Ford Nugget Plus v California comparison

[Georgiegirl]

I previously posted to say we had downsized from a Ford Ducato having previously been Beach and then Ocean owners, but had now decided to go to a Ford Nugget Plus. I promised to write a review once we had been on our first camping trip which happened over Easter weekend. So how does the nugget compare to the Cali?

Community - Cali wins
No waves from other vans in the Ford ( although to be fair Nuggets are fairly rare so we haven’t met one of those yet!). Most Transits are builders vans but I do miss the friendly waves and the Nugget forum is much smaller than this treasure trove of advice (but we have already used it to solve a few problems)

Looks on the outside.- Cali wins
I can’t help but still love the VW it’s the van I always wanted and it still holds my heart. Having said that our transit is a looker having a sports pack, so it’s not exactly ugly. We managed to get one of the Active spec vans which has roof rails, tow bar, running boards, partial leather upholstery, and black mirrors which does make it look smarter than your average builders van

Drive - draw
Both our Ocean and the Nugget are autos with adaptive cruise control making motorway cruising a breeze. Our nugget has a reversing camera which is a nice addition. Overall though I’d say it’s too close to call

Storage space accessible from outside - Cali wins
The Nugget doesn’t have a boot, so the Cali wins hands down on this one. Having said that there are some very large storage areas both under and behind the bench seat which holds the majority of things you would store in the boot in a Cali, like bedding and a cadac, but you won’t be able to use your perfectly packed storage boxes!

Passenger space - Nugget wins
The rear bench easily seats 3 so the nugget gives you the perfect combination of beach seat configuration and ocean full camper. It also has sliding doors both sides so easy for everyone to get in and out

Roof - Cali wins
The nugget is manual roof only and seemed impossible to close until we found a tip on the forum so I’d say the Cali wins for ease!

So far the Cali is doing well, but once you get on the inside on a camping trip the Nugget really comes into its own!

Toilet - nugget wins
We have the plus version which comes with a proper toilet with separate water tank for the flush and a removable waste unit. We anlso have a separate drop down sink all hidden behind a privacy screen. Even the normal nugget has a cupboard specifically for a camping toilet.

Hot water - nugget wins
There is a small boiler which can be used in both sinks and the shower attachment (outdoor use only)

Kitchen - nugget wins
The back of the van has no boot because this space is essentially the kitchen. The roof pops up at the back and the head height is massive so you can stand to cook while others sit further down at the dining table. There’s is an L shaped worktop with fridge similar to the Ocean, 2 burner hob and sink. Because these are spaced out you have loads more preparation space than the Cali. The cupboard space is slightly smaller but still room for plates, cooking equipment and a cutlery drawer. I stored some food further down the van which I had been a bit worried about but actually that worked well.

Bed - nugget wins
The upper bed is massive - wider and longer than the Cali. It’s got froli springs which I haven’t had before and they make such a difference to comfort levels. There are 2 lights which you can switch on and off from the bed and a shelf to store your phone etc. We didn’t try the downstairs bed on this trip but it’s made out of the bench seat and a final piece that appears from underneath once the bench has been lowered. Some other Westfalia Fords needed extra cushions which are a pain to store, so this was an extra tick for us with the nugget.

Wardrobe - nugget wins
The ocean has a better wardrobe for hanging space but the nugget has a small hanging space behind the toilet plus a large shelved cupboard where we stored our clothes in packing bags, towels and wash stuff. It’s easier to access and full length as it’s in the walkway through from the dining area to the kitchen so it’s not blocked by anything

Dining - Cali wins
You can’t beat the table in the Cali - the nugget has a large table which is stored loose behind the bench seat and a separate leg screws into the floor. This is a bit of a pain to use and store, and we will probably end up buying an alternative. The nugget comes with a larger outside table stored in the tailgate and 2 chairs - we left the chairs at home as they are large and we used the storage area for our rainbow screens roof and screen covers.

Umbrella - nugget wins
Yes there really is a Westfalia umbrella next to the door. A great idea for rainy days ( and it came in handy to help tuck in the pop top cover when we installed it!)

