GC 600 Anything else considered

[Scrumpypops]

Hi all.
Prior to purchasing the
GC 600, did anyone seriously consider anything else.
Like all vehicles it seems to have a few niggles.
My situation is I'm going full time van life, always wanted to do it. I've looked at conversion companies, still a few to check out and yes it can be made to your exact specification but the GC seems to have most things I need. Solar, bike storage a must. Do wish the bed had electric height adjustment. Most of the time it will be just me but do not want anything over 6m.
Like the westfalia range similar money, or go cheaper on Fiat ducato base.
Sorry rabbiting
Thanks for any replies
Lee

 

[dennfo]

We hired an Adria Twin Supreme to try it out - we weren’t impressed with the quality or the Fiat engine. We also looked at Hymer Free 600 which was OK and we didn’t look at one but we did research Westfalia Sven Hedin - but very happy with our decision to go GC600.

 

[Scrumpypops]

We hired an Adria Twin Supreme to try it out - we weren’t impressed with the quality or the Fiat engine. We also looked at Hymer Free 600 which was OK and we didn’t look at one but we did research Westfalia Sven Hedin - but very happy with our decision to go GC600.

Thank you.. Sven hedin seemed quality in all departments not driven though. Hymer range just feel like they're lacking any quality whatsoever. Grand canyon I feel is silly money compared to GC.
Thanks again

 

[itsSteve]

Not entirely pertinent, and I know he was an explorer, but why did Westphalia name one of their vehicles after someone who, and I unashamedly quote from a well-known online encyclopaedia, "met Adolf Hitler and other leading National Socialists repeatedly and was in regular correspondence with them". ............ and about whom it is said "Hitler read Hedin's book (in which) Hedin promoted the view that President Roosevelt was responsible for the outbreak of war in 1939 and that Hitler had done everything in his power to prevent war." Hitler wrote to him "I thank you warmly for the attention you have shown me. I have already read the book and welcome in particular that you so explicitly detailed the offers I made to Poland at the beginning of the War". Hitler continued, "without question, the individual guilty of this war, as you correctly state at the end of your book, is exclusively the American President Roosevelt." Just asking .........

 

[The Merle]

Hi all.
Prior to purchasing the
GC 600, did anyone seriously consider anything else.
Like all vehicles it seems to have a few niggles.
My situation is I'm going full time van life, always wanted to do it. I've looked at conversion companies, still a few to check out and yes it can be made to your exact specification but the GC seems to have most things I need. Solar, bike storage a must. Do wish the bed had electric height adjustment. Most of the time it will be just me but do not want anything over 6m.
Like the westfalia range similar money, or go cheaper on Fiat ducato base.
Sorry rabbiting
Thanks for any replies
Lee

Do you intend living on campsites?
The GC will dump its water if temperatures drop to low, and you will need better leisure batteries as only one on GC.
Full time vanlife is tough and you don’t see the real thing on YouTube.

The joker works pretty well, water and waste tanks inside van. Loads of windows for ventilation which is key in winter, bed is out the way in the roof, has two 110 leisure bats and mine has solar on roof.
Down is bike has to be on bike rack.

The Sven looks a good option as it has a winter pack, underfloor heating and heated tanks. Both westfalia models are hard to come by, and new models build times are crazy 12/18mths!

Have you spent much time in camper?
Worth hiring a GC first then just jumping straight in.

 

[Joker 1299]

Not entirely pertinent, and I know he was an explorer, but why did Westphalia name one of their vehicles after someone who, and I unashamedly quote from a well-known online encyclopaedia, "met Adolf Hitler and other leading National Socialists repeatedly and was in regular correspondence with them". ............ and about whom it is said "Hitler read Hedin's book (in which) Hedin promoted the view that President Roosevelt was responsible for the outbreak of war in 1939 and that Hitler had done everything in his power to prevent war." Hitler wrote to him "I thank you warmly for the attention you have shown me. I have already read the book and welcome in particular that you so explicitly detailed the offers I made to Poland at the beginning of the War". Hitler continued, "without question, the individual guilty of this war, as you correctly state at the end of your book, is exclusively the American President Roosevelt." Just asking .........

