Were the Nugget much cheaper than the California, wed be more tempted to forgive its foibles. These features are all missing on the Ford. At the same time, it fidgets over smaller surface imperfections, while pothole impactsreverberate through the structure. Theres plenty of room for cutlery, crockery and foodstuffs, and its all superbly easily accessible. The California is based on the latest Volkswagen T6 Transporter van, a robust choice with its car-like cabin. Theres also a longer Nugget, which is based on the long-wheelbase Transit Custom and includes a washroom at the rear with bench-style cassette toilet. Its available in three distinct flavours. The Ford Transit Custom is ubiquitous across the country. Nowadays, its based on the very latest T6 Transporter. These features are all missing on the Ford. A notable omission is storage for a Porta Potti Volkswagen expects you to splash out on the larger Grand California if you want any sort of toilet facility, though it would have been nice to have the option especially for families with young children. Its kitchen storage that makes the most sense, as you get two wide, shelved cabinets and a capacious cutlery drawer. A claimed fuel economy figure of up to 36.2mpg wasnt achieved this during our time with the van. Similarly, its gearbox is less hesitant than the sometimes slow-witted Californias and feels less old-school than the slurring Nuggets. Its where Ford expects you to store many of the Nuggets little necessities, such as the front window blinds, the awning handle and the interior table. But how do they behave if youre running really late for your ferry? Theres no boot area either, so its more difficult to use the Nugget as a second car for larger loads. We like its feeling of solidity and its car-like cabin, though next to the Nugget based on the Parkers award-winning Ford Transit Custom it does feel rather heavy and staid to drive. Once youre up in the roof bed, theres no shutter to pull across beneath you. In 2003, Volkswagen decided to revive the name on its T5 Transporter, but instead of handing off camping duties to Westfalia it took them on itself, building a specific factory just for campervans. The California is based on the latest Volkswagen T6 Transporter van. This is a tricky manoeuvre thatll take several attempts to get into your muscle memory. With the lid of the fridge lowered, it does provide a decent slab of workspace but unfortunately its located in an awkward spot its much easier to simply use the dining table as a temporary food preparation zone instead. Conversions have become more fashionable, better-equipped and less dowdy, and the vans themselves have come to be pretty cool items in their own rights. You can expect it to be a little less efficient than the California overall, even though its less powerful. Another annoyance is privacy. Despite the cost, the build quality and the strength of the VW reputation results in staggeringly good residual values, which is ultimately better value. On one hand, youve got a great white fibreglass whale dawdling down to Devon at 3mph, loaded to the gunnels with sandwich spread and questionable velour upholstery. During our testing, we easily matched that fuel economy figure, and on lightly loaded longer runs it crept over 40mpg with little effort. Its square and useful but awkward to access. Next to the Nugget, which is based on Parkers award-winning Ford Transit Custom, the California does feel rather heavy and staid to drive. Its much less forgiving for the larger frame than the Californias kitchen, however. Deploying the table isnt as easy as it is in the California you have to lift up the seat base to access a separate screw-in leg and table top. Because its more settled than the others, passengers who get carsick easily are likely to prefer the California. Though you feel the Californias weight when cornering or braking, the powerful engines make short work of moving it along. The five-seater interior is an undeniable plus point. Yet, due to the swivel mechanism theyre set rather high and cant be lowered. The rear bench is narrow and hard, though, so better suited to kids who wont complain too much. Though our test van was in a very subtle dark grey, its also available in a rather more eye-catching bright orange which were big fans of. Beach models are more basic and utilitarian, doing without a full kitchen and thus barely qualifying for campervan status. It provides seating for four in total, while the Ford Nugget is a full five-seater. The most useful by far is the large boot area at the rear. There are sliding doors on both sides, so accessing the rear seat is as simple as can be, while the kitchen can be accessed by a narrow walkway to the side of the rear seat or through the lift-up tailgate., Also like the California its up top where youll find a more comfortable nights sleep, with a thick mattress topper and plastic springs. Its a heavy camper, so Volkswagen offers only its two higher-powered engine choices. Because everything on the California is done in-house, Volkswagen has a greater degree of control, and is able to sell the campervans in its regular Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealerships alongside panel vans and working vehicles. Whats more, their warranties and maintenance will be guaranteed by the car brands themselves. The Nugget is softer still, but that doesnt translate into a plusher ride. Theres