The Volkswagen Grand California is a supersized camper van that has almost everything you could ask for. We give you a detailed look at some of its features in this video. For more, head to www.completeca...
I would’ve loved something like this when I was in my 20’s but I wouldn’t have been able to afford it-:) now that I can afford something like this, I don’t think I’d enjoy sleeping on anything but a real mattress. What-a-bummer. -:)
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The space is very much wasted. Considering how the van is big. Too me the price is not worth considering their are more in the market, well arranged and cheaper
@Burt Humbledick Reliable?! You're kidding right. Had a VW Transporter destroy 2 gearboxes with only light use to be told by VW specialists 'yeah they are a known weak point' .. wouldn't dream of ever buying another.
I rather buy a van that i want like ford transit, sprinter van, promaster then look for a professional builder. Having my new van professionally customized is the best way. Here in Canada, new ford transit high roof long wheel base 2019 still for sale at 40k. It costs around 70k for hiring a builder. Thats 110k in total. Additionally, i could have my van built specially for comfortably camping in winter.
VW have made zero effort to distinguish it form its work van roots in the cab area and disappointing "plastic everywhere " finish . VW really should look at offerings from other manufacturers for tips on interior layout , design and use of high quality materials . this is boring and bland as hell with zero character and absurd price tag !! a dud for me i'm afraid
@@dragospahontu nothing to do with brexit you arse. Similar prices for it over here. 55k is ridiculously expensive you can buy a much bigger/better equipped mobile home for that kind of money
More like an airplane interior but some people like that. If you consider this expensive, you should check the price on the American RVs. After you see those, you will find this one really cheap.
Nice van with many nice features, It missed only a TV for entertainment. In my opinion, it is better to convert a good van yourself which can cost 1/4th of price tag. You can get a nice used 2010-13 highroof vans and than convert yourself. As for 77k eur you can actually big a bigger motor home on vehicles which will be more spacious and easy for big journeys.
What a pointless review. It’s a camper van, show us the bloody camper van not spend ten minutes talking about drink holders, sd card holders and cruise control!
I'm impressed with how well functional and practical this camper is, however as others have pointed out in the comment section it's very clinical looking like the inside of a dentist surgery, I much prefer a more cozy feel so going by that I'd probably rate this a 6 put of 10.
This is by far the best camper van in the world. I love it. If only I was 70 yrs younger. It seems I have been too young or too old for every trend that has come along in my life. That's too bad , but I can dream about it. For me it would be perfect.
Don't waste your money get yourself a Merc Mercedes camper I'll guarantee it will go round the clock 3 times all my company vehicles are Mercedes sprinters and they last I have had VW vehicles they don't survive 200000 miles
Having much experience camping and traveling with a vw camper I purchased new in 1973 this literally blew me away. All the features you could want in a easily navigable van. Storage is beyond belief and doing away with the canvas lift up roof tops my list. Would welcome this vehicle in the u.s. with open arms! Great for a couple, including two small children.
Good review, thank you. It amazes me why so many manufacturer’s of campers and cars are obsessed with having numerous 12v sockets but very few (and always well hidden) USB ports ?!? Also, it’s a shame that VW could not come up with a better solution for stowing the dining table, strapped to the rear bed seems an afterthought and sub-standard compared with the attention to detail everywhere else.
Our friend@@georgegreen6899 is clearly a class C-er, sent here to wrench the grande Class B chieftain himself… Where I’m from, the snowflakes have also invaded the social order with “feelings speak”, a domain once mostly dominated by matriarchal concerns…
I don't think you could get this in Australia as main access is on the wrong side. Should be on the footpath or passengers side. Seems they have changed the driving position to the right hand side and left all else as is. How is it legal in the UK / Ireland?
