Cali every day?

[robob123]

Hello all...first post!

I currently drive a LR Discover 5 3l. I love it but I’ve decided I really want a California. I do about 12k miles/yr. I’ll be using it for weekends away with kids (6&10) camping in Cornwall, day trips to Wales and hopefully lots of other adventures. What I can’t decide, is do I get a California & a small car for commute/work miles or just get the camper? My total budget (value of disco) will be about £45-50k. I could get a nice £30-35k used beach and spend £10k on a golf or get an ocean for £45-50 but would have to use it for everything. 2 cars = 2 insurance, tax and depreciation but if I’m sticking 12k m/yr on an ocean is that just wrong on such a nice vehicle!? Plus am I going to want to drive a California to work, school etc etc
As you can tell I’m also in 2 minds about beach vs ocean. This is my first camper. Only will be 3 of us sleeping in it. Is the ocean much different to drive with all the kitchen etc in it?? Thanks in advance Rob

 

[flying banana]

I've been through this. I just use my cali all the time. Got rid of the car. It's good to use them rather than sit them down for weeks at a time. If I was to get a car as well I would spend more on the van and get an old diesel golf or BMW for about 4 grand. Welcome. And good luck. More on the van. Less on the car. That's me.

 

[Meoncoast]

We have only have a California. Since 2012 it has been our only type of transport - we replaced our 2012 in late 2016. I do c15k a year. Never driven a Beach but no issue for us taking the kitchen weight all the time - we just need to add sleeping stuff and milk and we are ready to go.

 

[flying banana]

You can't beat making a cup of tea when your stuck in a huge traffic jam and chilling out in the back on the motorway.

 

[Moakesy]

Got a 2018 ocean and a LR Discovery 4, which I should have sold when I got the Cali.

Can definitely be used as a daily driver and is the disco’s equal in everything apart from number of seats and the ability to chuck anything in the back (Cali is too nice for garden rubbish tip runs). The beach has the seat capacity obviously.

I hung onto the disco because I love it so much, but it is not used enough to justify keeping it. I’m currently thinking of something like a second hand berlingo. Just something I can chuck any and everything in to.

The other consideration is just getting a trailer instead. Maybe that would work for you. Much depends on what you currently love you car for now, and if you’d lose it by changing?

 

[Bill R]

Same here - The Ocean is my daily drive, here there and everywhere. No bigger than a large car really

 

[TripleBee]

Yes. Over 9 years and 140000 km later still no regrets.
My guess would be that a Beach makes less noise while driving because of the lack of furniture, but it is a hell of a lot more practical when camping.
And don't forget you always have your fridge with you, so when the temperature rises up to 45°C., while everyone else is just mummifying in their cars, you can keep yourself hydrated with cool ...... (fill in for yourself: water, beer, coke, ice tea, wine, ....) However, too much alcohol starts dehydrating too, hmm. Tough choice.

 

[kave]

We need two cars in our family so we have an i3 and the Beach. The Beach is used as a normal car, it is very comfortable, I just finished 5000km of touring Europe in it.
The VW is not fault less, but I would say it will most likely be more trouble free than the LR.
The Cali is great at most stuff, driving to the tip, making a brew, changing clothing at sporting events etc etc. Just get it.

 

[flying banana]

Also when you've been to tescos in it you don't have to rush home with your chilled or frozen stuff . Just stick it in the fridge and call for a pint

 

[Eremita]

I had a California T5 Comfortline as everyday car till last month. Now I have a California Beach as everydaycar. An Audi A6 is longer, but not so funny

 

[andrejab1]

I used to have a car and an older bigger camper van. One of the main reasons I opted for a California is to have just one vehicle. So I drive it to work as well.

 

[Azteccamper]

Hello all...first post!

I currently drive a LR Discover 5 3l. I love it but I’ve decided I really want a California. I do about 12k miles/yr. I’ll be using it for weekends away with kids (6&10) camping in Cornwall, day trips to Wales and hopefully lots of other adventures. What I can’t decide, is do I get a California & a small car for commute/work miles or just get the camper? My total budget (value of disco) will be about £45-50k. I could get a nice £30-35k used beach and spend £10k on a golf or get an ocean for £45-50 but would have to use it for everything. 2 cars = 2 insurance, tax and depreciation but if I’m sticking 12k m/yr on an ocean is that just wrong on such a nice vehicle!? Plus am I going to want to drive a California to work, school etc etc
As you can tell I’m also in 2 minds about beach vs ocean. This is my first camper. Only will be 3 of us sleeping in it. Is the ocean much different to drive with all the kitchen etc in it?? Thanks in advance Rob

Been through this as well.
In the end opted for as best Cali I could afford and kept some cash back for a car as well for daily use. Reason - I just love the feeling of getting into the Cali knowing that what I’m about to do is fun. A weekend away, a picnic, a mountain walk, a bike ride, a pop to the beach or a longer stay in uk or continent. Driving it to work everyday just wasn’t the same.
But when I retire they will both go and a new Cali only will be for us.

