New 2024 California (Multivan) Brochure & Price List

[edocali]

I like the Nugget as a camper, but not as a tourer or day tripper. The Nugget kitchen can't be used unless the pop top is opened and the upper bed is in the upright position. No coffee in the morning while the other half is still upstairs in bed. No coffee on the road when you're using the van as an office.

You should consider the City Dreamer. I saw it recently as a 7 seater with kitchen block on the side and double sliding doors on a Ford Transit base. It actually looked quite nice at an affordable price.
City by Dreamer

I like the Nugget as a camper, but not as a tourer or day tripper. The Nugget kitchen can't be used unless the pop top is opened and the upper bed is in the upright position. No coffee in the morning while the other half is still upstairs in bed. No coffee on the road when you're using the van as an office.

You should consider the City Dreamer. I saw it recently as a 7 seater with kitchen block on the side and double sliding doors on a Ford Transit base. It actually looked quite nice at an affordable price.
City by Dreamer

I hadn’t realised the Nugget kitchen relies on the top up!!! Crazy. We use our T6 for picnics snacks and I use it a lot as office …
Thankfully I expect it to remain in my hands for another good number of years and the replacement game is just a game

 

[PipPip]

Interesting reading all these comments. We are planning to buy a petrol T7 Ocean next year. We’ve never owned a camper- this would be our first.

Our camping use will be for just my wife and I as our 16 and 18 year olds are definitely not into camping, hiking or cycling like their parents. So the van would just be for two us plus our springer spaniel. I will be retiring next year aged 55, my wife is 50. It will be used by the two of us for early retirement trips around UK and Europe with bikes on a towbar bike rack. The ability to remove one of the back seats for these trips to give extra floor space is a massive bonus over the T6.1 in our eyes. For cooking we would have a separate Cadac to use outdoors and we already have a single plug in induction hob that we could use as a second burner when on electric hook up if needed. We don’t view the single burner as a deal breaker like some seem to.

It would also need to serve as our “big” family car. We have a ski apartment in the Alps so in winter months it would be crossing France with the whole family and dog on board multiple times per ski season. We are unlikely to sleep in the camper in Europe in mid winter as we’ll be skiing and staying in a nice warm apartment. My teens absolutely hated the bench seat in the T6.1 when we tried one and can’t imagine being sat on it for our regular 12 hour drives to the Alps. The T7 rear seats are a massive step up for adult size passengers, particularly the ability to slide one further forward and one further back so they aren’t elbow to elbow.

Our use case is maybe quite unique but it would definitely work for us and has some big advantages over a T6.1 for us.

 

[Skorn]

The removable seats are another big plus for me. Being able to use the car as a normal van on occasion is very useful.

 

[WelshGas]

The removable seats are another big plus for me. Being able to use the car as a normal van on occasion is very useful.

If the seats are the same as those in my new Multivan, which I believe they are, they are so easy to remove. Fold flat, hand under front , pull red tab at back and lift out. Weigh about 20 kg or less( bag of coal). No dismantling of rails etc.

 

[Chris Greaves]

Always possible VW made a mistake. But I imagine that they looked at the market and saw that people who can afford something like this are by and large whealhty retired couples who only use their van in the summer months, only ever stay at campsites, don’t cook in the van, only ever use the hob to occasionally boil water for tea, and don’t need a huge amount of storage since it’s just the two of them.

It’s no longer a family-friendly camper. But I can only imagine that this was a small enough niche that it did not matter.

Hey, apart from the ‘wealthy’ bit, that’s me you’re describing, proud fair weather camper! You forgot to include the need of a nighttime toilet visit, which there is no storage space for in the new T7. Big, big mistake on VWs part.

It’s also no longer a retiree-friendly camper!

 

[hirsty]

Our camping use will be for just my wife and I as our 16 and 18 year olds are definitely not into camping, hiking or cycling like their parents. So the van would just be for two us plus our springer spaniel. I will be retiring next year aged 55, my wife is 50. It will be used by the two of us for early retirement trips around UK and Europe with bikes on a towbar bike rack. The ability to remove one of the back seats for these trips to give extra floor space is a massive bonus over the T6.1 in our eyes.

I feel much the same - I understand many of the comments on how the new design will make things harder for some, but for others the changes are an improvement.

