W
WingingIt
Guest User
Hello! I've just joined (will post a shorter into in the intro forum next) and have a few questions for Cali owners. I'm sure many have already been asked repeatedly, so apologies in advance for that.
I am considering in the next few years, taking a 1-2 year sabbatical from work to spend travelling around North America. I've looked into renting a camper van there (too expensive for such a long period), or buying a camper van there (seems very complicated/close-to-impossible for a foreigner to buy and register a vehicle in the US or Canada), so have settled on buying a camper here, shipping it to North America, and back again at the end. This has the advantage of fuel efficiency (as European vehicles seem more economical), and that I can continue to use it for future trips when I get back if I want to.
I know everyone will tell me that I should buy a Sprinter van for living long-term, but it's only me travelling solo so I won't need loads of space. And I really like the idea of the vehicle being car-like to drive/park, as well as cheaper to ship than a full-size panel van. So Plan A was to get a Transporter-sized panel van and have it converted into a camper. However, three things have made me think about just buying a California Ocean. Firstly, the legendary lack of depreciation - if I decide to sell the van when I get back from my travels, maybe the Cali would have lost less money than a panel van conversion. Secondly, I think the driving element of the Cali appeals to me, with its very modern interior, powerful engines, and a lot of driving creature comforts like parking assist. Related to this, thirdly I think it would be a nice enough daily driver to use before my travels too, saving me money on having to run two vehicles.
Which leads to my many questions,
I am considering in the next few years, taking a 1-2 year sabbatical from work to spend travelling around North America. I've looked into renting a camper van there (too expensive for such a long period), or buying a camper van there (seems very complicated/close-to-impossible for a foreigner to buy and register a vehicle in the US or Canada), so have settled on buying a camper here, shipping it to North America, and back again at the end. This has the advantage of fuel efficiency (as European vehicles seem more economical), and that I can continue to use it for future trips when I get back if I want to.
I know everyone will tell me that I should buy a Sprinter van for living long-term, but it's only me travelling solo so I won't need loads of space. And I really like the idea of the vehicle being car-like to drive/park, as well as cheaper to ship than a full-size panel van. So Plan A was to get a Transporter-sized panel van and have it converted into a camper. However, three things have made me think about just buying a California Ocean. Firstly, the legendary lack of depreciation - if I decide to sell the van when I get back from my travels, maybe the Cali would have lost less money than a panel van conversion. Secondly, I think the driving element of the Cali appeals to me, with its very modern interior, powerful engines, and a lot of driving creature comforts like parking assist. Related to this, thirdly I think it would be a nice enough daily driver to use before my travels too, saving me money on having to run two vehicles.
Which leads to my many questions,
- Do the residuals drop off sharply when the mileage is higher than average? All the examples I've seen of amazing residuals are on Californias that have averaged 10,000 miles per year. Obviously, touring North America I will be doing far in excess of this.
- Any owners worried about whether the launch of the ID Buzz might affect residuals a lot if they do a great job with it and interest flocks from the California to that?
- I will no doubt be 'stealth camping' in urban/residential areas from time to time - how easy is the van to ventilate with the roof down and windows shades in place?
- If I park in a residential area, and just have a dim light on inside for reading, etc. are the built-in shades good enough to stop the interior looking 'lit up' from the outside?
- Does the built-in shade for the windscreen stop people from being able to look in?
- Related to ventilation, can you set the heater to blow cold air instead?
- I've read some threads where people say the lack of insulation, like you get in conversions, doesn't matter because the heater is so good. But what about in summer? Does the van get unbearably hot inside with the sun beating down on it?
- Do things like solar panel installs affect residuals? I guess you would have to drill holes in the exterior to run the wiring, which may put buyers off?
- Finally, anyone out there who either lives in a Cali or has travelled for multiple months at a time in one, have any advice for me? Does the Cali work for this, or should I stick with my Plan A of getting a custom conversion?