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Hello you Beach owners. I was an “early adopter” of the California having bought an SE 174ps Auto in 2007. I sold it 4 years later for what seems now to be a ridiculously low price. My wife decided it was too small, particularly as we had 2 dogs. At the moment we have a Westfalia Columbus 601D which we bought new just over 2 years ago.
I’ve had health issues recently and to cap it all my wife has suffered a haemorrhage in her left eye which means she has less than perfect vision. All this means we are looking to downsize back to a California size vehicle she would be comfortable driving.
Over the last 3 years we’ve looked at literally dozens of campervans/motorhomes, having been to many shows including the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf in 2015 and the NEC in 2016 and 2017. For the most part, the VW conversions are very similar and quite poor/amateurish in execution. The Westfalia Club Joker and Club Joker City are probably the only exception, but because of the terrible GBP to Euro exchange rate, the prices are eye watering. In any event, I think the fixed toilet, although a nice idea, robs the van of so much storage it would be problematic.
Apologies for the preamble, but that brings me back to the California - it currently seems to be the best option. Ocean prices are also fairly eye watering when you think I paid less than £40k for a top of the range SE with just about every option! So my thinking is a Beach may fit the bill if kitted out with some of the incredible kitchen and storage pods that have become available since we sold ours 7 years ago.
My wife is not a fan of the Ocean type kitchen so having a pod instead would probably not be such a big issue, particularly as there is no hot water anyway. Also, it seems to me that you can organize storage in the various storage pods available to suit your individual requirements much better than in the less than convincing ‘wardrobe’ and cupboards/drawers in the Ocean.
Finally, my queries are:
1) Should I be concerned about higher depreciation and greater difficulty in resale with a Beach over an
Ocean?
2) Am I likely to get a better deal on the Beach - I’m probably looking at a 150 DSG for the reasons outlined in 3) below.
3) Is there an issue with emissions that is interrupting production and could lead to higher prices? I’m particularly anxious about what could happen in the next Budget to diesel drivers. I was one of those caught by Gordon Brown when he introduced retrospective VED rises on more powerful cars in 2008. Also, I was one of the people who fought the DVLA to get the California reclassified as PLG for taxation purpose and won. I see the California is now back in the same category as cars in that it is taxed according to the band it falls in for emissions. Being relatively high emitting (and may go even higher when VW are shamed into having to tell the truth), I wonder if there may be grief to come! That’s why I think I’d avoid a 204ps. It’s more than likely that they’ll all move up at least one group. Also, there’s the extra £450 per annum for vehicles that fall int the M1SP category that cost over £40k.
4) Any advice on whether we should go for 2 or 3 seat rear bench and the related storage considerations would be gratefully received, bearing in mind there is just 2 of us and no dogs. Also, advice on kitchen pods would be helpful.
5) We’re used to Webasto type diesel heaters which are great in the UK in Spring and Autumn. How does the electric heating work in the Beach as we tend to go ‘off piste’ quite a lot? Our current van has a solar panel and diesel heating and we’ve been as long as 8 weeks without a hookup. Would this be difficult in an Ocean?
Apologies for the ‘essay’. I want to make an informed decision before making an expensive purchase.
Mods, If my post is in wrong section, my apologies. Please move if necessary.
I’ve had health issues recently and to cap it all my wife has suffered a haemorrhage in her left eye which means she has less than perfect vision. All this means we are looking to downsize back to a California size vehicle she would be comfortable driving.
Over the last 3 years we’ve looked at literally dozens of campervans/motorhomes, having been to many shows including the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf in 2015 and the NEC in 2016 and 2017. For the most part, the VW conversions are very similar and quite poor/amateurish in execution. The Westfalia Club Joker and Club Joker City are probably the only exception, but because of the terrible GBP to Euro exchange rate, the prices are eye watering. In any event, I think the fixed toilet, although a nice idea, robs the van of so much storage it would be problematic.
Apologies for the preamble, but that brings me back to the California - it currently seems to be the best option. Ocean prices are also fairly eye watering when you think I paid less than £40k for a top of the range SE with just about every option! So my thinking is a Beach may fit the bill if kitted out with some of the incredible kitchen and storage pods that have become available since we sold ours 7 years ago.
My wife is not a fan of the Ocean type kitchen so having a pod instead would probably not be such a big issue, particularly as there is no hot water anyway. Also, it seems to me that you can organize storage in the various storage pods available to suit your individual requirements much better than in the less than convincing ‘wardrobe’ and cupboards/drawers in the Ocean.
Finally, my queries are:
1) Should I be concerned about higher depreciation and greater difficulty in resale with a Beach over an
Ocean?
2) Am I likely to get a better deal on the Beach - I’m probably looking at a 150 DSG for the reasons outlined in 3) below.
3) Is there an issue with emissions that is interrupting production and could lead to higher prices? I’m particularly anxious about what could happen in the next Budget to diesel drivers. I was one of those caught by Gordon Brown when he introduced retrospective VED rises on more powerful cars in 2008. Also, I was one of the people who fought the DVLA to get the California reclassified as PLG for taxation purpose and won. I see the California is now back in the same category as cars in that it is taxed according to the band it falls in for emissions. Being relatively high emitting (and may go even higher when VW are shamed into having to tell the truth), I wonder if there may be grief to come! That’s why I think I’d avoid a 204ps. It’s more than likely that they’ll all move up at least one group. Also, there’s the extra £450 per annum for vehicles that fall int the M1SP category that cost over £40k.
4) Any advice on whether we should go for 2 or 3 seat rear bench and the related storage considerations would be gratefully received, bearing in mind there is just 2 of us and no dogs. Also, advice on kitchen pods would be helpful.
5) We’re used to Webasto type diesel heaters which are great in the UK in Spring and Autumn. How does the electric heating work in the Beach as we tend to go ‘off piste’ quite a lot? Our current van has a solar panel and diesel heating and we’ve been as long as 8 weeks without a hookup. Would this be difficult in an Ocean?
Apologies for the ‘essay’. I want to make an informed decision before making an expensive purchase.
Mods, If my post is in wrong section, my apologies. Please move if necessary.
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