To everyone saying this has a shower, what I meant is that it doesn't have a built-in one with warm water. You can get a shower hose option to hook up to the water supply. But you have to shower outside and the water is cold. Lovely...
Westfalia Kepler One and Six or Joker City, VW T6's with optional hot water and shower (some inside the van). Transit version, or Nissan version, from other divisions of the Rapido Group (Which includes Westfalia). Citroen version from Possel. VW only one with Haldex AWD. Main selling points 4.9m to 5.4m long, under 2.1m high. Means it fits city multistorey and underground parking - so you have the running costs of 1 vehicle not 1 plus a "proper camper". Expensive - yes. Cheaper to stay in a hotel, probably, if you go to the same places as everyone else. But who wants to do that? Interested if you compared some like the 7 seater Kodiak to the 7 seater VW Beach though. Price vs Practically vs Flexibility vs Space.
@@nathanpetrovski7525 As far as I know this 'from the factory' was developed by Westfalia, so... Does it really make a difference? + I've been looking around and I'm more and more convinced that the 'aftermarket stuff' seems to be more in line with what you actually need. Check out Kompanja's take on Traffic or Possl Campster. Much more versatile than this.
You got it all wrong. Buy a tent or a motorhome? A motorhome can not be used for anything else than camping. This cali i can use for camping, away days football, a day to the beach. I can use it as a daily car. Gone fishing, taking my mbt along, I can do my shopping and park almost everywhere. I can park it at home easely. And it drives way better and cheaper than a motorhome. And when i want a hotel with a nice bed, i drive to a nice hotel and park my cali in front of it. This is the whole point of the cali. Freedom. It can do all you want. Where a motorhome is only useful for long holidays. I can be in spain, next day italy if i would like. Now, do that with a motorhome. Have fun driving, parking etc.
Agree, I use mine for the daily commute to work/gym/shops/school run, with the added bonus of just getting away with the family, Got trips planned to Jeslo in Italy this year along with a few days down Cornwall. What I like about the VW is that it fits in a normal car parking space, you can't do this with the bigger motorhomes or even the LWB version VW T6(we always forget something, when were away so always, need to pop to the local Asda/Tesco). We also use it to take stuff to the tip and anything you can do with a car/van!! As for being overpriced, yes its expensive but have a look at the prices of the older T5 California, they still hold there value pretty well as will the new T6!!!
Mat. We had a 6m camper with all the bells and whistles for twelve years and down sized to a California. Do not ask me to reason why but we absolutely love it and love spending time in it. It is not something you can reason out. I agree on so many levels with a lot of your criticism but generations who have owned a VW camper will only tell you they love it. You have to own one to know what I am talking about. If I had to sum it up in one word it would be "freedom".
@@Si1234321 Very good point Loki. This way is not every ones way and after twenty years of camping it does amaze me how people rush out and spend money on a motor home without renting first to see how they get on with it. We bought our with 1500 miles on the clock from a main dealer for £45,000 after a chap bought it for £60,000 new and decided after 2 trips he did not like it. There was still plastic protection on some of the fittings.
WALKABOUT It is not uncommon to believe something will be great only to discover that it isn’t. Similarly, I thought camping would be awful but discovered I really liked it, for all sorts of reasons I never anticipated. I can see why someone would think that the luxury of a motorhome compared with a campervan is great without realising the practical cost that comes with it.
I love the honesty of this review. When Mat said “avoid”, I burst out laughing, I was that surprised - he’s the first professional reviewer that I’ve heard say so. And I say that as someone who is looking at buying a campervan the size of a California. There must be some people who buy one and wish they hadn’t - who romanticise about living in such a small space and then decide it doesn’t work for them.
C 50 I’ve spent far too long looking at campervans on UA-cam. There’s lots of conversions which in my opinion are better than the California. I’ve also noticed that lots of UA-camrs have converted Sprinter vans (or equivalents) - often high tops, and often long wheel base. They seem to want the extra room. My feeling is that something the size of a California is fine for two but if you are wild camping you may find it cramped. One advantage of buying a California is the low depreciation. But you have to factor in the higher purchase price. If you get a conversion, consider the pop-tops with a zip so you can drop the fabric between van and roof. Good when lying upstairs on a sunny day. But having a high top means that space can be used to store your bedding and other things while driving - an advantage in any van where space is at a premium. Take anything I say with a pinch of salt as I don’t yet own a campervan so I haven’t got the practical experience.
Well I'm not a tall person, neither are most of the people I know whom I would want to go with for a camp-out, and I'm not a big fan of driving around with a tank of feces in my car anyway so this little campervan would be the ideal choice for me as I would use it also for normal everyday driving and it wouldn't be any more expensive than the regular van I drive right now. I very much appreciate the honesty of this review, but I also appreciate that smaller mobile homes exist for us who doesn't have a bunch of kids or want to necessarily pay for and drive a big house-on-wheels :)
'You often think you'd be better off with just a large tent' And everyone who's ever tried camping knows at an instant that you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about :)
Exactly! I remember my camping trips to Greece (in a tent, a few meters from the beach but not on a camping-ground) and after a week to 10 days in my 2-man-tent, I would've killed to be able to sleep in the most basic of camper-vans.
I think people comparing this to hotels isn't giving it justice. The point is to be able to travel anywhere at anytime and it's actually more luxurious than camping. The amount of innovation on this thing is incredible. Yes the price is steep, but will be a bargain when depreciation hits and you buy one that is 5 years old :)
Stefan I can’t imagine why except the TDI is no longer marketed in the US. I have friends who are fanatics for the Westphalia stuff and there’s definitely a market. Normally VW bring their product to N America two years after Germany.