I use our van by myself as well on occasion - sleeping downstairs - and understand that the mattress (shown folded on the rear shelf in brochure pics) can also be supported on the black part of the kitchen module to make up the bed, so I could use the van with the LHS seat removed and have a lot more interior space eg: transport a bike inside longways / bags on the floor etc.

 

[WelshGas]

I may be wrong but I don't see the iconic tailgate bike rack being available for the New California without a different tailgate.

 

[PipPip]

I may be wrong but I don't see the iconic tailgate bike rack being available for the New California without a different tailgate.

We already have a superb Thule towbar bike carrier so for us that’s our preferred method.

 

[CamperFam]

The more I read about the new Cali, the more i'm sad we sold our T6, but glad we bought a Grand Cali at the same time.

The reduction in camping spec/usability, the moving away from cherished functionality and identity etc all emphasises what makes the T6.1/T6 and earlier models so fantastic.

There will be those that it works for - and those that have never known the greatness of the existing lineup. But unfortunately, having gone through the spec sheet, I cant see the new Ocean getting close to what our old T6 did.

A real shame to see.

 

[Mr Disco]

It's interesting that, now it's finally released, people are starting to digest the potential of the new design. For a long time the main focus of the discussion has been around all the issues the vehicle presents - a lot of them ligitimate, but the key for me, as others have mentioned, is the flexibility the new seating arrangement presents. I'm also planning on retiring next year and want a vehicle that is decent to drive, can offer two people comfortable camping, the choice of upstairs or downstairs sleeping when travelling solo, allow our teenage daughter to join us if he fancies and the flexibility to use it as a van with the seats out. I also love the idea that I can get my bike inside the vehicle when I want to. It ticks a lot of boxes for me!

 

[PipPip]

I feel much the same - I understand many of the comments on how the new design will make things harder for some, but for others the changes are an improvement.

I use our van by myself as well on occasion - sleeping downstairs - and understand that the mattress (shown folded on the rear shelf in brochure pics) can also be supported on the black part of the kitchen module to make up the bed, so I could use the van with the LHS seat removed and have a lot more interior space eg: transport a bike inside longways / bags on the floor etc.

Exactly. With that seat removed it would also make more space for a portable toilet if desired. Personally I think it’s a more flexible and versatile vehicle than the T6.1.

 

[Ghostbuster]

For me the answer to purchasing was simple. After deliberating for 8 years I bought a 6.1 slightly used Ocean as I could not justify paying £80k for a Fordwagon.
I quite fancied a Kelsey. I love the reverse layout and access through the whole length of the vehicle but after cracking my head getting into the side door of the Ford I soon had my senses knocked back into me. Literally

 

[Mehdime]

Our use case is maybe quite unique but it would definitely work for us and has some big advantages over a T6.1 for us.

To be honest, it actually sounds like the typical use-case for a California. And probably what things will look like for us once the kids have grown beyond their camping-with-parents phase. At that point for us, the ID Buzz California will hopefully be ready and we’ll trade our T6.1 for the ID Buzz version, which I imagine will be similar to the T7 one given the small size of the ID Buzz.

 

[kernnowkarmann]

My local garage in Luxembourg has an Ocean in so I had a look around. There are some nice bits (I don't mind one burner and 2 sliding doors is nice), but...

it feels smaller inside, the salesman just kept saying actually it's bigger. Maybe it is but it doesn't feel it! The thing I disliked the most were the storage things over the windows, why would you want to cover your windows?!

As has been said many times maybe VW are marketing it for young couples (in which case it looks great) but my T6 works perfectly for a family of 4

And don't get me started on the water fill up point being inside the van.... I heard the excuse was people kept putting diesel in the water tank....really?!?

 

[Norfolk Jim]

And us, ‘two retirees + black lab’, we’ll be sticking with our T6 Ocean, built for travellers who like camping.

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Just like us - lab has more outfits; I think we have 3 Ruffwear harnesses and a Non Stop Dog harness. Our lab is too big to lay on seat unfortunately

 

[SFO]

Good that 7 and 6.1 are so different .. it will preserve old style values and make 7 more attractive to those who like its set up

For me, the killer of the 7 is the vast reduction in storage space, loss of inside table, outside table not in sliding door. To my eyes, the rear looks derivative Japanese.

 

[Norfolk Jim]

Good that 7 and 6.1 are so different .. it will preserve old style values and make 7 more attractive to those who like its set up

For me, the killer of the 7 is the vast reduction in storage space, loss of inside table, outside table not in sliding door. To my eyes, the rear looks derivative Japanese.

