Brand New VW Grand California 600 & 680 - VW Camper Tour 

Great van for travel! Interesting video! Thanks!

You two are so great at this so natural ❤

The kitchen area is very clever with the hidden extended kitchen benches. And the 2 tone exterior is striking!

Well I think Volkswagen got excellent value for money by providing you with this trip! Not sure why the larger van was 2 berths but for me it’s still your California that I love. These vans are competing with the large coach built motor caravans, I like the versatility your California provides. Mind I do like the bathroom!

I lost you guys for a while but now your back .... happy camping days haha!!! 👍🤩🤪

Good job guys for showing this amazing product!!

Just acquired a brand new T6 Cali Ocean (coming from T5). We are still very much pleased with the little Hotel California, especially since we also use it for daily transportation. But I am impressed with the new big Hotel California! very spacious, very modern, light and solid looking cupboards, kitchen, bathroom etc. Pleased to see that VW stayed real close to the study model. Our preference would be the 600 i guess, stil short enough to go for those little campsites and villages in Italy and France for example. A 680 you probably have to park at a parking place outside the town or village. Much surprised by the starting price! ( guessed from the study model last year it would have started somewhere around the 75K). It may become our choice after about 5/6 years when we are "old enough" to spend more time traveling around Europe! Good impression from your vlog! Thanks for that

A fantastic video Shawn and Lizzie, my preference would be the 680 as well Lizzie. I said on a previous tweet that I would buy the new Grand California ahead of the older style California Ocean. This was because the new California would suit our age group better, but I would not turn my nose up at a older style California especially if Bentley came free with it.

Great review and thorough van tour. Love the 680 in particular, fab for couples and singletons.

Amazing looking vehicles. This will be my retirement present, a 600 with 4motion, DSG and the most powerful engine; in the meantime I will make do with my new T6 Ocean which was delivered 2 days ago 😀

VW have made a great job of both but the 680 would be our choice, can’t wait to check them out in the UK - well done on a great review 👍

I love the 680 and would have in a two tone colour. Does seem a bit daft that the 600 is a 4 berth and the 680 is a 2 berth 😕. Great vid, thanks guys 👍

That's great review of a great Van good luck guys

Great review and love all your videos - keep up the good work! We've just ordered an Ocean and for us it has to be the 'standard' California Ocean. As there is just the two of us and the practicality of being able to get into car parks with 2m height, fit into a standard parking space and being able to use it as a second car. Cant help looking at the Grand California as a very posh ambulance conversion with the barn doors and long space under the bed!! Will reserve judgment until seeing one in the flesh!! Having to wait until November for the Ocean...!

Got a good clue for some overhead cabinet hardware as well with the word "Häfele" that VW used for the overhead cabinets. :) They make really nice fittings which may well come in handy for my own campervan build. Those hinge-and-lifter in one units are killer (which you also note when going through the 680).

Great review folks. Impressive vans 680 would be my choice

You probably already know our feelings about the grand. I think it could have been so much more. Maybe for a little more cash it could have been the van promised via the concept van. Thank for the look around. Rod & Julie.

More beautiful Volkswagen camper vans with the California name that will never see a road in California.

Great to have you back again, kind of missed the video clips. The new 600 and 680 are great looking vans, but to be honest, the misses and I still like the single bed idea, as older pensioners, we do tend to get out at night at least twice in the night so to have to climb over each other would cause problems. Keep up the good work, your doing a great job of making campervan life what everyone needs to get into. And you are really selling V.W. Mike and Maureen Palmer.

Very nice. Like both models!

Great tour. Looks amazing!

Great review - S & L you are going places, flown out by VW eh! They must like your videos and reviews too! Nice one. Hope you got a gift for Bentley whilst out there though 😊 Interesting vans, I probably prefer the 680 but will stick with our lovely Cali Ocean. We use it as our second vehicle and the Grand Californias wouldn’t work for us as they are too big to go in a normal parking space. The Grand California vans seem more like motorhomes than campervans and although they look well done they're not for us at the moment (although the bathrooms looked tempting!) We will no doubt check them out in the flesh when they come into dealerships however! Thanks for showing us round them both so well in such a short time. Hope Shaun enjoyed checking out the control tower in the light!! 🤣

Wow, just need those numbers to come in on Saturday night, great video as always - Bentley would love the VW 680 👍🏻

Friendly opinion , check out and review the product 20 mins before recording you can be familiar with what's what , avoids fumbling or being confused , thank u for your time and effort 😀 enjoyed the experience of being in one ...