Interesting take on a camper van from (I’m assuming) someone who doesn’t have or regularly uses a camper. The key to it is flexibility. Finish work, jump in, and get away for a day or two without any planning (hopefully). Yes, even for a camper van, it’s expensive. But there is peace of mind with VW backup and it’s well put together (in comparison).
The cost of camper vans is criminal! £60K??? Why does adding a sink, a couple of beds, some gas piping and a water tank to a van make it cost £60k? Bonkers.
A lot of handcraft and low sale numbers. Yeah, if you would do it yourself, it would be a lot cheaper, it's all the working hours you have to pay for. It's almost like a custom car.
We have ordered our one, can't wait! I suppose it is all depending on your need, it is not large, no build in toilet or shower compare to a proper campervan or caravan BUT it is easy to drive, 4 motion (this is great for New Zealand's twisty and gravel roads), car alike which you can go to almost all parking buildings, travel around the city with ease and - so much fun with kids etc. We have shopped around couple of years to decide what to buy - caravans, proper motorhomes but this best fits our needs. The only downside I would say is its price. However as Matt mentioned, these things hold there value quite well. Good review as always!
We bought an 8 person tent with a porch this year for a family of 6. It was a great investment (and I'm not a camper at all, liking my comfort). We also bought all the paraphernalia that's required for camping. All told, it was less than a grand. The tent is one of those inflatable tents so it takes about 10 minutes to put it up. The total floor space is about 25 square metres, which is loads. A far better deal than this type of camper van. Camp sites have all the facilities these days anyway.
And manual seat controls on and no parking sensors as standard. Oh and no satnav as standard as well lmao what a load of rubbish. A motorhome is so much cheaper!
I’ve got one of these and yes VW charge a fortune but resell values are also extremely high so you really need to consider the cost of ownership and not the cost of purchase. You really didn’t use the vehicle the way it’s intended. You wouldn’t remove the rear parcel shelf and push the seats back whilst camping. You remove the rear parcel shelf and move the seats forward if you need the vehicle to become a van with a large load in the back. The beauty of the Califiorna is its versatility, on a recent drive to work the RDS was reporting two hour delays up ahead so Ieft the motorway at the nearest junction, pulled over, got the laptop out on the table and made a brew whilst I waited for the traffic to clear. Try doing that in a car with a tent in the boot! You rushed this review and clearly was misinformed, that net in the boot is not for securing luggage or to be used as a dog screen, it’s actually used if children sleep in the pop top roof and prevents them from falling out.
Totally agree he rushed the review like he’s taken something! You get someone who’s into camping to review this..…he’s just so false and annoying. He stayed in a hotel for god sake. Says it all
That got to be better than what I did, Im an Australian and our cars generally tend to be pretty large but I camped in my Ford Falcon Sedan by folding down the rear seats, putting thick blankets and one of those camping matresses partly in the boot itself and partly on the folded down seat, that's what I slept on, wasn't too bad but could have been a lot better. At least I possibly stayed warmer than my mates in tents and I was certainly dryer and no insects or falling branches bothering me. The back of a large 4WD would have been much preferable given the flat space.
We have this vw campervan. And it is very good. We use it for everything . And it is just not too small and not too big. And lovely to go camping in it
To people thinking about purchasing one of these but wondering about toilet facilities, never fear as I have the answer! Just pish in the sink! (I sometimes do that at home so no great hardship there), and if you need a 'number two', then you can still use the sink, just fill the sink with water first (or pish), and use a Kenwood hand blender to transform solids into a soup like consistency, which will easily drain away. Voila! P.s. If you are thinking about buying an ex-rental model from a certain dealer in Scotland then you might want to get a qualified mechanic to double check the waste water tank area. Thanks
He missed the point, it’s versatile car, for traveling, outdoor activity, ocasional one night sleep with possibility to prepare simple food or hot drink and still daily driver.. This is my dream company car😀.I drive a lot, trips up to 500miles a day. 3 times a week in high season. Many times i had to stop and sleep in the car,, coz I could’t go any further, I was falling asleep. If you spend 12-18 hrs on work trip in one day, you woud appriciate this comfortable van.
I like the idea that it's stealthy. It has a low profile. if you didn't pop the top you could pull into any parking lot, have a sandwich and a nap you nobody would now the difference.
@@michaelkenny4124 except you can't use an RV as a daily car and it sits on the drive for 50+ weeks of the year - this is for people who dont want a car *and* an RV and want to be able to drive it through the streets of Mevagissey or halfway around Europe to Montecatini Alto without getting stuck. There's a reason it's not available in the US.
I ❤ my old T3 westfalia vanagon. It still works great after 40 years. So many electronics can fail in modern campers it could turn into a nightmare learning how to fix them.
The net has nothing to do with a dog Matt, it for the pop top to prevent children falling and injuring themselves. The dashboard top loading storage box is lost and replaced by a speaker if the top audio system is chosen
We tested the Ocean Grey (2.0 TDI, 7-gear DSG), for about 6 months. It was the first camper I've "owned", so it's difficult to make any comparisons. But, here's what stuck with me: ++ Extremely comfortable to drive + Dual heaters work very well (sometimes too well, when sleeping upstairs) Bonus points for the control panel placement. There's no need to get up from bed to adjust settings) + Generally, well organised and thought out design -- Ridiculously expensive - Interior material is prone to scratch marks (e.g. wall fabrics). For a van, so well thought out (and $$$), I would have expected more attention to detail, around material robustness, in frequently used areas. - Fridge lid would often click, but not close all the way (maybe just ours) (-) Manual trunk door can get annoying, since it is quite heavy to operate, and used often All in all, a great camper, but I would definitely find other ways to spend that amount of money. Also, worth noting: we used the indoor kitchen once, and never bothered filling up the water tank.
