Want it, so got to get money for it

[Ocean Spirit]

If you can replace an ordinary family car with a california the extra cost of buying the California can easily be recovered by the reduced depreciation.

Whilst I don't doubt the rest of the post by @andyinluton
I whole heartedly agree with this bit in the current climate.

 

[westfalia]

3. I needed something whilst the kids where of the right age to benefit. Telling them we are not going on holiday for 3 or 4 years whilst we save for a van just wasn't going to happen.

For us, we changed a Range Rover + big white motorhome,

Why couldn´t you have a holiday if you had a white motorhome.

 

[Hantshog]

My motto is dont put things off in life. If you want a California now for whatever reason and you can fund it in any way that suits, go for it. Who knows what the future has in store?

 

[RodCouncil]

* DONT FINANCE YOURSELF SILLY FOR ONE OF THESE VEHICLES*

I’m reading these finance deals and stuff and just think it’s insane. A California isn’t worth a big deal of debt.
I owned all sorts of self converted vans over the years and had just as much fun as I did in a California.
Some of my first vehicles weren’t much more than some insulation and a place to lay my head, basic done on a shoestring budget and still loads of fun.

Buy a California when you have the bulk of the money saved or look secondhand. It doesn’t even have to be a Volkswagen, plenty of secondhand vans that do the same job.

Very sage advice, and as others have said, have it as your only car. Our choice was a fully loaded brand new 4m two tone with finance or a cash purchased T5.1 2012, I sleep much better not having all the bells and whistles, and some of these financial options I've read just seem insane to me.

The want seems to override the need when borrowing is cheap, but as we're beginning to see, that looks to be coming to an end.

A California is simply not worth getting into debt for.

 

[CampervanTime]

Finances and ways to buy a Cali are very individual and i think it’s great that there are so many different ways to own one of these.

£600 a month for some might seem outrageous but for others might be perfectly acceptable.

Others might have access to large inheritance, lump sums, company car allowances, equity release on property, other assets to sell/equity release.

The only rare one I’d imagine would be to have one as a company car because of the BIK rate and if you’re able to contemplate having one as a company car, you’re probably in a decent position to discuss doing something more tax/cost efficient too.

 

[andyinluton]

Why couldn´t you have a holiday if you had a white motorhome.

We could, but couldn't pay for the big white & save enough. So sell the Big white & buy the cali on finance.

The Big White cost a fortune to go any where, one year going to Scotland admittedly on a windy weekend we didn't go over 50mph & averaged 8mpg.

We did France a couple of times, but the awful travelling seats in the back combined with no radio & no aircon in the back made it more like a torture session.

Tried Devon & Cornwall & ended stuck on campsites as we struggled to park anywhere if we went out.

The only time it really worked was if we took a car as well.

All in all it didn't make for a good holiday experience. I got sick of looking at the thing parked on the drive & being used so little, we did 10,000 miles in just over five years.

Contrast that to the use we've had out of the cali - I use it for work a couple of days a week, it gets used for long weekends away regularly & we've been to Spain in it 5 times in 3 years & have done 40,000 miles, the only thing we have thought of is "doing a Granny Jen" & getting an Eriba with a toilet etc to pull behind for a long stay in one place.

 

[westfalia]

We could, but couldn't pay for the big white & save enough. So sell the Big white & buy the cali on finance.

The Big White cost a fortune to go any where, one year going to Scotland admittedly on a windy weekend we didn't go over 50mph & averaged 8mpg.

We did France a couple of times, but the awful travelling seats in the back combined with no radio & no aircon in the back made it more like a torture session.

Tried Devon & Cornwall & ended stuck on campsites as we struggled to park anywhere if we went out.

The only time it really worked was if we took a car as well.

All in all it didn't make for a good holiday experience. I got sick of looking at the thing parked on the drive & being used so little, we did 10,000 miles in just over five years.

Contrast that to the use we've had out of the cali - I use it for work a couple of days a week, it gets used for long weekends away regularly & we've been to Spain in it 5 times in 3 years & have done 40,000 miles, the only thing we have thought of is "doing a Granny Jen" & getting an Eriba with a toilet etc to pull behind for a long stay in one place.

What kind was it.

 

[andyinluton]

Roller Team 700


7.54m long 2.3m wide & 3m high

 

[westfalia]

View attachment 27536 Roller Team 700


7.54m long 2.3m wide & 3m high

Looks good.
Horses for courses.

 

[Amarillo]

the only thing we have thought of is "doing a Granny Jen" & getting an Eriba with a toilet etc to pull behind for a long stay in one place.

I can see that would be a very attractive option with teenage children.



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