Too Big, Too Small

[The Broomwagon]

To be fair to CK my main gripe was with the dealership we bought it from as they just wanted to pass the buck to either CK or VW and had no interest in helping out despite selling us the van. I can understand from CK that it was a mechanical problem rather than the conversion that is why I felt the dealership should have helped out.
It’s ultimately why I went for the VW GC with dealerships network. Even if they are not fully up to speed with the GC my issue was having to go back to the conversion company anytime there was an issue. 900 mile round trip to change a seal or a light fitting. Sometimes they caved in and just sent it for me to change but with a lot of the crafter converted vans coming from the south coast and living in Scotland I decided if there wasn’t a local conversion company I fancied then VW it was. Also 4 months from order to delivery. I think unwound still have been waiting for many of the conversions a year on and they were quoting more for the spec I wanted too.
We did enjoy our CK for 5 years with not too many non mechanical issues. It certainly didn’t match some other vans I used for comfort and functionality but it was our gateway van and it served its purpose well.

We had a CK conversion bought directly from them about 4 years ago. We loved it and like you it was our first step. Sold it last month for more than we paid. We also had some intermittent mechanical issues in the first year and whilst an inconvenience for us they dealt with it fantastically. Never had any problems with the conversion element of the van.

 

[calibusje]

I don't own a GC but I have made the transition to another, larger vehicle.

I was dreading some aspects which have proved to be illusory fears.

Being wider, longer and higher was going to restrict where I go, and my Cali took me everywhere, off road, off grid and definitely narrow. Well, my fear that would all go has not proved correct. I'm having a ball currently exploring places and so far have not been handicapped by size once. I just spend more time planning.

The toilet area is not a waste of space. It's somewhere to keep my rubbish bag, my laundry bag, my wash bag and what would have been an ugly and cumbersome porta-potti sliding around the lounge area. When not a wash room thanks to a convenient drop-down rail its also a highly effective drying room, much needed in my last trip cycling through a mendip monsoon.

The fixed bed is the crowning glory. Like most who own campers my lifestyle is active, my camper is a tool to get me to places, not a home to take somewhere else and live in it. It's a tool to carry me, my bike and my belongings to a place where I can explore and tour and photograph, then come home, to cook with a lot more room than I had before, turn two comfortable seats round with no fiddling with anything else, unlatch a table big enough for both working and eating and just flop into bed whenever I want to without packing anything away. Oh, it's not just a comfortable bed either, it's a huge boot space under with an adjustable divider so I can have some of it inside as a storage area for all those bits that used to get in the way when I had a Cali.

Yes, I'm looking forward to the next Cali joining the family, not long now but it will not be mine. The hulk will be on my drive, the sleek and slender Cali on someone else's, but so far all I can say is, 80 days away and more impressed by the day.

Very good for you that your bathroom still has a use as storage space and drying room. Everyone has their own idea about the larger campervans and certainly everyone has their own free choice, so clearly here too on this Volkswagen california forum. You're lyrical about your ducato and that's good for you, you clearly made the right choice. I stick with the small campervan and this with 4 in it for both short and long trips. We adapt to our California and prefer its compactness and modularity to a fixed bed and bathroom. Have fun with your California that you will soon be able to use.

 

[AdyB]

So...The California has GONE and the Grand California is now on the drive
Hopefully we will have made the right decision , the drive home in the GC was excellent ..although defiantly bigger still really good to drive.
Now the fun starts trying to figure out where everything goes.

 

[Mr T]

So...The California has GONE and the Grand California is now on the drive
Hopefully we will have made the right decision , the drive home in the GC was excellent ..although defiantly bigger still really good to drive.
Now the fun starts trying to figure out where everything goes.

Congratulations! Let’s see some pics!

 

[itsSteve]

At the risk of being shot down, I would look at other converters before going down the Grand route. We had a Cali Ocean which we loved but sold it after first lockdown. We now have a Fiat based camper van with shower room, fixed double bed and dinette which seats 4. There are plenty of good quality companies still using VW's as a base vehicle but IMO the grand is so expensive compared to other options. Cheers K.

Hi - I know I'm a bit late commenting, but have you noticed the price of the Crafter Boxcars? They're listed at £10k more than the GC600.........

 

[AdyB]

 

[AdyB]

Already planning new wheels, bars and a ladder

 

[TravellingNewbury's]

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!)

How did you sort the gas/combi out? We can't get heating when off grid.

 

[TravellingNewbury's]

Already planning new wheels, bars and a ladder

We added decals and new wheels, check out Rouge Alloys in Reading, Chris is a top guy and they've done loads of GC's

 

[TravellingNewbury's]

Just to say, we love our GC680, we had a T6 conversion for about 6 months prior but realised quickly that for more comfort we need to go BIG.

Like others a few modifications, changes and upgrades to suit us but that is what makes it yours.

 

[Wild Bob]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but here goes,
We have been the proud owner of a T6.1 Ocean for about 8 months and have "Loved" every second of the experience.
The ease of driving, the split colour and digital dash makes her a real honour to own.

