Calis for sale

[Cavvy]

Any idea why the Calis listed for sale on this site are not shifting, some have been on there for weeks/months?

 

[dspuk]

Saturated market and a new model on the horizon making peoples trigger fingers pause while they wait to see what the new model is really like after the exuberant videos and reviews.

Likely also a touch of over pricing based on the peak prices, which have dipped, but people reluctant to drop. A bit like the housing market.

 

[The Blue Merle]

Any idea why the Calis listed for sale on this site are not shifting, some have been on there for weeks/months?

Lots of money. Higher interest rates, higher outgoings mortgages etc, awful equity release deals.
New tech arriving multi van cali and new crafter base vans coming soon.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

Sorry to mention it again but I think the fact that the leaking bellows issue hasn't yet been resolved isn't helping sales of the newer models.

 

[Azteccamper]

Bottom line I would say is price.
This time of the year most would have gone in the past, but people asking prices that are now really too high. Not sure this has got anything with a new version entering the marketplace as these are 2nd hand vehicles so expect another dip in price soon.
I also think the new one will sell like hot cakes!

 

[pjm-84]

Lol....price....

 

[chrissieB]

Any idea why the Calis listed for sale on this site are not shifting, some have been on there for weeks/months?

I had my 20 plate Ocean on this site, only had 1 phone call in 6 weeks, I put it on Auto Trader and reduced it by 3k and sold in 2 weeks !
I think it's an element of luck.

 

[Justinitus1972]

Sorry to mention it again but I think the fact that the leaking bellows issue hasn't yet been resolved isn't helping sales of the newer models.

I did see an advert for a Cali the other day where the vendor highlighted it had “older 02 style bellows” like it was a selling point. Which to be fair, it is

 

[Cavvy]

Thanks everyone for your responses, interesting perspective from seasoned members about people holding fire until we see how the new Cali lands, watch this space I guess.

 

[m10chkcalifornia]

Well I can buck the trend. I bought one - through this forum. I agree entirely that its a matter of price. I thought a number on here (eg at £50- 55k for a 2019 or 2018 Ocean with around 40k miles) were just ‘optimistic’. But more than happy with a late 2022 Ocean with nominal miles for £62k.

 

[Jamespenn84]

Lots of money. Higher interest rates, higher outgoings mortgages etc, awful equity release deals.
New tech arriving multi van cali and new crafter base vans coming soon.

I’m with you. I don’t think it’s price (so to speak) although I appreciate if supply massively outweighs demand, prices will have to come down eventually. For me, it’s all about affordability (£1000+ increase a month in payment each month an example), interest rates, equity release options etc.

 

[sidepod]

All of them 10-15% overpriced.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

I've mentioned this before, but I put my 6m old Cali Ocean on Autotrader for 4 weeks, not one serious inquiry despite it being the lowest cost of it's type on there. Ended up selling it trade to a VW dealer and they've still not sold it despite it being reduced 3 times.

I agree with all of the above, think there is a glut of stock out there with buyers sitting their hands and sellers deluded about what their vans are actually worth.

 

[The Blue Merle]

Get price from webuyanycars then add £5k for a cali for competitive sale, still think people don’t have the money.
A lot less buyers, and a lot more calis been made over the years.
They aren’t a rare beast anymore.

 

[Cavvy]

I've mentioned this before, but I put my 6m old Cali Ocean on Autotrader for 4 weeks, not one serious inquiry despite it being the lowest cost of it's type on there. Ended up selling it trade to a VW dealer and they've still not sold it despite it being reduced 3 times.

I agree with all of the above, think there is a glut of stock out there with buyers sitting their hands and sellers deluded about what their vans are actually worth.

Did you regret your purchase if selling after only 6m?

 

[babble]

Bottom line I would say is price.
This time of the year most would have gone in the past, but people asking prices that are now really too high. Not sure this has got anything with a new version entering the marketplace as these are 2nd hand vehicles so expect another dip in price soon.
I also think the new one will sell like hot cakes!

i think the new one will flop badly. they are bad and most buyer will work this out. I don't think the new Beach will sell at all - it is simply too small and impractical. (cooker and table in the boot? no storage space or space to stand or move around with the bed made? crazy)

 

[WelshGas]

i think the new one will flop badly. they are bad and most buyer will work this out. I don't think the new Beach will sell at all - it is simply too small and impractical. (cooker and table in the boot? no storage space or space to stand or move around with the bed made? crazy)

Wishful thinking.
With the apparent glut of 2nd hand Californias, on the market, at this time of year, if the New California is a success you will see a realistic alignment of prices downwards so it is probably worthwhile having some negative PR to try and maintain 2nd hand prices.
Time will tell , but I fear some owners will lose more than they anticipated/ hope for.

