Is it time To UPGRADE our VW California to a new Camper van?! 🚐🔥
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- Could the Hymer Free 600 be our Next Campervan ...??? We have been trying to find the right van to replace our VW California for a long time. Have we finally found the right one...?!?!?!
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So Who are Campervan Journey?
We are JT, Harry, Claire, Sam and Ben, oh and Hunny the Dog. We discovered campervanning in 2015 when we bought our first Volkswagen T5 Combo after seeing many at our favourite campsites. We were staying with our tent, and dreaming that one day we would have our own Campervan. After much research, we bought and converted our own T5 Kombi to suit our requirements, check out the video on the channel. We soon discovered that owning a Campervan is a way of life and it is not just about amazing trips round Europe, it’s as much about great days out and family time…
We have been lucky enough to visit some amazing places with our van, many of which we know we wouldn’t have seen if we had not owned it. They instil a sense of adventure and where shall we go into your life.
After 3 years with the T5, we upgraded to a Volkswagen T6 California Beach, our current van, and we continue to enjoy travelling and visiting some amazing places. You can check out our latest videos and adventures here on the channel !
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2 things I have learnt from
moving to larger van which was not aware of...
Check your payloads. Especially for vans with 4 seats, poptop....factor in your water tank weight. Then all your kit. You will be surprised how close or over 3.5T you will get
Consider your battery system. A lot of these vans don't really talk about batteries and electrics. But if using not on hookup, a good system is crucial and not just AGM. If on hookup much less an issue
Thanks for the tips Rob I will keep an eye on these. Hopefully it won’t be an issue.
2 things I have learnt from hosing to larger van which was not aware of...
Check your payloads. Especially for vans with 4 seats, poptop....factor in your water tank weight. Then all your kit. You will be surprised how close or over 3.5T you will get
Consider your battery system. A lot of these vans don't really talk about batteries and electrics. But if using not on hookup, a good system is crucial and not just AGM. If on hookup much less an issue
We would definitely look for upgraded batteries and ideally solar as well.
Looking forward to the other 2 contenders! We got a MAN TGE3 with factory poptop and then got it converted. Arrived back in March. A game changer on the campaign front and we now do winters, get up and go etc so much more easily. It's a bigger van, but only really noticeable that when parking and cornering (it leans more cornering that our Beach) on country roads. But as long as using it for campaign and trips it's a game changer
That’s an option we didn’t consider but sounds great. Good to hear that the move to a bigger van seems to have made getting away easier and more comfortable for you, which is exactly what we are hoping for … 🤞
We’ve moved up to a Hymer 540 Blue Evolution this year from a California. We always wanted a compact van with just the two of us. The finish is superb, lovely grey/white modern interior, heating, hot water, toilet and headroom. Expensive, but after 6 years of California ownership and stunning residuals it was the right time to upgrade.
That's great to hear ! I like the look of the 540Blue and considered it last year but we felt a 540 van was just a bit too small for us. Good to hear about the quality and finish of the Hymer. We are looking for something with a comparable finish to the VW. Cheers JT
After owning 2 california oceans, we moved on to the hymer s600 the same you have shown, best decision we made, Hymer holds its value and it it is well made 😊
That’s great to hear ! Thanks for sharing that. Cheers JT
Have you thought about a Swift compact. Same length, auto box better use of space and no pop top. We had a Hymer c544 and sold it having retired. We wanted on sub 5m to fit in the garage and the ability to use as a second vehicle. That is the one comprise for a larger campervan or motor home. All the best with whatever you choose.
The increase in size over the California is going to be a compromise, we’ll have to see how much of a difference it makes. We have a 2nd small car as a run around so, time will tell !
Do not apologize about weather in UK , we have same disaster half north France ! it's funny because i have same project for our Family of three . We love our COAST T6.1 but having a little bit more space and bath in only 6 meters is mid term goal . This HYMER is definitively in our short list and i'm afraid that new Cali T7 from VW is moving away from real life on pitch .. i have no driving experience at the moment but feedback from France is very positive about this HYMER . Just regret about old shower curtain , i prefer swivel wall solution we can find in ADRIA for instance . i'm also follower of belgian travellers Freeontour ( ex Cali T6 owners ) and they recently moved to this magnificent vehicle . Have nice summer vacations
Hi Ben, sorry to hear the weather in your part of France is pretty rubbish too ! We watched Le Mans and the weather there was awful as well for much of the race... Good to hear the positive feedback about the Hymer. The shower curtain is a compromise, but we wouldn't use the shower if on a campsite. The swivel wall concept is good, but have found that vans with it have other compromises that don't work for us. I have checked out Freeontour and it's good to see that they are enjoying their switch to the Hymer. We are looking forward to the summer, hopefully in a new van....watch this space ! Cheers JT
Well, have you decided on the Free ? How are the driving dynamics compared to a 6m Vw/Man based vehicle such as the GC or the Sven Hedin or the Adria equivalent ? I remain unconvinced by any rear seat in any motorhome or Hymer conversion bar the Westfalia rear seats. The 3 person bench they used to put in a Nugget and then in the James Cook in the early 200s is still hard to beat. It had an angled bed rest and arm rests - really neither difficult nor expensive. The patented seat in the modern Columbus seems to be as good as it gets. It is still nowhere near its precursor - the same seat in the 2008-14 edition of the James Cook - it was wider, softer and also had arm rests upon it. The rear seat in this Hymer looks no different to the bolt-upright cushions-on-cheap-bench formula that Hymer seem always to deploy. It's the main reason why I am not now heading south to have a drive of a Free 600. My kids are grown but I cannot think of a single mountain biking friend who would want to travel any significant distance in a rear seat like this or 90% of what is out there. It is just so dismal that none of them, save Westfalia, put any effort into rear seat ergonomics. Why is it so very difficult for them to do something as simple as Westfalia's sliding bar to put a 15-20 degree rake on the back rest and extend the seat area when in transit ?
