T7 48 hour test

[NicksCalifornia]

Reading others' comments on the T7 I thought I should post about a 48hr demo vehicle that I was able to use whilst our T6.1 had some warranty work done (bellows pulling away from aluminium channel in roof. Needed to be glued and left for 24 hours)
I was given a demo T7 Coast and used it over about 80 miles and an overnight at Southport C&MC site.
Some bits of it were an improvement over the 6.1 but unfortunately the overall feel in use and in camping mode was negative and outweighed the positives.
The major turnoffs were as noted by others ie very poor storage space and table(s) that were inconvenient and fiddly in use. Those two things alone meant that, to me, the radical changes made to the layout made the whole thing impractical for serious use.
Major positives? The almost silent pop-top operation, the well-engineered and un-van-like sliding doors and the better balanced rear door making opening/closing easier.
Unfortunately VW have chosen to fix a well-tried design that wasn't broken. The multivan would make a good base if they'd just left the basics unchanged. Faced with a twin-slider they should have adapted a few access possibilities resulting from those two doors, but left the basics as they were.
I don't know how many other "first impressions" have encompassed a full overnight and sleeping test but it certainly gave me an insight that one wouldn't get just form looking at a shiny van in the showroom.
I've kept this posting brief and hopefully to the point. For those that are interested I will follow up with a full Pro-Con list from my extended test.

 

[SusiBus]

"Bellows pulling away from aluminium channel"
Is your California a newish one fitted with O5S or O6S bellows? I've not heard of glueing on before.

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

"Bellows pulling away from aluminium channel"
Is your California a newish one fitted with O5S or O6S bellows? I've not heard of glueing on before.

Top corners often pull out. There's a TPA about the dealer glueing them in place.

 

[NicksCalifornia]

Correct. Our rear corners were done some time ago and are now fine. Fronts suffered same fate and have (hopefully) now been fixed.
Our 6.1 4Motion is Sept '22 and just prior to all the subsequent bellows problems and the numerous fixes. I don't know if the later bellows had pulling out problems - on top of all those leaks.....!

 

[NicksCalifornia]

For those that want the full low-down on my pros and cons of the T7 over the T6.1 California here's all the gory details!

T7 California Pro-Con analysis from 48 hour road test and overnight stopover. All in comparison to 2022 T6.1 4Motion

Pros

Super quiet pop-top. A massive improvement over T6.1

Good driving position, although I actually prefer the slightly higher feel in the old Transporter.

Good reversing camera

Electric handbrake = not in the way for access or for spinning driver’s seat.

Both front seats turned much more easily and with less faff than on 6.1, particularly driver’s side.

Stowage pockets in sliding doors + USB ports in there too

Storage in RHS rear window useful, but generally storage is at a premium

Rear seats are comfy, but feel narrower than old bench seating. Can’t alter angle of rear squab?

Little table is great for coffee, but too small for anything much else.

Sliding door windows are MUCH easier to open/shut

Sliding door blinds integrated to door BUT don’t block out as much light and are either open or shut, not in between

Lower bed is comfy but mattress takes up a lot of room and can’t use bed without it.

iPhone-type panel on RHS C pillar is really good for camping controls. BUT it lit up at night every time the night heater came on and it woke me up!

Night heater seems very quiet and works quickly to raise temperature.

Heated rear screen – but no double glazing there is a negative.

Heated front screen is standard it seems, a great move.

Diesel heater to defrost front window as well as heat interior is a great move.

Looks to be lots of ventilation vents in the rear.

Front blinds give better blackout/insulation to old ones.

Pop-top sliding blind when pop-top is down is much better than old one.

Pop-top bellows appear better for blackout

Small drawers under front seats are useful, but very small and won’t hold much really

Gas access seems better, but it’s not something that’s needed very often really!

Leisure battery has gone from under font seat, so it’s tidier, but really it was probably fine there before and gave good access.

Ability to fill fridge from outside is useful

Useful light in the fridge.

LHS of dash is a lot tidier, but some cubby holes have gone, and they were useful.

RHS of dash is tidier too, but don’t like lack of tactile push-buttons and rotators for controls.

Boot opens and shuts much more easily.

Sliding doors are excellent and less van-like

Engine willing (150 TDi)

Great gearbox, and gearstick has gone in favour of electric control via slider.

Drives like a car, but then the 6.1 does really too!