So overall we are very pleased with the Nugget. Coming from a larger van we had been spoilt and it’s offered us a good compromise with a smaller package. Ideally we would’ve gone for the fixed high top version (similar to the Club Joker) but it’s not available in the UK.

I’m happy to answer any questions that anyone has. Thanks for listening!

 

[Kayleigh]

It will be interesting to compare with the new Multivan based California when that finally materialises. After all, the difference in vehicle length will only be about 20cm!

 

[pluc99]

On a cali you are easily able to use the kitchen unit sitting when the pop up roof is down. How is it with the Nugget? Can you use the kitchen without raising the roof or do you need to get knee pads?
You mentioned showering outside, but I was under the impression the Nugget Plus came with a shower tub in the back or is that only for the high top?
Lastly, I think the latest version of the Nugget has a sliding table similar to the California, something the California (sadly) may be losing in its not yet released T7 iteration.

 

[sidepod]

The name “Nugget” is about as far as I’d get with this.

 

[Georgiegirl]

On a cali you are easily able to use the kitchen unit sitting when the pop up roof is down. How is it with the Nugget? Can you use the kitchen without raising the roof or do you need to get knee pads?
You mentioned showering outside, but I was under the impression the Nugget Plus came with a shower tub in the back or is that only for the high top?
Lastly, I think the latest version of the Nugget has a sliding table similar to the California, something the California (sadly) may be losing in its not yet released T7 iteration.

It’s not recommended to use the kitchen with the roof down due to the pop top fabric being that end. That’s not an issue for us as we only use the kitchen when on site, but agree that’s a down side if you want to use it that way.
There is no shower tray in the Nugget Plus - we have the lwb version. Other Westfalia vans do have this but we weren’t sure if we would ever use it and how easy it would be to use without getting the cabinets very wet.
I’m not sure if the UK version of the new Nugget will get the fixed table. The previous version on the continent already had this feature in lieu of the second sliding door (which we would’ve preferred) but it was not an option in the UK.

 

[Georgiegirl]

The name “Nugget” is about as far as I’d get with this.

I agree it is a stupid name. Cali wins that one!

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Any pics of your van?

 

[Georgiegirl]

It will be interesting to compare with the new Multivan based California when that finally materialises. After all, the difference in vehicle length will only be about 20cm!

The reason we bought the van now was because the new Nugget is based on the new platform and the dimensions were smaller. They’ve hinted that a lwb version may not be available either although that’s not confirmed. Will definitely be interesting to see a comparison with the new VW version when that launches properly. I’m sure one of the vloggers will do something

 

[Georgiegirl]

Any pics of your van?

 

[Mowbotman]

I was thinking of changing to the nugget, the drive I understand the cali is far superior, not sure weather to get standard or plus, there are more cupboards in the plus but less space in them, and having a toilet permanently out does take up space when could be used for storage and have one that pulls out ! , I agree cali does look a lot nicer than nugget, but being able to get at kitchen when in bed , also we have the slide out draw in the rear which is my best purchase and loads of stuff in there so all this will take up a lot of space elsewhere, still undecided

 

[The Merle]

I previously posted to say we had downsized from a Ford Ducato having previously been Beach and then Ocean owners, but had now decided to go to a Ford Nugget Plus. I promised to write a review once we had been on our first camping trip which happened over Easter weekend. So how does the nugget compare to the Cali?

Community - Cali wins
No waves from other vans in the Ford ( although to be fair Nuggets are fairly rare so we haven’t met one of those yet!). Most Transits are builders vans but I do miss the friendly waves and the Nugget forum is much smaller than this treasure trove of advice (but we have already used it to solve a few problems)

Looks on the outside.- Cali wins
I can’t help but still love the VW it’s the van I always wanted and it still holds my heart. Having said that our transit is a looker having a sports pack, so it’s not exactly ugly. We managed to get one of the Active spec vans which has roof rails, tow bar, running boards, partial leather upholstery, and black mirrors which does make it look smarter than your average builders van

Drive - draw
Both our Ocean and the Nugget are autos with adaptive cruise control making motorway cruising a breeze. Our nugget has a reversing camera which is a nice addition. Overall though I’d say it’s too close to call

Storage space accessible from outside - Cali wins
The Nugget doesn’t have a boot, so the Cali wins hands down on this one. Having said that there are some very large storage areas both under and behind the bench seat which holds the majority of things you would store in the boot in a Cali, like bedding and a cadac, but you won’t be able to use your perfectly packed storage boxes!