Hello, nice video. I couldn't see how much room there was in the cupboards in the sleeping area. The bottom one don't seem big enough to hold much as they seem to be shallow at the bottom. The ones above don't look too deep either. Do you think they could store clothes or just nick nacks?

Thanks for the reviews, but I have to say, I would stick with the Ocean. I bought one a couple of months ago, in part influenced by your own experience and reasons for buying one (to replace my VW T25/T3 California). For me, it is my camper plus everyday 'car'. The Grand California looks to be competing with dedicated campervans. One thing I love about the Ocean is sleeping in the poptop, which is very much like sleeping in a tent, which I always loved. Its great to see what else is out there, but I will stick with the Ocean.

680 for us if we had the cash that is but to be honest we are over the moon with our new, to us, 57 plate cali we have just purchased inspired by you guys. 👍

Like the look of both. No doubt about the quality. VW DSG gearboxes frighten me! The cost of repair to those would break the bank of most retirees! The manual gearboxes are the ones I would choose! A good review! 👍🍾

Hi, I love watching your videos. Keep up the good vibes guys and I am hoping you would also make a review on the westfalia Amundsen 540d the off-road one. Thanks and God bless

Great review guys, thank you.

Great review. You guys have the coolest vans in Europe. We pale in comparison in the states

Nice review guys, thanks

They both look good. Only issue I see is that diesel here in Australia is pretty expensive these days and seems to be on the way out as a fuel, for domestic use at least, worldwide. Wonder if hybrid will ever be an option.

Great vid. Seems odd that the longer wheelbase only sleeps 2 compared to the shorter wheelbase sleeping 4.

Well done guys 👍prefer the 680 , the only thing I don’t like is the sink in the bathroom, great review, I’m sure you will be doing a live in test soon x

Looking forward to seeing them in person, it would be interesting to see them in a full colour rather than two tone. I think a full colour would work better. As for 600/680......thats tricky...600 more convenient but 680 looks pretty slick. A 600 based on the 680 design could be optimal.....I wouldn't have the roof bed...likely an expensive option that could be used elsewhere. Interesting move by VW to build on the crafter base....in Europe people will buy it no question but in the UK I am not so sure.

I think for me it would be the 680 because I'm not that keen on the look of the 600 roof . I'm surprised that vw have not tried to make a bed setup for the front seating area ! Good video guys 👍

great Video, nice Van!

Great point about the flat floor. Such an important feature for the four pawed owner. 🐾 🐾 Although I think our lurcher would just hop straight into the bed. 🙄

Nice review guys, we were looking forward to your video! As the ‘Cali Camper Family’ (our RU-vid Channel) we were hoping to see a 5th seat option. In our normal California we have the independent 5th seat and can easily sleep 3 kids plus two adults inside. The market generally is very limited if 5 belted seats are needed and hence as the Grand California is bigger, we were hoping for more seats and capability than the standard sized California, which is proving hard to beat. A family of 5 could sleep in the Grand, especially if the dinette could convert to another small bed - I think VW is missing a trick with flexibility here. I wonder if a rotating double seat could be installed in the cab (to make it 3 abreast seating in the front) and if VW would offer this as a solution to allow 5 travelling seats. We would love to make it work for us, as the 600 would potentially be a nice move for the CaliCamperFamily in the future. Well done guys, thanks for getting the video out asap..👍🏻

I enjoyed this vid - even though I went on the stand to have a look, I couldn’t really get inside either of the van as there were big queues, so nice to have a tour. I think the fridges are small for the size of van, especially for four people on the 600, but maybe they are bigger than they appeared on camera. The beds in the 680 are level with the windows, meaning that might be easy to damage the blinds with your knees or elbows when asleep? The totally white cabinets are a bit too sterile for my taste and some colour trims might add some contrast. A van at this price shouldn’t have a tip up sink and should have a proper shower.

Really like your vlog. Seems that the kids bed on the 600 is an option that as a couple retired to France we would not need. We have a 6.7M Hymer that was our home when we were house hunting but would be tricky to park on the market place of the village where we live. Auto is my choice since I broke my leg & makes motor-homing so much easier. Had a VW T6 AS Trooper years ago & best drive of those that we've owned, Fiat & Merc. Would love one of these if only we can afford it. Thanks again

Well thought out and look well made. Not sure about the bed in the smaller one. Probably well priced for what they are. Good to see the quality and I like the solar panel. Me, I like my smaller van but I'm sure these will do well and I guess they'll be at Birmingham in October so I'll look forward to seeing them there. Great video guys, well done.

