Most protracted buying decision ever...

[HectorPascal]

Over the last three years I have been posting on this valuable forum just in case others are going through the whole experience. A quick summary:

Decided a Cali might be a fun addition to retirement life...
Signed up and read lots on this site...
Rented a Cali for a UK trip in October 2016 - its always going to be fun in summer...
Rented another Cali for a longer French summer holiday in 2017...
Looked carefully at the Marco Polo...
Looked carefully at a HymerCar...
Rented a Swift 614 Escape for another long French holiday...

Certainly, we are taking our time. There is no hurry for us and before we shell out the king's ransom that VW demand we want to be sure because it will be a once-only decision. There are also a lot of variables which continue to complicate the decision. Diesel? Brexit? Emissions & VW supply issues etc. But it's also been educational and fun.

Here are our distilled vehicle thoughts:

VW - The original and the best. Marco Polo good to drive but a poor imitation practically.
HymerCar Mercedes Sprinter pop-top version - more room inside but not necessarily more useable room. Some quality issues concerned us.
Swift Escape - Very poor quality fittings. In fact, rubbish. The loo and shower were nice enough to have but you more than pay for the convenience by having a big lumbering vehicle to haul around. 26-7 mpg though was not bad from the Fiat Ducato unit.

Other thoughts:

For the price of a couple of Calis you can buy a nice property in France and with low-cost flying here to stay you don't have to take a week's holiday just getting there and back. Add another one and you will get a detached farmhouse with a pool and an acre of ground. In 15 years time you will have an asset and not am MOT failure and the wider family can all use it. We thought the best thing would be to get 5-year old Cali and base it there. L or R-hand drive. Occasionally, bringing it back to the UK which would be a mini holiday in itself.

This is mission creep, we acknowledge, but with all this testing and research, I think it is a definite that we will fit a Cali into our lives somehow.

One thing for sure, when we do, I'll let you all know.

 

[Max-Felix]

Stop pontificating and just buy a decent used one 5 to 10 years old. If you like it and it works then great, if not sell it on - six months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 or more later, whatever! Depreciation will be minimal for sure.

You've already done more on hiring than you would have lost in depreciation.

It will be 99% the same as a brand new in virtually all respects - camping in it, driving it, looking at it - except it will have the odd bit of wear and tear. And you'll have thirty grand in the bank to play with or invest.

Only then will you know but if yes or no then it's no big deal - it will only cost you a few grand over the years to find out!

Sure, there's no hurry but life goes quick and you never know what's round the corner...

As for the strange tangent you're going off on with a French farmhouse as an alternative (?!) - the last thing I'd consider as an investment would be to buy a <strikethrough>millstone around your neck</strikethrough> property in Europe.

 

[westfalia]

Stop pontificating and just buy a decent used one 5 to 10 years old. If you like it and it works then great, if not sell it on - six months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 or more later, whatever! Depreciation will be minimal for sure.

It will be 99% the same as a brand new in virtually all respects - camping in it, driving it, looking at it - except it will have the odd bit of wear and tear. And you'll have thirty grand in the bank to play with or invest.

Only then will you know but if yes or no then it's no big deal - it will only cost you a few grand over the years to find out!

Sure, there's no hurry but life goes quick and you never know what's round the corner...

As for the strange tangent you're going off on with a French farmhouse as an alternative (?!) - the last thing I'd consider as an investment would be to buy a <strikethrough>millstone around your neck</strikethrough> property in Europe.

I couldn´t agree more.
Is there any other vehicle like it ?

I pontificate a lot about the cars on my wish list as i struggle to
comprehend blowing about 10 grand a year on depreciation.
A camper is a sure thing and people in ´the know´know that.

 

[Meoncoast]

3 years use missed. I think you can over think it. We decided we what a camper van looked at a few -decided on a Cali -bought one within a few weeks - no looking back.

 

[Jay586]

Prices haven't exactly gone down over the last three years.

I think the issue is with thinking it's a once only purchase. Given the relative lack of depreciation & the upward pressure on prices from the new vehicle cost increases, think you're ok to change your mind.

It's not a Range Rover where the house could have been bought from the depreciation.

 

[sapto]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts @HectorPascal.

IMO it‘s great to read different ways and approaches how and when we buy/bought a California/camper/MH.

