Renaissance-Man
Hey folks!
I am sure my (our) story will resonate with many: After lurking on forums off and on for a good couple of years - initially leaning towards a Hymer Grand Canyon (Sprinter) but house move and general usage requirements steered me towards a California - I have finally taken the plunge and bought. Brand new.
I forget how many times I specced the ideal van out using VW's user (un)friendly website and options. The price always seemed so high - and after all, a Campervan is not a sensible buy. Better to stick savings into a pension, surely? But the heart wants what it wants...
Then in the last few weeks things moved seriously quickly and after many more late nights of speccing and considering other van converters, I arrived back with VW and started calling round dealers. Mostly it was the usual story of long wait lists that we are all so familiar with. Then I got lucky and Eurovans in Crawley had two Cali's that were cancelled orders.
A drive up there first thing on Monday and of the two available - both two tone white/green - one fit the bill. A Cali Ocean 204 2.0TDI with a bunch of extras thrown in - some I would have chosen, a couple not. What swung it? The now ubiquitous letter from VW to all dealers that on 1 December all prices on Calis are going up by 3% (plus 2% on options). Then they offered me an absurd trade in figure on my 2016 plate 4x4 Yeti which a year ago was worth around £11,500. I got £15,000!
Managed to get £1,500 off list price on the Cali and a few extras chucked in. So, other than our house, I have just made the biggest purchase of my life! I am just about over the shock of the price and justifying it in knowing I can sell in a year or two if the 'campervan' thing is not for us. And I am now getting seriously excited for Saturday morning collection.
The Cali will be our only vehicle - we live centrally in a small town near Brighton, East Sussex and I currently only use my car twice a week for a commute to work (in Brighton) so all other miles on the Cali will be leisure. The rest of the time it will sit safe and snug in a garage (which would have been impossible with a Grand Canyon Hymer). Plan at present (pesky Covid permitting) is to start with a night away, then a few weekends in the UK, building up to The Netherlands in the spring to see family and France in July. Then, Pembrokeshire or Brecon Beacons in September. Can't wait.
The van is just for myself, my wife Sam and our 10 year old lurcher, so should work out well.
Lots of questions to ask but this is just a little intro to say 'hi' and looking forward to learning from, and eventually contributing something useful to the forums!
I am sure my (our) story will resonate with many: After lurking on forums off and on for a good couple of years - initially leaning towards a Hymer Grand Canyon (Sprinter) but house move and general usage requirements steered me towards a California - I have finally taken the plunge and bought. Brand new.
I forget how many times I specced the ideal van out using VW's user (un)friendly website and options. The price always seemed so high - and after all, a Campervan is not a sensible buy. Better to stick savings into a pension, surely? But the heart wants what it wants...
Then in the last few weeks things moved seriously quickly and after many more late nights of speccing and considering other van converters, I arrived back with VW and started calling round dealers. Mostly it was the usual story of long wait lists that we are all so familiar with. Then I got lucky and Eurovans in Crawley had two Cali's that were cancelled orders.
A drive up there first thing on Monday and of the two available - both two tone white/green - one fit the bill. A Cali Ocean 204 2.0TDI with a bunch of extras thrown in - some I would have chosen, a couple not. What swung it? The now ubiquitous letter from VW to all dealers that on 1 December all prices on Calis are going up by 3% (plus 2% on options). Then they offered me an absurd trade in figure on my 2016 plate 4x4 Yeti which a year ago was worth around £11,500. I got £15,000!
Managed to get £1,500 off list price on the Cali and a few extras chucked in. So, other than our house, I have just made the biggest purchase of my life! I am just about over the shock of the price and justifying it in knowing I can sell in a year or two if the 'campervan' thing is not for us. And I am now getting seriously excited for Saturday morning collection.
The Cali will be our only vehicle - we live centrally in a small town near Brighton, East Sussex and I currently only use my car twice a week for a commute to work (in Brighton) so all other miles on the Cali will be leisure. The rest of the time it will sit safe and snug in a garage (which would have been impossible with a Grand Canyon Hymer). Plan at present (pesky Covid permitting) is to start with a night away, then a few weekends in the UK, building up to The Netherlands in the spring to see family and France in July. Then, Pembrokeshire or Brecon Beacons in September. Can't wait.
The van is just for myself, my wife Sam and our 10 year old lurcher, so should work out well.
Lots of questions to ask but this is just a little intro to say 'hi' and looking forward to learning from, and eventually contributing something useful to the forums!
RN
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