Great video. I’m from England. Do you know whether 4 wheel right hand drive will be an option?

Nice vid..... 680 for me and the Mrs. thing I am most curious about is mpg?

Loving the 680 more

Hi! Does it have a double floor and is it winter proof? :-) Can you use the heater on electricity when hooked up to the mains as well? Thanks for a nice video and first look.

I suppose its down to what you want it for, if its just as a camper then I would probably opt for the 680 however if its to also used as a second vehicle I don't think this will suit mainly because of parking.In a car park the length of it would overshoot an average bay by about 1.5 mtr.s which means paying double for parking, as you would have to pay for the two bays and then leave a sign in the window explaining what you have done. That aside I think the quality is what we've come to expect from VW.. Given more thought to the matter I don't think either would suit my purpose so I'd go for the California as that would suit all my needs. Once again a great video.

Great review and really interesting vans. Like you I expected these to be a lot more expensive, especially being VW’s. I much prefer the 680 as the 600 bed would be too short for my husband. We are still debating whether to go for VW campervan or motorhome. After watching your videos for some time we have hired a VW T6 for a few weeks so we can holiday in the south of France & try to make a decision about what will work for us. It’s the usual debate of internal space versus accessibility of parking etc. However having tried out a motorhome last year in Scotland we really didn’t find any issues. My biggest concern with the camper is not having a bathroom as we want to do more wild camping and be more self sufficient. 😁

680. Just because I'm 6ft and my husband is 7ft. He will have to stick his feet onto the kitchen in the 680 😂 But we have been looking at conversions, and the Tonke longwheelbase comes with a pop top bed that's 230cm long! So that would be the most ideal candidate for us. (or try to get one of those pop tops and install it after market on a California).

Are they using lithium-ion for leisure batteries? How many amp-hours in total?

Will this be available in the USA? If not is it possible to import it?

Thanks for showing us around. It was very difficult to get even near those vans on the caravan salon. But why start queuing up, when you are there with the camera ;-) Personally would prefer the 680. Loved the size of the bed.

Great review! Are the only engine options Diesel? I really like the interior, any idea what materials are used for the cabinets? it’s hard to tell everything is so white. I really like the digital control panel, very slick.

Another great video review.

Does it catch fire like the Vanagons do?

im thinking if toilet/bath and cooking cabinet at the back it would give more room to seats/bed and no 'blocker' at the middle of the van. yeah, since i want to use it for traveling (in two), Electric Induction Cooker , a Microwave and a Freezer is more than enough for me. (plus perhaps small portable camping gas cooker). BTW, oem top storage compartment looks nice & neat.

Just to be fussy, I think I'd like the 680 features and height with a transverse bed on the 600 length chassis! It's a shame they didn't steal the Westfalia style window pop out for the transverse bed. A fully electric option with lithium and electric underfloor heating would be nice! What's the headroom in the 680? The pricing looks competitive compared to other crafter conversions.

ooh get you guys.. V W flying you around the world ( well UK to Germany )

Great review thanks as we have kids the 600 is better but a 4 berth 680 would be good

Thank you for the preview of this awesome camper that has the awesome name of our state in the USA. What a tease! Could you ask WHEN THIS GEM WILL BE IN THE USA?? We are waiting patiently. THANKS again, J

I love it! But why would you power it with a tiny 2 litre engine? Larger engines live longer and don’t break down as easily because they’re not working as hard.

I would go for the 680, but unfortunately way out of our price range, so we stick with our Crafter 0.600 XL 😉😂

Love the review. How do you get a job like that?😁 680 personally

how come? supposed to be 195cm and you are 180cm and you are wedged? great video thanks

Very interesting, been watching since day one and you guys have come a long way, well done! Anyone who tours France will see just how many German large vans there are now (Possl etc) and VW need a slice of that. But...what's with the fully opening canvas front on the Ocean in the background??

That hump puts me off the 600, the 680 seems very nice. Have they updated the Ocean/Beach for 2019?

VW were clearly inspired by your video on how to fit a mood lighting strip. You should expect more royaltiis from them. Not so keen on the bulbous roof on the 600, looks like a badly fitting toupee. Overall I prefer the look of the Ocean. Another great video from you.

Like the 680 best, and as a driving vehicle the Krafter is such a great drive very nice?

Maybe in Germany people will be able to get the Grand California 600 for 55K (as Autobild.de and you say), but in Spain Model 600 costs 72K euros and 680 costs 74K, when California T6 Ocean costs 48K (+ extras).

