Like a great many other car types that leading manufacturers have been putting out for a long while, Volkswagen camping vans have a certain culture surrounding them. For many people, they evoke that free-spirited rebelliousness and cultural upheaval that defined the 1960s, bringing to mind the idea of cruising down wide-open highways across shimmering coastlines, free of all worries and concerns and just soaking up the beauty of the open road. As a result, it’s not surprising that Volkswagen chose to name this particular variety of camper after the state of California, a place universally associated with that same sense of youthful freedom and rebellion.
Of course, the name also lends a bit of irony to the fact that this model isn’t available in the US, but that hardly need concern us.
Either way, when you buy a camper, what you’re looking for, first and foremost, is a car you can spend substantially more time in than most other car models. And generally speaking, the 2018 Volkswagen California is what you’re looking for in that regard. Everyone has their own idea of how big a roadtripping party can be before you start to feel starved for space, but by most standards, the California can fit four pretty comfortably – two on the rear seats, which slickly unfold into a bed, and two on the pop-up roof, which, with the tap of a few buttons from the driver’s seat, folds up into an extra sleeping space. The kids should love that one – it’s essentially a top bunk AND a tent, the coolest possible sleeping arrangement by any ten-year-old’s standards.
But it’s not just the sleeping arrangements. The whole vehicle in general is arranged to ensure that even an extensive getaway will never start to feel pokey or claustrophobic. When you open the driver’s seat, you’ll be presented with a fairly comfy-looking driving arrangement with an acceptable amount of leg room; but as you’ll soon learn, you can also turn the front seats all the way around. There’s a comfortably wide space between them and the rear seats, and a discreet table can be easily unfolded between them, making for a comfy spot to sit around and while away an evening chatting, playing board games, or eating dinner. Speaking of which, there’s also a small kitchenette right next to that little seating arrangement, complete with a small sink, freezer, and gas-powered stove. Perhaps there’s something to be desired in terms of hygiene when it comes to doing your cooking right next to the camper’s equivalent of a living room, but some compromises of space had to be made somewhere.
And you won’t just be relegated to sitting inside the vehicle, either (that would rather defeat the purpose of a camping getaway, after all). The California also boasts an awning that can be unfolded from the side of the vehicle to serve as a sunshade. It might take you a little while to get used to setting it up the first time – there’s a lot of cranks and latches involved – but overall, it’s much more convenient than having to lug your own portable sunshade out on the road with you. And you won’t have to give up storage space to bring along camping chairs and tables to put under it, either – Volkswagen’s taken care of that too, with a table tucked neatly into the side panelling of the side door, and a pair of camping chairs hidden in a storage compartment in the back hatch. Really, if there’s one thing that ought to be said about the California, it’s that Volkswagen’s decades of experience creating camper vans has made them absolute geniuses when it comes to full utilisation of space.
On the subject, sizable sleeping arrangements don’t mean much if you have to share them with your luggage, but fortunately, the California has that covered too. That comfy seating arrangement also has some decent storage space worked into it, including cupboard space under the kitchenette and a decently-sized drawer beneath the back seats, plus a small closet space accessible once you’ve unfolded the rear seat bed – more than enough space, most likely, for whatever you’ll need for a weekend of camping.
Sure, some folks love “roughing it” a bit, but for the most part, when you’re taking a trip out on the road, it’s nice to be able to bring a bit of comfort with you. And the remarkable thing about the California is how it fits all that comfort into the slick, neat space of a modestly sized camper that, on top of all of that, handles smoothly on the road. Say what you will about modern conveniences spoiling us a bit, but they’ve also made getting away from it all that much easier, too.