​

Cons

A-pillar and sweeping bonnet difficult at first. You get used to it, but I don’t like it.

B Pillar obscures over-shoulder view

Start/stop and lane assist are difficult to turn off – it’s the first thing I do when driving a modern car!

Access through slider on LHS is narrow.

Didn’t like beige trim – makes everything dingy.

Coast only has one pocket on back of front seats.

Storage in rear window makes whole thing darker.

No “spice rack” or little window.

Absolutely no hanging space.

Tiny, tiny drawers under rear seats. This is a major problem.

Personally don’t like external look and vehicle doesn’t have a “road presence” against the old T6.1

No entry grab handle for driver or passenger.

Rocks in wind with pop-top up. Due to soft suspension?

No potential for Porta-potti storage and with lower bed assembled there’s no room to put one that might have been stored in boot.

Head restraints in rear have to be taken out and rotated before making bed up. They just fold over in the 6.1

Reading lights and strip lights shine right in your eyes making them horrible.

Everything seems dull and dingy, or just blinding if you turn the lights on and pump the brightness up in an attempt to see anything.

No option for a safe.

No double glazed windows in rear. These help condensation to not form.

Plenty of ventilation in rear, but can’t be controlled from separate panel that was in the 6.1

Screen blinds fiddly and bulky to store, although they WERE better than 6.1

No storage for kitchen stuff, pans, kettle, plates etc.

No mirror or light as there’s no wardrobe!

Big table stored in back so a complete pain to use. It also takes boot room up.

Little table no storage other than to open sliding door.

Fridge didn’t seem to be as big

Controls via infotainment are fiddly and hard work.

Whole vehicle is too long at over 5M

Drives like a car but clunks like a van and rolls a bit as suspension is more forgiving.

Furniture units are more flimsy, especially doors.

Rain came in the window and dropped onto window controls when it rained. Couldn’t get any ventilation without getting wet!

It was great having the opportunity for an extended test but lack of storage alone would kill it for us. The side-kitchen layout for (old) California and nearly all after-market convertors works well and doesn't need to be replaced with something that just doesn't work at all.

 

[Up10]

Thank you. A nicely detailed discussion of the T7. We'll stick with our T6.1 until VW start making campers for those of us who want to go travelling for weeks or have families.
I appreciate that we fall into many camps (excuse the pun) and the 7 will be wonderful for some but there are so many (to me) obvious improvements that could be made to make it universally acceptable and a truly great replacement for its predecessors.

 

[sticky1]

For those that want the full low-down on my pros and cons of the T7 over the T6.1 California here's all the gory details!

T7 California Pro-Con analysis from 48 hour road test and overnight stopover. All in comparison to 2022 T6.1 4Motion

Pros

Super quiet pop-top. A massive improvement over T6.1

Good driving position, although I actually prefer the slightly higher feel in the old Transporter.

Good reversing camera

Electric handbrake = not in the way for access or for spinning driver’s seat.

Both front seats turned much more easily and with less faff than on 6.1, particularly driver’s side.

Stowage pockets in sliding doors + USB ports in there too

Storage in RHS rear window useful, but generally storage is at a premium

Rear seats are comfy, but feel narrower than old bench seating. Can’t alter angle of rear squab?

Little table is great for coffee, but too small for anything much else.

Sliding door windows are MUCH easier to open/shut

Sliding door blinds integrated to door BUT don’t block out as much light and are either open or shut, not in between

Lower bed is comfy but mattress takes up a lot of room and can’t use bed without it.

iPhone-type panel on RHS C pillar is really good for camping controls. BUT it lit up at night every time the night heater came on and it woke me up!

Night heater seems very quiet and works quickly to raise temperature.

Heated rear screen – but no double glazing there is a negative.

Heated front screen is standard it seems, a great move.

Diesel heater to defrost front window as well as heat interior is a great move.

Looks to be lots of ventilation vents in the rear.

Front blinds give better blackout/insulation to old ones.

Pop-top sliding blind when pop-top is down is much better than old one.

Pop-top bellows appear better for blackout

Small drawers under front seats are useful, but very small and won’t hold much really

Gas access seems better, but it’s not something that’s needed very often really!

Leisure battery has gone from under font seat, so it’s tidier, but really it was probably fine there before and gave good access.

Ability to fill fridge from outside is useful

Useful light in the fridge.

LHS of dash is a lot tidier, but some cubby holes have gone, and they were useful.

