VOLKSWAGEN GRAND CALIFORNIA - Is it a Campervan or a Motorhome?!

Рет қаралды 10,481

Жыл бұрын

Volkswagen Grand California - Is it a Campervan or a Motorhome ? What's it Like ?! Is the Bigger California going to be a candidate to replace our current VW California Beach ? Can you get past that bulbous roof ? So many questions....! This video is the first of two looking at the VW Grand California 600.
Remember to subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when part 2 is up on KZfaq in the next few days. Huge Thanks to #breezevancentres in Poole for letting us try out the Grand. It could now be right at the top of the list of possible replacements for our Cali Beach.
#campervan #vwcalifornia #motorhome #camping #volkswagen
Check our Breeze VW Van Centre in Poole online for their latest stock.
www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk
Thank you for watching, hope you enjoyed the video. Please LIKE, COMMENT, and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our channel to follow us and see more of our videos and adventures with our Campervan !
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So Who are Campervan Journey?
We are JT, Harry, Claire, Sam and Ben, oh and Hunny the Dog. We discovered campervanning in 2015 when we bought our first Volkswagen T5 Combo after seeing many at our favourite campsites. We were staying with our tent, and dreaming that one day we would have our own Campervan. After much research, we bought and converted our own T5 Kombi to suit our requirements, check out the video on the channel. We soon discovered that owning a Campervan is a way of life and it is not just about amazing trips round Europe, it’s as much about great days out and family time…
We have been lucky enough to visit some amazing places with our van, many of which we know we wouldn’t have seen if we had not owned it. They instil a sense of adventure and where shall we go into your life.
After 3 years with the T5, we upgraded to a Volkswagen T6 California Beach, our current van, and we continue to enjoy travelling and visiting some amazing places. You can check out our latest videos and adventures here on the channel !
Please hit SUBSCRIBE! if this is your thing ! We try to make videos to share the good and bad of where we have been and some tips and tricks that we have learnt along the way, as well as reviews of some of the things we have bought to use whilst camping and places we have visited and stayed.
Remember, We believe that buying a Campervan was one of the best things we have ever done !!!
THANKYOU !!!
We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our Subscribers and everyone who watches our videos and for all of the lovely comments, it really does mean a lot to us. It’s great to get the feedback on our videos and great to hear from you.
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#vwcalifornia #campervan #camping #motorhome #vanlife

Пікірлер: 49

@gordonhutchison9198 Жыл бұрын

Good video. We have a GC600 and moved from a T6 Ocean, which we had for 5 years, 2 of which it was our only drive and we absolutely loved it. We initially ruled out the GC for the reasons many comment on - challenging looks & ‘airbus’ interior which doesn’t seem to offer much more space, but after 12 months searching for a bigger van we ended back at the GC which we have now had for a year and we love it. We went for indium grey with bigger BF Goodrich AT tyres and different alloys which moves the look a bit towards ‘purposeful’ and the ‘airbus’ interior becomes warm and welcoming once you personalise it with bedding/cushions etc. There is tons more space than in an Ocean, its just in different places. I do agree the rear twin seats are not great, but there is only two of us. No regrets.

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

Thank you Gordon. Good to hear your feedback, sounds like we are on a similar journey to you...! You're right about the looks, beefing it up with chunky wheels and tyres does transform it. It does tick a lot of boxes for us, we just need to be sure about those rear seats...cheers JT

@barryjohn7765 Жыл бұрын

Our Ayers Rock has been delayed till September. We took another look round but have decided to wait as it’s what we want. Good luck with the search 👍🏻 I couldn’t live with the looks of the GC and it’s very clinical and plastic looking inside.

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

Oh no ! Shame about the delay on your new van. I think we need to have an up close look at the Hymers, did you manage to do that before you ordered with a dealer ?