Not many German kids called Adolf after 1949. Not many English kids called Sven after 2001

 

[Eber123]

The options of camper vans are a bit restricted in Ireland.

• Westfalia has an authorized dealer in Ireland - so I considered the Sven Hedin
• Hymer has an authorized dealer in Ireland - so I considered the Grand Canyon

At the end we decided to go for the Grand California 600 for the following reasons:

• Suits our "camping process"
• Very good and nice to drive
• Support and repair from one source (VW)
• Local to us
• Available immediately
• Looking back, we though good quality and reliable (as was our T6 Ocean)

Many of those items are still valid, except the last one. At the moment I started the process and try to get the Grand California 600 exchanged. I don't want my money back, I want a replacement.

Watching some Youtube videos I thought the Ford Big Nugget would be an interesting alternative, but it seems not to be available in Ireland and even the UK.

At the end we are looking for a camper van that is reliable and suite our "camping process" and is good to drive on long distance, bringing us to the places where we want to go. We won't go off road, maximum dirt path and with decent tyres many of the vans can do that. Winter camping is not planned and if we go away during the winter months we stay in Ireland which never gets that cold that the Grand California can handle.

I can imagine choosing a camper van for van life is a daunting task which I expect a "standard" camper van won't meet the criteria. But a standard camper van can be upgraded, but that means for me two things 1.) it will take a very long lead time and 2.) it won't be cheap.

Best of luck with your campervan journey
Eberhard

 

[Scrumpypops]

Thanks for your replies.
It's one of those things I've always wanted to do.
House sold last year,
quit good job,
for me anyway,
lived out of my car for a year, too tight to rent or rather put extra 10 grand into camper.
3 conversion companies down, 2 left that I've researched. One in Wales fully winterised and off grid, not sure on their lead time and vanworx portland, but their lead time is horrifying. Both more expensive than GC but might have to be the route. Going up next week. Want to live off grid mainly with occasional campsite. Will be starting new career with centre parcs as a lifeguard. Again something that I've always wanted to do.
Near death experience has opened my eyes
Conversion might mean renting for a bit but will do that for the right van.
Thanks again

 

[rod_vw]

Knaus now produce a Boxdrive 600 which may be of interest unfortunately it's so new you will fine it difficult to get any info. The UK dealers should have brochures, I've seen one at Premium Motorhomes, brochure that is not the real thing.

 

[Scrumpypops]

I'll apologise now for screenshot photos, not a techie. This is just a snap shot of the type they produce. Be Interesting to see the factory and any in build.

 

[tim22diver]

Hi we went with GC 600 for the kids but the bed arrangememts don't work so have bought a corado mobile. The GC is going up for sale this week.
To drive the GC is superb, relaxed and has pace of needed. Fixtures and fittings are solid as you'd expect and the tech is relatively easy to get to grips with. Is keep the GC for me and the dog.
The solar works well too.
The fiat is less comfy to drive and rolls like a whale.

After 12 months with the GC I'll miss it but the kids sleep in the carado.

I'd build from scratch but told by van converter what I want now will be different in few years time...

Anyone after a GC 600?

 

[Scrumpypops]

Thanks. I'm sure what I want now will stay with me. I'm 52, fairly fit and out to make the most of life. List gets longer but good to have when I approach converters. I think my big concern is parting with a huge amount of money to an independent company, rather than someone like VW?

 

[tim22diver]

That's a good starting point!

East Coast campers in Anstruther Fife will convert you a MAN (VW) van to your spec - if you can find one..... The only downside of the Grand Cali is dealing with VW van centres but some are good (Liverpool - see Chris California's tube posts - they got us through our ownership). It's a good factory product, strong warranty and loyal following (hence this site) .
Downside is price. But after doing the math, it's fair + I'm not a DIY person....good luck with your quest. We are enjoying the adventure and you meet good folk on the way.