Can you make a bacon sarnie and a coffee in a Polo. Nope. Can you go touring to remote locations and kip over night in a Polo. Nope. Oh wait a minute you cant do stuff all in a Polo (or any other car) other than drive it.
Wow what fanboys, I don’t see what your getting at ? Are you saying this is good value for money ? there is no excuse for a brand new model to not have the latest infotainment especially when it’s available in a much cheaper vehicle and parking sensors cost the manufacture’s buttons, again it should be standard in such an expensive vehicle.
@@dan123collins guilty as charged, a fanboy. And yes, £60K maybe a bit much, better off buying a converted T6 van. And yes a bit stingy of VW to not fit the latest system. But still getting a truly versatile vehicle for the money. If that's what you want. And only has the footprint of a Ford Mondeo. But understand why you would bulk at the price considering that buys a BMW M2 or Porsche Cayman.
@Russell Hawker Stop whining, you are a fan boy. A 2016, 27 ft. Coachman Leprechaun RV which has 11,000 miles on it and pretty much everything with it, has an asking price of $59,699. This piece of shit is overpriced, period
it's the ultimate all-rounder. It gives you ultimate possibilities And your friends are gonna be jealous. Thats just my experience I'm selling these vehicles and everyone wants them
One big thing was missing from the video. An important one : There is a shower availability at the back what u could connect to the backdoor when it's open, so u could have shower nice and easy
I think this VW Califórnia is perfect with the Ultimate Toys Ultimate Camper. The camper just adds everything that was missing out on the California plus looks cool on road.
When said that it's a Jack of all trades and a Master of none is because the main point wasn't mentioned: it's a surfers car/caravan. Or other related sports like kiteboarding/sailing. The amount of time spent on it is very little. It is like a dawn patrol vehicle. The camper shall complete it just fine for more necessities.
Great review as always Matt. I love these things... The two tone retro paint work just adds to it (at a crazy price) I enjoyed this review more than the sports cars... But the price of the vehicle .... Ooouch!!!! They really are getting so expensive...
So refreshing to hear a review that cuts through the romanticism of vw camper vans. As cool as I think these things are, I've never understood how people justify spending this much money on them unless they have ridiculous amounts of disposable income. Why not just buy a transporter kombi and put a kombi bed system in it? Even if you put a pop top on it a kitted out converted camper will be a good 25% cheaper than one of these at least.
With this pandemic looking like it's here to stay , this VW looks increasingly attractive since communal hotels may not be the safest . The agility of a car meets the practicality of a Camper Van.
So...what do you do with your luggage and bits and bobs you put behind the rear seats when you slide that rear seat back? Stick it all in the living space to trip over?
If you're a family of 4 and need both bets, you're pretty much stuck with shoving the luggage onto the two front seats and whatever space remains under the trunk part of the bed.
Staying in B&B’s is not the magic of camping. This guy has no passion for the great outdoors so is the wrong person to do the review. Also he was being handling the VW roughly. To have any credibility the California needs to be reviewed by a Motorhome/ camper enthusiast who can compare and contrast across the spectrum of available models. I felt frustrated watching this review.
Me as a german have to say it’s very expensive | but the resale is great. Buy that like a used car, max. 3 years and you wouldn’t loose to much if you resale it after 2 years. That’s how I’m doing that and it works great like this.
@@jmbainbridge1 Ya I got it that this doesn't shot in India but in UK, what am saying is India also has the same right side Steering in all of its vehicles!
At first I thought wow, that's cool. It'd be awesome to have a second, go anywhere home for travelling then I realised that's about $120k in New Zealand. You could certainly stay in some nice hotels for a long time with that much $$
I love reading all the sulky comments from people who love staying in a camper van. If they're looking for great comments - check out reviews from camper van fanboys - otherwise expect an honest opinion. Guess what - Mat gives his honest opinion. If it's different from your own and you don't like it - look for a different review. Personally - I couldn't give a monkeys either way, as I'd be checking into a hotel - and that's my choice. I don't care whether other people love them or not. Great review Mat - I love them all, even if you criticise something I like - cos I know it's your opinion. Excellent !!!!!
I disagree that it’s uncomfortable I spent the weekend in one with the wife and little girl it was great our one wasn’t this one it was a 2016 conversion one
I think as a weekender or a trip to the beach it would be pretty good, not so much for longer periods, I would want something with a toilet and indoor shower but for the money you would be far better off renting a motorhome or staying in hotels.
@@MaZEEZaMMost people who'll go away for longer periods will likely be camping on proper campsites so the lack of a toilet and shower wouldn't be an issue.
You could get a fairly new 2015 - 2017 VW Transporter 'Sports line' van from £20,000 - £30,000, kit it up on your own or even to a specialist campervan converter & in total pay less than that obscene £60,000.
California WAS the benchmark, but now Mercedes Marco Polo took the show from VW. ...and It is way cooler if you build your own camper based on old van - there are mental ones on a 5th of this price...
A lot of negatives were pointed out, haha.. re camping anyway. I think its features would all be fine, for people who actually like camping. Luxury beds, toilets, showers, etc.. are for glampers, not campers!! Hook yourself up a car shower/bucket, or solar hung from a tree &/or roof, also have some biodegradable loo paper handy, and you're good to go.
This reminds me of one car. The Pontiac aztec because it also had some gimmicky features for "adventurers" But this car is atleast a car you would use for a roadtrip.