What about the Mars bar? As far as I know that can not be purchased on Mars. Mind you, if you really want to get something from where it was named after, how about the Ebola virus; plus it is free. 🤪
@@martinjurik6067 I think you misunderstand his comment. This vehicle has NEVER been available for sale in the USA. I have seen some 1970s versions but they have been imported by the owner. I agree that the name makes no sense. Should be named after a town in Germany or Britain.
Get an older van and convert it yourself deffo unless you want to spend three times as much and have an interior that's better suited to an ambulance. I'll keep my old rwd mwb Crafter thanks. More room, better spec, lots of wood paneling, more like a home.
That's what people do in the US since it's never going to be sold there. They buy a Mercedes van and install everything they want. Costs only half as much!
largol33t1 Ummm, no. Those things get up past six digits if you are buying custom. Then again, there are those who buy a used cargo van, throw a matress and camp stove in it and call it day. In that case, yes it is far less expensive.
I had MB Sprinter-based Class C that had a sticker price of $120,000. What a garbage that was. Every time I took it out, I was like "gee.. what will break today". I spent more time driving that to the RV dealer for repair than I spent going places. I am an automotive interior engineer. The entire American RV industry's quality control is a joke. I kid you not. The entire RV industry's philosophy on quality is like " Ship 'em. Let customer figure out what is wrong with it". This one looks pretty promising. I wish I can check it out
Really like the additional sleeping area above the driver's seat. I've never seen that before. It feels a bit like an airplane interior though, very white and sterile. Some different colors or wood trim would have gone a long way.
I love it! When or will they be coming to Canada? It is expensive but they all are brand new. What is the basic package for this camper van? Or was that the basic camper van?? Thank you!
They never cheated emissions in Canada and the Republican congress cheated the American people out of diesel cars (intentionally because you can make your own fuel) by putting standards on the engines too high but keeping them low on the fuel quality. Diesel fuel in the US is filthy and not well refined and the congress is beholden to the oil companies, whereas in Europe the fuel is cleaner and held up to higher standards despite it being cheaper than petrol gas.
@Sandi , What's that to do with elections and who acts as prez at any given moment? America is ruled by the fossil fuel companies and they want you to use gas, not Diesel.
Don't they all cheat? VW was just stupid enough and too bad cheaters, so they've been caught out. German garden dwarfs must still learn how to act in the worldwide capitalist sytsem.
@Sandi , What has VW to do with elections ? And elections in Canada were less than one month ago. You probably are in the US, so listen to your twitter comic since 3 years ago.
I wonder what all that white plastic will look like in five years time when it's all discoloured. Give me my Globecar Roadscout R Elegance any day. 30 grand cheaper and a much more pleasant and welcoming environment to relax in.
Been camping with T2 Westfalia and T3, though they are small, for two a vacation is doable. For long trips (months) this is the perfect size with a permanent bed and decent standing height (nice if you have a day of rain). The only but is the price, €77.000 is a lot of money.
Most of the things about this van is designed in a good way. I like the upper bed, the bathroom, dining area located behind the driver's seat and especially the refrigerator. However, there are something I really don't like : 1. There is NO curtain or divider between the driving cabin and the living area that people can see what's happening inside especially night time ! 2. The design of the large bed in the rear is the WORST thing that need to be re-designed. 3. Personally I prefer to have the rear doors SEALED as a matter of security.
