Georgiegirl
- Messages
- 238
- Vehicle
- Cali now sold
I previously posted to say we had downsized from a Ford Ducato having previously been Beach and then Ocean owners, but had now decided to go to a Ford Nugget Plus. I promised to write a review once we had been on our first camping trip which happened over Easter weekend. So how does the nugget compare to the Cali?
Community - Cali wins
No waves from other vans in the Ford ( although to be fair Nuggets are fairly rare so we haven’t met one of those yet!). Most Transits are builders vans but I do miss the friendly waves and the Nugget forum is much smaller than this treasure trove of advice (but we have already used it to solve a few problems)
Looks on the outside.- Cali wins
I can’t help but still love the VW it’s the van I always wanted and it still holds my heart. Having said that our transit is a looker having a sports pack, so it’s not exactly ugly. We managed to get one of the Active spec vans which has roof rails, tow bar, running boards, partial leather upholstery, and black mirrors which does make it look smarter than your average builders van
Drive - draw
Both our Ocean and the Nugget are autos with adaptive cruise control making motorway cruising a breeze. Our nugget has a reversing camera which is a nice addition. Overall though I’d say it’s too close to call
Storage space accessible from outside - Cali wins
The Nugget doesn’t have a boot, so the Cali wins hands down on this one. Having said that there are some very large storage areas both under and behind the bench seat which holds the majority of things you would store in the boot in a Cali, like bedding and a cadac, but you won’t be able to use your perfectly packed storage boxes!
Passenger space - Nugget wins
The rear bench easily seats 3 so the nugget gives you the perfect combination of beach seat configuration and ocean full camper. It also has sliding doors both sides so easy for everyone to get in and out
Roof - Cali wins
The nugget is manual roof only and seemed impossible to close until we found a tip on the forum so I’d say the Cali wins for ease!
So far the Cali is doing well, but once you get on the inside on a camping trip the Nugget really comes into its own!
Toilet - nugget wins
We have the plus version which comes with a proper toilet with separate water tank for the flush and a removable waste unit. We anlso have a separate drop down sink all hidden behind a privacy screen. Even the normal nugget has a cupboard specifically for a camping toilet.
Hot water - nugget wins
There is a small boiler which can be used in both sinks and the shower attachment (outdoor use only)
Kitchen - nugget wins
The back of the van has no boot because this space is essentially the kitchen. The roof pops up at the back and the head height is massive so you can stand to cook while others sit further down at the dining table. There’s is an L shaped worktop with fridge similar to the Ocean, 2 burner hob and sink. Because these are spaced out you have loads more preparation space than the Cali. The cupboard space is slightly smaller but still room for plates, cooking equipment and a cutlery drawer. I stored some food further down the van which I had been a bit worried about but actually that worked well.
Bed - nugget wins
The upper bed is massive - wider and longer than the Cali. It’s got froli springs which I haven’t had before and they make such a difference to comfort levels. There are 2 lights which you can switch on and off from the bed and a shelf to store your phone etc. We didn’t try the downstairs bed on this trip but it’s made out of the bench seat and a final piece that appears from underneath once the bench has been lowered. Some other Westfalia Fords needed extra cushions which are a pain to store, so this was an extra tick for us with the nugget.
Wardrobe - nugget wins
The ocean has a better wardrobe for hanging space but the nugget has a small hanging space behind the toilet plus a large shelved cupboard where we stored our clothes in packing bags, towels and wash stuff. It’s easier to access and full length as it’s in the walkway through from the dining area to the kitchen so it’s not blocked by anything
Dining - Cali wins
You can’t beat the table in the Cali - the nugget has a large table which is stored loose behind the bench seat and a separate leg screws into the floor. This is a bit of a pain to use and store, and we will probably end up buying an alternative. The nugget comes with a larger outside table stored in the tailgate and 2 chairs - we left the chairs at home as they are large and we used the storage area for our rainbow screens roof and screen covers.
Umbrella - nugget wins
Yes there really is a Westfalia umbrella next to the door. A great idea for rainy days ( and it came in handy to help tuck in the pop top cover when we installed it!)
So overall we are very pleased with the Nugget. Coming from a larger van we had been spoilt and it’s offered us a good compromise with a smaller package. Ideally we would’ve gone for the fixed high top version (similar to the Club Joker) but it’s not available in the UK.