Passenger space - Nugget wins
The rear bench easily seats 3 so the nugget gives you the perfect combination of beach seat configuration and ocean full camper. It also has sliding doors both sides so easy for everyone to get in and out

Roof - Cali wins
The nugget is manual roof only and seemed impossible to close until we found a tip on the forum so I’d say the Cali wins for ease!

So far the Cali is doing well, but once you get on the inside on a camping trip the Nugget really comes into its own!

Toilet - nugget wins
We have the plus version which comes with a proper toilet with separate water tank for the flush and a removable waste unit. We anlso have a separate drop down sink all hidden behind a privacy screen. Even the normal nugget has a cupboard specifically for a camping toilet.

Hot water - nugget wins
There is a small boiler which can be used in both sinks and the shower attachment (outdoor use only)

Kitchen - nugget wins
The back of the van has no boot because this space is essentially the kitchen. The roof pops up at the back and the head height is massive so you can stand to cook while others sit further down at the dining table. There’s is an L shaped worktop with fridge similar to the Ocean, 2 burner hob and sink. Because these are spaced out you have loads more preparation space than the Cali. The cupboard space is slightly smaller but still room for plates, cooking equipment and a cutlery drawer. I stored some food further down the van which I had been a bit worried about but actually that worked well.

Bed - nugget wins
The upper bed is massive - wider and longer than the Cali. It’s got froli springs which I haven’t had before and they make such a difference to comfort levels. There are 2 lights which you can switch on and off from the bed and a shelf to store your phone etc. We didn’t try the downstairs bed on this trip but it’s made out of the bench seat and a final piece that appears from underneath once the bench has been lowered. Some other Westfalia Fords needed extra cushions which are a pain to store, so this was an extra tick for us with the nugget.

Wardrobe - nugget wins
The ocean has a better wardrobe for hanging space but the nugget has a small hanging space behind the toilet plus a large shelved cupboard where we stored our clothes in packing bags, towels and wash stuff. It’s easier to access and full length as it’s in the walkway through from the dining area to the kitchen so it’s not blocked by anything

Dining - Cali wins
You can’t beat the table in the Cali - the nugget has a large table which is stored loose behind the bench seat and a separate leg screws into the floor. This is a bit of a pain to use and store, and we will probably end up buying an alternative. The nugget comes with a larger outside table stored in the tailgate and 2 chairs - we left the chairs at home as they are large and we used the storage area for our rainbow screens roof and screen covers.

Umbrella - nugget wins
Yes there really is a Westfalia umbrella next to the door. A great idea for rainy days ( and it came in handy to help tuck in the pop top cover when we installed it!)

So overall we are very pleased with the Nugget. Coming from a larger van we had been spoilt and it’s offered us a good compromise with a smaller package. Ideally we would’ve gone for the fixed high top version (similar to the Club Joker) but it’s not available in the UK.

I’m happy to answer any questions that anyone has. Thanks for listening!

Great info but you have missed of a big one, maybe early days but dealers.
Hand over any good, backup/aftersales help. Any problems I’ve heard Ford don’t touch issues with the westy/camper side?

 

[temporarysecretary]

Great info but you have missed of a big one, maybe early days but dealers.
Hand over any good, backup/aftersales help. Any problems I’ve heard Ford don’t touch issues with the westy/camper side?

Sounds like all my local VW dealers.

