Decided to wait for a Grand California 680

[motacyclist]

Wonder, if they called it the VW Grand Romahome

On eBay it would be "VW Grand Romahome (not California)"

 

[jts46]

Romahome was on Isle of Wight and used Citroen berlingo for conversions" friend had one very durable

 

[GillianC]

Romahome was on Isle of Wight and used Citroen berlingo for conversions" friend had one very durable

I think they are still on the IOW and do a few different models. They also seem to have a sister van conversion company. You certainly see quite a few old ones on the road.

 

[Bobby D]

We too have been looking at motorhomes for the past year and also would seriously consider the Grand over a panel van conversion mainly due to the reasons above with warranty and dealer network.

Plus at the end of the day it's a Volkswagen

Maybe look at the Westfalia Range too the Columbus is very special for around the 70K mark, and the quality is there in spades with Westfalia, full euro wide warranty too.

Another to consider is the Knaus Boxlife... Motorhome of the year and easy to see why this Panel van did it, really really innovative bed system for a Panel van.

And then the Hymer Car range too.

Some truly fantastic Panel Van conversions out at the moment that the Grand Cali will be up against. From some of the biggest hitters in the market, not your usual Swift/Autotrail MH quality, these are a big step up.

 

[shudycamps]

Maybe look at the Westfalia Range too the Columbus is very special for around the 70K mark, and the quality is there in spades with Westfalia, full euro wide warranty too.

Another to consider is the Knaus Boxlife... Motorhome of the year and easy to see why this Panel van did it, really really innovative bed system for a Panel van.

And then the Hymer Car range too.

Some truly fantastic Panel Van conversions out at the moment that the Grand Cali will be up against. From some of the biggest hitters in the market, not your usual Swift/Autotrail MH quality, these are a big step up.

The Knaus Boxlife ticks many many boxes for me too!

 

[reserves]

Would be interesting to compare the deprecation on these different options.

I know talking money is a bit dull compared to the features of each, but the high residual values of the Cali are definitely a plus.

 

[amountainhigh]

We have a Westfalia Columbus 600 which is Ducato-based. Had a chance to look at the Westfalia Sven Hedin, which is a Crafter based equivalent of the Columbus and therefore likely to be representative of the GC. I was surprised the interior felt so much smaller than ours. I was convinced it was 5.4m version not 6m - I even got the dealer to get out a tape measure to prove it was 6m. The Crafter base van is narrower than the Ducato and maybe there is a difference in the length from the cab-seats to the rear which combine to make it feel much smaller inside. Looking forward to seeing the GC in the flesh - just hoping the 6m version feels as spacious as our current van.

 

[hirsty]

under the general ‘Horses For Courses’ policy I’m very enthusiastic about the Grand, and more choice = better. The new Crafter face is also a big improvement & I’m sure it’ll be a good choice for a lot of people (esp. those put off only by a lack of toilet in smaller vans).

However it all looks a bit tight inside to me in some of the videos I’ve watched. If I was going to go up in size from the Transporter for extended trips - and it’s then no longer a daily-driver - I’d probably prefer one of the smaller Hymer coachbuilts rather than a van conversion which I think would drive me nuts over time.

 

[Rippin]

We are thinking of the Grand California, but going to have a look at the competition next month at the nec.

 

[Jay20cali]

I like it..
Hopefully it will come in some decent colours other than two tone with blue?
The inside looks cool maybe a bit futuristic probably look better in the flesh,
I could definitely see us in one maybe in years to come ?
We have owned a few bigger vans
Also our last van was a Westfalia Columbus 601d in silver,
Westfalias are also very good too....
there was issues with the quality though mostly on the fiat side of things
if your buying a fiat panel van you just have to accept it’s a commercial finish no straight panels and slightly worse paint finishes.....unlike vws so here’s hoping in years to come If we can afford one for now we love our California

 

[leightonjthomas]

We are thinking of the Grand California, but going to have a look at the competition next month at the nec.

Same here!

 

[HectorPascal]

We have decided to wait for the GC 680. We had a good look at the prototype a few years ago and thought it offered little over a Cali. The rather tight transverse bed and the slide-out loo (that was always going to be problematical) were not appealing. For us the 680 with big beds and plenty of window ventilation plus the improved bathroom have made it a real contender. This will be a van in which you can disappear for weeks with more room for clobber. A nice V6 engine with 8-sp DSG and 4WD will be great.

 

[shudycamps]

We have decided to wait for the GC 680. We had a good look at the prototype a few years ago and thought it offered little over a Cali. The rather tight transverse bed and the slide-out loo (that was always going to be problematical) were not appealing. For us the 680 with big beds and plenty of window ventilation plus the improved bathroom have made it a real contender. This will be a van in which you can disappear for weeks with more room for clobber. A nice V6 engine with 8-sp DSG and 4WD will be great.

I was all set to go California XXL, but the other half had a hissy fit when, in my opinion, a rather envious mate, talked it down. So, the upstart of that is my bank account retains about £80k.

 

[Adeybruce]

Thats because Its too big and is not a California/ campervan and a fully feldged motorhome. Wonder, if they called it the VW Grand Romahome, would it still be in this forum or is it because the word California is in the name, it can therefore jump on the heritage of a real California!!?

The Heritage of a ‘real’ Cali? This seems a bit unfair; to many people a real California is a T25 or T4 Westfalia and to some the T5/6 is the imposter. All I’m saying is that let’s be a little more welcoming.

 

[shudycamps]

Well, if one showed up on my drive, I would sink to my knees and offer up prayers of thank you. I do love my T5 Cali and I am very lucky to have one, but I would toss the big one off the drive.

 

[shudycamps]

Well, if one showed up on my drive, I would sink to my knees and offer up prayers of thank you. I do love my T5 Cali and I am very lucky to have one, but I would toss the big one off the drive.

Make that wouldn't toss off the drive.