Chris Ratay
Overlanding South America w T6.1 Ocean 204, 4M+
VIP Member
Just picked up our first VW in Hamburg, Germany.... 
2023 T6.1 Ocean with 30km. We drove it home to Budapest and the first 2100km were awesome. 
In order to avoid a 40% new vehicle tax here in Hungary, my friend in Germany registered it in his name. Once we've driven more than 7,000km and 6 months have passed, we'll easily be able to import it here in Hungary. In the fall, we'll ship it to S.America.
>> 2x BMW Motorcycles we used on our Around the World trip gave us the most "Adventure" and confidence to venture to more remote places (if something happened to one bike, we could rescue ourselves). We had countless new and exciting experiences on our epic ride that lasted 4.5 years. Tent camping was fun in beautiful grassy places, but uncomfortable on hard ground or when really warm. Riding gear was cumbersome in foul/hot weather, and long rainy days were tedious.
>> 2-up on a single KTM Motorcycle still had us interacting a lot with locals, zipping though congestion or long lines at gas stations, and the KTM easily took us on some gnarly trails. We had even less carrying capacity and rarely camped, and mostly slept in guest houses.
>> The Defender pickup with Roof Tent we bought in Cape Town was perfect for African Safari. We had it kitted out perfectly and it could take us places most other vehicles couldn't go. It had lots of character, and we met numerous Defender owners and random strangers along the way - very similar to motorcycle travel. The roof tent was soo much more comfy then a ground tent, and the large kitchen, 2 fridges, and huge carrying capacity felt like Glamping. Being a Defender, we also met a lot of mechanics and learned a lot about roadside repairs.
>> When we added the Globe Camper box to the Defender in France our Glamping went up another level - much more comfy in rain, wind, heat and cold, and the bugs were no longer a problem. We could also cook and eat inside. For the compact size, it felt very spacious so we rarely stayed in hotels. The driving cab was still a bit tight, and it got cold and wet in European bad weather. The heating system and windshield wipers are not ideal for winters. It is also slow and noisy on the European Autobahns, and we pay extra tolls because of the 2.4m height.
>> The coach built Possl Roadcruiser B campervan, was yet another level of comfort - Highway speeds were easy, and the modern climate control made the driving experience easy. The rotating captains chairs maximized our living area, and Mr Cool can travel comfortably on the floor between us. We can squeeze 4 around the table for a meal, and we love the convenience of roadside indoor picnic lunches with the big side door open. The bathroom is handy, and the beds are as comfortable as being at home. We spent 62 nights camping in Scandinavia last summer, and only spent 8 of those in campgrounds. The rest were wild camping. Plenty of water, food, cold beverages, etc. We easily carry my paragliding wing and Erin's bike in the garage, along with lots of other gear. The only real downside is the 2.7m height, and we're too long to park in normal parking spaces. I can manuever through old town centers, but parking isn't an option. It can be a little too isolating for me - in Scandinavia we were soo self sufficient we only ate in 3 restaurants on the camping trip, and met very few people.
*** I miss S.America and having relaxed conversations with locals, drinking máté and (regularly) solving the world's problems. I want to stay in small Hospedajes (guest houses) like we did on our motorcycle trips, chat with the owners and get recommendations. When visiting National Parks and other beautiful places (ie Patagonia), we want to camp in comfort.
We were looking for a compact van that was already built out as a camper, with space for the dog between rotating captains chairs, built-in kitchen/dining area for 3-4, fridge, pop-up roof with bed, led lights, camping heater, a separate "house" battery, and decent storage - all from a reliable vehicle.
When you eliminate 2wd and focus on all-wheel drive, there's only 2 choices in all of Europe and the USA. Upgrade the list to a locking rear diff (more like a 4x4), and there's only one option remaining, so we decided to get the newest model: 2023 VW T6.1 California Ocean. Similar to the 2021 we rented a few months ago in Vienna. The compact design (2m x 5m) drives like a car and can even park in underground garages. It has more bells and whistles than we could ever even think of. As owners in this group know it's so well thought through, there are even 2 outdoor chairs stored inside the rear tailgate, and an outdoor table inside the sliding door, so they don't take away from storage space.
Ours came with every option I wanted, already included: 80L fuel tank, awning, trailer hitch, led headlights, extra sliding windows, and more. The only thing we'll need to change is it came with fancy 18" alloy wheels (apparently very desirable), and I'll need to modify to 17" steels with All Terrain Tires, a spare, and add a bash plate. I'm trying to avoid lifting the van or have things hanging off the back.
I'd also like to get a high quality VCDS for diagnosis, programing, and resets while far from any dealerships - leaning towards the Ross-Tech HEX-NET and would appreciate any feedback.
This winter we'll do a shake-down trip from Budapest to Malta, Sicily, Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, which will get us more than enough kms to import at home. In September, it's back to Hamburg and on to ship for Colombia....
Thanks for the inclusion and great info provided here, and looking forward to meeting fellow Cali owners down the road...
