Volkswagen Grand California Review & Prices

Most large campervans involve two separate businesses. There’s the vehicle manufacturer, which builds the van, while a second company fits out the interior with the required furniture, appliances and decoration - and then sells it. But like with the smaller California, Volkswagen’s Grand California takes all this in-house - and in doing so builds one of the most premium large panel van campers around.

Based on the Crafter van, the Grand California is a size class up from the likes of the California, the Mercedes Marco Polo or the Ford Transit Custom Nugget. Built in a dedicated facility in Hannover, Germany, the Grand California is the most cohesive experience you can have in a large van - though some third-party converters are getting cleverer and starting to catch up.

However, it’s not without alternatives - even if you’ll have to go to companies such as Burstner, Hymer and Swift rather than Ford, Mercedes or Renault to buy them. Think of the Grand California like getting your new kitchen from the same folks that built your house in the first place.

Use of the Crafter as a base vehicle is actually unusual - more than three-quarters of motorhomes of this size in Europe use the Fiat Ducato as a base. However, there’s a lot to like about the Crafter, from its efficient and smooth diesel engines to its fantastic automatic gearbox.

The Crafter’s cab also feels quite solid, with a more car-like driving position and more familiar controls than a Ducato. With that being said, the latest Crafter eschews the easy-to-use physical switchgear of its predecessor with a fully touchscreen-led experience, which is just less easy to use than it should be.

Further back, the Grand California has a classic camper layout with a side kitchen stretching across the sliding door. Even here there are some nice touches, though - the slide-out fridge is much easier to use than a hinged door would be, and the cupboards all feel pleasingly solid. That’s more than you can say for the upper lockers, which feel a bit flimsier.

There are two layouts available for the Grand California. All share the same front lounge and travel seats, but the 600 features a higher roof with an additional bed. The 680 is longer and lower and has just the two sleeping berths, but they’re lengthwise at the back allowing taller campers a bit more room to stretch out.

Both are excellent to drive, though. They use the 163hp version of Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre diesel engine, which is enough for steady if pretty modest progress. It’s a shame you can only get four-wheel drive on the 680, though - it’s a useful touch in a vehicle this heavy, especially if you like staying on more rural campsites.

Keep reading for our full Volkswagen Grand California review covering all the facilities in detail. You can buy a new or a used Volkswagen Grand California here on Carwow, and you can also sell your old car or van if the time’s right for car-changing.

Prices for the Grand California kick off at just below £86,000, rising to more than £88,000 if you want the longer, heavier 680 model. You’ll almost certainly want at least a few optional extras, though, and it’s possible to go fairly crazy on this front.

The optional loft bed in the 600 will cost you nearly £2,800, while a mixed-fuel heater and hot water system runs you another £720. Some extras - like the air-conditioning system in the roof - aren’t particularly necessary for the UK, but others - such as LED headlights, the Thule side awning or the rear view camera - feel as though they should be standard on something this expensive.

For such a huge, heavy vehicle, the Grand California drives well, but you’ll want the 4x4 model if you regularly stay rurally or wild camp

All versions of the Grand California come with the same engine - it’s Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre TDI diesel with 163hp, paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The only option is whether you’d like four-wheel drive, available only on the longer 680 model. This 680 is, unfortunately, too heavy to drive unless you have the B1 category on your licence, though.

Generally, this is a good setup. The engine - while more agricultural-sounding than the diesel in a Mercedes Sprinter - is nonetheless smooth and plenty powerful enough. The automatic gearbox is also fantastic. It’s the best automatic you can get in a large van, as it shifts quickly and unobtrusively and never seems to be caught out by being in the wrong gear. Compared with the manual gearboxes and gutless entry-level engines typical of most panel van camper conversions, this is a premium-feeling powertrain.

As you might expect from a vehicle that’s over six metres long (and nearly three metres tall in the high-roof 600 variant), not to mention over three tonnes in weight, the Grand California isn’t particularly agile. The steering is light enough to make town driving a doddle, and visibility from the two-part rear view mirrors and out of the front is good, but you’re always aware of the vehicle’s sheer bulk when it comes to cornering or going over bumps.

A Fiat Ducato, on its stiffer suspension, feels a bit more planted in the corners - though this is paid for with a harsher ride over lumps and bumps. Generally the Grand California strikes an excellent balance.

