RonB
VIP Member
It's with a huge amount of sadness we have finally said goodbye to our much loved T5.1 California - The 'Van Rouge', and now bid welcome to our new Grand California 600 - The 'Van Blanc'.
We've enjoyed our travelling adventures for over ten years in this fantastic vehicle. We've spent a combined total of almost four years sleeping in the Cali, mostly in mainland Europe. Any initial concerns about the cost of purchasing such a vehicle have been completely out-weighed by what it has been able to offer us. No combination of flights, hire cars, hotels, etc, could match the volume and variety of places, cultures and experiences it has given us access to.
The Cali is a great vehicle to drive. It's versatile and dependable, whether it’s coping with single track mountain roads, autoroute cruising, or underground parking in a city. We're campers at heart and have always seen it as the equivalent of a luxury metal tent on wheels - and outdoor living is what it's best at offering.
So why the change? We’re getting on in age, still healthy and actively fit, and looking forward to another ten years or more of travel adventures. We’ve decided that the combination of more space plus onboard facilities including a fixed bed are very appealing... and without the concerns surrounding the vulnerability of the electric roof in severe weather.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve loved it, but there just comes a point when a change of direction in life is required.
We have looked at alternatives such as Hymer’s Free and Grand Canyon models, and Westphalia’s Sven Hedin or Columbus models. The downside with these alternatives was that, at the time of ordering, the limited numbers that were being produced for export, dealerships were having to pre-order in advance and therefore limiting our ability to spec from scratch, plus dealerships were not nearby to us.
We liked the concept of a ‘one-stop shop’ dealership avoiding any future issue with the separate responsibilities for mechanical and habitation problems. So this, combined with the fact that we could actually spec the options that we wanted from scratch, helped to swing it towards VW and the Grand California 600.
It’s certainly a lot taller, a metre longer and a few centimetres wider, than our Cali. However, we like the layout and huge storage space options, love the white, minimalist, interior decor and build quality - and the Crafter base vehicle is a pleasure to drive.
So the new adventure begins…
We've enjoyed our travelling adventures for over ten years in this fantastic vehicle. We've spent a combined total of almost four years sleeping in the Cali, mostly in mainland Europe. Any initial concerns about the cost of purchasing such a vehicle have been completely out-weighed by what it has been able to offer us. No combination of flights, hire cars, hotels, etc, could match the volume and variety of places, cultures and experiences it has given us access to.
The Cali is a great vehicle to drive. It's versatile and dependable, whether it’s coping with single track mountain roads, autoroute cruising, or underground parking in a city. We're campers at heart and have always seen it as the equivalent of a luxury metal tent on wheels - and outdoor living is what it's best at offering.
So why the change? We’re getting on in age, still healthy and actively fit, and looking forward to another ten years or more of travel adventures. We’ve decided that the combination of more space plus onboard facilities including a fixed bed are very appealing... and without the concerns surrounding the vulnerability of the electric roof in severe weather.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve loved it, but there just comes a point when a change of direction in life is required.
We have looked at alternatives such as Hymer’s Free and Grand Canyon models, and Westphalia’s Sven Hedin or Columbus models. The downside with these alternatives was that, at the time of ordering, the limited numbers that were being produced for export, dealerships were having to pre-order in advance and therefore limiting our ability to spec from scratch, plus dealerships were not nearby to us.
We liked the concept of a ‘one-stop shop’ dealership avoiding any future issue with the separate responsibilities for mechanical and habitation problems. So this, combined with the fact that we could actually spec the options that we wanted from scratch, helped to swing it towards VW and the Grand California 600.
It’s certainly a lot taller, a metre longer and a few centimetres wider, than our Cali. However, we like the layout and huge storage space options, love the white, minimalist, interior decor and build quality - and the Crafter base vehicle is a pleasure to drive.
So the new adventure begins…
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