Ford transit ‘nugget’ vs VW Cali

[Skylark2.0]

I quite like it. Well, except for the name.
Not sure about the pop top version. It’s over 2m, so what’s the point…?

But the tin top. I like it

Great video, looks amazing!

 

[larrylamb]

I quite like it. Well, except for the name.
Not sure about the pop top version. It’s over 2m, so what’s the point…?

But the tin top. I like it

Looks great, obviously a different beast to a Cali but having owned a Westy Club Joker the upstairs bed in this looks huge and it will be very comfy. 5 travelling seats, good sized downstairs bed and accessible kitchen and loo make this very practical. A good alternative for many including Ducato owners.

 

[danvan]

I always wondered about this. I’ve a seen fair few campers with a pop-top that are higher than 2m. I always thought that the whole point of pop-tops in campers was to make the van lower than 2m so that it fits everywhere. If you’re going to be higher than 2m, then surely you might as well go with a high top, which is a lot more practical?

You can't buy the high top in the UK.

I'm not sure I get this obsession with being under 2m, our Cali had a roof box on for 3 years and I never experienced any issues that I wouldn't have also faced without the roof box. We've only used it in the SE, SW and Lake District though, maybe it is different elsewhere (or maybe people are parking in different places to us).

 

[danvan]

Makes me feel a bit queasy if I’m honest - looks like it’s sporting a rather large turd on the roof!

It's roof is very similar to the GC 600, not sure how well that sells. Are people really buying these things for looks? It's a big square van.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Makes me feel a bit queasy if I’m honest - looks like it’s sporting a rather large turd on the roof!

Fixed hardtops are always ugly, but offer huge amount of space.

We had a T25 with a fixed top. Wife hated it and said it looked like an ice cream van / mobility vehicle. Neighbours in our small village asked if I would mind parking it up the road as it blocked their view of the village green!

I loved as you could easily store surfboards etc securley inside the van, get changed in the winter in the van without popping the roof.

 

[flying banana]

I know we are biased here,but, I see many things wrong with this design,aswell as the name. Firstly you have to pop the roof to make a cuppa which is a bit crap in the ferry queue. The awning has a massive gap betwixt it and the roof so rain would run down between the van and in the door. No where to put your luggage although they say it all fits in the cupboards I'm not so sure.and seriously that toilet, who is going to crimp off a length of dirty spine in that and sleep next to it afterwards? I suspect like many mohos the bog won't be used. I like the orange colour though and the hot water.

 

[ArunAlec]

The Nougat Plus (high top) is’t pretty but I like the concept. Seems strange that VW don’t offer a high top T6…. Unless they signed up to an agreement with Wesfalia not to tread on their toes.

 

[ardm17]

Can't help thinking that the 'Nougat' should come in 2 tone paint - White and Pink ...??

 

[Nand0]

I saw one of these hard top ones during a bike ride yesterday. Personally I don't see the point. I have a Cali because I can fit it in a 2m garage and a standard 5m parking space. If I was willing to compromise on those, I'd get something the size of a Sven Hedin, with far more space inside.

I guess this also applies to a Club Joker, but I will admit those look really cool. I still wouldn't buy one though. Again, once we cross the 2m/5m thresholds, I'd want something with an indoor shower/toilet and a "garage" to park bikes or ski gear.

Also, I had a Ford once. I'm not making that mistake again.

 

[The Merle]

Saw another nice 2nd hand joker for sale at campersales other day.
Looks pretty good to me in the indium grey, I maybe a little biased on a hightop though!

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

Saw another nice 2nd hand joker for sale at campersales other day.
Looks pretty good to me in the indium grey, I maybe a little biased on a hightop though!View attachment 93646

Looks even better with beast mode activated:

 

[soulstyledevon]

Always had a soft spot for the Joker.
But the sides slope in on the Volkswagen platform. The transit has a nice square shape, it must make a big difference to the space inside…

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

Always had a soft spot for the Joker.
But the sides slope in on the Volkswagen platform. The transit has a nice square shape, it must make a big difference to the space inside…

The thing about buying a van is you need to create a requirements list first to meet your needs before purchasing. One size doesn't fit all!