It’s also very comfortable on the motorway, with surprisingly little wind noise considering the size of it. And compared with other camper conversions, the build quality can be heard - most alternatives will rattle like a creaking sailing ship while you’re making progress, but all of the Grand California’s furniture is solid and silent. The only rattles you’ll hear will be self-inflicted from the contents of the drawers and cupboards.

When it comes to setting up, though, just be careful. The vehicle’s weight means that the front-wheel drive models can quite easily become stuck on a wet or muddy camping field. Four-wheel drive is only available on the 680 model, but if you regularly go rallying or stay on more rural campsites without hard standing pitches, it may well be worth it.

A sensible layout but with minimal flexibility - if you don’t like it, tough

The Volkswagen Grand California comes in two distinct variants, named 600 and 680 for their body lengths (6.0m and 6.8m respectively). Curiously, it’s the 600 which sleeps more people courtesy of its high roof extension which hides a second (optional) double bed.

The 680’s layout is identical to the 600 forward of the washroom, but aft of this, the beds are set up to run longitudinally, and there’s an extra slab of kitchen worktop.

Both feature a half-dinette lounge arrangement, with two belted travel seats facing forward. The cab seats swivel to face a wall-mounted table. The side-mounted kitchen unit covers about half of the sliding door’s opening, and the washroom is immediately opposite behind the travel seats. The main bed sits at the back, above a useful storage area accessible via the rear doors - the bed itself can fold away to transport larger items if needed.

The sliding door is on the UK nearside - that’s a product of this being a European van initially. You won’t find it to be an issue at most campsites, but you may disgorge passengers into traffic if your Grand Cali is occasionally pressed into service on the school run.

Storage is pretty good. There are big drawers in the kitchen and around the bed area at the back you’ll find eight lockers. These are a decent size, though their stiff plastic clasps are one area where the Grand California really doesn’t feel its price tag. There’s a short hanging rail above one corner of the bed in the 600, or a proper wardrobe cupboard in the 680.

Underneath the bed you’ll find the gas locker and some bigger cupboards ideal for outdoor gear. The rear doors contain storage for two sturdy folding chairs and a folding table, while the awning winding handle clips in at the top - extremely high up, though, so short people may need a boost.

All of the windows feature pleated blinds and flyscreens, and there are flyscreens that cover the sliding door, too. The exception is the cab, which has neat magnetic blinds for the side windows and a fiddlier cover for the windscreen. These let in rather a lot of light, unfortunately.

One of the key benefits of this being a fully integrated motorhome is that Volkswagen’s been able to integrate all of the controls for heating, cooling, lighting, and water systems into a single touchscreen just by the washroom door. You can also operate these through a dedicated California app. Compared with alternatives that have separate, different controllers for everything, this is fantastic.

Cooking

The Grand California’s kitchen is a compact affair, but it has most of what you need. Working from left to right - you’ll find a large pull-out fridge on the very end of the unit. This is just as accessible from outside as it is inside, so it’s great for entertaining. You can fill the bottom with large items, smaller items on a sliding rack and there’s even a small freezer compartment capable of taking a couple of ice trays.

Up top there’s a small bit of worktop - with a pull-out leaf - and then the combined twin-burner gas hob and sink, which sit under glass lids. There’s another worktop flap, which extends over the rear bed. You also get two three-pin plug sockets.

Storage consists of a wide cutlery drawer and two deep drawers under the sink - but your food storage will inevitably spill over into the cupboards over the bedroom area, too.

So, not one for serious campervan cooks - many British-build vehicles of this size also contain an oven or a grille for extra versatility - but the Grand California’s facilities are sensibly sited and at a comfortable height for cooking.

When it comes to dining, you can use the internal table - which straps to the rear bed for storage in transit - or eat outside with the standalone table that stores in the back doors. On the back side of the kitchen unit, there’s even a drop-down shelf, accessible with the door open, containing USB ports and a further three-pin socket. It’s ideal for holding drinks or perhaps a Bluetooth speaker while you’re outside.

The compressor fridge runs solely off electricity, and the onboard leisure battery can easily keep it chugging away for a couple of days. There’s space inside for two 11kg gas bottles, which is very generous.

Sleeping

The rear bed is the master suite in the Grand California. In the 600 model, you sleep abreast of the van - thanks to bulges in the sides, this bed measures 193cm by 136cm. In the 680, you sleek lengthwise, and there’s a small cutout at the foot to make getting into bed a bit easier. This bed is 167cm wide, 200cm long on one side and 190cm on the other.