@barryjohn7765 Жыл бұрын

@@CampervanJourney we saw one and a free 540 at a Hymer dealer so had a good look round them both. The travel seats in the Ayers Rock/Yosemite etc are better than in the Free series IMO, and for 2023 the vans have had some additional improvements too. Happy with our choice, just got to wait now.

@carolspencer5844 Жыл бұрын

Hi, forgot to add, i drive a mwb crafter,self converted and i have the manual gearbox,140bhp and its very nippy, i guess i wouldnt have the same weight as the grand cali but its a great driveable van. I upgraded from a T5.1. Just as easy to drive too. best of luck with the van.

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

That’s great to hear! Cheers JT

@agrafes6 Жыл бұрын

Excellent review, thank you. I’m still on the fence with regards to my overall thoughts. It does seem to lack what I would call sensible storage. The lack of places to store clothing etc, as most of the areas are drop-down cupboards, not pull-out drawers. I liked the extra bed and small garage area, in addition to the outdoor shower, but unfortunately that’s about it, sorry. 👍🏻💂‍♂️🇬🇧

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

Fair enough! Thanks for your thoughts…feel free to share if you have any ideas of an alternative that addresses your concerns, I’d be interested to hear. Thanks for watching and getting in touch, cheers JT

@CampervanTime Жыл бұрын

Great to see that you've managed to spend some proper time with a GC600. What others have you either got on the list or want to see/consider? Hymer Free 600 on a sprinter? WF Columbus with pop-top? Adria Twin?

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

@campervantime You have pretty much nailed our list. I guess your shortlist is the same....?! We were impressed by the GC, but still have a some reservations about it. £90k is a lot to spend and have reservations ! We saw the Hymer Free on the sprinter Chassis at the NEC, deserves a closer look, but the travelling seats in that and the Adria are still not ideal for us. These are important for us due to the need for long distance comfort for the kids. The WF Columbus has the best travelling seats, and a clever additional bed that folds from the rear seat, but having owned VW's for years, I'm not sure if I can switch to a Fiat...and the Sven Hedin as a 2 berth only is no good for us at the moment....be interested to hear what is top of your list at the moment...cheers JT

@CampervanTime Жыл бұрын

@@CampervanJourney All will be revealed soon! The Columbus is a stalwart of design. Not really changed for years, just slow and steady innovation. At least on the latest one they use the 8th generation Fiat. It feels like quite a gap in the market at the moment. What about the Globe Traveller Voyager ?

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

Look forward to hearing your plans !

@markdami Жыл бұрын

@@CampervanJourney not sure how to send private messages but FYI there was significant flexibility in price when I bought a new 680 a few months ago. I got a quote first from one of those companies that gets best prices from dealers round the country. Then I asked my local dealer if they could match it. Actually they beat it. Ended up saving around 12%.

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

@@markdami that’s great to hear, thank you. I had heard similar, there are deals around on the GC. Lead times aren’t too bad either, circa 4-6 months. Thanks for watching and getting in touch, cheers JT

@christinecorner8973 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review. Is there a heating vent in the shower room and something to hang a wet coat on?

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

Hi, yes I believe there are both. The hanging rail is not huge but you could dry wet coats in there…thanks for getting in touch, keep an eye out for part 2 coming soon. Cheers JT

@christinecorner8973 Жыл бұрын

@@CampervanJourney Thanks, I enjoy watching all your videos. I’m sure your son has a future in TV.😁

@DB07OUR Жыл бұрын

Good footage ❤

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

Thank you ! Appreciate the feedback. Cheers JT

@DB07OUR Жыл бұрын

@@CampervanJourney just subbed you guys

@DB07OUR Жыл бұрын

@CampervanJourney stay Safe

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

@@DB07OUR 👍🚐👍🍻

@clivemillington8452 Жыл бұрын

Not my cup of tea , l will stick with my T5.1. Ideal for abroad trips for the pair of us 👍👍

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

For Two, the T5 / T6 is a perfect choice, for 3-4 when you need a bit more space, it is difficult to find something that is larger, but as good an all rounder as the T5/T6...

