Why We Chose A VW California Ocean!
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- čas přidán 4. 10. 2021
- Over the last few months we’ve had a few people ask us why we chose a Volkswagen California Ocean for our camper van. We had a T6 Ocean before and now we have this T6.1 Ocean so we thought it might help others if we made a video explaining our reasons for choosing a Cali again.
We’re sure that some of these you’ll think are vital and others are just plain silly, however we wanted to share them all with you to help you with your own research and interest.
We really do love all things camper, so there is no right or wrong, just whatever fits for you.
Keep a look out for our other new videos coming to the channel soon and a BIG thank you to all of our wonderful subscribers. We can’t wait to share more content with you over the coming months.
Take care, sit back and grab yourself some California Time !
Facebook - @californiatimeuk
Contact: contact@californiatime.co.uk
#vwcalifornia #campervan #ocean
Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. If for any reason you feel as though you have a copyright claim over any content used in this video, please contact us for immediate resolution - contact@californiatime.co.uk - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Another great video! Thank you so much for that! :)
Fantastic video I've been following you guys from the early days and have ordered my Ocean last may for delivery June ish 2022 🤢. But this just says it all to be honest. My T6 conversion was great and as per my videos I was absolutely besotted however there was just something missing.. mine will be going soon and I have no regrets but can't wait to get mine next year. keep up the good work and the very natural and informative videos. Matt
Thank you for being here with us from the early days of our channel Matt, we really appreciate your support 👍 Long wait June 22 though ☹️
Thanx ,good video again - we really like our fitted shelf that clicks on to the side of the sink - put our kettle on it -gives us more worktop 👍
Yes they do look useful, not tried one personally. I think they might be more tricky on the T6.1 as there is no push lock button pin on the top of the door for it to hook on to 🤷
Great video guys, really enjoyable and informative 👍🏻
Great! Glad you enjoyed it.
Really helpful 👌 . Have gone through the debate of conversion Vs Cali.... made the right decision myself eventually but this would have made decision so much easier. Sure it will be really helpful for others still pondering.
Thank you
Just configured our 6.1 ocean with the 204 and 4 motion. We have also added a few extras like yourselves but i treated myself with the black styling pack against the Fontana Red.. Will be placing the deposit in the next few weeks to book a slot which at the moment is a 10 month period. Have watched all your videos and enjoyed listening to all your experiences, keep up the good work.
Excellent stuff, sounds like it’s going to be a real looker! Thanks for the kind comments :)
great video again guys
Really good video thanks for all that information
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome thank you. It so confirms our reasons to buy the Cali Ocean delivery Feb 1st :-)
Great stuff! I bet you cannot wait - it feels just SO long !
Very informative, thanks.
Some great observations there. Lots of useful videos coming out now of those seeing it in person.
Interesting video. Thanks.
You're welcome
Thank you for your very informative video. You swung it for us. We ordered an Ocean last Friday (204 BHP, DSG, Ascot Grey with chrome pack) ...9+ month wait now. I had never given the safety aspect a thought. Wow! The fact that they put in structure to strengthen the roof is very important. It will also improve the handling of the camper van. We too looked at going to a VW approved fitter, specified the best van that we could (LED headlights etc) and then the inside; it came to the price of a California. Finally, the colors available in 2022 are pretty boring. 3K for a two tone colour! We decided that the solid colour (at no extra cost) of Ascot Grey with the chrome pack looked great. It will also take a bottom half wrap in any colour of choice at some time to spice things up.
Fantastic! Great choice and I am sure you will love it. Agree on the colours, we were talking only yesterday how much we miss the Oryx White option they did on the T6, it was such a bright lovely white :( Good call on the wrapping of the bottom half. Many people do this and for a lot less than £3k!
great idea about the wrap 👍
Good video, I purchase a T6 102BHP conversion for £45,000 late last year and it was a real eye opener , I do have high standards but only what you would expect for £45,000. I’m waiting for my California to arrive early next year after realising the only way to go is a Cali 👍🏻I was massively disappointed with the build and quality of the conversion. You don’t realise about all the extra bits and pieces that you get with a purpose built vehicle compared to a converted pannel van. Keep up the good work 👍🏻
I'm sorry to hear you've had a disappointing experience with your conversion - some are fantastic - but still, it has landed you at a Cali! Hope the wait isn't too long for you.
Yes, everything happens for a reason 👍🏻
Thank you . Very expensive but they are beautiful.
I love your videos & everything your advice & the truth. I love VW California too but very very expensive😭.
Thanks for watching!
Forgot to say looking forward to seeing Outer Hebrides Part 2!
It's coming....