 

[SamSara]

Thank you for your comparison. I will be looking at both Cali and new Nugget (without loo) with my retirement commutation in a few years.
Drivers cab comparison, does the Ford feel more ‘plasticky‘ then the Cali?
I like that the new Nugget is a hybrid where VW will not use the hybrid van for the Cali base according to the chap at Breeze Southampton.
Not being able to cook in high winds may be an issue, but when I am a little longer in the tooth I’m sure I could cope with popping into a pub/tea house

Ford Nugget Club - Ford Nugget Discussion Forum

Ford Nugget Club & discussion forum for the Ford Campervan community

fordnuggetclub.com

 

[calibusje]

You have a nice campervan! Also nice to read; You apparently made some other choices before and ended up with a good choice for you: a Ford Nugget Plus. I was a big fan of the nugget (especially considering this is a Westfalia product) and actually still am (and did you just look at the very latest ). But like so many things: everyone has their own ideas and preferences and priorities: no real luggage space is certainly not a plus for me. The kitchen at the back where you have to stand up and therefore have to open the lifting roof to do something, I think is a bit less compared to sitting, with the roof closed to quickly prepare something in the California (a quick stop on the way can be such a situation). Others will find this a bit better but: it’s something I could live with and adapt to without finding it better that way.
But since there are now four of us and we sleep in the downstairs bed, we find the bed better in a cali, especially the shape but maybe I am too tall/ big (slept in a nugget already).
I have already driven some generations of the Nugget when we were looking for a small campervan about 12 years ago and the Nugget was a viable candidate for us. I have also traveled with one (from my father at the time). Now I prefer the other Westfalia campervans such as a Kepler Six or the sister models of Stylevan, but I still think the Nugget (Plus) is a very good campervan, but not for us anymore: we have been traveling with a t4 westfalia california for 10 years and this is our preferred layout (and now two years with our t6.1 coast). For you, the nugget plus is the right one and I wish you every success with it and have fun with it. It is still an agile campervan with a beautiful appearance. It's something different to encounter along the way and that alone is a plus.

 

[larrylamb]

Great info but you have missed of a big one, maybe early days but dealers.
Hand over any good, backup/aftersales help. Any problems I’ve heard Ford don’t touch issues with the westy/camper side?

I nearly bought one just before Christmas. Nugget Plus pre reg, a few available at a bargain 49/50K. Loved the beds and separate kitchen with loo etc. Ford dealership with several branches selling Westy Ford Campers. Sales guys were useless with none of them able to get the spec and extras right for the vehicle, lost faith quite quickly especially after googling etc it became apparent any aftersales issues would be a tough ask to get sorted in any reasonable timeframe either from Ford or Westfalia.
Loved the layout except for the hob being out of bounds with roof down and couldn't really take to the Transit even with the low price.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

I actually like the look of that Nugget, the colours and alloy wheels really finish it off a treat. Whichever you prefer or suits your needs best I think it's safe to say the difference is getting wafer thin.

A few decades ago Transits used to rust and were nowhere near as good as VW's offering, but VW really needs to work hard on the Cali successor if it's not to be overtaken by competition like this!

 

[Jimmylondon07]

Anyone know when the new shaped Nugget (without loo) is due to drop?

 

[BeagleMum]

I previously posted to say we had downsized from a Ford Ducato having previously been Beach and then Ocean owners, but had now decided to go to a Ford Nugget Plus. I promised to write a review once we had been on our first camping trip which happened over Easter weekend. So how does the nugget compare to the Cali?

Community - Cali wins
No waves from other vans in the Ford ( although to be fair Nuggets are fairly rare so we haven’t met one of those yet!). Most Transits are builders vans but I do miss the friendly waves and the Nugget forum is much smaller than this treasure trove of advice (but we have already used it to solve a few problems)

Looks on the outside.- Cali wins
I can’t help but still love the VW it’s the van I always wanted and it still holds my heart. Having said that our transit is a looker having a sports pack, so it’s not exactly ugly. We managed to get one of the Active spec vans which has roof rails, tow bar, running boards, partial leather upholstery, and black mirrors which does make it look smarter than your average builders van

Drive - draw
Both our Ocean and the Nugget are autos with adaptive cruise control making motorway cruising a breeze. Our nugget has a reversing camera which is a nice addition. Overall though I’d say it’s too close to call

Storage space accessible from outside - Cali wins
The Nugget doesn’t have a boot, so the Cali wins hands down on this one. Having said that there are some very large storage areas both under and behind the bench seat which holds the majority of things you would store in the boot in a Cali, like bedding and a cadac, but you won’t be able to use your perfectly packed storage boxes!