plenty of room underneath to store bulky items, and if youre not using the downstairs bed then the top becomes available too. Its an effortless cruiser, soaking up bumps well. Like the California, the Nugget is a four-berth. For a start, the roof is manually-operated, and has a tendency to billow out when youre lowering it, potentially leaving you with canvas flapping about in the breeze while you drive. Underneath this theres a large cupboard suitable for a Porta Potti. Youve likely noticed a California or two out on the road. Some have pointed out that its highly useful for families with small children one parent can cook at the rear of the van while another entertains the younguns at the front, away from hot pots and pans. Well, with relatively stiff springs andprecise steering, the California feels happiest in corners, not leaning over too much and having confidence-inspiring manners. Once thats done, thin mattress panels pull out from the rear portion to cover up the seat contours. For the Nugget, you can select from two; a 130hp or 185hp 2.0-litre diesel. By some margin, the Marco Polo generates the least wind noise at speed, while the level of road noise is perfectly tolerable. It too has a pop-top roof. Then, using a second lever, tilt the base upwards and engage the mechanism that helps this portion to lie flat. As mentioned earlier, the interior table requires a bit more faff than the Californias, but once its in place its easily reachable from all seats. The Californias also suffers from plenty of whooshing from the turbocharger. Its also a very firm mattress, so if you prefer a softer bed youll have to provide your own topper. This is where wed struggle to recommend the Nugget. 845898)
Thats fine in practice, but this same area is used to store the Nuggets two folding chairs while on the move so youll have to find somewhere to stow them if you want to use the lower bed. The Nuggets available as seen here, with a manually-operated pop-top (as opposed to the California Oceans electric version). The five-seater interior is an undeniable plus point you can specify a third rear seat for the California, but its an awkward and expensive addition. This is where it becomes totally obvious that the Volkswagen was built from the ground up to be a campervan while the Nugget was converted by a third party. With a family tree that stretches back to the 1950s, the California Ocean certainly has experience on its side. Access isnt the most elegant, though. As mentioned earlier, the interior table requires a bit more faff than the Californias, but once its in place its easily reachable from all seats. Registered Office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA H Bauer Publishing,
Whether you're looking for a part-time seven-seater or a car to carry that many people on a regular basis, check out which ones to go for and which to avoid. So, what if you could just load all of your holiday clobber straight into nice, clean accommodation and drive it and your family anywhere you like? It makes the Nugget more satisfying to drive than the California, though both are impressively stable on long motorway runs. The canvas is also very thick and dark, letting in very little unwanted sunshine so you wont immediately wake up at first light. These include 2,880 for the gorgeous two-tone paint, along with several other options such as high beam assist or an electric sliding door. Once this section lies flat, you need to deploy an infill that folds up from beneath, before finally sliding the whole assembly back once more. The devils really in the detail, though, especially when it comes to the conversion. All you have to do is lower the rear headrests at the touch of a button, slide the seat forward slightly and lay the backrest flat. >> The 70 year history of the Volkswagen Transporter. Motor manufacturers unsurprisingly want a bit of the action too. The Ford Nuggets layout is startlingly different to the Californias, and not at all traditional. However, it feels more cramped and less flexible than the Californias single space. With a more sophisticated rear suspension layout than its rivals and relatively soft springs, it has the most cosseting ride. The Californias fresh and waste water tanks are 30 litres each, and it can accommodate a 2.8kg gas cylinder. Though our test van was in a very subtle dark grey, its also available in a rather more eye-catching bright orange which were big fans of. The front seats are comfortable and supportive and have twin armrests, but due to the swivel mechanism theyre set rather high and cant be lowered. The rising roof is rear-hinged, while behind the rear seat theres a good amount of boot storage. Separating the kitchen and lounge areas may also appeal to some, especially those who really like to cook in their vans but to us, the Californias monospace interior makes more sense. With the best-laid plans for international adventures mainly cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic, so-called staycations have come back into fashion, and interest in campervans has increased dramatically. Were testing two such vans today the iconic Volkswagen California, and a relative newbie, the Ford Transit Custom Nugget. And this is where wed struggle to recommend the Nugget. Theyre putting campervans on sale right alongside their standard model line-ups of cars and vans.
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