@BOOMEL12 Жыл бұрын

What is that lump on the top? Looks like a quiff

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

It certainly has a distinctive look !

@robclarke4963 Жыл бұрын

Is there any reason why you don't consider a ford nugget other than it not being a VW? The more of your videos that I watch the more I think it is the perfect vehicle for you.

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

We do like the Nugget, the interior layout looks interesting, but I cannot get my head around the 'open' toilet and kitchen set up. Clever use of space, but I feel as a family of 3-4 when we are travelling, the layout would not work for us. If it was just us as a couple, it would be of more interest. Thanks for getting in touch ! Cheers JT

@pt712 Жыл бұрын

A bus & beyond did a good video on a Europe trip in an early one of these. That might help you. I like the conversions with out the shower & more space

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

I have seen the ABAB trip review, its a good watch. The wet room is one of the things we would like in our new van. Once we have had one, we may change our mind, as you are right, they do take up space. cheers JT

@pantysaer Жыл бұрын

The rear belted seats are awful, there is no way my kids would sit in those on a 1000 mile trip across Europe.

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

And this is a key thing with all these mid size vans Chris, if you are a family of 4,.Trying to find something that has all the features and quality you are after AND has comfortable, practical and SAFE rear travelling seats is really difficult. The best rear seats we have found are in the Westfalia Columbus, but you can't have the same seat in the larger Sven Hedin which is based on the Man TGE / Crafter chassis, as they won't fit....there is definitely a gap in the market ! Thanks for watching and getting in touch, JT

@pantysaer Жыл бұрын

My kids don’t like the back seat in our California Ocean but at least it can be tilted back a bit. The Globe Traveller Voyager Z looks to have great rear passenger seats but it’s a lot of money.

@neilparker2535 Жыл бұрын

Sorry not impressed with the Grand it’s unbelievably ugly and the bench seat looks uncomfortable Dont rush into it love your show cheers Neil

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

From a personal point of view Neil, those are my two main reservations about the G600 - its look and the rear travelling seat...we were very pleasantly surprised by the drive and general feel though...Glad to hear you like our channel, thanks for watching and getting in touch, cheers JT

@gillianh Жыл бұрын

Don’t like the Grand at all, for a big vehicle there is very little space inside. We will stick with our California T6.

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

We were pleasantly surprised by how much more spacious the GC felt over our T6. I guess it depends on how you will use the space.

@brucemoulding3114 Жыл бұрын

Great review JT. The GC generally gets terrible reviews from owners though. It feels a bit soul-less to me, bit like Milton Keynes 🤣. Have you considered converting a crafter to your own taste?

@markdami Жыл бұрын

@@brucemoulding3114 I'm an owner (680 version) and I absolutely love mine. Couldn't ever go back to a pokey transporter base van.

@davesheffield3620 9 ай бұрын

To me it looks cramped and it’s ugly as hell.

@CampervanJourney 9 ай бұрын

It was certainly less spacious than we expected and its not a looker !

@Pablosammy1 Жыл бұрын

Hate the decor, it looks like an ambulance inside! Clinical isn't the word

@CampervanJourney Жыл бұрын

Fortunately I haven't experienced the inside of an ambulance, so can't comment ! But the GC is certainly very white ! Cheers JT

@Pablosammy1 Жыл бұрын

@@CampervanJourney I'm sure it could be made more cosy! It looks like a great camper otherwise

@markdami Жыл бұрын

If you think it's like an ambulance, what better word than clinical? I love the interior. Sleek, clean, light and fresh. Subjective of course.

@neildean7515 Жыл бұрын

I do like it, but outside always looks a bit weird. Smater design should include a bed that converts into two benches at the rear, given limited dinibg Space.. i hate those flip down sinks in the bathroom, it will be broken in weeks..