• Beautifully built conversion
• Cab feels solid if not exactly luxurious
• Some flimsier catches

Quality and cab layout

The VW Crafter cab is a model of common sense, and it all translates to the Grand California. Materials are hardwearing rather than luxurious, but that’s par for the course with a large van – and everything feels beautifully screwed-together. One criticism is that the whole van – living area included – feels rather sterile, with whites and greys the order of the day. If you’ve been brought up on a diet of wood veneer and velour, it might feel rather clinical on board the Grand California.

The infotainment screen sits within easy reach above easy-to-digest climate control dials, and the gauge cluster has excellent clarity. The cab seats are set far enough apart that you can walk between them – this doubles as a useful place to keep bags while on the move.

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Most of the camping functions are controlled with a dedicated touchscreen panel next to the wetroom door. It’s here you can control the lights, water heating, and check your water levels. Heating, meanwhile, is set with a separate panel below the rear travel seats.

Cooking and eating

The Grand California offers only two gas hobs for cooking – there’s no grill or oven like you’d find in a lot of UK vans, nor is there an external gas BBQ point.

It’s fair to say VW expects you to do most of your cooking outside on your own BBQ, or to eat out most of the time. Otherwise, work on your best one-pot recipes…

The hobs won’t fit a 30cm frying pan but anything smaller than that should fit fine. The sink is small but functional, though we wish the tap swivelled.

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Prep space is at a premium in the 600, with the worktop extensions useful but not lifechanging. Most meal prep will likely happen on the dining table. The 680 has a useful slab of extra worktop to the right of the sink.

The 70-litre drawer-style fridge is excellent, though. It’s a compressor unit, running only on electricity, and the onboard leisure battery will keep it chugging away for a couple of days with no issue. There’s plenty of space for tall bottles at one end, a useful drawer for smaller items and even a freezer compartment ideal for sticking some ice packs in for day trips.

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For dining, the large table clips in easily and provides plenty of space for four. An extendable leaf would mean the driver’s seat could reach more easily, though. You can, of course, eat outside. The Grand California’s extendable awning is easy to put out (though the pole is mounted very high up in the back door) and tucked away neatly in the rear barn doors you’ll find two sturdy folding chairs and a folding table.

Wetroom

The Grand California’s toilet and shower cubicle sets it apart from the other models in the California range. Though it’s small, there is space for an adult to shower inside – with the sink tap pulling out to become the shower head.

The electric-flush toilet is set rather high, so shorter adults may find their legs dangling. The flip-up sink, meanwhile, won’t hold any water, so you may prefer to wash your face in the kitchen opposite.

There’s open shelving above the toilet and a medicine cabinet above the sink, with a cupboard below it to hold toilet paper. Everything is waterproof, which means you don’t need any nasty shower curtain to keep things dry – and dual drain holes mean the water should drain away even if you’re on a slope. It can get very warm inside, though – the tiny vent in the roof doesn’t provide much circulating air.

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Emptying the toilet is a simple enough affair, with the cassette hatch sitting on the offside so you don’t have to empty through an attached awning. The waste water drain sits just ahead of the offside rear wheel.

There’s also an external shower point at the rear of the van.

Comfort

The driver and front passenger are very well catered-for, with big, comfortable front seats that adjust in six ways. Adjustable lumbar support is standard, too. The rear bench is slightly less luxurious, as it’s very upright – but it should be fine for children.

Comfort in the rear bed is exceptional. Though the mattress isn’t the thickest, it sits on plastic Froli springs that give it plenty of absorbency even for side-sleepers. The upper bed isn’t quite as plush but it’s still very comfortable, though slightly claustrophobic.

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Heating is via blown air, and there are outlets below the seats and one in the bathroom. It runs on gas as standard and can be upgraded to run on diesel or electricity.

Cab air-conditioning is standard, with a roof-mounted unit for the living area an optional extra. Ventilation is good, though, with four opening windows, two large roof vents and the side sliding door – all of which have flyscreens. Pull the screen the other way and concertina blinds emerge. The cab blinds, meanwhile, are magnetic for the side windows, while the windscreen blind hooks over the sun visors and tucks into the front of the dash.