I joined the club based on this thread, but we then went away for the weekend so am most likely too late if you've gone for one
We got our Grand California 600 in September last year; complete luck, we went to test drive one that had been bought, by the time we got there, it had become available. One test drive later, I bought it straight away... so we didn't get to choose anything not already in the van.
So a few common misconceptions:
1. It's great to drive. I've been fortunate to own quite a few bloody good cars in my time, and can safely say that the GC handles as you'd want, the only downside being we "only" have the front wheel drive. Honestly, it's even got a bit of kick if you're okay to drop it out of auto into (effective) paddle. No issues at all.
2. We had some problems - the (notorious) tap issue (until fixed, just keep that area extra dry after washing up), the sat-nav (needed a reset, the arrow was off screen), and the gas/combi took some figuring (now figured!) - but it was mainly a big learning curve. The combi emptying when below 5 degrees took me by surprise!
3. Space. We had two dogs - a beautiful lab, sadly taken too soon at 4 years old last year, and a very energetic 13 year old cocker spaniel. The latter remains with us, and absolutely loves it. We have 4 kids, but all too old to come camping with us - the middle daughter and boyfriend borrowed it for a weekend and are desperate to take it again. The table is slightly oversized, but it's a small thing - pilot seats work very well, space is just great for us. We took 3 of them out to the New Forest for a picnic, and while one had to (*cough*) lie on the bed the whole way (it's about 40 minutes each way), it was great fun still.
4. Storage. Honestly! It's fantastic once you get yourself organised. We had a second bed, so took it out and we got some foldable crates from Hay - all our clothes go in there. We have a toaster, a stove kettle and a stove coffee pot (which I wake up especially to make in the morning), we have the pots and pans, the plates, the cups and the crockery all stored wonderfully well (and have yet to want for anything). Once you've got your electric cable storage all wrapped (I bought this -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08142Q8YV/?tag=vwcalifornia-21) and your flexible/expandible hose - all in one cupboard, with so much more space beneath the bed than you could use. We have an Ooni pizza oven, a couple of (VW!) deckchairs and walking boots beneath the bed, and have so much more we could put there. Storage above the beds is plentiful.
5. I'd most certainly rather have the wet room than the "space", which we simply wouldn't use. It's a camper - we tend to put the awning down, leave the door open and go off for a walk (favourite is at Glanusk, where is 3.5km to each pub..!). When we camped in Scotland over the New Year (albeit without dog), it was fabulous. Warm, cosy, and the bed is just fabulous. I swear to god, I sleep better in the van than at home!
I get it's not for everyone, but at 6m long, it's powerful enough to make it a really good ride, the facilities are great, the design very smart.
If the kids were younger, I might think twice. Mainly about taking them with me though... as it stands, after many years of waiting (always knowing we wanted a camper van, but always knowing we'd prefer one with a wet room; and my wife wasn't going for a "boxy" motorhome one), when we finally found the GC there was no going back.
A weekend in Cornwall, and 2 week roadtrip in France are coming up over the next few weeks. While we still have to do the annual in St Lucia or similar, the GC has sincerely changed our freedom and our plans. If you're anything like us, you won't regret it and you won't look back...
(PS, happy to answer queries on various fixes we had to employ as we found out more about the van - most certainly a voyage of discovery!)