Great video, so many valid reasons, all of which I agree with. We were so close to getting a 4motion DSG but as you know with 3 children it would be tricky. Our Nugget Plus has those 5 seats and a fixed toilet which sealed the deal! Likewise, I believe the Westfalia conversion is good quality (I have seen some shocking conversions, poor quality and compromising safety).
The Nugget Plus is awesome, long wheel base but still easy to park, a fraction wider than the California, the three children being small do all fit in the beds for now. Thankfully, without tempting fate we have a good one, only a couple of minor niggles for us but in general the support from Ford is hopelessly woeful. Even talking to Westfalia they agree that with after sales Ford are useless! Very sad.
When the boys are bigger we’ll probably have a Fiat based motorhome. Keep up the good work.
Love the Nugget Plus. Westfalia interior second to none, beautiful craftsmanship. Congrats!
I’d be interested to hear more about your tour of the VW Cali factory. Maybe you could do a video on what you remember about that? I understand no filming or videos are allowed but I’d be interested in how the base vans arrive for conversion (roof intact or pre cut for the pop top installation?). Also what order the conversion is done in. By the way you are costing me lots of money with all your useful suggestions 😂
Cheers again Jim
Sorry about costing you a lot of money !! I will have to sit down with Sarah and remember all of the detail we can. I remember the currywurst in their restaurant was very good ! Seriously though, you're right, no photos or video unfortunately, but a very impressive setup - more bespoke and manual (by hand) on the California conversion side than you'd imagine too.
Hey ya! We love your videos....Can you link us to the bin for behind the passenger seat please?!
Of course (and thank you ☺️) - www.campervanshop.eu/camper-interieur/opbergen/bakje-achter-de-voorstoel/
Well that’s made a decision. Thanks, had a t5 conversion and had, for 12 months, a cv40. Heritage is the big one though. 😅
I thought the Mercedes was far better tbh. However I selected the Cali because Mercedes’ didn’t make a 4WD at the time, they had constant problems with the rear electric seat, it was slightly shorter, but most importantly I had awful experiences from 6 dealerships whist trying to purchase the MP. Having had the Cali since 2019, I believe I made the right choice although I’m sure others would disagree. Would I do it again? No. I would self build, but I have the skills to do this to a high standard and fortunately the finances. If I was to get another Cali I would buy used. Another good video, glad I found your channel.
That's very kind of you to say, thank you. I think the Nugget is another really interesting entry to the market with a different internal layout (well, two layouts if you count the Plus too) which really gives people options. Nice to have choice in the market!
@@CampervanTime I agree. I would love to see someone like Toyota enter the market and there is room for a low budget model imo.
Another great video, thank you. Where did you say you got the bin from please.😁
Thanks 😊 - right here: www.campervanshop.eu/camper-interieur/opbergen/bakje-achter-de-voorstoel/
@@CampervanTime That’s brilliant, thank you. It’s ordered now.😁
Many thanks for all your VW California footage, would love to hear you both discuss the California drivers side sliding door verses a transporter conversion near side sliding door. Would you prefer a mirror image cali or not?
Thanks. In all the years we’ve had a Cali I don’t think we’ve ever really had a problem with the door being on the continental side, although you don’t tend to miss what you haven’t had I suppose. It certainly has never felt like a deal breaker for us but we don’t have kids where I can understand it might be more of a concern. The Ford Nugget with the rear kitchen design is clever as it has twin sliding doors, which would be fantastic.
We are on our third California. The first was an 06 plate T5 (second-hand). We now have a 2012 (second-hand) DSG, 4 Motion etc. Had it for 6 six years now. And you're right - the California badge is the one to aspire to. But some conversions are better thought out. Dare I ask, what did you pay for your new van?
You sound like veteran Cali owners from the start of the VW own manufactured ones 👍. How much did we pay? Well, a lot, but Listers in Coventry did their best for us. It still hurt though!
Love your videos - great to watch. However, there are a few convertors out there who produce conversions as safe as a Cali - Jerba Campervans in Scotland for one. All crash tested, VW approved and unlike the Cali insulated too! Also fantastic residuals.
I absolutely agree and we tried hard in our video to mention that there are some great converters out there 👍
@@CampervanTime Thanks for your reply - I did consider a Cali for a while but we’ve got three kids so needed a 5 seat option. Great vans though, and really nicely done. Definitely an option when the kids go! Keep up the good work with your vids 👍
Yep, we should probably do a video that explains some reasons that a Cali won’t be the best choice too, as there are certainly cases where it isn’t best for sure. Have fun with what you have chosen 😀👍
Always welcome to come and visit us in Denmark (north jutland)
We’d absolutely love that! We want to plan a trip the the arctic circle and see the northern lights etc. We’ve never been up that way so it’s on our list 👍
@@CampervanTime We follow your site as we just got our Coast this july, Always welcome and I like watching your tubes
Denmark is a lovely country, we go there often with a little swerve into Legoland 😁
I’ve been waiting for my ocean since 1st Feb. It’s killing me !!!!!!!
