Volkswagen Grand California 2023 review

“It’s a sense of freedom you don’t get with other holidays.” Jay from The Inbetweeners might have been prone to wishful thinking (“the first rule of Caravan Club is that everyone gets some”) or even outright lies (“the Camber Sands meeting is always like a massive o*gy”), but he clearly enjoyed a traditional British getaway. 

Me? I still felt scarred by memories of a week in Wales, huddled with my parents in a cold caravan while the rain drummed endlessly on the roof. It was, well, a sense of freezing you don’t get with other holidays.

Thankfully, this time would be different.

99 with a flake?

This time, we were headed to New Forest and the forecast was wall-to-wall sunshine. And this time, instead of a Renault towing a flimsy fibreglass box, we had a Volkswagen Grand California.

With central heating, a bathroom, kitchen facilities and dimmable ambient lighting, this fully-kitted camper is like a hip studio apartment on wheels. “You kids don’t know you’re born,” I may have muttered, as the Pitts piled aboard.

In two-tone red and white, the Grand California 600 (there’s also a long-wheelbase 680 version) channels the spirit of the classic VW Microbus. Or maybe it just looks like an ice cream van, I can’t decide.

The cabin sleeps four, with one double bed at the back and another in the high-top roof above the driver and front passenger. It’s beautifully built, with loads of clever storage and a huge 800-litre ‘garage’ for your luggage. You could pack the kitchen sink, if it didn’t already have one.

Making a van friend

Volkswagen doesn’t quote a 0-62mph time for the Grand California, but be assured that nothing happens in a hurry. Its gruff 177hp 2.0-litre diesel engine sounds pretty ‘light commercial’, too.

Nonetheless, a high driving position, tight turning circle and big mirrors, plus an array of sensors and cameras, all make for comfortable, stress-free progress. You can’t say that about a Ryanair flight to the Med.

Like any UK holiday hotspot, the New Forest is teeming with Volkswagen campers: mostly recent T4 and T5 models, many of them customised with airbrushed paint and alloy wheels. Our flagship T6 Grand California turns plenty of heads and, sure enough, after checking in at the campsite, I’m swiftly approached by a fellow dad (“Oooh, van friend!”) who asks for a guided tour. 

Nosey neighbours aside, getting settled in the Grand California couldn’t be easier. You simply park up, plug in and unpack the custom-fit table and chairs. Oh, and light the barbecue. On a balmy summer evening, it really does feel idyllic.

Waste not, want not

Everyone gets a solid night’s sleep, too. The mattresses are only 80mm thick, but the springs underneath add some pleasing extra squidge. Like the back seats in a coupe, the upper bed is really for children only, but our two (aged nine and 12) had no complaints. And while tent-dwellers were roused at dawn by bright sunshine and stifling humidity, we managed a quiet, climate-controlled lie-in. 

Some downsides of being a “bus w**ker” become apparent the next day, starting with a cramped shower, then emptying the toilet waste: not a task I’d recommend after breakfast.

We then realise that driving anywhere means clearing the kitchen, folding away the top bunk and stashing everything securely in the cupboards again. It’s certainly not as spontaneous as simply unhitching a caravan and jumping in your car.  

Life’s a beach

At nearly three metres, the Grand California also proves too tall for many beachside car parks along this stretch of the south coast. However, once I do find a spot, it quickly redeems itself with a fridge/freezer full of cold beers for the grown-ups and rocket lollies for the kids. By the time we return to the campsite, sunburned and full of sand, I’m being nagged to buy one.

Even at £80,666, the big VW is still probably cheaper than a beach hut near Bournemouth. Nonetheless, there’s no denying it’s a major investment, particularly when the regular California camper costs from £20,000 less. Many purpose-built motorhomes also look better value, but none offer the same quality or campsite kudos.

Maybe Jay got it right this time. Camber Sands next summer, anyone?  

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