I’m happy to answer any questions that anyone has. Thanks for listening!
Community - Cali wins
No waves from other vans in the Ford ( although to be fair Nuggets are fairly rare so we haven’t met one of those yet!). Most Transits are builders vans but I do miss the friendly waves and the Nugget forum is much smaller than this treasure trove of advice (but we have already used it to solve a few problems)
Looks on the outside.- Cali wins
I can’t help but still love the VW it’s the van I always wanted and it still holds my heart. Having said that our transit is a looker having a sports pack, so it’s not exactly ugly. We managed to get one of the Active spec vans which has roof rails, tow bar, running boards, partial leather upholstery, and black mirrors which does make it look smarter than your average builders van
Drive - draw
Both our Ocean and the Nugget are autos with adaptive cruise control making motorway cruising a breeze. Our nugget has a reversing camera which is a nice addition. Overall though I’d say it’s too close to call
Storage space accessible from outside - Cali wins
The Nugget doesn’t have a boot, so the Cali wins hands down on this one. Having said that there are some very large storage areas both under and behind the bench seat which holds the majority of things you would store in the boot in a Cali, like bedding and a cadac, but you won’t be able to use your perfectly packed storage boxes!
Passenger space - Nugget wins
The rear bench easily seats 3 so the nugget gives you the perfect combination of beach seat configuration and ocean full camper. It also has sliding doors both sides so easy for everyone to get in and out
Roof - Cali wins
The nugget is manual roof only and seemed impossible to close until we found a tip on the forum so I’d say the Cali wins for ease!
So far the Cali is doing well, but once you get on the inside on a camping trip the Nugget really comes into its own!
Toilet - nugget wins
We have the plus version which comes with a proper toilet with separate water tank for the flush and a removable waste unit. We anlso have a separate drop down sink all hidden behind a privacy screen. Even the normal nugget has a cupboard specifically for a camping toilet.
Hot water - nugget wins
There is a small boiler which can be used in both sinks and the shower attachment (outdoor use only)
Kitchen - nugget wins
The back of the van has no boot because this space is essentially the kitchen. The roof pops up at the back and the head height is massive so you can stand to cook while others sit further down at the dining table. There’s is an L shaped worktop with fridge similar to the Ocean, 2 burner hob and sink. Because these are spaced out you have loads more preparation space than the Cali. The cupboard space is slightly smaller but still room for plates, cooking equipment and a cutlery drawer. I stored some food further down the van which I had been a bit worried about but actually that worked well.
Bed - nugget wins
The upper bed is massive - wider and longer than the Cali. It’s got froli springs which I haven’t had before and they make such a difference to comfort levels. There are 2 lights which you can switch on and off from the bed and a shelf to store your phone etc. We didn’t try the downstairs bed on this trip but it’s made out of the bench seat and a final piece that appears from underneath once the bench has been lowered. Some other Westfalia Fords needed extra cushions which are a pain to store, so this was an extra tick for us with the nugget.
Wardrobe - nugget wins
The ocean has a better wardrobe for hanging space but the nugget has a small hanging space behind the toilet plus a large shelved cupboard where we stored our clothes in packing bags, towels and wash stuff. It’s easier to access and full length as it’s in the walkway through from the dining area to the kitchen so it’s not blocked by anything
Dining - Cali wins
You can’t beat the table in the Cali - the nugget has a large table which is stored loose behind the bench seat and a separate leg screws into the floor. This is a bit of a pain to use and store, and we will probably end up buying an alternative. The nugget comes with a larger outside table stored in the tailgate and 2 chairs - we left the chairs at home as they are large and we used the storage area for our rainbow screens roof and screen covers.
Umbrella - nugget wins
Yes there really is a Westfalia umbrella next to the door. A great idea for rainy days ( and it came in handy to help tuck in the pop top cover when we installed it!)
So overall we are very pleased with the Nugget. Coming from a larger van we had been spoilt and it’s offered us a good compromise with a smaller package. Ideally we would’ve gone for the fixed high top version (similar to the Club Joker) but it’s not available in the UK.
I’m happy to answer any questions that anyone has. Thanks for listening!
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