How many other brave souls just dived straight in?!

[CampervanTime]

I've been thinking recently about our impending build and delivery of our Cali and just wondered how many others on here have done what we have... Just dived straight in at the deep end and ordered a new (or ex demo) van at great expense, after never having had a camper before.

We love the outdoors, have been tent camping many times but have only ever hired a T6 Ocean once for 3 days the did the deed!!

Are we just idiots or is this a normal phenomenon?!!

 

[WelshGas]

I've been thinking recently about our impending build and delivery of our Cali and just wondered how many others on here have done what we have... Just dived straight in at the deep end and ordered a new (or ex demo) van at great expense, after never having had a camper before.

We love the outdoors, have been tent camping many times but have only ever hired a T6 Ocean once for 3 days the did the deed!!

Are we just idiots or is this a normal phenomenon?!!

Didn’t even hire one before I got mine. Had camped and caravanned but never a camper or Motorhome. Love it.
Picked it up 1st December 2014. Weekend away 4 days later. Spent 7 days over that Christmas in it and haven’t looked back since.

 

[Bill R]

Ive never hired or owned one before, went to the Caravan/Motorhome show in October purely as a day out with no thoughts of owning any kind of van.
5 days later as a result of what I saw at the show, I ordered a brand new demo T6 Cali Ocean at my local dealer !
So don't Have any doubts, I smile every time I look at it

 

[Digger]

I've been thinking recently about our impending build and delivery of our Cali and just wondered how many others on here have done what we have... Just dived straight in at the deep end and ordered a new (or ex demo) van at great expense, after never having had a camper before.

We love the outdoors, have been tent camping many times but have only ever hired a T6 Ocean once for 3 days the did the deed!!

Are we just idiots or is this a normal phenomenon?!!

Yes IDIOT
Intelligent
Discerning
Individuals
Of
Taste
Welcome to the world of adventure and use the California as intended. Best wishes.

 

[Amarillo]

We planned our year's trip in our van for a full year before ordering - but never tried out beyond two half hour test drives.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Jabberwocky]

Wow! Respect to all of you! We were more cautious needless to say. Rented two conversions first which was enough to tell us if we were going to do the "Cali Life" thing only a genuine Cali would do. I could drone on about the conversations and their short comings but I wont......
I say, look forward and enjoy. My Dad used to say don't look back you won't find a future there - how true.

 

[Jay586]

No notion of campers before, had just owned a couple of small vans. Just decided that it would fit what we needed for the dogs and family circumstances. Tried to buy a Cali, then got a van and got it converted at vast expense. This took a while as the converter had a 3-month wait, so it was interesting process from start to finish, great project if you like that sort of thing.

Not actually gone camping yet, so the pop-top is at a thousand quid a rise atm, but very happy with the heater and it's done the things I need it to, eg, mobile kennel and space away from fireworks!

Even if it had gone wrong, the sums worked for the OH (after considerable discussion) and now if something doesn't work for us, it gets sold and there's a good market for vans.

 

[CALI FATE]

I had never even been in Camper, visited a dealer or driven a VW van before i ordered a bright yellow Beach - ive wanted one for a long time, and when the opportunity came along i just rang through the order and waited for the Cali to arrive - i love it and will keep it long term.

 

[LadySmiff]

We went straight in as well! We'd hired a conversion to go to a festival a few years ago and we've always talked about getting one. Timing just seemed right & fortune favours the brave

And now all we have to do is wait.... It's built and sitting in the factory pending this emissions "fix"



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[GrannyJen]

I dived straight in but I was buying for quite a specific project lasting two years after which I was going to exchange it for something sensible.

Well, my timetable slipped

After 4 years I traded it in ...... for probably the most sensible vehicle on the planet....... another Cali

 

[Meoncoast]

We bought our 1st van in 2012 decided camper van (not a motor home).decided Cali (not a conversion) - 2 weeks later picked up.
If you can manage a tent which we last did in 1978 you can manager a van.--- Unless you want 5 star hotel for all your holidays and do not expect a van to drive like sports car I would say no looking back.

 

[kave]

I have seen an Ocean once on the showroomfloor. I ordered a new Beach from germany because it is not sold here. I now have 1.5 years of ownership and I dont regret it. Now one of my friends has bought a demo from germany too.

 

[Bramco]

I had never even been in Camper, visited a dealer or driven a VW van before i ordered a bright yellow Beach

Same here - but yellow!! Nope, would have clashed seriously with the front door, so the only choice was black. Have to admit I'd driven a van before but that was in the early 70's so a bit different.

Should also ad it was a retirement thing and we're so glad we did it. Took a long time from order to delivery (long story) but in the last 3 years we've had some great adventures. 6 weeks round Italy was our first big trip, then last year down through Austria to Slovenia and Croatia and back through the Dolomites - another 6 weeks.

This year, we're weighing up going back down to Slovenia, Croatia and more or going north east to Latvia etc. and then maybe across to Helsinki and back through Sweden. Longer drive but until we get to Helsinki it will be places we've never been before.