 

[_Tom_]

Either sell fast during the dip or hold on until new stock is sold and new ones are great but very expensive then value will come back up.
Who knows.. people panic selling further drops price

 

[babble]

Wishful thinking.
With the apparent glut of 2nd hand Californias, on the market, at this time of year, if the New California is a success you will see a realistic alignment of prices downwards so it is probably worthwhile having some negative PR to try and maintain 2nd hand prices.
Time will tell , but I fear some owners will lose more than they anticipated/ hope for.

it's not wishful thinking as such, it's genuinely what i think. i don't mind one way or the other - indeed i would be much happier if VW had produced an absolutely brilliant new California. I'm still holding out hope for the genuine van based version, if it ever comes. I do understand that for your use case, the new cali might suit, but i really don't think it will sell well, especially not the beach, because it's just not quite practical enough. It's just that bit too small, without enough storage space. (with the table in the boot, there is almost no boot space at all. Most of us fill that area and it is vital. Just one example) and it's 20cm longer. I might be wrong of course. (it wouldn't be the first time - about 10 years ago i thought Apple wasn't going to last as a company. haha)

 

[hirsty]

I may well list mine shortly if I decide to go with the Multivan, but there are a lot of considerations right now:

• Times are tight for a lot of people, and elections introduce uncertainty & slow down big spending decisions IMO.
  
  
• The new model may make a lot of "25% lump sum" new retirees pause for thought - I think that's a big chunk of the market, and if people are buying one £80K van "to see them out" then maybe you'd wait to see how the new one shapes up. Restrictions on European travel will have changed a few retirement plans too.
  
  
• There were a lot of new buyers entering the market during COVID for UK breaks, and a proportion of them will have decided it's not for them, or they're not using as much as they'd expected & it's maybe a lot of money tied-up in an underused vehicle. Several wet starts to the season can't have helped ...
  
  
• On the supply side, there are massively more suppliers with ever widening choice, with every other YouTube video now seemingly a van conversion (or maybe that's just my feed).
  
  
• There's a question mark over the long term future of diesel engines.
  
  
• As above, everyone thinks their pride & joy is worth more than it really is - we're in over-supply right now.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

• The new model may make a lot of "25% lump sum" new retirees pause for thought - I think that's a big chunk of the market, and if people are buying one £80K van "to see them out" then maybe you'd wait to see how the new one shapes up. Restrictions on European travel will have changed a few retirement plans too.

This! You have illustrated precisely my situation.

The maximum of 90-days-in-any-180 Schengen rules that apply to us Brits visiting Europe since Brexit has caused me a huge issue and meant my retirement plans have changed from buying an £80k golf apartment in Murcia to looking at Calis (and Nuggets, etc) to be able to spend the UK summers at family / friends and on Britstops pub carparks and on good value long term sites, with only 90 days in Spain / France etc at a time.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

Did you regret your purchase if selling after only 6m?

Good question! I don't regret the experience and I enjoyed my few stays in it. But I do wish I'd rejected it within 30 days due to the leaking bellows as I'd be about £9k better off. Perhaps I should have just hired the Cali instead.

It has shown me that vanlife is something I enjoy as I have another bigger van on order.

 

[sidepod]

. (cooker and table in the boot?

Ah so it is a stupid idea then? I recall several heated debates over those daft slipepod things!

 

[babble]

Ah so it is a stupid idea then? I recall several heated debates over those daft slipepod things!

It's not a stupid idea as such I guess, but in the current Beach you have the option of the rather brilliant fold away cooker, or the sidepod thing, or you could easily have both. With the fold away cooker you can pull over and make tea in bad weather, or in the morning without going outside and standing behind your van.

 

[Azteccamper]

This! You have illustrated precisely my situation.

The maximum of 90-days-in-any-180 Schengen rules that apply to us Brits visiting Europe since Brexit has caused me a huge issue and meant my retirement plans have changed from buying an £80k golf apartment in Murcia to looking at Calis (and Nuggets, etc) to be able to spend the UK summers at family / friends and on Britstops pub carparks and on good value long term sites, with only 90 days in Spain / France etc at a time.

As an aside to the main thread here. What exactly happens if you go over the 90 days? Say you got to the tunnel on your way home on day 103?