Is the Grand California a success?

[SpuffingtonMe]

It's mainly subjective, right?

A KB is much better for you than a GC so you bought a KB. Sounds like it was a good decision because you're convinced you have a better van.

I much prefer the GC 680 particular from an aesthetic perspective. So I bought a GC. Good decision too because I love the thing.

You saw many hire company GCs and chose to believe VW must be doing incredible deals to persuade otherwise reluctant companies to buy their vans.
An alternative view would be that camper hire companies' purchasers really know what they're doing when it comes to buying vans - more so than the average private buyer - and they believe the quality and sell-on values will be higher for a GC.
Who knows which of these is true? Maybe neither. Maybe a bit of both.

Fair enough. I wasn’t posting to be controversial, more to point out the fact the thread started with the question as to whether they were a success. Certainly on the continent (and Germany in particular), they seem to be. Whether that’s down to VW support or not, the main thing is, I saw lots wherever I went which isn’t the case in the UK.

I’ve nothing against that whatsoever. I personally think the layout works very well for a family of four.

I also prefer the aesthetics of the 680 and would have it in both GC or KBD form if we didn’t need the extra berth(s).

I’m not concerned with the Knaus vs VW topic per se. I bought the Knaus version for particular reasons around the longer second double bed over the GC but trying to actually inform the fact there are a lot on the roads in Europe in contrast to the U.K. Whatever the reasons are for that, who knows. I guess what I’m more trying to say is I think there’s a lot of prejudice against this size/layout of van, for no good reason as I see it from my experience (and it sounds like yours also).

 

[reserves]

I started this thread 4 years ago.

Still can’t help thinking what a missed opportunity the Grand Cali is, especially having viewed similar length vans from Westfalia and Hymer.

Not saying it’s awful, just that clearly for me it wasn’t the same design team or budget as the original California. There seems to be a distinct lack of clever design that makes the California what it is. The table in the sliding door, the chairs in the tailgate, the sliding table in the living area. The ‘warmth’ the cali has when the front chairs are swivelled (less so for me in the T6.1 with its dark interior)

The clear design flaws (to me at least) like putting the vent under an opening window etc. The fact you can’t put a roof rack on the roof! The heavy and awkward table. The way the rear bed folds.

So, why have I come back for a little moan?

Become more than ever we want to buy a van around 6m with a fixed bed, shower / toilet. We’ve loved all our Calis (T5, 5.1 and 6) and for us we naturally want the Grand to deliver as well as the California does.

I’d love to know what happened at VW, guessing it was lack of budget due to the much smaller numbers of sales, I’m sure I read somewhere that the Grand sells 1 unit for every 200 Californias (I might have imagined that).

I’m not saying that the Westfalia and Hymers are much better, but as these are technically ‘conversions’ I imagine they had more restrictions. Whereas it would seem VW design team would have had more opportunities to create bespoke and clever parts.

Whenever anyone asks me if I recommend the California over a conversion, my answer is always 100% yes.

VW could have made the Grand California that easy if a decision. They’ve given Westfalia and Hymer a chance to be on the same playing field whereas they could have made the Grand Cali the default option, instead it’s just one of the options, to me at least and of course in no way am I stating I’m right, it’s just my opinion. This is all subjective.

Rant over!

Would still love one, but just felt a little gutted about what might have been.