So the rumours were true!

[2into1]

Agree - going by the number I see on the roads, 80:20, or even 85:15 seems more realistic. And I'm pretty good at spotting them

I've no ego tied up in the 60/40. It is what is it, a recent survey here of 150+ members.

What I tried to exclude was the impact of older SE's before the Beach became available....and try and get to recent sales as this is what VW must have though about. I was surprised the survey was so close.

Oh and you must have better eyes than me if you can routinely detect Oceans from Beaches on the road, particularly when so many Beaches have 17" alloys.

 

[Amarillo]

I've no ego tied up in the 60/40. It is what is it, a recent survey here of 150+ members.

What I tried to exclude was the impact of older SE's before the Beach became available....and try and get to recent sales as this is what VW must have though about. I was surprised the survey was so close.

Self selecting surveys are always difficult to interpret. Ask Guardian and Express readers the same question on Europe and the results may well be polar opposites.

 

[2into1]

Self selecting surveys are always difficult to interpret. Ask Guardian and Express readers the same question on Europe and the results may well be polar opposites.

Well we know a number of folk are having difficulty with another self selecting poll... The 52/48 one.

 

[Amarillo]

Well we know a number of folk are having difficulty with another self selecting poll... The 52/48 one.

Yes - the 52% can't agree with what they want, causing unnecessary stress to the 48% who want them to get it sorted... by legal means of course.

 

[Scorf]

Whilst disappointing (and slightly puzzling), VW's initial decision not to introduce either of the new Beach models into the UK is just that..... an initial decision.

It may prove also to be their final choice but lots can & will happen between then & now.
Any number of issues, around mundane concepts like initial market supply priority, RHD engineering, type approval, base transporter body supply may be delaying them from committing to making everything available everywhere.....

I notice none of the models listed had emissions levels stated, so they are still confirming those, and I guess there are many other final details yet to be sorted.

I remember when we ordered our Beach, there was no manual option (although that reappeared some months later) and the uprated chassis option had only just appeared on the configurator, so what's on offer is always something of a 'moving feast'.

One things for sure, the new Beaches look fantastic & will be definitely be available as 'lefties' if anyone wants to take the plunge!

 

[Borris]

Yes - the 52% can't agree with what they want, causing unnecessary stress to the 48% who want them to get it sorted... by legal means of course.

So 52% don't know if they want an Ocean or not and the other 48% want to force them to buy Beaches instead by taking them to court? Is that right?

Doesn't sound very fair to me.

Perhaps that's why they've stopped sending the Beach to the UK.

 

[Perfectos]

Leave it you guys, there’s a section for the politics not in this thread

 

[soulstyledevon]

As one of the early adopters of the Beach. It was the price that attracted me most. Just over £30k the van had a lot going for it.
However, over the years I realised a lot was missing from the van and I added many items to it. Webasto heater for one.

When i came to replace my Beach last year, I specced up what I required and the cost was close to an Ocean.
The Ocean made more sense and especially now the Beach replacement was looking like mid £50k. Which is a lot of money.
Don’t get me wrong, the Beach is a great vehicle and i understand why people want them. But have they become to expensive for the market...?

Looking at recent Ocean prices. I wonder how long the Ocean has and if this is the last version we will see.

IMO prices in excess of £60k for a Campervan are to expensive and I may have to consider something else in the future when I come to change...

 

[flying banana]

Leave it you guys, there’s a section for the politics not in this thread

Same bloke as usual

 

[Digger]

VWUK are the importers - seperate company to VW. It is VWUK who decide what they order so any pressure should be directed at them. Nothing to do with politics just recognition of sales demand according to my information.

 

[Borris]

As one of the early adopters of the Beach. It was the price that attracted me most. Just over £30k the van had a lot going for it.
However, over the years I realised a lot was missing from the van and I added many items to it. Webasto heater for one.

When i came to replace my Beach last year, I specced up what I required and the cost was close to an Ocean.
The Ocean made more sense and especially now the Beach replacement was looking like mid £50k. Which is a lot of money.
Don’t get me wrong, the Beach is a great vehicle and i understand why people want them. But have they become to expensive for the market...?

Looking at recent Ocean prices. I wonder how long the Ocean has and if this is the last version we will see.

IMO prices in excess of £60k for a Campervan are to expensive and I may have to consider something else in the future when I come to change...

Our Beach is costing us just a tad shy of £60k and that was after +12% discount!!! We didn't want the kitchen etc or the electro/hydraulic roof but did want many of the other options and standard features of the Ocean and I believe this illustrates the problem VW has.

If sales are down then that would suggest that they are becoming too expensive. So increasing the price of the Ocean every few months isn't going to improve sales. Introducing the Coast has possibly made the full fat camper more affordable to some and I presume VW are hoping this cheaper model will boost their sales. However where does that leave the Beach?

The indications are that VW views the Ocean as their top luxury model, the Coast as the more affordable camper and the Beach as the base entry level model. If that is their view then surely the introduction of the Coast would mean they would need to make the Beach cheaper?