Both beds fold away to leave the rear of the van free for bikes or larger items. Comfort in these is outstanding - although the mattresses look thin, they sit on plastic Froli springs which provide excellent softness and enough depth even for side-sleepers. It’s a shame that the lockers mean you can’t easily sit up in bed to read, though.

On 600 models there’s an optional upper berth. It pulls out from over the cab, and access is via a folding ladder. This doesn’t block the gangway, so both sets of occupants can use the toilet at night if needed - but it will need to be folded away before you can get past to sit in the lounge or indeed leave the van. It measures 190cm by 122cm, but there’s precious little headroom so it’s one for children.

Bathroom

The Grand California features a wetroom cubicle just behind the travel seats. Though it’s small, we can confirm that there is room for a large adult to both sit and shower inside.

The toilet is a swivel-bowl affair with an electric flush, which is easy to use and smell-free, though it’s set rather high so shorter adults may find their legs dangle. Next to it sits a tip-up washbasin, suitable for handwashing or teeth-cleaning - but it won’t hold water so you might prefer to wash your face in the kitchen sink opposite.

The sink tap pulls out to become the shower head. There’s enough floor space to move about, and everything’s waterproofed that needs to be - even the loo roll sits in the undersink cabinet. Dual drain holes mean you shouldn’t be left with a big puddle afterwards, too. It does, however, get very warm inside, as ventilation is limited to a single roof vent. If you’d rather get out into nature, there is an external shower point at the rear of the van.

Tank capacities are 100l of fresh water and up to 80l of grey/waste water, plenty for a good few days of cooking and washing for a couple.

The loo cassette sits on the offside of the vehicle, so you don’t have to empty it through an attached awning, and the drain for the grey water is just ahead of the nearside rear wheel.

Comfortable seats and well-built, but the pre-facelift Crafter cab was easier to use

The Grand California’s cab is definitely from a commercial vehicle - it’s not as plush as the Multivan-based California, for example - but it’s quite well-built. It doesn’t come with carpets, which would help with sound deadening, so a set of floor mats could well be a desirable addition.

One major change from the pre-facelift Crafter is that nearly all of the physical switchgear has been condensed into a single 12.9-inch touchscreen display. This is the same one as you get in VW’s passenger cars and though it works okay, it’s still vastly more fiddly than just twiddling a dial. That’s especially true of the climate controls, which are really annoying to operate.

At least wireless smartphone connectivity comes as standard, as does a wireless charging pad - in the somewhat gaping cubbyhold next to the screen. Otherwise, storage spaces are mixed - the multi-level door bins are great but the cupholders are all a bit small and there’s not much in the way of covered storage.

For such a big vehicle, the Grand California is pretty efficient. On a long motorway run at 70mph, you should be able to crest 30mpg with ease - though winding roads, town traffic or hill-climbing will see that figure decrease sharply. That’s still good for a large motorhome, though.

Otherwise, the main expense of the VW Grand California is buying it in the first place. Unlike vans, campers are required to pay VAT, which is one reason it’s so expensive. Curiously, due to the oddity of camper taxation, the smaller, lighter, cheaper 600 is more expensive in yearly road tax than the 680 - though neither pay a hefty first-year fee nor are they subject to the expensive car supplement.

The Grand California would be impossible to crash test, as one stray kettle could be the difference between life or death - there are too many variables. As is common sense, make sure to tidy away all loose items, secure the dinette table, and disconnect the gas before driving for the best safety.

The Crafter on which it’s based has a glut of safety systems - autonomous emergency braking, crosswind assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and cornering foglights are all standard. All-round parking sensors are also included as are driver and passenger airbags, though side and curtain airbags and a reversing camera are on the options list.

Volkswagen’s warranty for the Grand California is three years or 100,000 miles for both the base vehicle and the conversion. Most motorhomes have separate warranties for both. As a further benefit, you can take the Grand California back to any suitable Volkswagen van service centre for a full workup, rather than having the base vehicle serviced separately from the gas system, for example.

The Crafter itself is an impressively reliable van, and its variable service intervals are as far apart as 30,000 miles. We recommend getting motorhomes serviced based on time rather than distance, though, as they often sit stationary for months out of the year.