I like your video well done

Thanks guys, hope you had fun seeing it in reality. I’ve spent a while digging about trying to find info especially pricing on the options but they are being a bit coy there. I think they made a design mistake with the 600, it looks like Donald Trump’s hairpiece stuffed on top. My ideal looks like it would be a 680 in the length of the 600 ( I know you cannot please all the people etc) but why they didn’t make the 600 a 2 berth and the 680 a 2/4 I’ll never know. As for the mood lighting, it’s probably just Phillips hue strips, easy to convert from 230v and after fit - I’ve a houseful of it - Lizzie take note you’d love it! Was there a ‘proper’ holder for the shower in the end, that’d be a bit naff if not? I really like the designs I’ve seen on some where the whole sink wall moves to reveal a proper shower area..

oh sorry i forgot... great vid by the way

ya two brits a really sympathetic .... cheers from germany (not a word about complaining that this and that and also that and this is quite continental like some others) Lol

Отличный кемпер для путешествий! 👍 🇨🇦

Ok, this is now on the top of my wish list for one very important reason.. Imagine for a moment you're driving your Grand California through Europe (or anywhere in the world for that matter) and you experience problems with one, where do you take it for repairs..? To the next local VW garage of course. Can you do that with any other brand of motorhome..?!

Do they allow imports for this vehicle.

Even If I could bring one back to USA, I need to know if it’s a clean diesel,, I saw a video of quite a different VW, 6spd diesel,,but was Swiss registered, passing through New Jersey, to Halifax NS to ship back., from months in South America, no low sulphur diesel there.

What about your ebikes?

Just one question is this van going to have the side door on the correct side for the UK? Or will it just be a European layout with a right hand drive conversion like the t5, t6 california.?

Отличный Автодом!

Love the review great job to ye both I have a California Coast which i love as it is my car and camper Like the new Cali Grand esp the 680 lots of goodies esp the bathroom bit i dont think i would like to drive it as an every day vehicle Thanks for a brilliant review 😎

The problem is,the 680 version,with 6.8m length,is illegal to drive with small-car(or something other like this) lincese in many countries

600 can fit 4 people so I would go for that, for unexpected visitors, friends or relatives.

I can't help but think this is VW's answer to bringing the California brand to America. The T6 Californias aren't available there but maybe this will be? I still can't believe the quoted price... cheaper than my soon to be delivered Ocean.

I don't understand why the larger van only has one bed and the small has two shouldn't it be the other way around?

can i get the 680 with auto and right hand drive ?

I would like to know towing capacity of the vehicles (engine options). In addition, I would be interested in a 4 wheel drive version.

When will this be available in America? I have a 2002 Eurovan that I would love to retire.

I wonder if they will ever be bringing these to the USA? If I win the lottery, I'd be sure to get one!

That solar panel at the front looks amazing! Is there one for the 680 as well?

On another point, knowing you are air traffic controlers, flying must be a very different experience for you compared to the rest of us. You presumably can't help thinking about what actions the pilot and air traffic control are doing. What do you think about when the plane is coming into land at Dusseldorf? Do you ever worry that they might be doing the wrong thing?!

VW missed the boat for those of us who want a top-build live-aboard by not offering the bed in the 680 as a side to side, meaning you would have more space for cabinet and counter space and/or larger appliances (fridge, convection/microwave oven, sink). In addition, I would make this bed permanent, ensuring a better quality mattress instead of cushion pieces, and taller which means a taller and fully opened garage space below which of course would be accessible from the rear doors. Finally, remove the double seat and replace it with counter/cabinet space; the driver and passenger seat can face each other and a fold up table would complete the dining room.

Are those starting prices confirmed yet in GBP?

Having 2 kids the 600 would seem the obvious choice. However our 13 yr old is 5ft 10inch so wouldn’t fit in that bed. So a total waste. For us it’s still the standard VW with the pop top! Great review!

The top bed had actually an​ extension so you have 2 mtr. on one side …

it kind of looks like a cramped aircraft galley mixed with the inside of a fridge

So very sad it won't come to the US

I want one ... tell them to send it to the USA 🇺🇸.... my 1987 Vanagon is getting tired ... lol but still rolling !! Maybe I can buy one there drive it around Europe & ship it to the USA 🇺🇸

Shame the upper beds are only 170cm :( it seems like a perfect vehicle for my roadtrip with my mates, but we're all taller than that and I wouldn't like to sleep curled up for 5 weeks😋