However, as has already been said, the Beach is a completely different vehicle and many people don't buy them purely on grounds of cost. They buy them because they suit their lifestyle better. So not offering the Beach as well makes no sense to me. Actually, we started out looking for a LWB Caravelle with the then optioned bed pack but ended up with an SE. Since then we have realised that the seven seater Beach is the best format for us. We've always thought that the ideal formula for us would be the Caravelle with the manual pop top and camping equipment (multiflex, comfort mattress, blinds, table and picnic chairs). The new T6-1 "Touring" is very nearly that vehicle.

What I think they should consider is to introduce the Beach models to run along side the Ocean and Coast and not view them as the lowest in the pecking order. Give us a decent spec package at a reasonable price like the Ocean so Beach owners don't end up paying through the nose. They can also offer a base model if their market research tells them they would sell well. However, a salesman recently told me that the reason there are so many nearly new basic Beaches on the VW Commercial web site is because VW staff are allowed to have them!

 

[Amarillo]

What I think they should consider is to introduce the Beach models to run along side the Ocean and Coast and not view them as the lowest in the pecking order. Give us a decent spec package at a reasonable price like the Ocean so Beach owners don't end up paying through the nose. They can also offer a base model if their market research tells them they would sell well. However, salesman recently told me that the reason there are so many nearly new basic Beaches on the VW Commercial web site is because VW staff are allowed to have them!

We are so pleased and so happy with our Beach. We will probably now spend about 30 days a year sleeping in it. It is such a shame that VW UK have decided not to sell them, but it will make us cherish our van even more.

 

[Scorf]

On the subject of cost, and those worried about the justification for ever increasing prices, I sometimes think its wise to get some external (from a pure camping vehicle) perspective.....

We bought our beach to be a true MPV;

1. A high capacity tow car for our German touring caravan
2. A high seat capacity 'family taxi'
3. A part time camper van for those weekends away at the GP or Le Mans
4. A perfectly usable everyday car, that can be parked in a standard parking space & get in most height restricted areas

Previously we ran an 8 seat Toyota Landcruiser which could only do 3 of the above....

To replace with a new Landcrusier (or BMW X5 / Audi Q7 etc..) was going to cost at least £60k after a trip to the options list... so from that perspective I didn't find the Beach that outrageous from a pricing perspective.... and once lowered with some nice alloys on it, is way cooler than any of the SUV's mentioned previously

 

[SidStrom]

My 17 plate Cali Ocean finance is up next year. I was waiting for the 6.1, But 61.5k for an Ocean is just too much. I can get a really nice motorhome for that. HymerVan with a pop top is appealing. Get a bathroom, which at my age is an advantage.

I've just seen VW's new UK online info on the forthcoming T6-1 California. No mention of the Beach or the two models shown at the recent German launch, was it the "Camping" and "Touring" models?

VW California 6.1 Camper Van | VW Vans

Explore the versatile VW California camper vans. Check out their spacious interiors, fully fitted kitchen and comfortable sleeping areas. Find a Van Centre.

www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk

 

[OGII]

As an owner of a lwb self conversion I discounted Cali as a replacement option for years. Just no use for what for us are fairly pointless kitchen and wardrobe features that seem too small to be effective and yet take up valuable van space.

I also had real issues with the average rock and roll bed used in conversions, effectively blocking the use of the tailgate for bigger boot loads.

We thought we were going to buy a bare T6 to self convert again until we stumbled across the Beach as we were kicking tyres at a local van centre.

Whilst the storage bench and multiflex in a 2 seat beach are essentially low grade gcse designs that could be done so much better the rest of the concept just works for us.

Glad we bought when we did.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

In the Republic of Ireland, the Beach has never been available. Just the Ocean & Coast available in ROI. I was told this was due to a “classification” issue, as it needed water storage and kitchenette etc to be classified as a “camper.”

With recent classification issues now in the UK also, perhaps the introduction of the Beach 6.1 has been delayed whilst they hopefully work this out. That’s my best guess anyway.

 

[Amarillo]

In the Republic of Ireland, the Beach has never been available. Just the Ocean & Coast available in ROI. I was told this was due to a “classification” issue, as it needed water storage and kitchenette etc to be classified as a “camper.”

With recent classification issues now in the UK also, perhaps the introduction of the Beach 6.1 has been delayed whilst they hopefully work this out. That’s my best guess anyway.

Nice theory.

Clare popped into SMG Tonbridge on Friday morning for a warranty claim on a picnic chair (2nd one that's broken). Martin told her that over the past year Beach sales have rocketed, and it is now much closer to a 50:50 split. They are pushing hard for the Beach to be available - I think they are the second biggest California dealer in the UK in terms of numbers sold, so they should have some influence.

 

[Kmann]

I haven't read this thread in full, so please let me be excused if I miss the point. The Beach is not imported into Denmark (Where I live), because it can not be classified as a campervan (Missing water storage/Sink) and will become too expensive due to the hight tax. Maybe something similar is happening in the UK, and therefore the Beach is not in the program for 2020 (I find that hard to believe). But one thing for sure. The Beach is continued in two versions – they where both at the Düssendorf Caravan Salon, and are in the prospects I was given later at Autostadt.

 

[Paul S]

Whilst the storage bench and multiflex in a 2 seat beach are essentially low grade gcse designs that could be done so much better the rest of the concept just works for us.

Oh I dunno about GCSE, I think I might’ve done something better then the storage chest back in my CSE woodwork days circa 1984.