Complete Newbie !

[ArthurMackie]

Hi All,

It says at the top of the welcome page to introduce ourselves so here goes. Like many of you, no doubt, we have been walkiing the lakes, wales etc for a good few years now. Early starts from home, late drives back, after a long day on the fells getting home absolutely knackered. Friends of our bought a camper and we thought , why dont we don it. Just test drove a new T7 Ocean today, and i was really impressed with it, never drove a T6 mind. I have a Renaut Master van for work and thought the T7 would be a similar drive. Not at all. Very car like and even though only 150 bhp it was still adequate as it had plenty of torque as it was diesel.

When the sales man done the figures, PCP,i couldn't believe how the camper held its value.

After talking to the wife it looks like we are going to take the plunge and get it. Cant wait, instead of driving home late can have a decent sleep and then come home in morning, Exellent

Would any of you guys have any thoughts or advice to us starting off ?

Thanks Arthur & Cath

 

[sidepod]

Hire a 6 before you go 7. Two completely different beasts. Forget the driving bit that’s only a small part of it. They both drive perfectly fine.

With regards to camping comfort the 7 is a disaster compared to the 6.

Research is king.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi All,

It says at the top of the welcome page to introduce ourselves so here goes. Like many of you, no doubt, we have been walkiing the lakes, wales etc for a good few years now. Early starts from home, late drives back, after a long day on the fells getting home absolutely knackered. Friends of our bought a camper and we thought , why dont we don it. Just test drove a new T7 Ocean today, and i was really impressed with it, never drove a T6 mind. I have a Renaut Master van for work and thought the T7 would be a similar drive. Not at all. Very car like and even though only 150 bhp it was still adequate as it had plenty of torque as it was diesel.

When the sales man done the figures, PCP,i couldn't believe how the camper held its value.

After talking to the wife it looks like we are going to take the plunge and get it. Cant wait, instead of driving home late can have a decent sleep and then come home in morning, Exellent

Would any of you guys have any thoughts or advice to us starting off ?

Thanks Arthur & Cath

Coming new to Campervans then the New California has all that you need , and more.
New T7 California Owners are very happy with their new acquisitions but as with any new vehicle many previous owners of T6/6.1 downplay it but if you don't intend to treat it as mini motorhome and don't intend to pack it with the kitchen sink and use it as VW intended - a camperVan - then it will serve you well for many years.

 

[GJPenman]

Hi All,

It says at the top of the welcome page to introduce ourselves so here goes. Like many of you, no doubt, we have been walkiing the lakes, wales etc for a good few years now. Early starts from home, late drives back, after a long day on the fells getting home absolutely knackered. Friends of our bought a camper and we thought , why dont we don it. Just test drove a new T7 Ocean today, and i was really impressed with it, never drove a T6 mind. I have a Renaut Master van for work and thought the T7 would be a similar drive. Not at all. Very car like and even though only 150 bhp it was still adequate as it had plenty of torque as it was diesel.

When the sales man done the figures, PCP,i couldn't believe how the camper held its value.

After talking to the wife it looks like we are going to take the plunge and get it. Cant wait, instead of driving home late can have a decent sleep and then come home in morning, Exellent

Would any of you guys have any thoughts or advice to us starting off ?

Thanks Arthur & Cath

My preference is the T6.1 (we have a 24 Cali Ocean) after years of caravans and absolutely love it. However have no ideas on the 7 as yet. If there’s a place to hire near you I would look to maybe hire a T6 for a weekend and see what you think before taking the plunge mate. Whatever you decide to do - enjoy it ‘one life - live it’

 

[Sad]

The multivan california will not drive like a van as it's not based on the commercial vehicle T7 transporter. As WelshGas says, if you're not coming from an older California, you'll probably be very happy with the multivan california. For me, I love driving our T6.1, I love that it feels like (a very comfortable) van, for me that feels like part of the journey and part of the experience. We also prefer the layout and setup of the older set-up. But these are my opinion/s, and you'll find plenty of others on the forum. You can only make the decision that is right for you (but the older vans are better )

 

[ArthurMackie]

Coming new to Campervans then the New California has all that you need , and more.
New T7 California Owners are very happy with their new acquisitions but as with any new vehicle many previous owners of T6/6.1 downplay it but if you don't intend to treat it as mini motorhome and don't intend to pack it with the kitchen sink and use it as VW intended - a camperVan - then it will serve you well for many years.

Thanks for the advice. Exactly what i thought. We only need it for 1/2 nights tops and for one day trips, getting kit on in morning having a cuppa in peace etc. The 5 year deal VW is very attractive. I know the serious campers are looking for a different setup than us, horses for course i suppose. I must say though, after looking at a few of the new T7s, they looked really well built and hopefully last the course, certainly with the tame use from us, couple, no kids and no dog

 

[ArthurMackie]

My preference is the T6.1 (we have a 24 Cali Ocean) after years of caravans and absolutely love it. However have no ideas on the 7 as yet. If there’s a place to hire near you I would look to maybe hire a T6 for a weekend and see what you think before taking the plunge mate. Whatever you decide to do - enjoy it ‘one life - live it’

Thanks mate. 61 now better now than never )

 

[DevonGuy]

I love our T7. I’ve driven Transporter Kombis for years but this is our first camper so can’t compare to previous californias. I can compare the drive though and as our Cali is also used for regular driving duties it’s a big part of the ownership experience and drives soooo much better. It’s a joy.
The finance package and 5 year deal was what sealed it for us too, something you can’t get on a used vehicle and it made the whole thing affordable for us.
There’s an awful lot of negativity around T7 on this forum which probably reflects the affection for previous California models but shouldn’t put anyone off the T7, if you haven’t had an older model there’s no issue with comparison, it’s all new and very exciting. It’s a thoroughly more modern vehicle though, yes there’s been teething troubles around electrics but they appear to have been sorted on new vans now. It’s a great camper.
Enjoy!!

 

[ArthurMackie]

Exactly our thoughts. It's hard to justify paying a fortune for a camper that's 5 or so years old,at least for us.