I personally prefer the Joker as it's based on the Transporter so there are tons of accessories and modifications available on the market that are already certified with the authorities and legal. I also think the VW based vans look much better.

My use case is an adventure van that is capable of taking me off the beaten path, often to remote surf spots in Portugal and Spain or deep in the mountains and forests of Switzerland in summer, or finally camping in winter high in the Alps during potential heavy snowfall.

I've had pop-tops previously and loved them for a quick weekend, but quickly got frustrated for longer trips with the constant juggling around and reconfiguring things for eating or sleeping. It's great you can get shower's, toilets and hot water now with the Joker City, Kepler's and other's in a pop-top, but they still required a lot of compromise (for me).

The 2 meter "issue" is something easy to work around if the above requirements have a higher priority and value. Even with my pop-tops I often had roof box's or snowboard racks which made the point mute for a garage at home. Finding an external parking space in front of my home for rent was pretty easy, and the 5.3 meter long wheel base is no problem at all. Parking at shops and restaurants and shopping centers is 95% easy and 5% of the time requires a short walk. I've never had an issue with tunnels, etc.

 

[The Merle]

Always had a soft spot for the Joker.
But the sides slope in on the Volkswagen platform. The transit has a nice square shape, it must make a big difference to the space inside…

It’s a shame it’s not available in the uk as it’s a great 5 berth van option.
Cali family YouTube and the price they paid its a lot of van for about £20k less than a joker (euro prices) so prob £30k less.
Hopefully they will bring it to the uk.
Would be interested to know what the payload is?

 

[GrahamB]

Over 2m height is definitely a problem if you frequent supermarket or multistorey carparks a lot and even some local leisure park parking where we take the dog has similar restriction. The Cali is my daily driver and for me it would be incredibly frustrating to be limited on parking in this way.

 

[Bellcrew]

Over 2m height is definitely a problem if you frequent supermarket or multistorey carparks a lot and even some local leisure park parking where we take the dog has similar restriction. The Cali is my daily driver and for me it would be incredibly frustrating to be limited on parking in this way.

Perhaps our continental cousins don't have the problems of some visiting caravaners who insist on parking for free in various car parks and green spaces, the only way to stop them taking the Michael is to fit 2m height barriers.
Still baffled why anyone who does not own or even want a VW California would want to extol the merits of their alternative choice on this site but hey it is a free country, probably.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Perhaps our continental cousins don't have the problems of some visiting caravaners who insist on parking for free in various car parks and green spaces, the only way to stop them taking the Michael is to fit 2m height barriers.
Still baffled why anyone who does not own or even want a VW California would want to extol the merits of their alternative choice on this site but hey it is a free country, probably.

2m height barriers also restrict entry to many sports enthusiasts (surf, sup’s, kayaks, tailgate bike racks etc). Height barriers should be removed to make beaches and other spaces accessible to all.

It’s always good to have choice; VW’s product is getting dated and expensive & certainly not as reliable as it used to be. Competition might nudge them into making some changes.

 

[soulstyledevon]

It’s a shame it’s not available in the uk as it’s a great 5 berth van option.
Cali family YouTube and the price they paid its a lot of van for about £20k less than a joker (euro prices) so prob £30k less.
Hopefully they will bring it to the uk.
Would be interested to know what the payload is?

I’m considering changing jobs, which means having a company car back. I won’t need to use the Cali as my everyday vehicle.
This has me considering a bigger van. Would be great if Ford released this to the Uk market, especially at £20k cheaper…

 

[bullibuskombi]

The Nugget is a Westfalia brand and it looks like their layout. It might have a loo, but I’d need a vomit bucket around my neck if I had to look at that camper on my drive.

And that rear suspension, Archimedes would have thought that was ancient when he was a boy!