Westfalia VW CAPPA One? I think you call, it has hot and cold running water a shower and a proper toilet in the van. It also comes with a better fridge.
if your house is a apartment, basement I’d understand but like I’m sorry, 60k for a house is NOTHING, with 60k you can get land as big as 8 of those Volkswagen camper vans
@@chris_85 I still see it as a van with a mattress in the back and a few other posh bits. Not worth the money in my opinion, I'd rather have an actual house, more space and less depreciation.
It's a car that you can maneuver very easily through even tight spaces. That makes it the ultimate all rounder. Commute to work midweek in your local city, drive to the countryside on weekends. Sure you can buy a proper camper, but you'll need a second car beside that. I must agree though that the price is hefty. Get a T5 California for half the price and nearly the same interior.
I've done the vw t5 scene.... Not really a fan if I'm honest and I'm 6'4" so this vw camper would be like sleeping in a mini. The cost of one of these is exceptionally high...loan sharks are cheaper. Go for a proper mobile camper... You'll save £1000s and have more luxury,space and comfort. £65000.... Ridiculous... That's the cost of a decent holiday home in certain parts of the world.
To everyone saying this has a shower, what I meant is that it doesn't have a built-in one with warm water. You can get a shower hose option to hook up to the water supply. But you have to shower outside and the water is cold. Lovely...
your socks match your sweatshirt!! smart Mat 😎
Sausages
Cost lots of money...but a beautiful car !!
Hey mat why did you stoped your vlogging ?
Westfalia Kepler One and Six or Joker City, VW T6's with optional hot water and shower (some inside the van). Transit version, or Nissan version, from other divisions of the Rapido Group (Which includes Westfalia). Citroen version from Possel. VW only one with Haldex AWD. Main selling points 4.9m to 5.4m long, under 2.1m high. Means it fits city multistorey and underground parking - so you have the running costs of 1 vehicle not 1 plus a "proper camper". Expensive - yes. Cheaper to stay in a hotel, probably, if you go to the same places as everyone else. But who wants to do that? Interested if you compared some like the 7 seater Kodiak to the 7 seater VW Beach though. Price vs Practically vs Flexibility vs Space.
People dream about lamborginis, rolls royces, bmws and benz etc... But this is my dream vehicle.
t c Yes but that’s all aftermarket stuff where is this is from the factory.
@@nathanpetrovski7525 Doesn't mean that's worse, yeah?
@@nathanpetrovski7525 As far as I know this 'from the factory' was developed by Westfalia, so... Does it really make a difference? + I've been looking around and I'm more and more convinced that the 'aftermarket stuff' seems to be more in line with what you actually need. Check out Kompanja's take on Traffic or Possl Campster. Much more versatile than this.
I hear you
I dream about range rovere
You got it all wrong. Buy a tent or a motorhome? A motorhome can not be used for anything else than camping. This cali i can use for camping, away days football, a day to the beach. I can use it as a daily car. Gone fishing, taking my mbt along, I can do my shopping and park almost everywhere. I can park it at home easely. And it drives way better and cheaper than a motorhome. And when i want a hotel with a nice bed, i drive to a nice hotel and park my cali in front of it. This is the whole point of the cali. Freedom. It can do all you want. Where a motorhome is only useful for long holidays. I can be in spain, next day italy if i would like. Now, do that with a motorhome. Have fun driving, parking etc.
I agree. Vehicles like this have a place, but this one is overpriced.
Exactly my thoughts: this is not an incapable motorhome, it's a versatile everyday car!
How’s life working for VW?
Ryan Carmichael lol. You really think that?
Agree, I use mine for the daily commute to work/gym/shops/school run, with the added bonus of just getting away with the family, Got trips planned to Jeslo in Italy this year along with a few days down Cornwall. What I like about the VW is that it fits in a normal car parking space, you can't do this with the bigger motorhomes or even the LWB version VW T6(we always forget something, when were away so always, need to pop to the local Asda/Tesco). We also use it to take stuff to the tip and anything you can do with a car/van!! As for being overpriced, yes its expensive but have a look at the prices of the older T5 California, they still hold there value pretty well as will the new T6!!!
It's a silly name.... I would prefer something like Volkswagen Mönchengladbach...
João Reis lol haha
Or the Volkswagen llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Kein Mensch, der aus MG kommt, würde den haben wollen.
Yes why people think California is a cool and special name ? Not at all
@@zonarii5800 stell dir vor dennoch haben welche.
Mat. We had a 6m camper with all the bells and whistles for twelve years and down sized to a California. Do not ask me to reason why but we absolutely love it and love spending time in it. It is not something you can reason out. I agree on so many levels with a lot of your criticism but generations who have owned a VW camper will only tell you they love it. You have to own one to know what I am talking about. If I had to sum it up in one word it would be "freedom".
Good on you mate
But people don’t like to admit their mistakes, so you’re unlikely to find someone who will spend £65,000 on one of these and say they don’t like it.
@@Si1234321 Very good point Loki. This way is not every ones way and after twenty years of camping it does amaze me how people rush out and spend money on a motor home without renting first to see how they get on with it. We bought our with 1500 miles on the clock from a main dealer for £45,000 after a chap bought it for £60,000 new and decided after 2 trips he did not like it. There was still plastic protection on some of the fittings.
WALKABOUT It is not uncommon to believe something will be great only to discover that it isn’t. Similarly, I thought camping would be awful but discovered I really liked it, for all sorts of reasons I never anticipated.
I can see why someone would think that the luxury of a motorhome compared with a campervan is great without realising the practical cost that comes with it.
@@misterg1157 Hit the nail square on the head pal.
I love the honesty of this review. When Mat said “avoid”, I burst out laughing, I was that surprised - he’s the first professional reviewer that I’ve heard say so. And I say that as someone who is looking at buying a campervan the size of a California.