It's horrible isn't it - I feel your pain and know exactly the frustrations too. Hopefully we can amuse you in the meantime?!
@@CampervanTime absolutely! Been loving the Chanel so far. Some of your videos have been very helpful to me especially. 👍🏻
Great stuff. We are planning on possibly doing a live steam event soon too where we can do a load of Q&A and gather some feedback on what we should cover on the channel for everyone - especially given the nights are drawing in now too and filming gets a bit harder to manage around work etc.
Interesting. We looked at the Cali when we were considering a camper in 2016. Have to say we weren’t impressed with the local dealer who was really a van salesman and though it had to be a VW as we’ve had vans and campers before (T2,3,4 and 5) we looked around ant the various converters and took a trip to the Caravan and Camping Exhibition at the NEC. We were retiring so whatever we bought was likely to be a forever van. It had to double as a daily driver, had to have 4 sleeping berths so we could take grandchildren and had to have a three seater bench cos we have three of them. Also the bench bed had to be on rails as we wanted maximum flexibility for when not camping lugging stuff about. We eventually bought a T6 204, DSG, 4 motion ( been stuck in th past and wanted maximum of being able to extracate ourselves from sticky situations) and got Volksleisure to do the conversion. Expensive yes the wrong side of £60K all in with a discount on the window van. But it’s been brilliant. Brilliant as a camper and brilliant as transcontinental express. The extra power of the 204bhp engine makes for relaxed driving. Recently upgraded the headlights from one candlepower to stadium floodlight LEDs! And I would have specified electric latching of the tailgate and sliding door for quieter nighttime operation on quiet campsites!
Sounds fantastic and just like you have your forever van! So many to see and explore at the NEC shows, it's such a good place to get inspiration.
The California has the least number of compromises of any mobile camping vehicle IMO
Very helpful video
I’m in the process of considering buying a California Ocean. One concern I have and I’d be grateful for your view is the fact,as you know, diesel/petrol vehicles are being phased out. Electric/hybrid vehicles are being developed quite quickly and I guess a T7 is on the horizon. Knowing my luck I’ll invest in a vehicle like yours to be delivered 2022 October approx?
and in the meantime a new electric model appears. Do you think the residual and value of the current diesel vehicles will drop significantly merely because less demand and popularity as they are now?
I realise nobody has a crystal ball but unsure to take the plunge at this time.
You’re in a great position because you already have your van but
Would you still order one now?
Thanks Charles
Yes we would order another one now. I think a lot depends on how you are looking to buy one and if you intend to change it in the future or not. We have ours on a PCP finance deal - intentionally. I say intentionally because in 4 years time we have the option to hand it back or buy it outright. We obviously don't know what the state of the market is in 4 years time, but the residuals are very good, so the finance company obviously think things will be ok and I am sure they have better minds on this than mine. In 4 years time we'll know the direction of the T7 or new models hopefully for the Cali. The Cali (Beach Tour excluded) is categorised as a motor caravan for tax purposes too, which puts it in the same tax class as massive motorhomes which have absolutely no roadmap at the moment for zero emissions that I have seen. Battery technology will need to come a VERY long way to make it viable in a large heavy van and still give 200+ mile range, hydrogen infrastructure feels a very long way off too. That probably brings us back to mild hybrid technology - but then payload is a problem. The Ocean 204 4motion is right on the limit of giving a reasonable payload, so no spare weight to add batteries and motors as well as having an engine. I'm also not totally convinced the T7 platform will be the platform for the new Cali either.... A long way to go yet I think - hence yes, I'd buy another today.
Thanks for your honest and detailed reply
Looking forward to your future videos
Charles
I really hope that the next California (or whatever name they decide to use) is based on the upcoming VW ID Buzz. I desperately want a camper van, but having been driving an electric car for 3.5 years I can't face the thought of going back to a diesel. Dreading how much it'd cost though.
I'm really enjoying your videos.5*****, I am buying a campervan identical to yours going to be delivered in January and wondered if you could recommend a tracker for the insurance and an insurance company please? thank you.👍
Trackers are a bit tricky in that you really need to check with whichever insurer you use what they want. We tend to use Comfort insurance but plenty of other options out there.
Thanks
Have you put your own tinting / privacy finish to the inside of the side and rear Windows? I saw one in the VW showroom and it didn’t seem very private? Also, we’re based in the midlands. Can you recommend a dealer to liaise with?