fishernate dirty Diesel engine, so will never be here, say if they were to change it, wow many you think will sell? VW has had a vehicle , AMORAK , CAB, CHASSIS, 2DRNPICKUP, 4 DR PICKUP, HAS A V6 DIESEL ENGINE CLEAN BURNING, allowed here. But NOT SOLD IN NORTH AMERICA , saving up to go get one in GERMANY., HAS A/C, ELECTRIC DOORS /WINDOWS , 5SPD MANUAL, OR AUTO . Cheers FROM NJ 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@flybyairplane3528 Diesel engine's are not dirty anymore,,,there are old diesels still on the road,,,but Clean Diesel started 2007 and then in 2010 DEF an additive that goes into separate tank and Gets sprayed into the engine's piston's,,,DEF,,, Diesel Emissions Fluid CDL CLASS A DRIVER HERE 1 MILLION MILE CLUB NO ACCIDENTS
Joe Morrow when I say about SPECEFIC diesels NOT allowed into USA they are STILL BEING MADE IN EUROPE , and YES I do know there are CLEAN DIESELS WITH DEF& a SOOT FILTER , I am looking to get my ducks in a row to go to GERMANY to get a VW AMORAK, it’s a 3litre V6 clean diesel, they a CHASSIS, A 2BDOOR & a 4 dr crew cab, & an available cap for the pickup , they are NOT SOLD IN NORTH AMERICA, CHEERS. 🇩🇪🇺🇸 BTW, my lifetime when working Private & job 1.35 million, retired in 2003
It looks very good tho you're very right. Put a matrass/camping gear in your car and you're good to go, same idea and much more adventurous. Bet this is a good option if you'd be 65+ and/or dont have much physical strength for adventurous travel
It’s a beautiful camper. It’s a shame Americans don’t have a talent like Germans or Japanese to design quality compact campers. All you see is a big ugly bus that you can’t drive it anywhere. Then they break down and are totally worthless in 10 years. Americans should only allow imports of class B and these VW’s an Toyota’s will sell like hot cakes.
Thankyou for this tour and for the price . It is a very practical little van. My husband used to say, you can live in quite a few hotels for 70,000 ..?£'s/$'s. It's a lifestyle, isn't it. Still have to do your own washing- up though.
Even living in hotels you will need to buy a car so the difference is not really 70,.maybe 35K. Cooking in it instead of going to restaurants will also save some but the idea, as you noticed, is spending time in nature, with some comfort. Nice van and nice price.Too bad they don`t bring it to the US.
Cristi m you really do not think, it’s the damned Diesel engine which has zero emission, controls on them,,so the can NOT BE LICENSED HERE,! Cheers From NJ🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Tommy Halcomb hello, but there SEVERAL CALIFORNIA MODELS, VARIOUS different stuff in them, but now the GRAND CALIFORNIA, will be OVERWEIGHT , FOR THE CAR LICENSE THERE IN UK, then you must SPEND TIME & money to update that license. , it’s different outside UK, Here in HERE IN USA, you can drive up to 20,000lbs on your personal drivers license . There is 1 state which has CALIFORNIAS FOR RENT. HAWAII,, Cheers From NJ🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I like the quality and durability of the fittings and accessories very much. It is the size of the C/V that would worry me in the long term, especially if there were two persons involved in the journey. But overall I believe it is good value for the money and most probably, for resale also.
Like most of these vans I find it disturbing that they waste space by having two additional seats. Most of these are meant for two people but they want to seat an additional two or more with seats, couches etc. Put that extra space into the head or cooking area to make the van more comfy for two. You can meet up/sit with people outside...not inside. I like the two bed option so one can sleep and the other can read OR it can be also used to store your gear.
Vw basically creates the entire mini/camper van segment, fumbles it and watched other companies make billions in the segment. One of the worst business failures in the auto industry.
Obviously this guy has never been in a motorhome before. This is a copy of a Westfalia. And by the way, the original is better than this copy. The only thing is the kudos and the marketing engine attached to VW. Something other companies do not have
I don't know the price of this but reading the comments it looks costly. This is not the best camper ever. Why can't someone design a camper after watching about 1,000 videos on RU-vid and putting in all the innovations that various people have tried. If all the tried and tested innovations are put into one camper you could sell it for a fortune.
Pricing details are in our review here: www.completecar.ie/car-reviews/article/Volkswagen/California/Grand_California_600_(2019)/1607/9632/2019-Volkswagen-Grand-California-600-(2019)-review.html
It is really nice but it has a major design flaw. I am amazed the engineers did not see this problem ahead of time. No way can i drive this in California. What were they thinking? Can't they see they put the steering wheel on the wrong side, Holy Cow!
