Volkswagen Grand California 600 2025

Even people with no experience of motorhomes and campervans will most likely think of Volkswagen when listing the best camper vans, and they’re also probably going to recognise the VW California. And as the name suggests, the Grand California – which is available as the bigger 680 and the shorter Volkswagen Grand California 600 – is the supersized version of the California.

Although perhaps I’m underselling the differences – the Grand isn’t just a stretched version of the popular ’van. Firstly, there’s the very different internal layout, with the 680 offering a lengthways double bed to the rear, while the 600 provides a transverse double bed. Then there’s the fact that the Grand California comes on an entirely different base vehicle, although still one that we consider to be in the discussion for the best van for a camper conversion. This sees the Grand uses the Crafter, with a 2.0-litre turbodiesel, while the smaller model is based on the Transporter.

Price start from £82,030 for the 600 and upwards of £84,718 for the 680. Drivers with a C1 licence can order the Grand with a 3.88t gross vehicle weight, although this costs extra.

Otherwise, both the 600 and the 680 come in a standard specification, with an extensive list of optional extras.

The tempting upgrades include a wind-out awning (£972), an overcab bed (600 only, £2628) and a roof-mounted air-conditioning unit (£2244).

The best VW campervans offer an excellent driving experience and a brilliant base for making on tour memories, so I was looking forward to putting the Grand California 600 to the test.

Exterior and cab of the Volkswagen Grand California 600

Two-tone paint is something of a VW Cali signature, and my VW Grand California 600 came in a smart-but-subtle silver and grey combination.

This is a pricey option, at £2994. If you’d prefer a more eye-catching finish, there are also white/blue and white/red combinations.

Compared with the sleek, compact California, the Grand 600 is obviously a much larger and taller vehicle.

I found the height to be especially striking. The tall body is a benefit once you’re on pitch at one of the best campervan sites UK, but it does give the vehicle a slightly awkward look. The bulbous front, hosting the optional overcab bed, places practicality over style.

It sets the tone for a vehicle that’s halfway between a typical camper and a coachbuilt. Unlike a camper with a pop-up roof, it’s less likely that anyone would use the Grand for day-to-day driving – the beanpole height of 2.97m rules out any car park with a standard height restriction.

The experience you get when driving a campervan will be crucial to the buying decision, of course. With the 600, I found you’re aware of the lofty bodywork when driving, too. In gusty weather, the Grand California is pushed around by crosswinds more than the smaller, lower California.

Otherwise, the Grand drives well, which could bode well if you want to try some of the best road trips.

Thanks to the 177hp engine, the Grand keeps up well with traffic, with power in reserve to overtake Sunday dawdlers. I did think the engine could sound a little gruff when it’s being revved hard, but it quietens down at a steady cruise.

The eight-speed automatic shifts gear smoothly, and there’s a manual override for those who prefer it.

When it comes to the motorhome fuel economy, it could be better, though – another disadvantage of that high roof. I saw around 30mpg on a long, steady motorway drive. That’s actually an improvement over the official combined figure of 23.7-26.2mpg.

The Grand rides comfortably enough on all types of road, although you can hear some rattles from the living area when going over rougher surfaces.

You sit high up in the front seats, and the slim front pillars and tall windows give a clear view to the front and the sides. The large mirrors show plenty of what’s behind, with separate sections for a view of the ground while parking.

Fold-down armrests for both of the front seats add to the level of comfort, and during my test, I spent a couple of fairly long days behind the wheel with no aches or pains.

The dashboard is solidly built, but not as plush as those in VW’s latest cars. The infotainment is a couple of generations behind, but that makes it easier to use than more recent versions.

VW has sensibly left an aisle clear for access from the cab to the rest of the camper, rather than adding a third front seat. Immediately behind the passenger seat is a two-person bench. It’s a little narrow for two adults, but does come with ISOFIX mounting points for securely fitting child seats.

Lounging and dining

You step through to the lounge between the front seats, or you can access it via the external sliding door.

Unfortunately, that door is on the offside. It’s not much of an irritation on a campsite pitch, but I think it will be less convenient than a nearside door when you are parking the Volkswagen Grand California 600 in the street.

As with the height of the Grand California, the offside door is also going to be a disadvantage if you are looking for a camper that can double as a family car between camping trips.

Both of the front seats swivel round to make up the lounge at journey’s end. The driver’s seat, in particular, needs to be carefully positioned to miss the door pillar and the steering wheel as it turns.

Once the seats are in place, though, the lounge is cosy and comfortable, so long as those in the front remember the cab is the only part of the camper without lots of headroom.

The table is strapped to the double bed at the back of the ’van. It hooks into a rail in the nearside wall, with a fold-down leg to prop it in position. There’s no way to adjust the height, but it stands well clear of your legs at a comfortable height for eating or putting in a little work on a laptop.