RHS of dash is tidier too, but don’t like lack of tactile push-buttons and rotators for controls.

Boot opens and shuts much more easily.

Sliding doors are excellent and less van-like

Engine willing (150 TDi)

Great gearbox, and gearstick has gone in favour of electric control via slider.

Drives like a car, but then the 6.1 does really too!

​

Cons

A-pillar and sweeping bonnet difficult at first. You get used to it, but I don’t like it.

B Pillar obscures over-shoulder view

Start/stop and lane assist are difficult to turn off – it’s the first thing I do when driving a modern car!

Access through slider on LHS is narrow.

Didn’t like beige trim – makes everything dingy.

Coast only has one pocket on back of front seats.

Storage in rear window makes whole thing darker.

No “spice rack” or little window.

Absolutely no hanging space.

Tiny, tiny drawers under rear seats. This is a major problem.

Personally don’t like external look and vehicle doesn’t have a “road presence” against the old T6.1

No entry grab handle for driver or passenger.

Rocks in wind with pop-top up. Due to soft suspension?

No potential for Porta-potti storage and with lower bed assembled there’s no room to put one that might have been stored in boot.

Head restraints in rear have to be taken out and rotated before making bed up. They just fold over in the 6.1

Reading lights and strip lights shine right in your eyes making them horrible.

Everything seems dull and dingy, or just blinding if you turn the lights on and pump the brightness up in an attempt to see anything.

No option for a safe.

No double glazed windows in rear. These help condensation to not form.

Plenty of ventilation in rear, but can’t be controlled from separate panel that was in the 6.1

Screen blinds fiddly and bulky to store, although they WERE better than 6.1

No storage for kitchen stuff, pans, kettle, plates etc.

No mirror or light as there’s no wardrobe!

Big table stored in back so a complete pain to use. It also takes boot room up.

Little table no storage other than to open sliding door.

Fridge didn’t seem to be as big

Controls via infotainment are fiddly and hard work.

Whole vehicle is too long at over 5M

Drives like a car but clunks like a van and rolls a bit as suspension is more forgiving.

Furniture units are more flimsy, especially doors.

Rain came in the window and dropped onto window controls when it rained. Couldn’t get any ventilation without getting wet!

It was great having the opportunity for an extended test but lack of storage alone would kill it for us. The side-kitchen layout for (old) California and nearly all after-market convertors works well and doesn't need to be replaced with something that just doesn't work at all.

Thanks Nick, I don’t disagree with much of what you have said and I feel in a position to comment having had the T6 and now a T7.
I am very pleased to have the five year warranty and for me it does feel like a smaller vehicle, I’m still not entirely happy with the A pillars but it feels easier around cities than the van. I agree it is neither a car or a van - it’s somewhere between the two.
Personally I never found the ‘wardrobe’ big enough to hang stuff.
When I emptied the T6 I realised how much stuff I was carrying around ‘just in case’ and I have slimmed down to the essentials but I have found space for kettles, pans and even a toaster and air fryer in the cupboards.
The under bed storage is 25% larger apparently and I get loads of stuff onto the Spacemate drawer, which frankly is now needed.
Because the rears seats move so easily I store stuff behind them which works well for me, perhaps it’s just the way I pack.
Like you I enjoyed the van driving position but feel like I can park this in places where a van will be frowned on.
It’s mainly just two of us now, so perhaps that helps but I am very pleased with it and recommend people to give them a go.

 

[PK1958]

Thetford Porta potti 335 fits and is usable in the space between the fridge and sliding door when the bed is down.
I have 2 sauce pans , frying pan , toaster, 2 plates ,two bowls ,two mugs , plastic cups , chopping board, toaster and kettle !

 

[chockswahay]

Thetford Porta potti 335 fits and is usable in the space between the fridge and sliding door when the bed is down.
I have 2 sauce pans , frying pan , toaster, 2 plates ,two bowls ,two mugs , plastic cups , chopping board, toaster and kettle !

But doesn't that mean the fridge can't be used when loo in place?

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

Correct. Our rear corners were done some time ago and are now fine. Fronts suffered same fate and have (hopefully) now been fixed.
Our 6.1 4Motion is Sept '22 and just prior to all the subsequent bellows problems and the numerous fixes. I don't know if the later bellows had pulling out problems - on top of all those leaks.....!

Yes they did!!!!