There must be some people who buy one and wish they hadn’t - who romanticise about living in such a small space and then decide it doesn’t work for them.
C 50 I’ve spent far too long looking at campervans on UA-cam. There’s lots of conversions which in my opinion are better than the California. I’ve also noticed that lots of UA-camrs have converted Sprinter vans (or equivalents) - often high tops, and often long wheel base. They seem to want the extra room. My feeling is that something the size of a California is fine for two but if you are wild camping you may find it cramped.
One advantage of buying a California is the low depreciation. But you have to factor in the higher purchase price.
If you get a conversion, consider the pop-tops with a zip so you can drop the fabric between van and roof. Good when lying upstairs on a sunny day. But having a high top means that space can be used to store your bedding and other things while driving - an advantage in any van where space is at a premium.
Take anything I say with a pinch of salt as I don’t yet own a campervan so I haven’t got the practical experience.
Well I'm not a tall person, neither are most of the people I know whom I would want to go with for a camp-out, and I'm not a big fan of driving around with a tank of feces in my car anyway so this little campervan would be the ideal choice for me as I would use it also for normal everyday driving and it wouldn't be any more expensive than the regular van I drive right now. I very much appreciate the honesty of this review, but I also appreciate that smaller mobile homes exist for us who doesn't have a bunch of kids or want to necessarily pay for and drive a big house-on-wheels :)
What happened to that olive oil? You said more on that later, don't leave us hanging with a bottle of olive oil Mat!!!!
I guess you can store it in that middle storage box...
I guess he was gonna use the oil to fry the egg but that didn't work out
Might not want to know what the oil is for.......
It wasn’t oil, he had to pee and there was no toilet....
Just Google:
”Oil van Mat”
Your reviews are far better than all the others. Well done Matt🧐
Vw Sleep- the license plate 😂
Stop
romanii si placutele... eu am 69RUP
He is getting around 32 mpg
Andrea Devetak Not bad⛽️
Alexandru DragomirescuOctober
'You often think you'd be better off with just a large tent'
And everyone who's ever tried camping knows at an instant that you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about :)
Exactly! I remember my camping trips to Greece (in a tent, a few meters from the beach but not on a camping-ground) and after a week to 10 days in my 2-man-tent, I would've killed to be able to sleep in the most basic of camper-vans.
Exactly .. Trying to put a tent up has brought me to tears on many occasions.. give me the vw van anyday
A good roof tent, maybe...
Perfect van for Vegan nomadic yoga instructor 👌🏼🧘🏻♂
Dean G i thought they used donkeys
I thought they flew around on magic yoga mats
@@redcrystalsoul no if they're vegan
The fact that is even a thing lets me know the world has already ended but no ones told us yet
@A real petrol-head take a pic, i wanna see
I think people comparing this to hotels isn't giving it justice. The point is to be able to travel anywhere at anytime and it's actually more luxurious than camping. The amount of innovation on this thing is incredible. Yes the price is steep, but will be a bargain when depreciation hits and you buy one that is 5 years old :)
It does have a toilet, it’s disguised as a window washer fluid bottle under the bonnet, it takes number ones AND twos!
A shower head too, concealed in the back. You can even hang it on the tailgate, if I recall correctly.
It's a public loo too, so if anyone sees one of these out and about then happy squatting!
L9l
IT DOES HAVE A URINAL; ITS THE ASH TRAY. YOU CAN DO A POO IN THE ARM REST CUBBY.
Retro Collected r/whoooosh
"The storage is actually not baddd"
*proceeds to show 47 storage compartments within arms reach*
What an amazing van. It's like a swiss army knives.
nice caravana
@Yule Calma what?!
Respect to Mat Watson . not scared of the manufacturers ,the fact you just tell straight is a rarity .
Keep up the good work .
Here’s the big twist, they don’t sell it in California, nor rest of the United States
I think it is too small for the US market I mean their RVs are pretty big
This would be the perfect weed smoking in the backwoods vehicle.
Varun Narain Yeah #Type2Bus
Stefan I can’t imagine why except the TDI is no longer marketed in the US. I have friends who are fanatics for the Westphalia stuff and there’s definitely a market. Normally VW bring their product to N America two years after Germany.
A real petrol-head I see your point
#MercuryMilan
VW California: _has features_
*Doug DeMuro would like to know your location*
Nice
Interesting take on a camper van from (I’m assuming) someone who doesn’t have or regularly uses a camper. The key to it is flexibility. Finish work, jump in, and get away for a day or two without any planning (hopefully). Yes, even for a camper van, it’s expensive. But there is peace of mind with VW backup and it’s well put together (in comparison).
Impressive!
Very
@@lorberdcruz3813 nice caravana
And expensive!
The cost of camper vans is criminal! £60K??? Why does adding a sink, a couple of beds, some gas piping and a water tank to a van make it cost £60k? Bonkers.
A lot of handcraft and low sale numbers.
Yeah, if you would do it yourself, it would be a lot cheaper, it's all the working hours you have to pay for.
It's almost like a custom car.
Because enough people will pay that much
It have shower but its extra
VW camper scene tax. Volkswagen campers have always been expensive even used.
Definitly more worth to just buy a good quality tent for 500 euros than paying 60k lol
We have ordered our one, can't wait! I suppose it is all depending on your need, it is not large, no build in toilet or shower compare to a proper campervan or caravan BUT it is easy to drive, 4 motion (this is great for New Zealand's twisty and gravel roads), car alike which you can go to almost all parking buildings, travel around the city with ease and - so much fun with kids etc. We have shopped around couple of years to decide what to buy - caravans, proper motorhomes but this best fits our needs. The only downside I would say is its price. However as Matt mentioned, these things hold there value quite well. Good review as always!
