wish they all could be californias' -...

Westfalia campers haven't officially been soldhere since the seventies. Those Type 2campers, often in bright duo-tone paintschemes such as orange and white, wereprobably the smartest of their era. They hadfront-hinged rising roofs and a reputation forquality. Later models had rear-hinged tops,but then they faded from the UK scene. Idoubt if sales volumes were consideredsufficient to bother with right-hand drive.

Westfalia, however, have gone fromstrength to strength, converting not justVolkswagen, but Ford and Mercedes too.Their California is seen, in Germany, as THEVolkswagen camper and these models aresold through selected VW car dealers. There'sthe California Exclusive (LWB high top) andthe more traditional side kitchen layout (SWBrising roof or high top) California Coach, andboth are available with features normallyreserved for VW's Caravelle and Multivanpeople-carrier versions of the T4.

Now Westfalias are back, though sadlyonly with left-hand drive. DeepcarMotorhomes International of Sheffield has �

MOTORCARAVAN MOTORHOME MONTHLY MARCH 2001 135

'WISH THEY ALL COULD BECALIFORNIAS'…sings Peter Vaughan after testing a Westfalia CaliforniaExclusive imported by Deepcar Motorhomes International

TEST REPORT EXTRA

It was a 'disappointment' to find that our test vehicle was white, but it does have that distinctive high top.

135-139 test extra westfalia 2/7/01 4:44 PM

www.WestfaliaT4.info - a useful website for owners and enthusiasts of VW Westfalia T4 Transporter / Eurovan Campervans

been doing a steady trade in left-hand drivesecondhand Hymers imported from theContinent, and found customers looking for asimilar deal on new and used German campervans. They have recently, therefore, startedselling left-hand drive Westfalia Californias.The Coach and Exclusive are reportedlysharing equal billing for enquiries here(although the LWB model accounts for amuch smaller proportion of sales in itshomeland). Both models will be regularly keptin stock at Deepcar's premises and will besold at an identical price to that in Europe, aslong as the pound stays strong. The Coach isnot so very different from several UK-builtcampers, but the Exclusive is quite unique.MMM therefore took to the roads of Yorkshireto test the first California Exclusive to arrive atDeepcar's premises.

Looks differentHaving seen so many Westfalias in excitingshades of metallic paint, it was adisappointment to find that our test vehiclewas white. Nevertheless it had the Caravelle-style nose, Caravelle wheel trims, and adistinctive (if rather massive) high top. Therear three-quarter panels wear moulded trimswith the California name embossed into them,but the real difference is at the rear. Here, theusual tailgate has been replaced by a fixedpanel that cleverly matches the original styling(without the window) but is more upright togain valuable extras inches inside. Thebottom of the panel (from the height of thelights down) lifts up (via an internal releaseonly) to provide servicing access to the toilet.This facility would also enable loading of longbut low items, say after a visit to the DIYstore.

Extras, extrasOur test vehicle was a one-year-old examplewith under 25 000km recorded, but Deepcarcan source a brand-new model if required.'Ours' featured the 102bhp TDI engine, whichwould surely be the choice of mostcustomers. The 88bhp TDI is also available,as is the 'autobahn stormer' 150bhp TDI(which is not officially sold by VW in the UK).

The cab is mostly as you'd expect from aT4 camper, just with the steering wheel on the'wrong' side. Look more closely, however, andyou begin to spot the differences. For a startthere's cloth trim on the doors, and carpet

around the door pockets (fitted to bothdoors). The cab floor also has fitted carpet,and the top of the dashboard is of a morecurvy design than on RHD versions. There'san extra storage slot on the centre consolebut the glove box has gone, replaced by apassenger airbag and an open shelf below.The steering wheel, of course, includes asecond airbag.

Now look at all the extra switches. On thetop of the driver's door are two for the electricwindows (each with one touch operation tofully lower or raise them) and three tomanoeuvre the (heated) door mirrors intoposition. Above the centre mirror is a controlpanel with eight switches and an LCD display.Waste water level, external temperature andbattery condition are shown here and thereare controls for the fridge and space heating.Cab air-conditioning is also standard (andvery welcome in summer).

So far, all the kit we've listed has beenstandard, but our test vehicle also boastedsome rather appealing options - heated cabseats for the winter, plus an up-market stereoand cruise control to make those long, boring,motorway trips more pleasant. Despite itsimpressive spec', a brand-new Exclusivecould be yours for under £30 000.

