Too Big, Too Small

AdyB said:

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

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dominichayhoe said:

So funny reading the comments of those who've never owned one

I've owned several Transporter vans in various guises, with and without pop top roof, and 3 other motorhomes too, and now a GC.

I'll say it how it is, as of course there are pro's as well as cons.

They won't suit everyone, they aren't nearly as easy to drive in tight lanes and there will be some parking sports you can't get in to. The lounge area when at max capacity is bigger in a standard Cali/transporter.

However, an on-board bathroom is a must for me, and my two girls, I really don't like the condition of most 'shower blocks' plus we can stop anywhere anytime and of course go to the loo in the night.

Driving the GC is a real pleasure and although we have the 600, can park in just about any space. It isn't too much wider than a cali, although you have to pay attention to low bridges and in Europe roads can have low barriers on them.

The driving range is poor at around 400/450 miles as it only has a 75 litre tank.

You can jump into bed at any time, and the extra storage space is not to be missed, as it has a very large capacity compared to a standard cali, which always frustrated me packing everything away just to move. In the GC if it's raining or you're lazy you can literally just throw everything into the garage.

The LPG storage is huge and you could go weeks before refilling.

The standing height is a real boon too whether you've just pulled over or have parked up, it's instantly there.

Finally, we moved away from a pop-top as we like to travel around and when it's 20 degrees in the day in Spain late in the year, it can be 5 overnight and it was just too cold to use. Not so with the GC.

They'll be plenty of people who'll tell you, you don't need a bathroom and what they own is better, but only you can decide what's right for you.

Unfortunately most people argue a debate from their perspective, and will post laughing emojis or try negate your point if you disagree with them, because god forbid anyone should have a different point of view, but their life could be vastly different to yours. They could be single, a couple, retired, have pets with them, a family of 6 etc. etc. No two situations are the same and no two vans suit the same people.

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mpill990 said:

The only thing I wouldn't do with a GC is use it as a daily driver - which of course you can do with a transporter..


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Karlos said:

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.

Click to expand...

dominichayhoe said:

So funny reading the comments of those who've never owned one

I've owned several Transporter vans in various guises, with and without pop top roof, and 3 other motorhomes too, and now a GC.

I'll say it how it is, as of course there are pro's as well as cons.

They won't suit everyone, they aren't nearly as easy to drive in tight lanes and there will be some parking sports you can't get in to. The lounge area when at max capacity is bigger in a standard Cali/transporter.

However, an on-board bathroom is a must for me, and my two girls, I really don't like the condition of most 'shower blocks' plus we can stop anywhere anytime and of course go to the loo in the night.

Driving the GC is a real pleasure and although we have the 600, can park in just about any space. It isn't too much wider than a cali, although you have to pay attention to low bridges and in Europe roads can have low barriers on them.

The driving range is poor at around 400/450 miles as it only has a 75 litre tank.

You can jump into bed at any time, and the extra storage space is not to be missed, as it has a very large capacity compared to a standard cali, which always frustrated me packing everything away just to move. In the GC if it's raining or you're lazy you can literally just throw everything into the garage.

The LPG storage is huge and you could go weeks before refilling.

The standing height is a real boon too whether you've just pulled over or have parked up, it's instantly there.

Finally, we moved away from a pop-top as we like to travel around and when it's 20 degrees in the day in Spain late in the year, it can be 5 overnight and it was just too cold to use. Not so with the GC.

They'll be plenty of people who'll tell you, you don't need a bathroom and what they own is better, but only you can decide what's right for you.

Unfortunately most people argue a debate from their perspective, and will post laughing emojis or try negate your point if you disagree with them, because god forbid anyone should have a different point of view, but their life could be vastly different to yours. They could be single, a couple, retired, have pets with them, a family of 6 etc. etc. No two situations are the same and no two vans suit the same people.

Click to expand...

Karlos said:

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.

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calibusje said:

“God forbid anyone should have a different point of view…” Really? I've already said everyone has their own idea about it and I was under the impression that everyone was allowed to answer; so funny? No, I can also reason and decide for myself if I want something bigger than a normal California. What I wrote is not okay then? I would even add that a GC has nothing to do with an ordinary transporter-based one and is therefore further away from it than it is with ‘a great white’, of course -again- my opinion. Not everyone likes the idea of a small campervan (or ‘their needs change’) but I don't think our reactions are ‘funny’. You don't need everything at once and the versatility and maneuverability are big pluses of a California. I'm not in bed and at the wheel and on the turned seat and on the toilet and at the table and taking a shower at once so for me that possibility is not necessary (and there are still four of us). Oh yes, with my 1m92, both the beds upstairs and downstairs are long enough for me. A folding roof can be kept nice and cool, but you have to have experienced it for that. And I know: I've only had our new one for a good month and we only did one more trip with it… after traveling with a t4 westfalia california for over 10 years. I used to travel with my parents in a camper (since the 80s) and although it was fairly compact, even more compact is better for us.
One may have a different opinion, you, I, others and it is therefore not necessary at all to describe it as you do: I also ended by wishing them a lot of fun with their choice and giving them a few more options.

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soulstyledevon said:

Most see the bathroom as a plus point.
I would see it as a hindrance. It’s consuming probably 1/6 of the van space and only used 2% of the time.
Just watch Motorhome owners on campsites. Most use the campsite toilets and showers…

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soulstyledevon said:

This is the most important question.
If it’s purely for camping, go for a Motorhome. If you want a daily driver you can camp in.
Get a proper Campervan.
Just remember, big or small. It’s still camping and nothing beats a good hotel

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Karlos said:

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.

Click to expand...

AdyB said:

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.

Click to expand...

andyinluton said:

Just watch camper vaners off a campsite, wandering around with a trowel, looking for bushes, pooping in bags. That 2% is priceless especially at 2 in the morning when its peeing down outside.

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Karlos said:

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.

Click to expand...

AdyB said:

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

Click to expand...

soulstyledevon said:

This is the most important question.
If it’s purely for camping, go for a Motorhome. If you want a daily driver you can camp in.
Get a proper Campervan.
Just remember, big or small. It’s still camping and nothing beats a good hotel

Click to expand...

soulstyledevon said:

Just remember, big or small. It’s still camping and nothing beats a good hotel

Click to expand...

calibusje said:

Yes but ‘a daily driver you can camp in’ is just the opposite for me: we really use it for real camping and also as a daily driver.
I understand your reasoning but I would put it like this: do you really want to camp with an agile and compact campervan that is very modular: get a california. You want a shower and fixed toilet and loose all the things a california is? Get bigger. Each to his own and surely each his own opinion.
You can also easily use it as a daily vehicle. It takes some insight to see a California for what it is and some cling to what it doesn't have and don't see the advantage of what it is. Choices have to be made and this is sometimes not easy, but for us it is clear.

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