Not impressed so far

[terry1956]

Well my partner and I spent last week looking to purchase a vw California. This is what we found. Having spoken to a dealer 272 miles from us and after viewing the video and re reading the spec and informing the dealer we would view the next day it being just after 5. We got to the dealer at 9 only to be told that the van was sold but they had a 13 plate manual which was converted by some joe blog's. We asked to see the so say sold California only to be told it was not on site. So a wasted day. We then looked at various conversions in the S/W and how people fall for the rubbish I dont know. In the end after looking at around 20 conversions and taking to a number of vw dealers we have come to this conclusion.
None vw complete conversions are over priced, the electrics are a joke,cost cutting can be seen all over the builds and there is a general feeling of ' some fool will buy it '. We looked a ford terrier conversion but found that the drivers seat was too upright and that the adjustment was removed by the kitchen unit.also the lack of cabin heater and water tanks and lots of ill fitting cupboards and how can a 4 inch wide slot be called a wardrobe.
We found the vw dealers to be rude and very unhelpful by rude I mean dismissal of anyone daring to question their view.again how and why do people but up with this.
Across the road from the vw dealer was MB who had a marco polo on show. Had a look.ok it looks a bit like an old American yacht but I did like the drivers position better then the more upright vw and I also liked the true automatic over the vw.s system. Found the mb was a nicer drive then my bmw or the vws we had taken out over the week. But not all was good, we have 13 years of campervan experience behind us and in places the mb was just plain show. A big worry for me is resale which I think would be next to worthless after a few years and its 9 inches longer then the vw and with uk car parking the way it is this could become an issue.
Are plan now is to wait and see if the mb starts to get sales and see what the feedback is.and if any vw dealer does want to sale a van. They lose interest when you dont want hp, I know that they make more money if someone buys on hp. And maybe someone will come out with a good swb van which can beat the vw and mb.who knows.Michael

 

[WillH]

Sounds about right.My experience of most VW commercial dealers is similar.

A quick search on here reveals the ones who want your business and are prepared to look after you-there are a few.

 

[Jay586]

Not a good start to looking, I'll grant you but have a look round the forum and you'll get a feel for the better dealers.

I had some pretty bad experiences with dealers for an actual Cali (and I used to mystery shop dealers, so am well used to dealers, so put in a formal complaint) so in the end bought a high spec base van and got it converted myself.

I absolutely love my van, even if it has taken the same amount of time to sort as my friend has taken to produce a baby!

 

[WelshGas]

Well my partner and I spent last week looking to purchase a vw California. This is what we found. Having spoken to a dealer 272 miles from us and after viewing the video and re reading the spec and informing the dealer we would view the next day it being just after 5. We got to the dealer at 9 only to be told that the van was sold but they had a 13 plate manual which was converted by some joe blog's. We asked to see the so say sold California only to be told it was not on site. So a wasted day. We then looked at various conversions in the S/W and how people fall for the rubbish I dont know. In the end after looking at around 20 conversions and taking to a number of vw dealers we have come to this conclusion.
None vw complete conversions are over priced, the electrics are a joke,cost cutting can be seen all over the builds and there is a general feeling of ' some fool will buy it '. We looked a ford terrier conversion but found that the drivers seat was too upright and that the adjustment was removed by the kitchen unit.also the lack of cabin heater and water tanks and lots of ill fitting cupboards and how can a 4 inch wide slot be called a wardrobe.
We found the vw dealers to be rude and very unhelpful by rude I mean dismissal of anyone daring to question their view.again how and why do people but up with this.
Across the road from the vw dealer was MB who had a marco polo on show. Had a look.ok it looks a bit like an old American yacht but I did like the drivers position better then the more upright vw and I also liked the true automatic over the vw.s system. Found the mb was a nicer drive then my bmw or the vws we had taken out over the week. But not all was good, we have 13 years of campervan experience behind us and in places the mb was just plain show. A big worry for me is resale which I think would be next to worthless after a few years and its 9 inches longer then the vw and with uk car parking the way it is this could become an issue.
Are plan now is to wait and see if the mb starts to get sales and see what the feedback is.and if any vw dealer does want to sale a van. They lose interest when you dont want hp, I know that they make more money if someone buys on hp. And maybe someone will come out with a good swb van which can beat the vw and mb.who knows.Michael

Some Dealerships just treat the California like a van and a purchaser like someone who's crawled out from under a stone, but there are Dealerships that appreciate what the California is and treat the purchaser as a valued customer.
Check out the Dealer Review section. There are a few who know what they are talking about and how to treat customers.

 

[Meoncoast]

I would say not all VW dealers are the same. I have only had 1st class service when buying (without HP)

We found the vw dealers to be rude and very unhelpful by rude I mean dismissal of anyone daring to question their view.again how and why do people but up with this.

