A California for real Men...

chriscroft

15 years of VW T 'ing
VIP Member
T6 Legend
VW-California-XXL-Concept-2-1280x720.jpg
Not sure if the Crafter California XXL is just a concept at this moment, and the styling maybe a bit of an acquired taste; But it looks like VW do have plans for the new Crafter
 
Seen a few new Crafters; they do look like a great base vehicle for "hybrid" motorhomes especially if they do a 4x4 one.
However real men don't need a bog, a poncy bathroom or a Trump style hairdo on the top of their vans. :D
There is defiantly a bit of a "Donald" on top
 
Looks like it may be confirmed as a "go-er" in the next couple of weeks or so.
We will have to see, but the VW badge will go down well in a predominately Fiat Ducato market place.:)
 
Looks like it may be confirmed as a "go-er" in the next couple of weeks or so.
We will have to see, but the VW badge will go down well in a predominately Fiat Ducato market place.:)
I've been observing motorhomes here; they are much more popular than they are in the U.K; as you say most are Fiat Ducato based, 130bhp and FWD with 15" wheels; while I'm no fan of silly sized wheels, you need a certain size to have proper brakes; these vast motorhomes are wheezing up and down hills with no power or brakes; frightening. Even posh Hymers are often Fiat based.
I'm no brand slave but if my £80k++ motorhome was based on a low rent Italian van, I'd be cross.

My favourite "next size up" vans are the proper 4x4 Sprinter conversions; but they are at least £70k and 2 berth. Also bigger vans have naff all natural light; tiny windows and just a little access door; so you pay a LOT more for a lot of sacrifices and they'd be a PITA on little rural roads.

Space is definitely tight in a T6 Cali but it whizzes around like a car, can be parked like a big car, gives okay mpg and you can access spots a motorhome would never be able to go.
 
Traditionally Mainland Europe has always been bigger into motorhomes/campers than the UK which has mostly favoured caravans; but it seems times are a changing and the UK is starting to buy more motorhomes. £80k for a hymer motorhome but it can be £40k+ for a single axel hymer caravan. I guess a medium wheel base Crafter AWD would offer good flexibility v's manoeuvrability; a bit tight in those medival Spanish/Italian towns; but nothing stops the white van delivery man in his Merc Sprinter LWB.
 
There's a make of motor home that fits roof like that already, Autoline or something like that. This doesn't appeal to me, if it doesn't fit the 5m x 2m footprint of the transporter then it's a motor home and I don't think the Crafter/Sprinter would be for me (yes I know they're not the same van anymore but the VW just looks like a facelift) they're just too narrow and tall. Sad to say, but the Ducato might be a pig to drive but its proportions are right for a motorhome
 
It's a strange thing to look at. Not sure I fully understand it. Most Crafters/Sprinters have plenty of head room to stand up in. But motorhomes have raised floors so that the insulation/secondly floor/services can all be rooted. Having said that, I've never seen a Fiat Ducato based Camper looking quite as strange.
9710_16_sven_hedin-used-750.jpg
WestFalia seem to have a better looking solution to a Crafter Camper
 
Is it to do with keeping the cab floor level with the habitation area floor?, as well as insulation/service routing/ level showers; level toilets etc etc
 
Think the issue is that the Sprafter isn't wide enough for a transverse bed so they've raised the roof to put one up top
 
Think the issue is that the Sprafter isn't wide enough for a transverse bed so they've raised the roof to put one up top
Well Spotted, that makes sence; and a new word for the oxford english dictionary "SPrafter": a unholy alliance from a collaboration forged in hell (or Wolfsburg/Stuttgart), and where proper rust proofing was completely dispensed with, ;)
 
Back
Top