Passenger space - Nugget wins
The rear bench easily seats 3 so the nugget gives you the perfect combination of beach seat configuration and ocean full camper. It also has sliding doors both sides so easy for everyone to get in and out

Roof - Cali wins
The nugget is manual roof only and seemed impossible to close until we found a tip on the forum so I’d say the Cali wins for ease!

So far the Cali is doing well, but once you get on the inside on a camping trip the Nugget really comes into its own!

Toilet - nugget wins
We have the plus version which comes with a proper toilet with separate water tank for the flush and a removable waste unit. We anlso have a separate drop down sink all hidden behind a privacy screen. Even the normal nugget has a cupboard specifically for a camping toilet.

Hot water - nugget wins
There is a small boiler which can be used in both sinks and the shower attachment (outdoor use only)

Kitchen - nugget wins
The back of the van has no boot because this space is essentially the kitchen. The roof pops up at the back and the head height is massive so you can stand to cook while others sit further down at the dining table. There’s is an L shaped worktop with fridge similar to the Ocean, 2 burner hob and sink. Because these are spaced out you have loads more preparation space than the Cali. The cupboard space is slightly smaller but still room for plates, cooking equipment and a cutlery drawer. I stored some food further down the van which I had been a bit worried about but actually that worked well.

Bed - nugget wins
The upper bed is massive - wider and longer than the Cali. It’s got froli springs which I haven’t had before and they make such a difference to comfort levels. There are 2 lights which you can switch on and off from the bed and a shelf to store your phone etc. We didn’t try the downstairs bed on this trip but it’s made out of the bench seat and a final piece that appears from underneath once the bench has been lowered. Some other Westfalia Fords needed extra cushions which are a pain to store, so this was an extra tick for us with the nugget.

Wardrobe - nugget wins
The ocean has a better wardrobe for hanging space but the nugget has a small hanging space behind the toilet plus a large shelved cupboard where we stored our clothes in packing bags, towels and wash stuff. It’s easier to access and full length as it’s in the walkway through from the dining area to the kitchen so it’s not blocked by anything

Dining - Cali wins
You can’t beat the table in the Cali - the nugget has a large table which is stored loose behind the bench seat and a separate leg screws into the floor. This is a bit of a pain to use and store, and we will probably end up buying an alternative. The nugget comes with a larger outside table stored in the tailgate and 2 chairs - we left the chairs at home as they are large and we used the storage area for our rainbow screens roof and screen covers.

Umbrella - nugget wins
Yes there really is a Westfalia umbrella next to the door. A great idea for rainy days ( and it came in handy to help tuck in the pop top cover when we installed it!)

So overall we are very pleased with the Nugget. Coming from a larger van we had been spoilt and it’s offered us a good compromise with a smaller package. Ideally we would’ve gone for the fixed high top version (similar to the Club Joker) but it’s not available in the UK.

I’m happy to answer any questions that anyone has. Thanks for listening!