102 horsesWith the 102bhp TDI engine, no T4motorcaravan is a slouch and this examplehad recorded sufficient kilometres to be nicelyloosened up. It seemed slightly odd at first,the familiarity of yet another T4 being

confused by a left-hand seat for the driver.Left-hand drive only takes a few miles ofacclimatisation though, especially in a vehiclethat's little bigger than a large estate car andhas the increased visibility of a high drivingposition. I have never had any qualms aboutdriving my 'left hooker' sports car on a dailybasis and driving this T4 solo was aseffortless as piloting a RHD model. Do makesure though that lights and speedo (with mphas well as km/h) comply with UK regulationsbefore you take delivery.

The long wheelbase T4 seems to handleeven more confidently than the short version,whilst also offering an absorbent ride for thecomfort of passengers. At a recent gatheringof motorcaravan journalists, the question ofthe best driving base vehicle was raised andunanimously the T4 was the answer. Onlyprice (in TDI form) and the relatively narrowbody of the van count against it as amotorcaravan.

Personally, I still look forward to driving aT4 TDI. Every aspect seems well judged, fromthe slick gearshift (just as good when usingthe right hand instead of the left) to theprecise power-assisted rack and pinionsteering. Even the steepest hills of theYorkshire Dales were climbed in an effortlessfashion, for this 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine isboth smooth and torquey. And on the A1 theWestfalia kept pace with all the other traffic(cruise control on to maintain a set speed upand down the hills). It's refined too, bothmechanically and in terms of the totalabsence of conversion rattles (the cooker lid

WESTFALIA CALIFORNIA EXCLUSIVE

136 MARCH 2001 MOTORCARAVAN MOTORHOME MONTHLY

No tailgate, but a small opening flap across the rear of theWestfalia for loading long loads and servicing the loo (leftof photo). Bike rack was one of the options fitted to testvehicle.

Left-hand drive Transporter cab has curvier dashboard and twin airbags as standard.

Above the interior mirror is this control panel for fridgeand heating; battery and water levels are also displayed.

There are drinks holders everywhere in the California.This foldaway one is alongside the cab passenger seat.



even has a catch to stop it chattering).The cab seats enhance the experience, for

they seem to support in all the right places,and adjustable armrests complete the driver'scomfort. Only the cab carpet marred theexperience, because every time I got backinto the Westfalia I was worried about ruiningits soft texture with my muddy shoes.

An Exclusive layoutUnless you've perused the campers at theDüsseldorf show, you'll probably never haveseen a VW camper quite like this one. Behindthe cab is a double forward-facing seat withhead restraints and backing onto this is an L-shaped kitchen. Opposite the kitchen, behindthe side door, is a slim storage unit, beyondwhich is the wardrobe. Opposite thewardrobe, in the other back corner, is the loo.The most obvious shortcoming of the designis the narrow walk-through from the lounge tothe kitchen - some will simply find this anuncomfortable squeeze.

It's not just the floor plan, but the decorthat is out of the ordinary. The seats (front andrear) use VW automotive upholstery with ablue, yellow and green cactus pattern on agrey background (a theme that is repeated onthe table and right-hand worktop). Thefurniture, which feels incredibly solid, isfinished in a speckled grey board, while theinside of the high top is a GRP double skin.The floor in the living area is a non-slipstudded vinyl (again grey with slashes ofcolour). It all looks far more car than caravan,modern and practical, but possibly clinical tosome eyes. Nowhere is there carpet trim onthe walls; it's all beautifully shaped GRPmouldings with recessed storage pockets andcup holders. Only when you're buildingmotorcaravans in Westfalia's huge numberscould such massive tooling costs beentertained.

Lounge etcThe cab armchairs both swivel through 180degrees for use on site. They both turn easilybut, unlike most British T4s, the driver's doorhas to be opened to turn that seat. With thefront seats rotated, the lounge area is

comfortable for four and I particularly likedthe small coffee table that simply hinges upfrom the side wall. A larger (long but ratherslim) table stores on the inside of thewardrobe door. It clips to the wall and itssingle leg locates in the sliding rear seat'sfloor channel. It is certainly sturdy but isbetter suited to two diners than four.

The rear seat has flat cushions, but anangled backrest actually makes it a fairlycomfortable place to travel. Twin lap anddiagonal restraints are fitted and the headrestraints are height-adjustable. Rearpassengers have good visibility and plenty oflegroom as well as their own heater controls.

KitchenThe Westfalia differences continue in thekitchen area. The cooker is a Cramer two-burner hob (no grill) with glass lid, andalongside is a ceramic sink fed by cold wateronly. The sink is slightly awkward to reach inthis corner location. Completing the L is whatlooks like just a draining board, but lift this upand you'll find a top-loading compressorfridge. Its capacity seemed perfectly adequatefor a vehicle of this type and it is so simple touse - just dial in the desired temperature onthe console above the driver's mirror andswitch on. It purrs away in the background,but I never found the sound obtrusive.Remember, too, that top-loading fridges aremore efficient as they suffer less loss of'coolth' when the door is opened.