Hi There, thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed response, which absolutely his the nail on the head with regards the travelling setas. Over the past two years we have been looking for a replacement van ONLY the Westfalia has had seats that we thought were top notch. Why all the other makers don't get this I don't know and I have raised it on many of my previous videos. It seems all the good vans have a compromise...it's just a case of finding a compromise you are prepared to live with.
We were sold on the Westfalia Columbus for some time, but call it brand snobbery, I could not spend £95K on a Fiat Based van. Their passenger seats are by far the best we have found and the clever converting seat bed option was a big drawer as well. On more than one occasion I spoke to representatives from Westfalia Germany to ask when the same set up was coming in the Sven Hedin, only to be told it won't due to the Crafter/Man chassis being too narrow to accommodate it.
I think Westfalia have missed a trick here as it could provide the logical step up from many VW California owners who don't want or like the Grand California. I also don't get why Westfalia don't offer the Sven as a 4 berth with a poptop, again, trick missed I feel.
The Hymer travelling seat is not ideal, but despite appearances it is better than the Grand California surprisingly. It is wider, deeper and although it does not recline the cushion design does give an element of slope. The GC travelling seat is fixed, almost vertical and narrow, suitable for 1 adult and a child really. Poss two children, but would be no good if they were in child seats.
Having been used to the equipment we have had on our California; LED lights, adaptive cruise control, comfy seating and sleeping for 3 / 4 people, good driving experience (the Hymer drove well on test drive) , auto gearbox, good infotainment as standard and good build quality, the options available rapidly diminish. Having had a converted T5 prior to the Cali, I didn't really want to go down the self build route again, so we were left with a relatively short shortlist. The Hymer, A GC600 (but I would want to see the new upgraded one before committing) or a Westfalia Columbus. There have been lots of other nearly made it to the shortlist options that we have dismissed because they are not as good as they first appeared and we could keep looking for the perfect van forever....!
So in answer to your question, the Hymer seems to have ticked more boxes than many AND we won't have to wait months for it...
Thanks for taking the time to get in touch, cheers JT
Hi JT, when will we see the next contenders for the new van??? dying the see what you have chosen.
Won't be long Carol....! We are just finalising details as we speak...! cheers JT
Great vid & great to have you back! Love the colour & love the van.
Thanks Ben !
Why would you prefer a pop-up roof tent for the Sprinter over a fixed high roof, like that of the VW Grand California?
Good question ! Whilst the GC600 roof creates an ‘upstairs’ bed it is only really suitable for young children. Our youngest is growing rapidly, so bigger space in a pop top would be beneficial. We are also used to using the pop top on our current van. The bulbous look of the GC600 is an acquired taste as well. If VW made a poptop GC we would go for that, but sadly they don’t !
We sold our Cali and bought a new Elddis CV40, which is on a 6m Fiat Ducato van. We have been down to Northern Italy from North East England. I dont regret swapping at all
That’s great to hear Ian. Sounds like a great trip made more comfortable in a slightly larger van…cheers JT
We also swapped our T6.1 for a Cv40 which we absolutely love
Not sure about this think we prefer the Grand Cali 600 even though the rear seats in the Mercedes’ looks more comfortable than the Cali , I’m 6-1 height so prefer the head room in the Cali also , good luck in finding want you want 👍
We do like the GC600 but for us there are a few compromises that niggled following our time away in one. I don’t think the perfect van exists, we are trying to find one that has 90% of what we’re after…! Half the fun is the looking ! Thanks for taking the time to get in touch! JT
Hi, what maximum length would you go up to? Would you consider a LHD as you seem to do a lot of travelling on the continent. Leisure First don't put the individual payloads as far as I can see on their website. Caveat emptor!
Majority of our mileage will be in The UK, so RHD is still the way to go. Also cheaper to insure I would imagine. Thanks for the idea though, cheers JT
Worth trying the new Swift Trekker X, based on a Ford Transit platform
We did have the trekker on the shortlist and managed to see one a few weeks back. We found the bed on the Trekker really narrow, and the trekker x felt like it had a really narrow galley. Great case of looked great on paper but in reality was not quite right for us…
Looks like the van you looked at has sold, is it possibly you?
They still have some in blue..
I have a T6.1 and looking to change to a 6 m van next year, don’t want a Fiat… so this looks like a good option
Keep the Beach and leave Harry at home 😂
Nope, Harry is definitely still coming with us !
Looks very nice; if you're not sure what do with your California I'll look after it for you 😉
Thank you !
As a VW owner and ex T4 bilbos owner, there is a lot of snobbery towards VW🤣, if it supposedly reliable make, it will rust, if it’s unreliable make it won’t rust……😂. Don’t believe the YT vids! Once bitten twice shy.
I own a Citroen Relay 6m, love it, and hopefully I can get it fixed if it is as unreliable as some say😂
Glad to hear you are pleased with your Relay !
From a lot of sources, I have heard that Mercedes commercial vehicles rust in a short timescale.
I believe that may be the case with older vehicles, hopefully the newer ones are better.
Have a look at consort motor homes
Not heard of them, will look them up, thanks for the tip! JT
Have you thought about the Club Joker? Would work well for three and more compact… and it’s a VW 😎
We did look at one, but not sure about the high top looks. No doubt it would be top quality….