New to the forum, current Ocean possibly to Grand California, what to look for ?

[Desieb]

Hello everyone, new here.

I have a T6.1 Ocean since last summer, and I really like it (spent 50+ nights in so far…). I use it also as my office (in alternance with my apartment) since I work mostly remotely and like to combine different activities even on the days I work (climbing, paragliding, mountain biking, …).

And it’s been some time now that I’m eyeing the Grand California, as more space (the ability to stand up), a toilet/shower and less need to park in a quiet/remote place seems promising.

I’ve asked my local dealer and he was kind of discouraging me, saying I would be disappointed by the Grand, notably because it doesn’t have the same battery autonomy (I mostly use the 230v inverter to plug-in a monitor and a MacBook…), saying I would need to plug-it most days, that even with the solar panel it is barely enough to keep the fridge working, that you are not supposed to drive with the water tank more than half-full and that in the winter, even if I stay in it and keep it warm, the water would automatically drain to prevent freezing…

So, my questions are: are these real issues? Are there some fixes? Is it possible to live in the Grand California without plugging it for days at a time ? And I’m looking for used ones; should I avoid models/years ? And is the diesel truma heater a must-have or would it be ok with the gaz as well?

And finally, are there other things to be aware of, optional equipment I need to look for?

That’s quite a lot of questions I know ; )

Anyway, thanks for the trove of information around here: I’m sure I’ll find answers related to some of the aforementioned questions

David