was useless, failing to come back to me when promised (twice) to arrange a viewing and test drive.

 

[hirsty]

Horses for courses, as ever. I’d also second renting both back-to-back as it’s the only way to really know for ones own circumstances - no plans to change my Beach, but I’ll definitely rent an MP to try out when the time comes for such a big commitment / outlay.

There are so many usage variables it’s impossible to get a consensus on a forum eg: daily driver vs second vehicle vs dedicated camper etc. Kids / couples / dogs / passengers / sleepers etc. Personally I think the MP is a bit posh inside for what I want out of a van (as is the Ocean tbh), but I can see *exactly* why @Roy C has chosen his & think it’ll be spot on for his use-case.

I certainly welcome a bit of competition regardless to keep VW UK on their toes (like it’ll change anything! )

 

[Seán Kerr]

Horses for courses, as ever. I’d also second renting both back-to-back as it’s the only way to really know for ones own circumstances - no plans to change my Beach, but I’ll definitely rent an MP to try out when the time comes for such a big commitment / outlay.

There are so many usage variables it’s impossible to get a consensus on a forum eg: daily driver vs second vehicle vs dedicated camper etc. Kids / couples / dogs / passengers / sleepers etc. Personally I think the MP is a bit posh inside for what I want out of a van (as is the Ocean tbh), but I can see *exactly* why @Roy C has chosen his & think it’ll be spot on for his use-case.

I certainly welcome a bit of competition regardless to keep VW UK on their toes (like it’ll change anything! )

Agree but the key consideration for me and I’d suggest others is where and when you use it. I use mine mainly outside of summer in remote parts of the Scottish Highlands so 4WD and SWB are major considerations to cope with the narrow roads, off-road and the snow and ice. In that case, there is no need to rent to compare. It’s clear cut.


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[FyfettBoy]

Surprised no one has mentioned the clincher for me yet... having had a good look round the MP on two occasions, despite its much better appointed cabin the downstairs bed is just too narrow. Our SE's bed is only just wide enough to preserve marital harmony (with the kids upstairs obviously!), the MP would be on Autotrader before the first weekend was out...

The MP is clearly a blatant ripoff of the Cali in every respect (fair enough, as both originate from Westfalia), but also far more luxurious all over, but in the end the only thing that matters in a campervan is whether you sleep!

 

[Digger]

A campervan is to be used and in all weathers. Do you really want luxury which may be totally impractical in bad weather conditions. I would also query if it looks any better than my MY17 Ocean, especially since leather retrim. Maybe I am biased but I much prefer the look of the VW.

 

[2into1]

I notice than 'you know who' (C*****V******T********) has added a Marcopolo to his hire fleet. Perhaps for weddings