Drag race this against Yianny's Aventador S, I've got my money on this.
I would watch
Aventador in reverse maybe? :D
Yeah, if they stop and have a picnic in the middle.
This thing would blow past. In the practicality review.
Mohammed Hussain you my brother have been taken over by Car wow how can this win a lambo wake up man
We bought an 8 person tent with a porch this year for a family of 6. It was a great investment (and I'm not a camper at all, liking my comfort). We also bought all the paraphernalia that's required for camping. All told, it was less than a grand. The tent is one of those inflatable tents so it takes about 10 minutes to put it up. The total floor space is about 25 square metres, which is loads. A far better deal than this type of camper van. Camp sites have all the facilities these days anyway.
How does the tent do against bears, cougars, or axe murders?
60k and they give you halogen headlights?!
And manual sliding Windows, and manual tail gate
And manual seat controls on and no parking sensors as standard. Oh and no satnav as standard as well lmao what a load of rubbish. A motorhome is so much cheaper!
@@TheFlyingClutchman :O
@A real petrol-head It's not a van though, it's a £60k motorhome. It should have every option VW offer for that price!
Compared to other cars 60k isn't even that much tho...
I’ve got one of these and yes VW charge a fortune but resell values are also extremely high so you really need to consider the cost of ownership and not the cost of purchase. You really didn’t use the vehicle the way it’s intended. You wouldn’t remove the rear parcel shelf and push the seats back whilst camping. You remove the rear parcel shelf and move the seats forward if you need the vehicle to become a van with a large load in the back. The beauty of the Califiorna is its versatility, on a recent drive to work the RDS was reporting two hour delays up ahead so Ieft the motorway at the nearest junction, pulled over, got the laptop out on the table and made a brew whilst I waited for the traffic to clear. Try doing that in a car with a tent in the boot! You rushed this review and clearly was misinformed, that net in the boot is not for securing luggage or to be used as a dog screen, it’s actually used if children sleep in the pop top roof and prevents them from falling out.
Darryl Fryatt you super trendy 40 plus year old you.
Also there is a shower in the back left hand cupboard for outside use
Totally agree he rushed the review like he’s taken something! You get someone who’s into camping to review this..…he’s just so false and annoying. He stayed in a hotel for god sake. Says it all
I would just get the normal van and take all my other camping gear with it, Actually wait: that is what we are doing.
That got to be better than what I did, Im an Australian and our cars generally tend to be pretty large but I camped in my Ford Falcon Sedan by folding down the rear seats, putting thick blankets and one of those camping matresses partly in the boot itself and partly on the folded down seat, that's what I slept on, wasn't too bad but could have been a lot better. At least I possibly stayed warmer than my mates in tents and I was certainly dryer and no insects or falling branches bothering me. The back of a large 4WD would have been much preferable given the flat space.
We have this vw campervan. And it is very good. We use it for everything . And it is just not too small and not too big. And lovely to go camping in it
this van has more features and is of better quality than my college dorm
To people thinking about purchasing one of these but wondering about toilet facilities, never fear as I have the answer! Just pish in the sink! (I sometimes do that at home so no great hardship there), and if you need a 'number two', then you can still use the sink, just fill the sink with water first (or pish), and use a Kenwood hand blender to transform solids into a soup like consistency, which will easily drain away. Voila!
P.s. If you are thinking about buying an ex-rental model from a certain dealer in Scotland then you might want to get a qualified mechanic to double check the waste water tank area. Thanks
He missed the point, it’s versatile car, for traveling, outdoor activity, ocasional one night sleep with possibility to prepare simple food or hot drink and still daily driver..
This is my dream company car😀.I drive a lot, trips up to 500miles a day. 3 times a week in high season. Many times i had to stop and sleep in the car,, coz I could’t go any further, I was falling asleep. If you spend 12-18 hrs on work trip in one day, you woud appriciate this comfortable van.
Look for Leisure B+ vans. They cost $120-150k but are significantly higher in quality.
They have literally thought of everything with this van.
What if you want a shit?
I like the idea that it's stealthy. It has a low profile. if you didn't pop the top you could pull into any parking lot, have a sandwich and a nap you nobody would now the difference.
Kennerth Allen Been doing just that since March - in a Golf hatch 😁👍🏼
Apart from some features like the electric roof, this rolling pile of money is exactly the same as my grandparent's 1995 California...
I'm in love with this thing😭😭😭
Finally a great vehicle tutorial channel that isn't American
This was fun to watch! I love the cute humor and the honest end :)
A lot of hate for this california but I think it's awesome. Come on guys I know it's expensive but don't knock vw for making something unique.
@@adrenalinejunkie3828 that's true. You make a good point.
@@adrenalinejunkie3828 you've never been in one, have you?
@@michaelkenny4124 except you can't use an RV as a daily car and it sits on the drive for 50+ weeks of the year - this is for people who dont want a car *and* an RV and want to be able to drive it through the streets of Mevagissey or halfway around Europe to Montecatini Alto without getting stuck. There's a reason it's not available in the US.
@@bluecenturion7105 Yeah, me personally would choose this little california over an RV for the reasons you state.
Lots of stuff in this tiny van. love it
I ❤ my old T3 westfalia vanagon. It still works great after 40 years. So many electronics can fail in modern campers it could turn into a nightmare learning how to fix them.
Hotel California...over priced, but able to keep you outside.
Welcome To The Madness just like actual California!! Lol
How is it overpriced?
@@justasking2171 £47303 - £63927.
J024
Dude that ain’t over priced with all the things you can do
@@justasking2171 Just wanted to show you the price range.
Sliding door is on the wrong side for the UK market, too.