 

[Mr & Mrs B]

We camped and caravanned, but had always wanted a campervan. We hired one for a weekend on a 'Try Before You Buy' and loved it so took the money from my pension and bought one. It's the best decision we've ever made and we love our Cali.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

Didn't hire, or test drive (none available at the time.) Went from first thought, to "ordered" within a month. Was ordered August 2016, arrived January 2017..... 104x night sleeping in the van since..... Love it, and a great decision all around.

Never had a camper before, my Grandad had a T25 tho, memories of it as a kid.

We've motorbike toured over the years, motels and the odd campsite on route..... The Cali is an divergence from that way of life I suppose, we can now bring our push-bikes and dog touring..... So, it's all smiles!

 

[David Eccles]

34 years with same Split bus, then in 2010 was loaned new 5.1 Cali Press vehicle...split bus went up for sale the next week!
Indundated with buyers, but it actually took another 18 months till I could part emotionally with it .... and whilst I still am emotionally attached to old buses I don't want to own one again (unless I win the lottery then it's a fire truck toy!!!) I love a bit of comfort and luxury in my dotage!

 

[Hotel California]

Wanted a California since my early 20's but could not affort one.
Finally got one @age 38 and only test drove it for 1h never hired or camped in one.
Had some previous experience with sleeping/camping on top of Defender in a Hannibal rooftent.
Acutally i never was in to camping and sleeping in a tent , but having a Cali we do not call it camping but glamping...

 

[Ocean Spirit]

I hired one for a week but thought long and hard for a while before doing that.
Was going for a used one but the delay from getting the spec I wanted talked me right up into the benefits of a new one. But I never had a camper before.
I don't think diving right in on a Cali is the same as diving right in like an idiot on many other purchases. A VW California just doesn't resonate as an impulse buy to me, it's too far off the beaten track to just jump in and make a huge mistake. Sure some options may strike you that way after purchase but not the vehicle, you had to have formed some sort of relationship with it in your mind for it to be so visible on your radar.

 

[Kevthegas]

I dived straight in but I was buying for quite a specific project lasting two years after which I was going to exchange it for something sensible.

Well, my timetable slipped

After 4 years I traded it in ...... for probably the most sensible vehicle on the planet....... another Cali

Hi Jen,
Hope all is good?
When you looked at the Marco Polo did you consider the Westfalia Club Joker ?

http://www.vwcampersales.com/camper-guide/westfalia/club-joker/

Apart from the height issue for multi storey carparks which I try to avoid, I am really tempted by
one. Probably by this summer we will be down to 2 kids holidaying with us so it will be doable?

Any thoughts /

Kev

 

[Broch Hunter]

We had never had a camper before, but in recent years had been motorcycle touring and camping. Once both of us were retired we thought a Camper would be very useful and a lot more comfortable, so we started looking. In the space of a week we had decided upon and and ordered a new California Ocean. We did start out looking at much lower budget campers, but once we sat in a new Cali in the showroom the solution was obvious.

It has been everything we hoped it would be and have no regrets at all.

 

[Paulro]

I'd never even camped or been near a camp site.
Bought ours and haven't looked back.
We love it and will keep it forever, or as long as we can do it.
Also, we've still not seen a camp site.
Wild always for us.

 

[BerndRos]

Looked at the brochure in Autumn 2009 for a T5, ordered a T5 facelift which were to be available from Spring 2010, took delivery on 1st March 2010. Did not even have a test drive.

 

[GrannyJen]

Hi Jen,
Hope all is good?
When you looked at the Marco Polo did you consider the Westfalia Club Joker ?

http://www.vwcampersales.com/camper-guide/westfalia/club-joker/

Apart from the height issue for multi storey carparks which I try to avoid, I am really tempted by
one. Probably by this summer we will be down to 2 kids holidaying with us so it will be doable?

Any thoughts /

Kev

Hello Kev

Yes, I looked very hard at it.

Height was the thing. It's not just the "what can I get under", which for a vehicle that is daily driven is a big consideration, but also the mental attitude that goes with it. At the moment I am in a van, I don't mind a van getting roughed up on off-road tracks, or even on the M25, or squeezed down narrow country lanes having to push hedges out of the way as I go, or just pulled to the side of the road, roof raised, kettle on, bed made.

In my head the club joker was a motorhome with all the preciousness that came back from when I once had a motorhome,

However, if I am truthful, it was not the Marco Polo that was tempting me away from a Cali, it was the Joker. A seriously nice, well put together, innovative bit of kit.

 

[Jay20cali]

Having had camper vans since I was a teenager,,
we have had 28years of the outdoors camper van lifestyle. it was just a natural progression to go for a California ,
Way more expensive than our first T2. That had no heating, sink or fridge, but it had a cooker a pop top and a bed, and to us that was fantastic .we did tents in stopgaps, but a camper van is just awsome,
driving along in your own little home with all your own stuff is fantastic .
I could never be without one!!!
Jump in and the adventure begins...
Enjoy you will be hooked for life now.!!!

 

[GrannyJen]

we have done tents in stopgaps but a camper van is just awsome,driving along in your own little home with all your own stuff is fantastic .

This says it all