What is/was your first "California"

[TripleBee]

As per title: What is or was your first "California", VW campervan.
Not debating conversions, Beaches, Oceans, Comfortlines or Coasts.

And while we are at it: at what age did you buy your first VW campervan.

I start with myself:

VW T5.1 in 2010, aged 28. Just because I didn't want to go camping in a tent anymore .
Does that make sense when I always try to sleep upstairs?

 

[Wobble’s Mum]

Bought at 40 years old!

 

[Duxdeluxe]

First California was a T3 bought in2007 aged 52, first Vw Camper was a T2 bought in 2001 now on a T5.1 Beach

 

[Calimili]

Camping alone with a small child, it is the option with less work involved compared to a tent or caravan. Especially if it happens that it rains when you have to leave.
With the Cali it is: roof down from inside the vehicle and go!. No drenched and dirty tent/tarps to stow away, no pegs, no stabilizer legs to retract, hitch/unhitch, manouver. And I can park it at home or use it as a normal car unlike a big white or a caravan that require a dedicated big parking spot when at home.
Obvious choice for me really.

 

[Kedaw]

Got our first van ons the 1st of February 2020 which is a T6. Shopping now for must have accessories before our first trip, can't wait.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

First Cali in 2019, various VW campers before that starting with a T2 Viking back in 1990.

 

[sapto]

Bought 2015 a T5 2005, 2.5 Tdi with 94k km on the clock when I was 33 years old. Before I was car/tent camping.

 

[jeff]

Brought our t5 age 48 after 40 years of tents .

 

[2haw]

My grandad had a couple of T2’s when i was a child.. think I must of got the bug from him.

 

[The Blue Merle]

My first Cali T5

 

[Jay gas]

Bought our first camper this January at 48. The missus 39. Still batting above my average

 

[Anthony1]

First camper, I was about 49 (20 years ago), two small boys.

 

[clarinetbcn]

As a teenager I drove my parent's T2 coast to coast throughout the USA and Canada. Tent camped all these years, then bought a T5.1 Beach two years ago at age 62.

 

[motacyclist]

The only VW camper we haven't had is a T4. But my son has a T4!

oh - and discounting the ?.0 - ?.1 versions of the 5 & 6.

 

[Jontymo]

Took us to long, 2019 T6 aged 50.

 

[kurienp]

Took us to long, 2019 T6 aged 50.

Same boat. 2020 aged 50

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Anthony1]

As a teenager I drove my parent's T2 coast to coast throughout the USA and Canada. Tent camped all these years, then bought a T5.1 Beach two years ago at age 62.

OK, you win.

 

[seasiders1]

T4 Reimo Conversion aged 51. T5 California Ocean in 2009 and we still have it...

 

[Julesa]

First car was a vw beetle, had to sell it when went to uni as nowhere to store it
20’ish..... years later living the dream with a Cali

 

[Silverlight]

2019 aged 37. We first looked into a camper van in 2011... how I wish we had had the courage to get one then!

 

[AndyWT]

Grew up in the 60’s in a splity & Bedford Dormobile, had a T3 early 80’s, wish I still had it, spent a lot of years on the the road.

At 65, got our 2000 T4 2.5 Tdi Cali Coach in 2017 imported from Germany paid top dollar for rust free but with a few mech problems, clutch was shot but drivable 500km home slipping, oil leaks, both belts drenched although we drove it another 4,000km before changing belts etc and oil seals.

It came with no service history but a fully stamped service book, 3 previous owners, got to look at history via local VW in Italy, apart from belts and water pumps it’s had no repairs and from what I can see it’s completely original at 306,000km, after EGR blank & decat there’s no smoke, has surprising performance as we run it fully loaded even as a daily runner as we never know when we are off somewhere, even a trip to the airport in Milan 3 hours away, may turn into a several day trip.

Only down side is cost, it’s not costly to run after we have worked our way through a 20yr old van, good on diesel 7.8 lt/100km average, clutches are the problem mainly caused by where we lived until recently with very difficult uphill exit and weight, just weighed it with the 2 bikes on its at max GVW 2,800kg with the 2 big teens in the back it’s a bit more.

36,500km on a clutch ridiculous, thanks VW for having the smallest clutch you could find, I’m throwing the DMF sing next week and fittings solid flywheel kit from Valeo and we move down out of the mountain.

 

[Karlos]

At 52 and after 30 odd years in tents then a trailer tent then a folding camper. I bought a 6 month old LWB T6 and had it converted. Sold after a year and trips to France, Italy, Holland, Austria, Germany and around the UK. Went back to the folding camper for a couple of years but still felt drawn to another van. T6 ocean delivered 01.09.19 and love it so now 55 and trying to persuade her who thinks she should be obeyed to retire so the adventures can begin properly.

 

[gurik]

T6.1 2020 38 years old

 

[Borris]

Our first Cali was an ex demo 2015 SE 180 dsg 4motion.

Lovely vehicle but we rapidly realised that it suited us less well than the seven seat T6 Beach that we also happened to own at the time, so we sold it.

Camper vans always involve compromises. We discovered that with the Beach we could not only have our cake but eat more of it.

 

[Charlotterobin]

Hilarious Borris, more cake here too - our first was identical to yours.
Then a 2 seat Beach
Now a 3 seat