I would :-

• tell others the dealer who gave what you considered poor service so they will not waste their time
• look at and use dealers others have had good service from

We travelled to Dorchester (heritage) for our 1st van and Citygate for our next van both gave 1st class sales service even though we did not require HP or would not return for any service or warranty once we collected our van.

Whatever you feel about the MP I bet that some dealers will give a better service than others. You pay your money and you make your choice.

 

[Hotel California]

Welcome on board , i always ask my self why some people don't like a certain verhicle becose they assume the resalevalue would be lower compared to a other verhicle .
Or you like it or you don't ....thinking about how much it would bring in when you would sell it afther ...years before you even bought it .... , to me is a thing i never came up with in buying my cars (out of 10 , 3 of them from new )

Good luck with the search .

 

[2into1]

Buy an older one privately and do everything in your power to keep it away from main dealers for servicing and 'repair' (which is code for either 'replace random parts at your expense until one works' or 'fix one thing break another').
The UK just needs a few non franchise specialist repairers and we'd all be happier and richer.
It's the best van but the worse dealers. You can buy an inferior product from a better dealer.

 

[larrylamb]

Welcome on board , i always ask my self why some people don't like a certain verhicle becose they assume the resalevalue would lower compared to a other verhicle .
Or you like it or you don't ....thinking about how much it would bring in when you would sell it afther ...years before you even bought it .... , to me is a thing i never came up with in buying my cars (out of 10 , 3 of them from new )

Good luck with the search .

Resale value of a motor is very important for me, if a vehicle is going to be worth peanuts in the near future there are probably a few good reasons why.

 

[Jay586]

Residuals are very important to me too. I don't waste money unnecessarily, as it's too hard earning it.

I used to mystery shop Merc dealers too. Better toilets & coffee, service can vary...

 

[Hotel California]

It's important you buy a quality product offcoarse , but allready thinking about selling before buying ....i can't figure out why i should , only thing i was thinking was how nice it would be finally owning the Cali i dreamed of for so long , how it would be sleeping and camping in it , what places we now could go to ,.....
Never ever though ....hmm how much money i'l be getting for my ride in five years ...

 

[JohnGuppy]

If you want to buy a new vehicle don't mess about placing an order and waiting 9 months There are loads of new California's in the UK for sale and will have all the extras you want , I found 3 for sale within 100miles I found and bought one within 48 hours and drove it home better spec than I would have ordered but I got a discount but you will find dealers who don't have them cant get them any quicker than you dealers who do have them for sale and demo will sell you anything if you have cash in your pocket

 

[terry1956]

Hi, thanks for feed back. for me resale value is important. and there are not lots of true California's on the market which is why they are holding their prices. As stated I am not interested in some joe blogs copy. having looked at many now they are a total joke. one I saw at a dealers used a milk bottle for the water feed. when I asked why I was told that underbody tanks fall off. who the hell falls for that rubbish and he wanted 45,000 for that. I am sure MB dealers are the same, after purchasing a new estate from them a few years back only to fine out when having a tow bar fitted the following day that the car had been rear ended and a new rear bumper but on to cover it up ( it was returned and I had to called MB UK in to get my money back from one of the their main dealers ) The car was back on their site within two weeks with know infor on the damage.
so I know that most dealers of all makes don't want to know once they have your money.
also now to take account of is the mad road tax for cars over 40,000. this adds a lot of hotel room nights on and so does the resale factor.
as I long time motor homer, I like the freedom the van gives you over the hotel, that and my last job involved spending weeks in hotels and it pales after a time.
so the hunt will go on. michael

 

[JohnGuppy]

My local vw van dealer has bent over backwards to help jumped though hoops and any help I need and I did not even buy it from them another reason to only buy a new van when you can sit inside and talk a deal. Tell the guy you are buying it from him but you want a good discount as he will never see you again it works
If you are in the south east. Vw cowfold or my local dealer. jcb vw. Eastbourne There service manage won. Service manger of the year two years running hopefully they will join this site and offer discount on parts and service

 

[terry1956]

as I said there are good and bad. I have stared to use carwow and so far have heard nothing at all from any vw dealer yet 3 replies from mb with the best OTR price all in of 48,000 that's 7,000 list then list price. also find out that there is a 22 week wait for a new VW.
I must say that I stated out looking for a VW but MB is winning so far. michael

 

[Digger]

Liverpool and Preston are both excellent. Both busy centres but have been great to deal with.

 

[camper-x]

There's always the forum classifieds. I bought a cracking one owner full history 2009 earlier this year there. V pleased.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[terry1956]

Hi.not really interested in one that old. Or paying more for a used one then a new one which I have found a few sellers trying to cash in VW waiting times. At the moment it looks like a mb is on the cards. Michael

 

[Joker 1299]

Hi.not really interested in one that old. Or paying more for a used one then a new one which I have found a few sellers trying to cash in VW waiting times. At the moment it looks like a mb is on the cards. Michael

Are you always this angry? Your posts so far seem to suggest that maybe you are. We are not VW, we are not VW dealers. We are not even a VW fan club. We are independent members of a forum with a common interest in, mostly, VW, mostly California, camper vans willing to share our experience between us and with others. Some value that, others not so much. Either way, happy camping!

