High Top California / Club Joker

[SpuffingtonMe]

Just to add my two pennies.

I had a T6 Cali Ocean for 15months - driven by the same desires for compact vehicle (second car) and camping adventures. I never got on with the pop roof (lack of ceiling height) and draughts from the tent roof or worry about high winds/lashing rain. Lots will be happy with it, I wasn’t. Coming from motorhoming, it was all too much of a compromise.

I’m collecting a new Knaus Boxdrive 600XL next week. We looked at Club Jokers too but also felt they were a touch too small for the amount of money they’re commanding.

The main reason I’m replying though is because I was also disappointed at how poorly specced some base vehicles were - my own new one included. But some careful research has found HazzyDayz who specialise in retrofitting VAG options. Of course, you pay a premium versus factory list price but if they’re hugely important to you and you find the right vehicle hab wise, it’s worth it IMO.

In my case, I’m retrofitting TransporterHQ LED headlights to the MAN TGE and it’s going to HazzyDayz for heated seats, heated windscreen and leather steering wheel once I’ve saved up again after the £97k purchase price (eek).

Good luck with whatever you decide. It’s all one huge compromise. For me, the additional length as a daily/parked outside the house is well worth it for more practicality and comfort when camping or wilding/offgridding. Others will see it differently, of course.

 

[flying banana]

That joker at camprrsales is in your budget and looks really smart. If I was going hardtop I'd have one of those. have had my t6ocean 5 plus years now.never let me down. roof has never been an issue for me. The 6.1s have had roof issues from faulty pumps and software issues with that touch screen. If you go 6.1 get one with a warranty. My only bugbear with a pop top is the noise from neighbours but not a problem if you find quiet spots like this like me last week. Good luck in your hunt.

 

[Wannabecamperman]

Looks like you've done plenty of research already and you're making some great points. Some experience from a year in an Ocean:

Things that are good or not actually issues in practice with the pop-roof / Ocean:

• No roof leaks that I know of. And while I'm sure leaks do happen sometime, it doesn't strike me to be a common enough issue to be a main factor here.
• Roof bed does get freezing in winter as the heater doesn't reach there. Not found it to be an issue in practice - we just carry an extra double feather duvet for people sleeping upstairs so they're nice and toasty. It would be nice of course if it wasn't cold in the first place but not much of an issue. And only a problem when camping in the cold season.
• Blinds, DLR box, LED headlights are brilliant.

Things that are issues in practice:

• Not being able to stand up without popping the roof is defo very frustrating. It's quick and easy enough to pop the roof but enough of a hassle that you won't do it at every short break. Plus it makes it obvious you're camping, which is not appropriate in many places.
• You haven't mentioned it but wind is also a big issue with pop-up roofs. It gets extremely noisy in there when windy. And in case of strong enough wind, you may have to close (or not open) the roof. Since there's no way to know when you've hit that point, it can get quite stressful camping in windy places. That's actually the main issue I have with having a pop-up roof (probably because I live and spend a lot of time camping in Ireland all year round where it's often windy). There again, that's only an issue if you camp in very windy places, which is usually an autumn/winter problem.

Things that don't matter:

• As a big geek, I was really excited to get the digital dash. In practice, it's just meh. Defo wouldn't be a loss if it was gone tomorrow. The VW satnav is rubbish so in practice, you'll use Google Maps / Waze / Apple Maps and won't use the map on the dash. Means the digital dash doesn't really give you anything useful or better than the traditional dash. It doesn't even have the fancy themes you'll find on other cars - just plain and boring.

The one deciding factor between pop-up roof and high-top:

• For us being able to fit under 2m barriers easily makes up for all the compromises above and then some. There's almost not a day when I'm not thankful we have a van that can fit under 2m barriers. A high-top would make our van a lot less useful and travel a lot more frustrating. But that's because we live and travel in places where 2m and 2.2m barriers are the norm (especially around touristic and coastal places, which is where we want to go). And our van is our only car.

If I were you, I'd really look at where and how you'll use your van and if being able to fit in height-limited car parks will be important (it might not be, in which case, high-top all the way). Because that's really the key point.