My story was: 3 years ago, 33 something, I just knew I want a California (never slept in one before, just knew life is/can be too short). Budget to none, I start looking at used ones. Was a bad time of year (spring) and however found one (SE, 131 hp, 2.5 TDI, FWD, 90k on the clock and 10 years old). The owner (nr. 2) took care of the van, seldom used the kitchen or fridge. He asked for CHF 36K and I paid. Never looked back since then. Try to be gentle to van (&use it as much as we can), do every asked service and never wanted to change.

I guess there are a lot more stories like ours here. So please keep us updated with your decision

 

[2haw]

Over the last three years I have been posting on this valuable forum just in case others are going through the whole experience. A quick summary:

Decided a Cali might be a fun addition to retirement life...
Signed up and read lots on this site...
Rented a Cali for a UK trip in October 2016 - its always going to be fun in summer...
Rented another Cali for a longer French summer holiday in 2017...
Looked carefully at the Marco Polo...
Looked carefully at a HymerCar...
Rented a Swift 614 Escape for another long French holiday...

Certainly, we are taking our time. There is no hurry for us and before we shell out the king's ransom that VW demand we want to be sure because it will be a once-only decision. There are also a lot of variables which continue to complicate the decision. Diesel? boris bike? Emissions & VW supply issues etc. But it's also been educational and fun.

Here are our distilled vehicle thoughts:

VW - The original and the best. Marco Polo good to drive but a poor imitation practically.
HymerCar Mercedes Sprinter pop-top version - more room inside but not necessarily more useable room. Some quality issues concerned us.
Swift Escape - Very poor quality fittings. In fact, rubbish. The loo and shower were nice enough to have but you more than pay for the convenience by having a big lumbering vehicle to haul around. 26-7 mpg though was not bad from the Fiat Ducato unit.

Other thoughts:

For the price of a couple of Calis you can buy a nice property in France and with low-cost flying here to stay you don't have to take a week's holiday just getting there and back. Add another one and you will get a detached farmhouse with a pool and an acre of ground. In 15 years time you will have an asset and not am MOT failure and the wider family can all use it. We thought the best thing would be to get 5-year old Cali and base it there. L or R-hand drive. Occasionally, bringing it back to the UK which would be a mini holiday in itself.

This is mission creep, we acknowledge, but with all this testing and research, I think it is a definite that we will fit a Cali into our lives somehow.

One thing for sure, when we do, I'll let you all know.

As others have said, buy it now.
The depreciation over the last 3 years would probably be the same as a couple of good holidays.

 

[WelshGas]

Anything to avoid airports and budget airlines.

 

[Eber123]

Good afternoon,

I don't know what started it, but about 2-3 years ago I watched all available YouTube videos about the VW California. My wife and I never camped in the last 32 years, but we were out and about on hikes very often. So, we thought when I retire we get one of these vehicles to use it as base for hiking, pick nick and tours.

When last year the chance came along to buy a VW California Ocean my wife suggested to go for it (!). Time is flying and waiting for something can be a waste. Do we know that we are actually well in a few years? Also financially everything is sorted then.

At the moment there is a huge advantage with the VW California, if it not turns out as we planned we can sell the van without losing too much money.

So we went for it last November and have not looked back. Have we used it a lot? No we haven't. Based on sickness of a family member we can't leave home as much as we wanted, but still we enjoy the van.

With luck we can go ahead with our plan traveling through Europe (Germany, Polen, Italy and Spain) next summer and if I retire in a few years we toying with the idea to drive trough America and Canada for a few months (if we can afford it).

What I am trying to say is - just to go for it and don't wait too long.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[Perfectos]

Buy it, use it, enjoy life while you can, you can always sell it on if the fun stops. (Which it won’t) a Cali becomes part of a way of life, (enhancing)

Take a leap of faith and enjoy the buzz

 

[KiwiTiki]

If it's taken you three years and no purchase and you're now comparing apples and oranges between a Cali and a holiday home it sounds like your heart's not in it and you're looking for reasons not to buy. Life's too short - if you really want it go get it. if it's not for you there are plenty of exit options as other's have suggested.

 

[flying banana]

I wondered about leaving home when I was 26. Thought about the cost etc. But got my own gaff and suddenly found it was the best thing I ever did. Taking birds home. Lounging on the settee watching porn. Never looked back. Wish I'd done it sooner (sorry mum. Your cooking is still great). And then comes to cars. Always bought 2nd hand run abouts. And then I got a cali beach. Again it was awesome and I think how many more birds I could have had if I had a vw camper instead of my Peugeot 205. I digress. Point is they are fantastic. Use mine constantly. And even look for excuses to go out on the Rd. Do it.

