We recently went through months of comparing the pros and cons of ocean /beach/ nugget / nugget plus / hi-tops and spent ages at dealerships tinkering around in them and having hired a Cali for two weeks 10 years ago. As a couple and small dog wanting access to small campsites and the odd city camp we went cali but for much of the search we thought the SWB nugget was going to be the way to go.
The most difficult decision to make was whether to go LWB and hi top / low top for all the usual reasons. Certainly quite a few Cali owners seem to make the leap to a bigger van. We owned a large twin axle caravan for 10 years so like space but the use case for the Cali is entirely different and our driveway is very tight for a hi-top so we decided SWB / low top was the way to go. As others have said, the hi-top Nugget is a compelling choice if only it was available.
The reasons we had the Nugget as our first choice initially were:
- The rear walk thru kitchen
- The bigger pop top bed
- The twin sliding doors
- The roomier feel
We felt the Nugget was much better for a family, particularly with 3 kids. That’s not us. The Nugget kitchen is better in full camp mode but when we hired the Cali we found ourselves using the kitchen quite often with roof down so what we thought was a major advantage in the Nugget wasn’t actually as clear cut in reality.
The Cali pop-top bed has incrementally improved since the T5 we rented years ago and the bellow window options are better than the Nugget. Having said that the leaking bellows issue is a concern.
The twin sliding doors on the nugget are great but we hated the small window with very limited opening. The Cali sliding windows are much better - but do they leak? We felt that if use was to include pitching awnings then the Nugget was better. We don’t intend to do this much and it seems many Cali owners find they don’t use awnings as much as they thought they would.
Although the Nugget felt roomier it also felt less well put together and had no rear AC. The lower bed was clunky to make up and less comfortable as a seat. Curiously not as nice a place to be despite feeling roomier. I suspect this was very subjective but we both felt it.
The loo question prompted much debate and changing of minds as we are of an age where a night visit is the norm. LWB Nugget rules here but find the smell of the chemicals masks the - errr - odours - but permeates everything, even if it’s meant to be “spring fresh” or whatever! Choices of chemical free separating loos etc and the fact we are not squeamish about a loo in the living area or a pop up tent mean we feel the flexibility of not having a fixed loo may actually be an advantage. This is an area where only time will tell if we’ve made the right choice.
The Cali cab Was much more bling than the nugget and less plasticky but also less practical and hard wearing. I agree with those that feel the 6.1 is not as good as the original 6. I agree with what others say that the Cali / Nugget drive very similarly. I was concerned about wet belt failures in the Nugget but the Cali engine has also had its issues. Potential Wet belt issues did ultimately influence our choice though as it highlights dealer support. Not that I’m putting AVW on a pedestal here!
The Cali “boot” type storage makes it a far better daily driver - something we will be using it for.
The Cali shows its evolution in many many small ways but I think it was the choice of aftermarket tweaks that allow owners to improve the van to their specific use that was the deciding factor. The Nugget simply does not have that user base and support. As others have said, the Nugget fills a place between the Cali and Beach. A more motorhome than daily driver solution (for good and bad).