Thanks @Mehdime - this is very helpful and insightful. My plans are to use the van for 2/3 people at weekends in the UK during summer months and then full-time in South of France, Spain (or Gibraltar if I have an issue with the 3 month visa thing now we've left the EU!!) for the winter months.

I probably won't ski with it as my pals have a winterised Wildax and it's still too cold and cramped to dry the gear for my liking, so I'll stick to chalets for ski holidays.

I'm a semi-retired digital nomad, so fairly flexible though I'll be cash poor and time rich once I acquire the van, meaning that finding barrier-less car parks shouldn't be too big an issue.

From this and the many replies (thank you everyone ) I've narrowed it down to:

1) An AUTO DSG Club Joker - it has to be auto, coming from a 9G-Tronic Mercedes I just can't bear the idea of manual again. I also love that they are only 5.3m not the 5.4 that the Pilote, Summit Primes and Knaus Boxlifes all are. That 10cms make a big difference I feel when in a typical 4.8m bay. The VWs are also narrower which I like. I know I'll have to hold on and will probably only get a 2018/2019 one due to being so rare here in the UK. I'll probably also have to buy the aftermarket LED lights upgrade too.

2&3) Either the T6.1 Ocean, probably 2020/2021. I adore the large windows and great all round vision with the Cali, versus some conversions, OR a high-top Transporter or Transit, preferably with roof windows AND a Heki rooflight. I have seen pump-up showers that go into a blow up paddling pool used very effectively in a high top vehicle, though I guess it could also be used with the Cali roof up. Preferred suppliers are Jerba, Auto Campers and Wellhouse.

Thanks again for everyone's contributions. I have daily updates from most of the main motorhome stockists plus Gumtree, ebay, Auto Trader and motors.co.uk and am poised to pounce!

 

[Wannabecamperman]

That joker at camprrsales is in your budget and looks really smart. If I was going hardtop I'd have one of those. have had my t6ocean 5 plus years now.never let me down. roof has never been an issue for me. The 6.1s have had roof issues from faulty pumps and software issues with that touch screen. If you go 6.1 get one with a warranty. My only bugbear with a pop top is the noise from neighbours but not a problem if you find quiet spots like this like me last week. Good luck in your hunt.

View attachment 108753

May I ask where that is? I had envisaged using Britstops for my UK overnights but that 'wild camping' spot looks ace!

 

[Lambeth Cali]

If I wanted a great campervan for circa £60k, the words Transit and conversion would not be involved at all. I wouldn’t spend that money on something made of mdf and fibreglass.

I can see the sense in high-tops having rented one in NZ for a month. But that has drawbacks.

The very new vans appear to have some leaky canvases but you’re not getting a new van. The California is made like nothing else. I have a 15 year old California and a 15 year old Golf Gti. Both cherished. I can’t begin to imagine what a 15 year old Transit or Focus or conversion would look like now.

By far the biggest downside are the dealers are appalling.

 

[Mehdime]

I can see the sense in high-tops having rented one in NZ for a month. But that has drawbacks.

I’m not the OP but interested in hearing your experience of the drawbacks of high tops (apart from the obvious - the height).

 

[flying banana]

May I ask where that is? I had envisaged using Britstops for my UK overnights but that 'wild camping' spot looks ace!

It's in the lake district. The beautiful borrowdale. Its not wild camping as such as its an actual campsite but the road is so narrow no great whites can get on there. £8 a night. Farmer comes round and gets the money. Impossible to phone him as no signal. Stonethwaite farm.
Also. I would use searchforsites app rather than britstops.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I’m not the OP but interested in hearing your experience of the drawbacks of high tops (apart from the obvious - the height).

I loved it in NZ.
Very visibly a camper, so not stealthy and yes, height but not a lot else to not like. I also don’t like fibreglass roofs as my friends Westphalia just slowly peeled and disintegrated. Oh yes and I hate white vans!
Otherwise I’ve wondered - on this forum somewhere - about converting a California to a hardtop. You wouldn’t be able to keep the same bed. Somebody has done something similar but only a 2 sleeper.

Hardtop California wanted!?

Has anyone ever wanted a hardtop/high top California? With the problems with my roof sensors, I could imagine just preferring a solid high top. I imagine a fibreglass one would be easy to source but it would have to aluminium, body colour for me. The first van I rented was a high top Toyota...

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