 

[WelshGas]

Hello all...first post!

I currently drive a LR Discover 5 3l. I love it but I’ve decided I really want a California. I do about 12k miles/yr. I’ll be using it for weekends away with kids (6&10) camping in Cornwall, day trips to Wales and hopefully lots of other adventures. What I can’t decide, is do I get a California & a small car for commute/work miles or just get the camper? My total budget (value of disco) will be about £45-50k. I could get a nice £30-35k used beach and spend £10k on a golf or get an ocean for £45-50 but would have to use it for everything. 2 cars = 2 insurance, tax and depreciation but if I’m sticking 12k m/yr on an ocean is that just wrong on such a nice vehicle!? Plus am I going to want to drive a California to work, school etc etc
As you can tell I’m also in 2 minds about beach vs ocean. This is my first camper. Only will be 3 of us sleeping in it. Is the ocean much different to drive with all the kitchen etc in it?? Thanks in advance Rob

It's a van. Built to be used everyday. The Beach is an empty van the Ocean/SE a part loaded van. Which you get is upto you but they are both built to be used not languishing on the drive.

 

[Nick Stubbs]

Our Ocean is a daily drive, its there to be used, used to have a LR but couldnt justify having the two vehicles.

 

[BayCatOne]

I also use mine as daily, the only vehicle I use.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Easy to use everyday as drives like a car / MPV and fits into most car parks (now and again will come across one with a 1.85m limit, but this is very rare). Mpg not as good compared to a car, but might actually work out cheaper overall versus running 2 vehicles when you take servicing, tax etc into account.

 

[Amarillo]

We are a family of four (boys aged 4 & 5). Our Beach was our only car for 27 months. A perfect family car and an exceptional camper van. We expect to keep it a total of 10 years, possibly longer. We do ~15,000 miles per year.

However, due to a number of clashes over who has the car and who goes by bicycle, numerous short trips to the supermarket or dog walking, and the 5 year/80,000 mile warranty expiring after 4 years we have recently bought a Skoda Citigo to use for short local trips, and maybe reduce the Beach’s mileage to 10-12,000 miles per year.

With kids I’d advise the Beach. If you have the space to store the additional two seats you can take your children and two or three friends on excursions, take their grandparents with you in the car, and it gives you so much more flexibility.

We have solar panels on the roof charging the leisure battery during daylight hours and a 28 litre compressor fridge always on. It is the perfect lifestyle car for us as a family.

And the icing on the cake was renting out our family home for a year and exploring all of Europe for 375 days while living in our home on wheels in 33 countries during the year before our boys began school.

 

[robob123]

Thanks that was really helpful. I’m thinking beach to atm. There seem to be some good deals on <12m old vehicles.

 

[robob123]

Thank you all for various replies. So helpful at this stage to get feedback from folk with experience

 

[5i1ver8ack]

Our Ocean is a daily drive, its there to be used, used to have a LR but couldnt justify having the two vehicles.

Ditto. Sold my Discovery in November and now just have the campervan. Makes a fine daily driver.

 

[TeamJones]

We own our Cali and a motorbike - best of both worlds for fun and price

 

[gvick]

I had similar concerns about usingCali ocean as a daily driver.
@2into1 helped reassure Mei was doing the right thing.
I sold a eAMG cabriolet and have no regrets - I do @20k a year.
Only nagging concern is multi-storey car parks but so far so good.

 

[MikeW]

We had a 2017 Discovery Sport, which we sold in March for a new 19 Ocean dsg. Which I find very little difference in the quality of the drive. Main issue is mpg on lots of small journeys, but a small price to pay for the enjoyment and flexibility the van brings

 

[No_heroes]

My ocean is my favourite daily driver! Very easy with the DSG, 4motion, great high drivers position, excellent fuel range, apple car play, all season tyres, plenty of space for a sit down!

 

[Biker]

Hello all...first post!

I currently drive a LR Discover 5 3l. I love it but I’ve decided I really want a California. I do about 12k miles/yr. I’ll be using it for weekends away with kids (6&10) camping in Cornwall, day trips to Wales and hopefully lots of other adventures. What I can’t decide, is do I get a California & a small car for commute/work miles or just get the camper? My total budget (value of disco) will be about £45-50k. I could get a nice £30-35k used beach and spend £10k on a golf or get an ocean for £45-50 but would have to use it for everything. 2 cars = 2 insurance, tax and depreciation but if I’m sticking 12k m/yr on an ocean is that just wrong on such a nice vehicle!? Plus am I going to want to drive a California to work, school etc etc
As you can tell I’m also in 2 minds about beach vs ocean. This is my first camper. Only will be 3 of us sleeping in it. Is the ocean much different to drive with all the kitchen etc in it?? Thanks in advance Rob

We have a 2009 Cali Biker and a 2018 ford wild track, use the Cali all the time, seriously thinking of ditching the ford and upgrading the Cali to 4 motion auto with all the bits. No need for anything else.