 

[HectorPascal]

Over the last three years I have been posting on this valuable forum just in case others are going through the whole experience. A quick summary:

Decided a Cali might be a fun addition to retirement life...
Signed up and read lots on this site...
Rented a Cali for a UK trip in October 2016 - its always going to be fun in summer...
Rented another Cali for a longer French summer holiday in 2017...
Looked carefully at the Marco Polo...
Looked carefully at a HymerCar...
Rented a Swift 614 Escape for another long French holiday...

Certainly, we are taking our time. There is no hurry for us and before we shell out the king's ransom that VW demand we want to be sure because it will be a once-only decision. There are also a lot of variables which continue to complicate the decision. Diesel? boris bike? Emissions & VW supply issues etc. But it's also been educational and fun.

Here are our distilled vehicle thoughts:

VW - The original and the best. Marco Polo good to drive but a poor imitation practically.
HymerCar Mercedes Sprinter pop-top version - more room inside but not necessarily more useable room. Some quality issues concerned us.
Swift Escape - Very poor quality fittings. In fact, rubbish. The loo and shower were nice enough to have but you more than pay for the convenience by having a big lumbering vehicle to haul around. 26-7 mpg though was not bad from the Fiat Ducato unit.

Other thoughts:

For the price of a couple of Calis you can buy a nice property in France and with low-cost flying here to stay you don't have to take a week's holiday just getting there and back. Add another one and you will get a detached farmhouse with a pool and an acre of ground. In 15 years time you will have an asset and not am MOT failure and the wider family can all use it. We thought the best thing would be to get 5-year old Cali and base it there. L or R-hand drive. Occasionally, bringing it back to the UK which would be a mini holiday in itself.

This is mission creep, we acknowledge, but with all this testing and research, I think it is a definite that we will fit a Cali into our lives somehow.

One thing for sure, when we do, I'll let you all know.

 

[HectorPascal]

Well, to a man (or woman), you are all ardent in your clearly-heartfelt recommendations... to stop pratting about and get on with it. Thanks for taking the time to reply - no really - even if your frustration with me sometimes shows through a bit.

Nearly all of you on this site are proud owners and it's reassuring for us - and other prospective Cali investors - to hear that.

The main reason we have not done anything yet is, as I said, we are not quite at the stage where we can get full use of it - still a PAYE slave. Some of the comments I have made in the past have been a bit mischievous, and intended to provoke a reaction in what sometimes seems like a Cali-worship sect. So, sorry for any offence and the ultimate affirmation that you are correct will be when we join you all.

Time is not being lost though. We have been having fun trying and testing so when we do take the plunge we will be unusually qualified to do so and again, largely thanks to the folks on this site. I would have not have known about the HymerCar and the Westphalia Kepler One but for comments from Cali owners.

Whether we do invest in a French farmhouse or not (and if we do, you are all most welcome to come and have a glass on us when you are passing by) it is almost a dead cert that we'll have a Cali to go along with it. After all, we already have the porta-potty, gas cylinders, pic-nic table, chairs and other paraphernalia so we are already past the point of no return.

Cheers all.

 

[Zebedee]

If you have money for a new Cali you could get a second hand cali and a french house! We did. Look in central Brittany round Rostrenen area billy bargain lovely houses plus 700 beaches within an hours drive and a great base to travel Eurooe in your second hand cali. Houses can be had for 20k € ! Bought the cali first then the house. We love our flexibility and I’m still working with more than a decade to go to retirement. Enjoy life.

 

[2haw]

If you have money for a new Cali you could get a second hand cali and a french house! We did. Look in central Brittany round Rostrenen area billy bargain lovely houses plus 700 beaches within an hours drive and a great base to travel Eurooe in your second hand cali. Houses can be had for 20k € ! Bought the cali first then the house. We love our flexibility and I’m still working with more than a decade to go to retirement. Enjoy life.

Would love to do this.. Have tried looking online before.

20k€, where do you recommend the best place to look to find something?

 

[David Marsh]

Over the last three years I have been posting on this valuable forum just in case others are going through the whole experience. A quick summary:

Decided a Cali might be a fun addition to retirement life...
Signed up and read lots on this site...
Rented a Cali for a UK trip in October 2016 - its always going to be fun in summer...
Rented another Cali for a longer French summer holiday in 2017...
Looked carefully at the Marco Polo...
Looked carefully at a HymerCar...
Rented a Swift 614 Escape for another long French holiday...