Thank you for that detailed comparison, an interesting read.
We had been interested in the Nugget but failed to find a dealer with stock to view, we also found the website to be poor.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

Obviously everyone’s needs from their campervan are different. We seriously considered the Nugget. It’s closer to Motorhome territory at the cost of losing some of the flexibility on an everyday vehicle, as everyday storage needs are not really met. We felt the difficulties with after sale support and the general lower feel in quality of the interior put it a step below the California, though I can see why it’s very popular. For now the Cali is spot on for us, but in the future we’d consider the new Nugget if they did a LWB version. So maybe one day…

 

[Georgiegirl]

I was thinking of changing to the nugget, the drive I understand the cali is far superior, not sure weather to get standard or plus, there are more cupboards in the plus but less space in them, and having a toilet permanently out does take up space when could be used for storage and have one that pulls out ! , I agree cali does look a lot nicer than nugget, but being able to get at kitchen when in bed , also we have the slide out draw in the rear which is my best purchase and loads of stuff in there so all this will take up a lot of space elsewhere, still undecided

As I said in the review there really isn’t much difference in the drive between the Ford and Cali at all.
We decided on the nugget plus because that 40cm difference in the lwb means you just have that little bit more standing and/or storage room at the back (even with the toilet). We travel with a small dog so it was somewhere out the way for his bed when we were on site. I’ve heard that the pullout loo can take up most of the space on the swb if left in place over night but haven’t checked that myself. Good luck with your choice!

 

[Georgiegirl]

Great info but you have missed of a big one, maybe early days but dealers.
Hand over any good, backup/aftersales help. Any problems I’ve heard Ford don’t touch issues with the westy/camper side?

Just like the Cali, Ford have decided to use their commercial vehicle dealerships to sell the Nugget. This means you get a broad spectrum of competency in both. We choose a Breeze equivalent dealer that specialises in campervans as we felt that offered the best long term option. We already know that they have persevered with finding a solution to a problem with the heater in some owners vans where others couldn’t.

 

[Georgiegirl]

Thank you for your comparison. I will be looking at both Cali and new Nugget (without loo) with my retirement commutation in a few years.
Drivers cab comparison, does the Ford feel more ‘plasticky‘ then the Cali?
I like that the new Nugget is a hybrid where VW will not use the hybrid van for the Cali base according to the chap at Breeze Southampton.
Not being able to cook in high winds may be an issue, but when I am a little longer in the tooth I’m sure I could cope with popping into a pub/tea house

The cab feels very car like in the nugget - it looks almost the same as a Fiesta. Big screen and all the buttons are within easy reach. Plus you get lots of cup and bottle holders. Doesn’t look plasticky to me but everyone will have a different opinion. Good luck with your search when you get there

 

[Georgiegirl]

Anyone know when the new shaped Nugget (without loo) is due to drop?

Dealers told us that they are expecting them late this year or around next but that was in January so they may have an update by now. They already had the new transit on display if you wanted to see the exterior and dash etc?

 

[Camperfamily]

We’ve had a Cali SE/ Ocean for 5 years. Love it, although it was soon going to become challenging for our family of 5 as our kids grew.

We almost bought a Nugget Plus - even got as far as filling out finance forms, but the dealer then reneged on price. After a short period of reflection, we decided to order a Cali Beach Camper.

Out of these three, I’m quite certain that the Cali Beach works best for us out of the three options - for our use case as a family of 5 - and so we’re glad we ended up in a Beach over a Nugget. The relative lack of community, dealer awareness and uncertain resale market with the Nugget were also risks playing on our minds.

Now if the Nugget Plus Hightop was available in the UK, it might be a slightly closer contest… although probably not very practical day-to-day.

 

[OooOooTheMonkey]

That

We’ve had a Cali SE/ Ocean for 5 years. Love it, although it was soon going to become challenging for our family of 5 as our kids grew.

We almost bought a Nugget Plus - even got as far as filling out finance forms, but the dealer then reneged on price. After a short period of reflection, we decided to order a Cali Beach Camper.

Out of these three, I’m quite certain that the Cali Beach works best for us out of the three options - for our use case as a family of 5 - and so we’re glad we ended up in a Beach over a Nugget. The relative lack of community, dealer awareness and uncertain resale market with the Nugget were also risks playing on our minds.

Now if the Nugget Plus Hightop was available in the UK, it might be a slightly closer contest… although probably not very practical day-to-day.

That’s exactly the balance isn’t it. All versions of the Nugget seem less practical day to day than a California is, but they’re better set up for camping easily without so much faffing about.