Great the review thank you. But I have to say, This is such a clunky useless design. I was expecting so much more from Volkswagen.. Spend €77,000 and you can’t even get a comfortable four seater dining area?!? What about that double bed lifting up to a visual mess.. ? Why not convert that double bed to a dining area after? My 40 year old Campervan had a much better layout. You can buy such a better camper for that kind of money. In fact why not get a proper motorhome if you gonna go and buy a vehicle that size just for camping purposes . What a stupid way to spend €77000
Okan Gon I think you’re right. I love my 7meter 23 year old van. It has much more than this and we live in it nearly full time. And guess what? It’s paid for and we can buy an awful lot of diesel for 77K!😂
I paid £2k for my 40yo motorhome. It had 2 double and a single bed with shower/WC. I Wild camped across Europe for months and loved it. Would be nice to have a modern engine, smoother and faster ride but the price difference isnt it worth it in general, unless you are earning lots of money which solves every problem =)
@@freeman1352 Thx for your concern but sorry, I can already feed myself and drive my own van and live in a far better country as well. At least it's warm and sunny here and not as damp and cold as on your north sea isles. So no special needs I can think of. Oh, and btw, I'd swap our small house for a big fat and comfy RV any time. Because I'm awesome and sexy, and you are just a petty loser. kthxbai
VW needs to stop calling these things California or start selling them here - in California. Or I guess I can move to U.K. Great looking van and informative video. Thank you.
10 mins of f******* monolog, and you just made it to the f****** front seat & cup f********* holders.. I guess people get lonely & go a bit looney driving around sleeping rough in a camper van! As for the camper, it's pretty nice with a lot of practical features! thumsup for the grand california!
Thanks for the feedback, we'll make sure to mention it in future reviews. This Grand California 600 measures 2,970mm in height, while the longer Grand California 680 is 2,840mm tall, as it doesn't have the camper roof. ^DH
Normal humans will fit in and able to stand erected. Oversized Americans maybe not, but who cares about them? This van isn't made for, neither is it available in, the States!
I believe it looks cold in this video. I reality it looks pretty nice and feels much better than some cheapo wannabewood instalations of custom brands.
I am looking for AWD and automatic and can't seem to come up with anything. I live in Poland and if I bring anything over 2 liters in, I get an additional 18% tax, so no Sprinters, Ducatos etc. Any ideas?
@@preshmajesh Man, you have in Poland great campervan manufacturers with top notch quality and cheaper than what offer European companies. You can buy independently your Van and ask for a custom build, or buy a prebuild one from their catalog.
Massively over priced and huge premium over the left hand drive model available in Germany. Knaus Boxdrive is also based on a crafter, is better thought out and much cheaper!
Charlotte Mayhew upper NY? I’m guessing you’re in the US? If so I don’t believe they’ll be available in your market. If you fancy doing a direct import the German model starts at €55k
This is a great design, includes many features that are available elsewhere, but they come together very well. Remember, that mesh on the upper bed also connects to those two ceiling hooks to keep young kids from rolling out! The set-up of the gas stove and kitchen sink is very useful--when you are cooking you bring down the cover on the sink to use as prep space. When cleaning up, bring down the cover on the burners and you have a place to put either clean or dirty dishes, nice set-up.
The 'bathroom' door knob is really a bad idea. A recessed knob is needed here (just like in airplanes), especially being close to passing area. The toilet seems to be weak in 'cleaning' in another video (yuk). It has quite a lot of details, perhaps weak points are claustrophobic upper beds and too high off the ground lower beds (and also awkward vertical storage of the bed with all that metal frame in the way) but all in all, plenty of items and storage areas
Go thru such expense, and, resultingly place steering . . . on the wrong side ! Gotta think about that . . . assuming you've inevitably screwed up other features . . . yet unseen !
