Some interesting ideas that the Cali could benefit from

motacyclist · May 28, 2018

Just watched this on YouTube, it’s an American pop top conversion on the Nissan NV200 van.

Not directly comparable with the California, but some of the ideas would be great in the Cali, particularly the hot water system and the control unit, it seems to be based on an iPad or Android tablet and makes VW’s version look like an 80’s Casio watch. I like the flexibility of the bed which can be angled any which way!

Velma's Dad · May 29, 2018

Loving it! Great concept and refills the gap superbly between a T6 (Cali or conversion) and the much smaller 'mini-campers' based on the Caddy etc, now that the Mazda Bongo is out of date. If I was looking for a campervan as a daily drive, it's the sort of thing I'd go for.

Yes the all-in-one control panel is what VW should be looking at. And why isn't a water heater an option on the Cali, after all they offer you a (cold) shower?

The video is also interesting as it shows how tyres and ground clearance are more often the hinge-factors in overlanding in many parts of the world, not 4WD and diff locks (although those would of course really complete the Recon as an 'expedition' vehicle - and also help a lot in the more muddy conditions we get here, even on campsites).

Borris · May 29, 2018

I particularly liked the hot water system. Paying £60k + for an Ocean and only getting cold water has always struck me as very poor indeed.

The rear door jam socket to plug in the solar panel is also a great idea. I would love to have solar panels but have been put off by the current wiring bodge. On all of the Cali systems I've seen, the cable has to be routed via a split in the rubber cable trunking that connects the rear door to the vehicle. IMO that's a poor practice as that rubber tube is their to prevent water ingress as well as protect the cables within.

The quality of everything they have designed seems top notch. I love the use of stainless steel and aluminium, very durable.

Having somewhere to charge your gadgets that's out of sight is wonderful but for me at least, not for the reason you would imagine. These days just about every thing needs charging and I get fed up with cables coming from every socket whilst I am driving.

Having all of the vehicles functions controlled by a single tablet sounds great in theory but wouldn't that be putting all of your eggs in one basket? I think that I would much prefer to see the individual functions be as simple and as independent as possible so as to not loose the whole lot in the event of a problem with that tablet. Why is it nessesary to continue to make even the simplest of functions more and more techy? It's a campervan not a space ship! IMO, by keeping it simple you would stand a better chance of future proofing your investment. Where will all the current Teslas and Ipads be in fifteen years time?

motacyclist · May 29, 2018

Yes we'll I'm not too sure that is a tablet, but whatever systems it is controlling could be replaced by a simple switchboard. I liked the fact that there was a master switch for everything, whereas in the Cali there is no single switch to disable all the electrical items. It's easy to forget to switch something off, the lights inside the kitchen cupboards on the latest Cali Ocean being an example. I also liked being able to see the current state of the house battery and vehicle battery too.

The rear seat was clever too, you could sit facing forward or backward and angle it if your van wasn't level!

I think VW should hire that guy to refresh the California!