I thought that of the rear as well. Like one of those JDM imports with odd names!

I'm the same on storage - my wife has only just got used to there being less storage space in our T6.1 than our previous T5 conversion so god knows what she'd do in T7 - there's also too much ephasis on outdoors which doesn't work in the UK - when it's pi55ing down you don't want everything available

 

[larrylamb]

The base vehicle dictates the twin opening doors as it's car not van based. This has meant the kitchen had to change etc. MPV seats and not a rock n roll bed is another cost saving. Completely different to previous Cali's and has split the camp, Marmite indeed.

 

[B J G]

Interesting reading all these comments. We are planning to buy a petrol T7 Ocean next year. We’ve never owned a camper- this would be our first.

Our camping use will be for just my wife and I as our 16 and 18 year olds are definitely not into camping, hiking or cycling like their parents. So the van would just be for two us plus our springer spaniel. I will be retiring next year aged 55, my wife is 50. It will be used by the two of us for early retirement trips around UK and Europe with bikes on a towbar bike rack. The ability to remove one of the back seats for these trips to give extra floor space is a massive bonus over the T6.1 in our eyes. For cooking we would have a separate Cadac to use outdoors and we already have a single plug in induction hob that we could use as a second burner when on electric hook up if needed. We don’t view the single burner as a deal breaker like some seem to.

It would also need to serve as our “big” family car. We have a ski apartment in the Alps so in winter months it would be crossing France with the whole family and dog on board multiple times per ski season. We are unlikely to sleep in the camper in Europe in mid winter as we’ll be skiing and staying in a nice warm apartment. My teens absolutely hated the bench seat in the T6.1 when we tried one and can’t imagine being sat on it for our regular 12 hour drives to the Alps. The T7 rear seats are a massive step up for adult size passengers, particularly the ability to slide one further forward and one further back so they aren’t elbow to elbow.

Our use case is maybe quite unique but it would definitely work for us and has some big advantages over a T6.1 for us.

The longer body puts it up from standard car length charge (5mtrs max) as was the pre T7 models on Brittany Ferries, not sure about others.

 

[pjm-84]

Not for me.

 

[LobsterVan]

Good that 7 and 6.1 are so different .. it will preserve old style values and make 7 more attractive to those who like its set up

For me, the killer of the 7 is the vast reduction in storage space, loss of inside table, outside table not in sliding door. To my eyes, the rear looks derivative Japanese.

I'm glad they're very different too. I was talking to Eurovans Crawley for a while yesterday, bemoaning the drop in 6.1 values and they put it down to a recent glut offloading new vans - but think that if you hold fire a while they'll start to improve, as the new one is not for the same crowd.

 

[Archie]

I notice the spec for the T7 Ocean says it has a
“Programmable air parking heater and water auxiliary heater with radio remote control”
Does anyone know if this implying you can have hot water from the tap / shower?
Is this on the current T6.1s (our old SE didn’t have it), is it a new feature, or have VW got it wrong (as usual)?
Not mentioned in any of the promotional stuff or YouTube reviews I have seen, so not getting my hopes up.

 

[WelshGas]

I notice the spec for the T7 Ocean says it has a
“Programmable air parking heater and water auxiliary heater with radio remote control”
Does anyone know if this implying you can have hot water from the tap / shower?
Is this on the current T6.1s (our old SE didn’t have it), is it a new feature, or have VW got it wrong (as usual)?
Not mentioned in any of the promotional stuff or YouTube reviews I have seen, so not getting my hopes up.

VW got it wrong again.

 

[pluc99]

I notice the spec for the T7 Ocean says it has a
“Programmable air parking heater and water auxiliary heater with radio remote control”
Does anyone know if this implying you can have hot water from the tap / shower?
Is this on the current T6.1s (our old SE didn’t have it), is it a new feature, or have VW got it wrong (as usual)?
Not mentioned in any of the promotional stuff or YouTube reviews I have seen, so not getting my hopes up.

I don't think it's any different than what's on the T6.1. There is definitely no hot water on tap. The water auxiliary heater refers to the Wabasto that uses fuel to heat the engine coolant to give you a warmer start on a cold day.

 

[Azteccamper]

VW got it wrong again.

So is it a petrol heater as opposed to a diesel heater in the petrol or hybrid version?