We have made the decision ( We think ) to move on up to the Grand California 600 , looks like it will fit the need for that extra bit of space without loosing too much of that pack up and go ultimate drive.
Not ready yet to do motorhome sit in a field , we want to explore the Europe and the UK.

Just having to join the que to make the change as have sourced an ex demo but will not be released until December 2022
What are your experiences if you have made the change , do you regret or are you in love

We made the change from a California Ocean to the Crafter, but didn't go with the Grand but wanted a rear lounge so bought the Hillside Hopton. Great setup

 

[dripster]

It's not yet remotely reached the intensity of "Beach v SE" debates.

Was going to say, "we love the space for day to day living in our Beach" and then run and hide.

Anyone on here with a Caddy Cali?!

 

[Bellcrew]

Was going to say, "we love the space for day to day living in our Beach" and then run and hide.

Anyone on here with a Caddy Cali?!

On all these questions it just depends how many people and pets you wish to take on your wanderings, personally we find the Ocean very comfortable for a couple.
Now if a brace of large dogs and a couple of kiddies are also on board you probably deserve a medal for even considering it.

 

[MarkSmith0011]

How did you sort the gas/combi out? We can't get heating when off grid.

A reset of the combo-boiler. It’s fairly straightforward; turn it off for 30 seconds (hold down the black switch on the Truma under the bench). The other way I found when the gas is being temperamental is to ignore the main panel on the wet room wall and fire up the heating from the Truma unit beneath the bench.

A bit of trial and error; happened the other day when we were away again, but switched on the unit and scrolled using the Truma unit to the right, and set it going that way, then run the heating and water from the main control panel.

Fair to say it can be highly temperamental at times.

 

[Angela&Phil]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but here goes,
We have been the proud owner of a T6.1 Ocean for about 8 months and have "Loved" every second of the experience.
The ease of driving, the split colour and digital dash makes her a real honour to own.

We have made the decision ( We think ) to move on up to the Grand California 600 , looks like it will fit the need for that extra bit of space without loosing too much of that pack up and go ultimate drive.
Not ready yet to do motorhome sit in a field , we want to explore the Europe and the UK.

Just having to join the que to make the change as have sourced an ex demo but will not be released until December 2022
What are your experiences if you have made the change , do you regret or are you in love

We had a VW California for 11 years and really enjoyed it but in 2020 we were ready for a change and bought a Grand Cali 600. We have absolutely no regrets initially there was a few snagging problems but the VW dealer sorted them. We really enjoy the flexibility of having a toilet and shower on board. It is also acts as our second car, it drives really well on motorways and on country lanes.
Best of luck with whatever you decide to do and enjoy.

 

[Calimili]

Once again we fall here in the mistake of comparing apple with pears. If there are 3 or 4 people travelling, this already exclude the GC680. If the kids are big enough they may not even fit in the small GC600 bed upstairs, but let's keep the GC600 vs California. Let's assume noise/drive experience to be equal.
The other big question is: is your (Grand) Cali your only vehicle or a second car, is it your daily driver and finally what is a definition of a "daily driver".
With a little experience you can drive anywhere with a GC or bigger motorhome, city centres , countryside, alpine passes, Motorway. Same as any big delivery truck, they reach everywhere. But that hardly defines it as a daily driver. It depends on lifestyle too, kids or not, where do you live, flat or big house, city center or countryside.
If you are a retired couple living in the countryside, with no particular chores other than shopping in rural areas with plenty of parking spaces, you can use a 12m Morelo as a daily driver, it will suit you just fine daily.
But if you are a parent living in town, maybe in a flat, kids to drop off to school, sports, other kids' houses for B-days parties or playdates, underground supermarkets/shopping centers, take your mother to a doctor appointment etc the situation might be different. Could you possibly do that all of that with some workarounds in a GC or bigger van ? yes you could. Would it be easier in a less than 5m long, lower than 2m, i.e. same a car ? Of course. But why it is difficult to define, in my opinion, a 6m long 2,6m high GC as a daily driver, it is because it is difficult merely because of size not to park a GC outside parking bays in cities, picking up your child at school in a GC, bringing it to a birthday party, sport etc without looking like a tw@t, unless it is an emergency as your other main car (the daily driver) is at the mechanic. Can you imagine going to a restaurant, shopping for clothes, at the dentist driving in in your GC ?? It's already borderline with a regular Cali...
Everybody shows up with a regular car, an you are hauling a huge van. And this is not about the GC, it is any van that is bigger than a bigger car, 5m long , 2m high. That is exactly the reason why Cali are so sought after.
Is more space on holiday better on the GC? no question. But let's be realistic and objective defining it as a daily driver.

 

[AdyB]

@Calimili , I totally agree with you on the daily driver point.
When we had the T6 I actually used this as a daily driver and was "Perfect" this was only because we were waiting on the delivery of the wife's new car, and she stole mine.
It was "Perfect" for a while I even contemplated cancelling the order and keeping it

We are lucky that the GC fits on the drive and it is a pure second vehicle, defiantly could not use this as a daily driver. If this was the case would have kept the T6 and made the smaller space work as many do.

Adrian