In association with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
The new California: everything you need in a campervan?
With a clever three-room concept, intuitive central control unit and pleasing sleeping solutions, the Volkswagen California moves camping forward...
We really know how to make the most of summer in Britain, don’t we? Those long, sunny days might feel like a distant memory when it’s cold and grey outside – but when they come, boy, do we take advantage.
Golden afternoons in beer gardens; splashing around at the seaside; lazing on the grass at the park; barbecues with friends as the sun goes down. Winter might be a slog in the UK, but when summer comes, we certainly make up for it.
And take it from someone who knows: there’s no better way to get out and enjoy summer than with a campervan.
Why? Well, you get all the joy of the great outdoors that you’d usually get with any camping trip – hot coffee as you watch the world come to life; relaxing with a good book in the sunshine; going to sleep to the sounds of nature.
But of course, there’s none of the faff of putting up and taking down a tent – not to mention drying it out when you get home if you have to do so in the rain. No fun at all.
Where it all began
And frankly, if you’re going to do the campervan thing, you might as well do it with the original – and the best. Few will disagree that that’s the Volkswagen California.
The California can trace its lineage right back to the iconic ‘Type 2’ campers of the 1950s. Of course, the latest version has gained a few mod cons and refinements along the way.
For one thing, the new California is based on the latest Volkswagen Multivan. And that means it sits on the same underpinnings as most of Volkswagen’s passenger cars, rather than those of a van.
As a result, it’s far more car-like to drive than ever before. So from the moment you set out on your next adventure, you’ll notice its more-wieldy handling, its gentler way of coping with bumps and ruts, and its more forgiving controls.
As you might imagine, you get the same choice of engines as you do in the Multivan, which means you can take your pick from a potent petrol, a frugal diesel, or a plug-in hybrid that lets you take advantage of electric power to keep your fuel bills to a minimum. And if you really want to get away from the beaten track, 4MOTION four-wheel drive is available with the plug-in hybrid engine.
What’s more, even in the entry-level Beach model, there’s a level of equipment that’d embarrass many a family car. Adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a digital cockpit all come as standard.
Road trippin’
You might even find yourself choosing spots that are further afield – just so you can spend more time enjoying the road trip on the way. Stopping off, perhaps, for lunch at a beauty spot, where you can make use of the folding picnic table and chairs that come as standard.
And the beauty of choosing a California is that it’ll leave you with more in the kitty to spend on these trips. That’s thanks to Volkswagen’s 5 Plus Promise. This remarkable aftercare package comes as standard on every new California, and it includes the first five scheduled services – and the first three MOTs – all for free.
Also included is a five-year warranty, and five years’ worth of roadside assistance. So if the worst should happen on your journey, you’re covered.
The peace-of-mind doesn’t stop there, though. You can relax as the miles pass beneath your wheels, safe in the knowledge that arriving and setting up is going to be hassle-free.
Indeed, one of the real joys of the California is just how quickly you can go from arriving on site to kicking back and relaxing. Simply plug in, pop the roof, turn on the gas, and you’re free to enjoy your home away from home.
Seeing double
New to this latest version of the California is the flexibility of dual sliding doors. Where previously you could only enter and exit on one side, now you can have it both ways.
Not only does that make access much easier than before, but it also means you can enhance your living space with awnings or extensions on both sides of the van – giving you the potential to turn your California into a three-room camper.
The extra door also makes it easier to access the ‘summer kitchen’ – a kitchen unit that comes as standard on Coast and Ocean models, allowing not just for al fresco dining, but cooking too.
Owners of the California Beach won’t miss out, mind you, as they get a slide-out mini kitchen at the rear, which is sheltered by the tailgate. That means you can carry on cooking even if the great British weather tries to throw a spanner in the works.
But it’s inside where you’ll find some of the California’s finest mod cons. For example, the van control unit, a tablet-like touchscreen mounted on the door frame for easy access, which allows fuss-free control of the heating, lighting, and other essential functions, as well as an instant read-out of your water and battery levels.
Coast and Ocean models also get a roof storage unit, outdoor folding table and gas hob, along with ambient lighting, and electro-hydraulic assistance for the pop-up roof.
Sleep on it
Both of which will come in handy when it comes to that part of the day when it’s time to shut out the outside world and turn the California into a cosy place to bed down.
Fortunately, that’s easy to do, with blackout blinds and/or curtains for every window. Those that go in the rear-most window on the driver’s side even come with handy storage pockets, ideal for stashing your night-time essentials. Midnight snack, anyone?
The folding lower bed measures 1.98 metres, and can sleep two side-by-side; up in the ‘loft’, meanwhile, there’s another two-metre bed that’s suitable for two more. No more not-quite-long-enough camp beds, in other words.
Mesh panels with zip-out covers in the pop-top’s bellows help with ventilation on warm nights, too – or if it's fresh outside, close them up and turn up the heat. You’ve a choice between an electric heater if you’re parked up and plugged in, or an auxiliary fuel heater if you’re out in the sticks.
Whatever the weather, then, you’ll get a good night’s sleep – which is just what you need when you’ve a full day of hiking, mountain biking, windsurfing, or whatever else you’d care to mention ahead of you.
So if you’re tired of tents, or your clunky old camper is feeling a little jaded, what are you waiting for? Pop down to your local dealer and have a poke around a California. You’ll soon see how it can help you make the most of those sunny summer months.