Ours is the factory tint - all Oceans now come with it. We find it just right but it is not limo dark that's for sure. We use the blinds when we want some privacy of course. We bought ours from Listers in Coventry (have a chat with Mohammed) - very helpful and a good deal of course.
Where did you get the bin that fits nicely behind the seat please.
Hi! It is made for Camper Centrum in Amsterdam - but they will ship internationally. vwcampershop.nl/top-volgens-rob/prullenbakje/
Could you tell me please, does having the wind out awning make any difference to the vehicle height? Can you still slip under a 2.1 height barrier?
Yes it does - a tiny bit. Yes you can get under a 2.1m barrier, but without the awning it's more like 1.99m tall, 2.04m with it. It's the very rear of the awning that you need to watch, especially if you are in a multi story car park with up and down ramps, as when going down the very top back edge of the awning is the highest part of the van and can catch you out.
@@CampervanTime thank you 👍🙂
Is it the LWB California if that is a thing?
I'm afraid not - there is no LWB California :(
@@CampervanTimeshame, a lwb camper is a much better living space and the extra small amount of van length doesn't make that much difference, in my view the perfect camper size, allowing better access to cupboards and the ability to leave a chemical portable toilet out overnight between the bed and the swivelled front chairs.
So given your recent pursche decision, what changed?
Good question. Having had two Californias and having spent time in Australia with a larger van, we wanted to have a shower, fixed toilet and a fixed bed. Because we only have limited holiday time from work we tend to do quite a lot of one / two night stops at the weekends and we do like to try to find pub stopovers for those to get us out and about and exploring new places. Because of that we wanted to have our own facilities on board as we know we'll use them in our typical usage.
I have been following your videos for a while and am shortly going to have delivered a new 204 ps DSG 4 wheel drive camper van with an extensive Eco-waggon conversion….Out of all your excellent videos I find this one impossible to agree with.
I looked at multiple convertors plus VW originals. Yes there are some shoddy conversions but most of the major convertors operate to rigorous safety standards
VW….door on the wrong side for the uk, constantly irritating if you have a dog, relatively limited options which are pretty much unlimited at Eco-waggon……you can build exactly what you want if the correct fabric, leather, wood for broadly the same cost
For me it is really was a no brainier and VW original didn’t just finish second it finished miles down the list……..
Finally your warranty concerns seem somewhat misplaced when you look your first year faults video plus many others on u-tube most of whom have a consensus that VW dealers don’t understand the tech in camper vans anyway
Will keep you posted when it arrives and we see if I have got this wrong 😕 Keep the videos coming super helpful, just look a convertors more seriously when you upgrade
Congratulations on the new van, the great thing is that there are many many options to choose from, so whatever is important to you should be able to be catered for. Obviously we share our opinions on the channel and we're very aware that these are just that, our own opinions but others have different views. You are completely correct on the outstanding quality of some of the conversions, they are fantastic.
I know why not, they are outrageously expensive, the base vehicle is no longer the best, the engines are no longer reliable.... and hellish expensive to fix when they do go wrong. Heritage is a really bad idea to go by, so many companies had a good reputation and then went bust by turning to junk. Talking about safety the T1 was a deathtrap even by back then standards, then for years were rust buckets. The golden rule now is don't buy VW or Mercedes. The number one vans in UK/Europe are the Vivaro/Trafic range and for very good reason.
You are right, I chose a Fiat Talento lwb onyx edition ( old vivaro clone ) new, got it fully professionally converted to a high standard, to my particularly needs, saved many many thousands of £ and haven't looked back, it has been marvelous, has a wider 120 cm rib bed, much more storage than a california, upright fridge ( not a bucket fridge ) webasto diesel heater ( with the controls next to your bed where they should be ) and a bigger squarer space to live in.
It also has a reliable 170 bhp euro 6 engine that hasn't gone wrong at all. Wonderful !
@@stevezodiac491 I had never heard of the Fiat Talento, but the new Ducato is a great van from what I have seen. I bought my 08 Vivaro (timing chain engine/6 speed box) in 2015 and used standard stuff to kit it out. I bought it with 105k miles on the clock, a grubby trade van and recently fitted a new clutch (€400) at 170k miles, the old plates had 001" left, a few brake bits and just back from a 10,000km trip to Greece and Turkey, all trouble free. The van cost £3200 + £2000 for bits, including swivel front seat base and cold box and after 150+ nights/meals, it has more than paid for itself, comfortable to drive and sleep, under 2 metres for cheap tolls and MS parking, but can sit upright and drives like a car. What more could I want for the wife, me and a dog named Boo...other than Portuguese registration...LWB?