Certainly, we are taking our time. There is no hurry for us and before we shell out the king's ransom that VW demand we want to be sure because it will be a once-only decision. There are also a lot of variables which continue to complicate the decision. Diesel? boris bike? Emissions & VW supply issues etc. But it's also been educational and fun.

Here are our distilled vehicle thoughts:

VW - The original and the best. Marco Polo good to drive but a poor imitation practically.
HymerCar Mercedes Sprinter pop-top version - more room inside but not necessarily more useable room. Some quality issues concerned us.
Swift Escape - Very poor quality fittings. In fact, rubbish. The loo and shower were nice enough to have but you more than pay for the convenience by having a big lumbering vehicle to haul around. 26-7 mpg though was not bad from the Fiat Ducato unit.

Other thoughts:

For the price of a couple of Calis you can buy a nice property in France and with low-cost flying here to stay you don't have to take a week's holiday just getting there and back. Add another one and you will get a detached farmhouse with a pool and an acre of ground. In 15 years time you will have an asset and not am MOT failure and the wider family can all use it. We thought the best thing would be to get 5-year old Cali and base it there. L or R-hand drive. Occasionally, bringing it back to the UK which would be a mini holiday in itself.

This is mission creep, we acknowledge, but with all this testing and research, I think it is a definite that we will fit a Cali into our lives somehow.

One thing for sure, when we do, I'll let you all know.

Over the last three years I have been posting on this valuable forum just in case others are going through the whole experience. A quick summary:

Decided a Cali might be a fun addition to retirement life...
Signed up and read lots on this site...
Rented a Cali for a UK trip in October 2016 - its always going to be fun in summer...
Rented another Cali for a longer French summer holiday in 2017...
Looked carefully at the Marco Polo...
Looked carefully at a HymerCar...
Rented a Swift 614 Escape for another long French holiday...

Certainly, we are taking our time. There is no hurry for us and before we shell out the king's ransom that VW demand we want to be sure because it will be a once-only decision. There are also a lot of variables which continue to complicate the decision. Diesel? boris bike? Emissions & VW supply issues etc. But it's also been educational and fun.

Here are our distilled vehicle thoughts:

VW - The original and the best. Marco Polo good to drive but a poor imitation practically.
HymerCar Mercedes Sprinter pop-top version - more room inside but not necessarily more useable room. Some quality issues concerned us.
Swift Escape - Very poor quality fittings. In fact, rubbish. The loo and shower were nice enough to have but you more than pay for the convenience by having a big lumbering vehicle to haul around. 26-7 mpg though was not bad from the Fiat Ducato unit.

Other thoughts:

For the price of a couple of Calis you can buy a nice property in France and with low-cost flying here to stay you don't have to take a week's holiday just getting there and back. Add another one and you will get a detached farmhouse with a pool and an acre of ground. In 15 years time you will have an asset and not am MOT failure and the wider family can all use it. We thought the best thing would be to get 5-year old Cali and base it there. L or R-hand drive. Occasionally, bringing it back to the UK which would be a mini holiday in itself.

This is mission creep, we acknowledge, but with all this testing and research, I think it is a definite that we will fit a Cali into our lives somehow.

One thing for sure, when we do, I'll let you all know.

 

[David Marsh]

Good morning HectorPascal.
We have a home in the UK, in north Lancashire. We also have a home here in Cervera del Maestre in Spain where we are at the moment. We travel between the two in our Cali SE, no flight delays etc etc.
As with most things bricks and mortar here in Spain, we own a depreciating asset. As with most things that have a wheel at each corner, we own a depreciating asset. It's only money, get yourself a Cali. Easy to drive, easy to park, easy on fuel.
Sadly, both the house here in Spain and the Cali are going on the market. We're at an age that makes us realise time is very precious and what with one or three health issues it is time for some other person or persons to enjoy the fruits of our labours.
Go on, get yourself a Cali, you know it makes sense.

 

[Meerkat1234]

Hello HectorPascal,

Your post did make us laugh. We thought our decision making was ridiculous and embarrassing, we were taking so long. Through nearly all the routes and possibilities you wrote of.

But here we are a few days from taking delivery of our Ocean (4wd etc btw, another torturous decision!).

We have property to do up, and buy, and other things that need investment too. A new Cali is a huge purchase for us.

But for us, we thought we still can do the other, and soon too because life carries on, and we can start the Cali life now, not later. We really feel the Cali will enable us to do more too (work, rest and play in it), and make the other things happen sooner anyway.

So only a temporary either/or choice, the rest will happen too and meanwhile we get enriched right now.