The ends of the table are cutaway rather than square, making it easy to move from the cab into the kitchen.

There’s enough room for four people to dine in comfort at this table, although the person sitting in the driver’s seat will need to edge forward on their seat to be able to reach the table properly.

Except for the pinch point under the cab, headroom in the lounge is excellent. People well over 6ft tall will have space to spare here.

It’s reasonably light and airy, too, especially if the weather is warm enough to leave the side door open.

If you’re worried about insects, there is a two-part mesh screen that should keep midges and mosquitos at bay.

A rooflight sits directly above the lounge, allowing for more light and ventilation and helping you keep cool when you’re on tour. There’s a sliding blind for night-time, and a flyscreen.

The lounge walls are finished in light grey, while the upholstery is mid-grey. This is hardly the most inspiring colour scheme, but it’s unlikely to offend.

A few colourful scatter cushions would be an inexpensive and simple way to brighten up the cabin and make the lounge feel a bit more homely.

At night, there are uplighters, which are controlled by a switch in the kitchen. The same switch controls the lights over the fixed bed, but a separate switch for the two living areas would have been better, in my opinion.

A good campervan heating system will always be important too – after all, even the summer months can get unexpectedly chilly in the evenings sometimes. Beneath the bench seat, there’s the small panel that gives access to the controls for the Truma gas heating system. The floor, roof and walls are fully insulated. Although I spent time with the Grand California in the summer, you’d expect a camper with a solid high-top to be easier to heat on a cold winter night than a camper with a pop-up fabric roof. Should you require a more portable option for your ‘van, our best heater for a campervan guide could be worth a look.

One thoughtful touch is the wireless charging cradle in the lounge. It’s an optional extra, but at just £48, this is a worthwhile addition.

The kitchen in the VW Grand California 600

When it comes to the motorhome kitchen, the Grand California boasts a small space that is sandwiched between the lounge/dinette and the rear bedroom.

The 70-litre fridge (with a freezer compartment) slides out on runners. It’s next to the sliding door, so if you position your outdoor chair in the right place, you can reach straight in to grab your next beer. If that’s not enough space, the best cool box for a campervan could offer some extra versatility.

This is a fairly minimal kitchen, with two gas burners and a sink. There’s no microwave and no oven. Workspace is at a premium, too, so you’ll need to be organised and efficient when you cook. A striplight above the kitchen helps the chef to see what they are doing.

Washroom in the VW Grand California 600

I think the washroom is a big improvement on the portable toilet you’ll find in many campervans. There’s a flushing Thetford toilet and a shower. The height of the vehicle comes into its own, with enough headroom for tall folk to shower without stooping.

Sensibly, there are two drain holes, so even if you are not pitched perfectly level, the water should run away.

The sink folds up to save space when it’s not needed. Above it is a sizeable mirror, which doubles as a door for the cupboard behind it.

Sleeping in the Volkswagen Grand California 600

One of the key reasons for choosing the Grand over the regular California (or the many similar VW conversions, such as Bilbo’s Celex HL) is the fixed double bed. No more folding down seats to make up a bed at night – with the Grand California 600, the bed is all ready for you.

Incidentally, the same is true of the larger Grand California 680 – however, due to its different campervan layout, it has a lengthways double bed.

In the 600, the bed is a transverse double. It sits rather high, so you clamber up to it rather than sit down on it, but that has the advantage of leaving lots of storage space below.

There are two three-pin sockets where the sleeping area meets the kitchen, where you could plug in the best projector for a campervan, a small TV or a tablet computer. There are also two USB ports at the far side of the bed by the back door.

The shape of the mattress is pinched slightly in each corner, but the double bed is wide and long enough for most couples to enjoy a good night’s rest.

At 1.93m across, it should also easily accommodate six-footers, but very tall folk will appreciate the extra room to stretch out in the longer 680.

The standard 600 is a two-berth, but the overcab bed sleeps two more, for £2628. That includes a ladder, extra lighting and a larger skylight.

You press a button to release this bed, which then just pulls out. The headboard folds out to the left. The ladder unhooks from its stored position, then reattaches to provide access to the bed.

Unlike the double in the back of the ’van, this bed is intended for sleeping lengthways. It’s supported by wooden struts, rather than the sprung base of the main double.

The overcab bed is much smaller than the berths in the rear, however, and it has a weight limit of 150kg. Volkswagen suggests that it would be better suited to children, rather than adults. I thought it was a sensible decision from the designers to include netting, to prevent a restless child from rolling out in the night.

With the bed in place, there’s no longer enough headroom for adults to stand up in the lounge. It also puts mischievous fingers within easy reach of the camper’s main control panel. However, the ladder doesn’t obstruct access to the washroom.