 

[JohnGuppy]

I agree with Joker this site brings other happy owners together and gives us all an edge with getting problems solved the buying of a new vehicle and waiting is a personal choose dealing with a dealer and securing a deal is nothing to do with VW its a contract with the individual dealership some bad and many very good being a member of this forum brings many happy people together and solves problems
In my last post I said I never order anything unless it can be delivered in 4 weeks as not sure what is going to happen sadly the VW camper was not around when I was born , but I own a new T6 and love it and now revamping a 28 year old T25 holdsworth conversion bit tatty but still does the same job
as a well respected member on here said life's to short be happy and enjoy

 

[WelshGas]

Hi.not really interested in one that old. Or paying more for a used one then a new one which I have found a few sellers trying to cash in VW waiting times. At the moment it looks like a mb is on the cards. Michael

I'm sure the MB Forum will be able to help you out.

Oh, sorry - there isn't one is there! I think that tells you something.

 

[terry1956]

I am not angry at all. I am just looking at things as they are and not with rose tinted spectacles on. I have spoken to lots of people in the vw world but have never owned a vw bar a few beetles many years ago.
I am however getting a very strong feeling that not all is good in the vw world. It reminds me of the morgan owners club who keep going on about how great morgans are. when in fact they are badly made, cheap Indian materials used and have great deal of faults.
What I was hoping to get from here was facts, good and bad of a vw California, what I am getting back from some is teenager nonsense as per the statement above. In fact to that person there are a vast number of Mercedes forums and in Germany they out number the vw ones by miles.
I think that I am done her, and will just keep using the forums for adults. thanks. michael

 

[Teejay]

I am not angry at all. I am just looking at things as they are and not with rose tinted spectacles on. I have spoken to lots of people in the vw world but have never owned a vw bar a few beetles many years ago.
I am however getting a very strong feeling that not all is good in the vw world. It reminds me of the morgan owners club who keep going on about how great morgans are. when in fact they are badly made, cheap Indian materials used and have great deal of faults.
What I was hoping to get from here was facts, good and bad of a vw California, what I am getting back from some is teenager nonsense as per the statement above. In fact to that person there are a vast number of Mercedes forums and in Germany they out number the vw ones by miles.
I think that I am done her, and will just keep using the forums for adults. thanks. michael

Here's hoping you find what you are looking for, good luck in your search

..message ends..

 

[Max-Felix]

The dealer is forgotten long after the vehicle remains!

Pick the best camper for you on the basis of how good a camper it is not how good the dealer makes you feel.

I've had five VW campers in 25 years despite having a pretty large dislike of VW as a company.

I've been 'into' campers all that time too and looked at crazy amounts of alternatives.

What you will find is that most of us on here (obviously) consider that all things considered as an all round package with the best workaround of inevitable compromises nothing else comes close to the Cali.

Do what another would be buyer did and posted yesterday and hire each (MB and Cali) for a week or a couple of trips and draw your own conclusions.

Also be sure to first visit every converter and motorhome showroom you can and watch the MMM VW campervan comparison videos on YT too.

And if you do decide to leave in a hussy fit we wish you well in your search for a more 'adult' forum than this. It's positively gereatric at times!

 

[Freeley]

I am not angry at all. I am just looking at things as they are and not with rose tinted spectacles on. I have spoken to lots of people in the vw world but have never owned a vw bar a few beetles many years ago.
I am however getting a very strong feeling that not all is good in the vw world. It reminds me of the morgan owners club who keep going on about how great morgans are. when in fact they are badly made, cheap Indian materials used and have great deal of faults.
What I was hoping to get from here was facts, good and bad of a vw California, what I am getting back from some is teenager nonsense as per the statement above. In fact to that person there are a vast number of Mercedes forums and in Germany they out number the vw ones by miles.
I think that I am done her, and will just keep using the forums for adults. thanks. michael

I wish I had some decent laughing emoji's on tapatalk, I wonder if these work?


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[Joker 1299]

I am not angry at all.

Sorry, I was trying to be polite and give you the benefit of the doubt. Don't like angry? Try offensive. Have you read your posts?

@Jay586 said: so in the end bought a high spec base van and got it converted myself

Your reply: As stated I am not interested in some joe blogs copy. having looked at many now they are a total joke.

@camper-x said :There's always the forum classifieds. I bought a cracking one owner full history 2009 earlier this year there. V pleased.

Your response: not really interested in one that old

Both these guys were trying to help you.

You might want to reflect on your approach to forum life. Or are you like that generally?

Good luck.