Can you do a review on the Mercedes Marco Polo so we can see how they stack up against one another?
Check out his personal channel he did it for you !
Your wish has been granted (on personal channel)
They've just uploaded a video on the Marco Polo
Check it out on Mat's personal UA-cam channel
Done
The net has nothing to do with a dog Matt, it for the pop top to prevent children falling and injuring themselves. The dashboard top loading storage box is lost and replaced by a speaker if the top audio system is chosen
It has a shower in the rear near the storage for propaine gas. It's literally right on top of it. I really wish this was in the USA
We tested the Ocean Grey (2.0 TDI, 7-gear DSG), for about 6 months. It was the first camper I've "owned", so it's difficult to make any comparisons. But, here's what stuck with me:
++ Extremely comfortable to drive
+ Dual heaters work very well (sometimes too well, when sleeping upstairs) Bonus points for the control panel placement. There's no need to get up from bed to adjust settings)
+ Generally, well organised and thought out design
-- Ridiculously expensive
- Interior material is prone to scratch marks (e.g. wall fabrics). For a van, so well thought out (and $$$), I would have expected more attention to detail, around material robustness, in frequently used areas.
- Fridge lid would often click, but not close all the way (maybe just ours)
(-) Manual trunk door can get annoying, since it is quite heavy to operate, and used often
All in all, a great camper, but I would definitely find other ways to spend that amount of money.
Also, worth noting: we used the indoor kitchen once, and never bothered filling up the water tank.
So as I understood first and the last mini camper van :)
£60k+ for this van, yet you get a better infotainment system and parking sensors as standard in a polo ! Rip off.
Daniel Collins you get a fucking house for 60 k. Polo cant fit 5 people, wtf are u talking about
Can you make a bacon sarnie and a coffee in a Polo. Nope. Can you go touring to remote locations and kip over night in a Polo. Nope. Oh wait a minute you cant do stuff all in a Polo (or any other car) other than drive it.
Wow what fanboys, I don’t see what your getting at ? Are you saying this is good value for money ? there is no excuse for a brand new model to not have the latest infotainment especially when it’s available in a much cheaper vehicle and parking sensors cost the manufacture’s buttons, again it should be standard in such an expensive vehicle.
@@dan123collins guilty as charged, a fanboy. And yes, £60K maybe a bit much, better off buying a converted T6 van. And yes a bit stingy of VW to not fit the latest system. But still getting a truly versatile vehicle for the money. If that's what you want. And only has the footprint of a Ford Mondeo. But understand why you would bulk at the price considering that buys a BMW M2 or Porsche Cayman.
@Russell Hawker Stop whining, you are a fan boy. A
2016, 27 ft. Coachman Leprechaun RV which has 11,000 miles on it and pretty much
everything with it, has an asking price of $59,699. This piece of shit is
overpriced, period
This is now my favourite campervan
If was able to spend that much money on an automobile, I will definitely buy one of these instead of a sports car.
it's the ultimate all-rounder. It gives you ultimate possibilities And your friends are gonna be jealous. Thats just my experience I'm selling these vehicles and everyone wants them
humorous, just enough details and objective, I like it. cool dude
Oh god, that dashboard...
Who else watcing this in 2000?
Good advice. Jack of all trades. Master of none.
That is so cool for travelling and touring
One big thing was missing from the video. An important one : There is a shower availability at the back what u could connect to the backdoor when it's open, so u could have shower nice and easy
the car of my dreams.
I think this VW Califórnia is perfect with the Ultimate Toys Ultimate Camper. The camper just adds everything that was missing out on the California plus looks cool on road.
When said that it's a Jack of all trades and a Master of none is because the main point wasn't mentioned: it's a surfers car/caravan. Or other related sports like kiteboarding/sailing. The amount of time spent on it is very little. It is like a dawn patrol vehicle. The camper shall complete it just fine for more necessities.
Great review as always Matt. I love these things... The two tone retro paint work just adds to it (at a crazy price) I enjoyed this review more than the sports cars... But the price of the vehicle .... Ooouch!!!! They really are getting so expensive...
God i want a VW camper so bad! It's great that theyre still making them!
This MPV is pretty pretty good
No it’s a camper van
So refreshing to hear a review that cuts through the romanticism of vw camper vans. As cool as I think these things are, I've never understood how people justify spending this much money on them unless they have ridiculous amounts of disposable income. Why not just buy a transporter kombi and put a kombi bed system in it? Even if you put a pop top on it a kitted out converted camper will be a good 25% cheaper than one of these at least.
This somehow reminds me of that caravan holiday episode from the old Top Gear 😂
With this pandemic looking like it's here to stay , this VW looks increasingly attractive since communal hotels may not be the safest . The agility of a car meets the practicality of a Camper Van.
So...what do you do with your luggage and bits and bobs you put behind the rear seats when you slide that rear seat back? Stick it all in the living space to trip over?
If you're a family of 4 and need both bets, you're pretty much stuck with shoving the luggage onto the two front seats and whatever space remains under the trunk part of the bed.
For a right hand drive vehicle, the side doors on the wrong side: it should be on the left, passenger side.
Staying in B&B’s is not the magic of camping. This guy has no passion for the great outdoors so is the wrong person to do the review. Also he was being handling the VW roughly. To have any credibility the California needs to be reviewed by a Motorhome/ camper enthusiast who can compare and contrast across the spectrum of available models. I felt frustrated watching this review.
When you will grow up you will understand what he meant.
Is this a vehicle for someone with passion for the outdoors? Sleeping in a van with all the mod cons
Fly North Wales ....you don’t half sound butt hurt....it’s only an opinion & he obviously is not a very fanboy like yourself
It looks amazing, but does all these foldable things start to rattle when put away and driving?