2023 T6.1 Ocean with 30km. We drove it home to Budapest and the first 2100km were awesome. In order to avoid a 40% new vehicle tax here in Hungary, my friend in Germany registered it in his name. Once we've driven more than 7,000km and 6 months have passed, we'll easily be able to import it here in Hungary. In the fall, we'll ship it to S.America.
BACKSTORY
Since 1999 my wife and I have traveled about 355,000km overland using a variety of different vehicles - they each have their pros, and their cons:>> 2x BMW Motorcycles we used on our Around the World trip gave us the most "Adventure" and confidence to venture to more remote places (if something happened to one bike, we could rescue ourselves). We had countless new and exciting experiences on our epic ride that lasted 4.5 years. Tent camping was fun in beautiful grassy places, but uncomfortable on hard ground or when really warm. Riding gear was cumbersome in foul/hot weather, and long rainy days were tedious.
>> 2-up on a single KTM Motorcycle still had us interacting a lot with locals, zipping though congestion or long lines at gas stations, and the KTM easily took us on some gnarly trails. We had even less carrying capacity and rarely camped, and mostly slept in guest houses.
>> The Defender pickup with Roof Tent we bought in Cape Town was perfect for African Safari. We had it kitted out perfectly and it could take us places most other vehicles couldn't go. It had lots of character, and we met numerous Defender owners and random strangers along the way - very similar to motorcycle travel. The roof tent was soo much more comfy then a ground tent, and the large kitchen, 2 fridges, and huge carrying capacity felt like Glamping. Being a Defender, we also met a lot of mechanics and learned a lot about roadside repairs.
>> When we added the Globe Camper box to the Defender in France our Glamping went up another level - much more comfy in rain, wind, heat and cold, and the bugs were no longer a problem. We could also cook and eat inside. For the compact size, it felt very spacious so we rarely stayed in hotels. The driving cab was still a bit tight, and it got cold and wet in European bad weather. The heating system and windshield wipers are not ideal for winters. It is also slow and noisy on the European Autobahns, and we pay extra tolls because of the 2.4m height.
>> The coach built Possl Roadcruiser B campervan, was yet another level of comfort - Highway speeds were easy, and the modern climate control made the driving experience easy. The rotating captains chairs maximized our living area, and Mr Cool can travel comfortably on the floor between us. We can squeeze 4 around the table for a meal, and we love the convenience of roadside indoor picnic lunches with the big side door open. The bathroom is handy, and the beds are as comfortable as being at home. We spent 62 nights camping in Scandinavia last summer, and only spent 8 of those in campgrounds. The rest were wild camping. Plenty of water, food, cold beverages, etc. We easily carry my paragliding wing and Erin's bike in the garage, along with lots of other gear. The only real downside is the 2.7m height, and we're too long to park in normal parking spaces. I can manuever through old town centers, but parking isn't an option. It can be a little too isolating for me - in Scandinavia we were soo self sufficient we only ate in 3 restaurants on the camping trip, and met very few people.
*** I miss S.America and having relaxed conversations with locals, drinking máté and (regularly) solving the world's problems. I want to stay in small Hospedajes (guest houses) like we did on our motorcycle trips, chat with the owners and get recommendations. When visiting National Parks and other beautiful places (ie Patagonia), we want to camp in comfort.
We were looking for a compact van that was already built out as a camper, with space for the dog between rotating captains chairs, built-in kitchen/dining area for 3-4, fridge, pop-up roof with bed, led lights, camping heater, a separate "house" battery, and decent storage - all from a reliable vehicle.
When you eliminate 2wd and focus on all-wheel drive, there's only 2 choices in all of Europe and the USA. Upgrade the list to a locking rear diff (more like a 4x4), and there's only one option remaining, so we decided to get the newest model: 2023 VW T6.1 California Ocean. Similar to the 2021 we rented a few months ago in Vienna. The compact design (2m x 5m) drives like a car and can even park in underground garages. It has more bells and whistles than we could ever even think of. As owners in this group know it's so well thought through, there are even 2 outdoor chairs stored inside the rear tailgate, and an outdoor table inside the sliding door, so they don't take away from storage space.
Ours came with every option I wanted, already included: 80L fuel tank, awning, trailer hitch, led headlights, extra sliding windows, and more. The only thing we'll need to change is it came with fancy 18" alloy wheels (apparently very desirable), and I'll need to modify to 17" steels with All Terrain Tires, a spare, and add a bash plate. I'm trying to avoid lifting the van or have things hanging off the back.
I'd also like to get a high quality VCDS for diagnosis, programing, and resets while far from any dealerships - leaning towards the Ross-Tech HEX-NET and would appreciate any feedback.
This winter we'll do a shake-down trip from Budapest to Malta, Sicily, Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, which will get us more than enough kms to import at home. In September, it's back to Hamburg and on to ship for Colombia....
Thanks for the inclusion and great info provided here, and looking forward to meeting fellow Cali owners down the road...
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