 

[Scrumpypops]

Thank you. I'm in Devon but for the right conversion, there's the plane. I'll take a look

 

[rod_vw]

Thank you. I'm in Devon but for the right conversion, there's the plane. I'll take a look

You may want to look at Atlas Sport Homes at Keynsham.

It is them that I am currently considering to convert our TGE when it eventually arrives, estimated to be May 2022 but I'm not holding my breath!

PS hopefully on our way to Devon this week to visit relatives at Bideford so another couple of nights in the T6.

 

[Scrumpypops]

I'll have a look. Can I ask, its alot of money to invest in a van. Did you check finances of the company? This will be 36 years of sweat and a bit nervous to hand over to a small ish company, even if most will be on handover I presume?

FYI just in case.

M5, A30, A303 have truly been a nightmare this summer. Especially Fri all day, Sat & Sun until early afternoon. So many people staying in the UK. I've travelled quite a bit on those days out of the south west but have missed most of it by either setting off early or quite late. Bideford A361 your be further up, but again around Bridgewater to Weston been particularly slow. Mid week should be OK though.
Thanks for reply

 

[The Merle]

I'll have a look. Can I ask, its alot of money to invest in a van. Did you check finances of the company? This will be 36 years of sweat and a bit nervous to hand over to a small ish company, even if most will be on handover I presume?

FYI just in case.

M5, A30, A303 have truly been a nightmare this summer. Especially Fri all day, Sat & Sun until early afternoon. So many people staying in the UK. I've travelled quite a bit on those days out of the south west but have missed most of it by either setting off early or quite late. Bideford A361 your be further up, but again around Bridgewater to Weston been particularly slow. Mid week should be OK though.
Thanks for reply

If you are supply the van then I imagine you only need to put a deposit down for conversion not pay in full.
To be honest even if they are supply van too, maybe a bigger deposit.
Do it with your credit card as that will give you some protection too.
Any company could go under but the likes of Westfalia, autohaus, Danbury, vanworxs, and many others have been trading for decades.
Just do your research.

 

[rod_vw]

I'll have a look. Can I ask, its alot of money to invest in a van. Did you check finances of the company? This will be 36 years of sweat and a bit nervous to hand over to a small ish company, even if most will be on handover I presume?

FYI just in case.

M5, A30, A303 have truly been a nightmare this summer. Especially Fri all day, Sat & Sun until early afternoon. So many people staying in the UK. I've travelled quite a bit on those days out of the south west but have missed most of it by either setting off early or quite late. Bideford A361 your be further up, but again around Bridgewater to Weston been particularly slow. Mid week should be OK though.
Thanks for reply

The deal with Atlas is that either they source the vehicle (new) and the customer pays for the base vehicle when he/she has seen it and approved that it is what has been requested then pay for the conversion at handover.
We had a very long conversation face to face with John Moore the boss at Atlas and dealt with many of the finer points of our requirements a month or so ago. However at that point he didn't have a base vehicle to our specification so was unable to convert for us this year. I then looked into ordering a vehicle both from VW and MAN and MAN won the day mainly on price, Atlas confirmed that they were happy to convert on a customer supplied vehicle.
I've attached the specification of the vehicle that we have ordered, I just hope that I have got it right. The only 'toy' that I didn't specify was Traffic Sign Recognition, maybe I should have done but my eyes have been good enough for the past fifty plus years of driving and if they aren't I should give up!

 

[Scrumpypops]

Seem to have been doing that for years

 

[Scrumpypops]

Thanks Rob that's great info

 

[Scrumpypops]

Atlas Sport Homes at Keynsham
Dreaming already. Think I'll make them my first stop.

 

[Scrumpypops]

Rod, sorry couldn't work out how to PM you. I appreciate this is a CG post but would you put a maximum distance you'd be prepared to travel or go with the best converter or conversion for you. Reason I say it, is because I like the vw crafter from vanguard, just first impressions but I'm in Devon, they're in Fort William. Obviously would need to fly but maybe your thoughts, this is all new to me. vanworx, celtic campers and atlas would be with in 3 hours for me. Also appreciate timescales will all be very long on any of them. Thinking I'll rent for a year at least if I order through conversion company.