Storage in the Volkswagen Grand California 600

The storage will always be an important aspect in your ‘van, so long as you know how to load a motorhome safely. In the Volkswagen Grand California 600, thanks to the fixed bed, there’s a large storage space beneath the mattress, running down the centre line of the camper. It can be accessed from the double doors at the back, or from inside the vehicle if you first remove the two-part partition.

This is a large area, comparable to the garage provided in some motorhomes. There’s certainly enough room to stow some items of sports equipment, such as a couple of paddleboards.

However, it is a bit of a shame that VW advises against travelling with the fixed bed secured in the raised position. This would make it easier to travel with taller items, such as bikes (although a rear-door bike rack is available for £552).

The fresh- and grey-water tanks (110 and 90 litres respectively) are to the offside of this storage. The gas locker is on the offside at the rear, with space for two bottles.

On the nearside, there are lockers for storing levelling ramps, electrical cables, and other odds and ends.

You’ll also find the fusebox here, and a handy showerhead attachment, which can be used to rinse off at the back of the campervan.

Above the double bed, you get aircraft-locker-style storage on three sides. The upper-level lockers open upwards, the lower ones downwards. There’s also a single-level locker located at the rear.

A clothes rail on the nearside takes care of hanging shirts, but it’s directly above the rear bed, so there isn’t enough height to accommodate long coats or dresses.

In the kitchen, there’s a wide cutlery drawer, and two drawers with room for small pans. Storage for food that won’t go in the fridge is in short supply.

Equipment in the Grand California 600

In the Grand California 600’s well-appointed cab, sat nav is fitted as standard and the infotainment is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Air conditioning keeps everyone cool while you’re on the move, and for £2244, you can have a roof-mounted air-con unit for use on site. There are four 230V sockets: one in the lounge, two in the kitchen and one by the rear doors.

The motorised step extends when the sliding door opens and folds back when you’re driving – an indicator lets you know if it needs retracting.

There’s a nice surprise tucked in the rear doors – a couple of camping chairs and a picnic table. To make the most of these, we’d be tempted to pay the extra £972 for a wind-out awning.

Buy a Volkswagen Grand California 600 if…

You’re someone who really appreciates the convenience of a fixed bed, and who views a proper washroom as an essential. It splits the difference between a typical VW-based camper and a larger coachbuilt motorhome.

You can also see what we made of a used Volkswagen Grand California if you’d be interested in buying a pre-owned model instead.

Alternatives to consider

The Malibu Genius 641 LE is an innovative ‘van which makes the most of its extra length by offering plenty of comfort throughout. Alternatively, for a little more than the Volkswagen, the Adria Twin Max 680 SGX offers a larger bed at the rear, which can be raised and lowered electronically.

Specification of the Volkswagen Grand California 600

Technical spec

• Price: From £82,030
• Sleeps: 2 (4 with optional overcab bed)
• Belts: 4
• Base vehicle: Volkswagen Crafter
• Engine: 2.0-litre 177hp turbodiesel
• Length/width/height: 5.98/2.42/2.97m (19’6”/7’9”/9’7”)
• MTPLM: 3500kg
• Payload: 417kg
• Water (fresh/waste): 110/90 litres
• Leisure battery: 92Ah
• Gas: Storage for two bottles
• Website: volkswagen-vans.co.uk

Base vehicle

• Chassis: Volkswagen Crafter
• Engine: 2.0-litre turbodiesel
• Power: 177hp @ 3600rpm
• Torque: 410Nm @ 1400rpm
• Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Features: include Cab air conditioning, adaptive cruise control, eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice control, USB interface, four speakers, antilock brakes (ABS), electronic stability programme (ESP), autonomous emergency braking, halogen main headlights, remote central locking with
two remote keys, front and rear parking sensors

The conversion

Van conversion including double swivelling cab seats; automatic side door step

Lounging and dining

Swivelling cab seats, bench with two belted seats, ISOFIX mounting points for two child seats, wireless charging pad (optional extra), striplights in dinette and kitchen, mains socket under bench seat, removable table (stored on rear double bed), flyscreens and blinds to all windows, detachable cab blinds

The kitchen

Two-burner gas hob, 70-litre drawer fridge and freezer compartment, extendable work surface, two mains sockets, sink with hot and cold water from folding tap, LED striplight

Sleeping set-up

• Rear bed: 1.93 x 1.36m
• Overcab bed (optional): 1.60 x 1.22m (left side) and 1.90 x 1.22m (right side)

Equipment includes

Touchscreen master control panel, Truma blown-air heating, two skylights with blinds, fully insulated floor, roof and walls

One of the joys of touring will be pitching up at various destinations all around the country. However, you’ll want to look out for these 27 mistakes that you will want to avoid next time you’re on-site in your ‘van.

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