Updated 23-window van.
Me as a german have to say it’s very expensive | but the resale is great. Buy that like a used car, max. 3 years and you wouldn’t loose to much if you resale it after 2 years. That’s how I’m doing that and it works great like this.
I was I bit disappointed when I thought the roof didn't have a bed put then (pauses dramatically) plot twist it did
Steering wheel is on the right side, in which country this video has been created!?
UK
@@jmbainbridge1
That means UK & India will have the Steering Wheel to the right!?
Thanks for the reply!
?? The video was created in the UK .. fairly confident it wasn't India.
@@jmbainbridge1
Ya I got it that this doesn't shot in India but in UK, what am saying is India also has the same right side Steering in all of its vehicles!
@@pranaytonyYes, countries that drive on the left have the steering wheel on the right and vice versa.
I love it, I need incase I lose my house 😂
If you lose your house I doubt you will be able to afford this van!
At first I thought wow, that's cool. It'd be awesome to have a second, go anywhere home for travelling then I realised that's about $120k in New Zealand. You could certainly stay in some nice hotels for a long time with that much $$
Bang Bang Car.. 😂😂😂😂
I love reading all the sulky comments from people who love staying in a camper van. If they're looking for great comments - check out reviews from camper van fanboys - otherwise expect an honest opinion.
Guess what - Mat gives his honest opinion. If it's different from your own and you don't like it - look for a different review.
Personally - I couldn't give a monkeys either way, as I'd be checking into a hotel - and that's my choice. I don't care whether other people love them or not.
Great review Mat - I love them all, even if you criticise something I like - cos I know it's your opinion.
Excellent !!!!!
I disagree that it’s uncomfortable I spent the weekend in one with the wife and little girl it was great our one wasn’t this one it was a 2016 conversion one
I think as a weekender or a trip to the beach it would be pretty good, not so much for longer periods, I would want something with a toilet and indoor shower but for the money you would be far better off renting a motorhome or staying in hotels.
@@MaZEEZaMMost people who'll go away for longer periods will likely be camping on proper campsites so the lack of a toilet and shower wouldn't be an issue.
You could get a fairly new 2015 - 2017 VW Transporter 'Sports line' van from £20,000 - £30,000, kit it up on your own or even to a specialist campervan converter & in total pay less than that obscene £60,000.
California WAS the benchmark, but now Mercedes Marco Polo took the show from VW.
...and It is way cooler if you build your own camper based on old van - there are mental ones on a 5th of this price...
Hahaha “I’m going to the bushes for no2” this guy is hilarious 😂
I prefer my old rusty vw 1976 tin top bus :)
A lot of negatives were pointed out, haha.. re camping anyway. I think its features would all be fine, for people who actually like camping. Luxury beds, toilets, showers, etc.. are for glampers, not campers!! Hook yourself up a car shower/bucket, or solar hung from a tree &/or roof, also have some biodegradable loo paper handy, and you're good to go.
Nice honest review and not someone blowing smoke up vw arse
This reminds me of one car. The Pontiac aztec because it also had some gimmicky features for "adventurers" But this car is atleast a car you would use for a roadtrip.
when can we see the e63s vs m5 competition drag race??
I was wondering the same.
4:10 And where exactly do you put your luggage as you push the back seats backwards?
You don’t need your luggage when you’re out in the woods camping.
When a car named the “California” isn’t sold in California 🤔
When a car named "Mustang" doesn't come with any horses..
”Swedish massage” that exists in many countries isn’t offered in sweden....
That's what I was thinking but was the Ford Crown Victoria sold in Uk
BEST VIDEO SO FAR
It’s lovely ! .....but eye watering expensive ! ....
Westfalia VW CAPPA One? I think you call, it has hot and cold running water a shower and a proper toilet in the van. It also comes with a better fridge.
I missed the bit where a van became more expensive than an actual house.
Paul Hawkins where is your house ?
@@johnwilkinson9153 North Wales
if your house is a apartment, basement I’d understand but like I’m sorry, 60k for a house is NOTHING, with 60k you can get land as big as 8 of those Volkswagen camper vans
You guys dont understand. It is basically a home, bed, kitchen, and its also a new car.
@@chris_85 I still see it as a van with a mattress in the back and a few other posh bits. Not worth the money in my opinion, I'd rather have an actual house, more space and less depreciation.
It's got the best name a vehicle has been given in a long, long while!
The name of the van is called California, it is not even available in the US market
This thing is amazingggg!!!!!! VW has made the best camp van
It boggles the mind how anyone would buy one of these over a proper camper
It's a car that you can maneuver very easily through even tight spaces. That makes it the ultimate all rounder. Commute to work midweek in your local city, drive to the countryside on weekends. Sure you can buy a proper camper, but you'll need a second car beside that. I must agree though that the price is hefty. Get a T5 California for half the price and nearly the same interior.
I've done the vw t5 scene.... Not really a fan if I'm honest and I'm 6'4" so this vw camper would be like sleeping in a mini.
The cost of one of these is exceptionally high...loan sharks are cheaper.
Go for a proper mobile camper... You'll save £1000s and have more luxury,space and comfort.
£65000.... Ridiculous... That's the cost of a decent holiday home in certain parts of the world.
But can you cook meth in it? Asking for a mate
Don't do that. Cook meth in a secret lab under a washing center, no one can find out
The concept looked so much better
Overpriced under spec yet again, when will the vw fanboys learn lol
How is it possible to hold it warm inside without starting the motor.
Not very defensive for a zombie apocalypse
Top of the range version in 2021 is around £90,000 but they do hold their value very well.