Below the hob is a large open-frontedlocker that seemed the ideal home for a softbag (for extra clothes) or bedding. There's acushion in here at seat height and thisbecomes part of the bed, so this area cannotreally be considered as part of the kitchen.Below the cushion are the auxiliary battery,

TEST REPORT EXTRA

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With both front seats swivelled there's a comfortable lounge area for up to four in thisLWB Exclusive.

A small coffee table simply hinges up from the side wall for use. At floor level the blackvent is the blown-air heating outlet.

Under the kitchen (with cushion removed) you can see the gas locker (left) and auxiliarybattery (right). Waste water tank is also here.

The full-sized table is rather narrow but it is extremely solid with its single leg located inthe sliding seat's floor channel.

Looking to the rear we see that the walk-through is quitenarrow. There's storage to the rear of the (offside) slidingdoor. With the bathroom door folded back you can seethat the only rear window is at roof level.



WESTFALIA CALIFORNIA EXCLUSIVE

waste water tank and gas locker. The gaslocker will only hold one Campingaz 907cylinder but, as this is only required for thehob, it should last quite a time.

Kitchen stowage space consists of twohigh-level lockers (moulded into the inner roofskin and fitted with green roller shutter doors)plus the cupboards to the rear of the slidingside door. Here you'll also find an undividedcutlery drawer and (on the inside of one of thelocker doors) a rubbish bag holder. I still don'tunderstand why British motorcaravans neverseem to have waste bins. Instead, what islacking in this German camper is worktopspace and a grill. Hob-top devices areavailable, however, for those who cannot livewithout toast, or you could take an electrictoaster. Another neat touch is the rail for yourdishcloth.

More storageThe fact that the high top roof overhangs thewindscreen creates an enormous lockerabove the cab and a simple hinged flapensures that the contents stay put whileyou're motoring. There's also storage spaceunder the rear seat and there's a stay tosupport the squab while you retrieve yourmains lead or walking boots from underneath.

The jacket-length wardrobe has two

shelves and a safe above, and an area forshoes below, as well as a couple of littlerecesses for underwear at the sides. Thehanging rail runs from front to rear, but the railitself slides out for more convenient access.

BedtimeTo make the main bed in the Exclusive youmust first have the front seats facing forward.The rear seat then slides forward and foldsflat on a rock 'n' roll mechanism (after firstremoving the head restraints). A hinged flapwith cushion attached then bridges the gapbetween the flattened seat and the endcushion of the bed (which is beneath thekitchen). Bed-making is a simple enoughprocedure and the resultant bed is both firmand flat. Feet, of course, must point towardsthe rear of the vehicle, but I found noproblems associated with my feetdisappearing under the sink. Indeed I sleptwell, though the double bed is not verygenerous in its width.

In the roof is a second bed that is longer,almost as wide and even easier to make. Inthe stored position, the two-piece mattressrests with one section atop the other and, atnight, you simply slide the second one out, itsbase gliding along runners set into the sidesof the high top. This bed would be ideal for

138 MARCH 2001 MOTORCARAVAN MOTORHOME MONTHLY

L-shaped kitchen with tea towel rail and open-frontedlocker (ideal for soft bag or bedding rather than kitchenstorage, due to bed design).

Kitchen again, viewed from the lounge area. Top-loadingfridge open and high-level lockers with roller shutterdoors also shown here.

Stowage space is available under the rear seat. Thesquab tips up for access and is supported by a strut.

The wardrobe has pull-out hanging rail with shelves andsafe above. Table stores on the inside of the wardrobe door.

First stage of bed-making is to slide the rear seat forward. Behind it you can now see thecushion under the kitchen that makes the feet end of the bed and the vertically storedcushion that hinges up to complete the bed once the seat is flattened.

The 'downstairs' double bed is not especially wide but it is firm, flat and comfortable.



one adult or two children, but occupants doneed to be reasonably athletic, as there's noladder to help you into or out of bed.

The roof windows have blinds andflyscreens, while the rest of the 'van'swindows are covered by unlined curtains. Allare held in place with press-studs and theGermans now take safety so seriously that allthe studs are recessed to avoid injury in theevent of an accident. The cab curtains aresecured solely with press-studs so that nocurtain track is needed in the cab (again forsafety reasons).

Lighting is by a trio of fluorescent doubletube lights (one in the ceiling, one above thetable, one in the bathroom). That's adequate,but some reading lights would have been nice.

BathroomIn the rear left-hand corner of this camper is aThetford cassette toilet with a foldingwashbasin above and a storage locker abovethat. The door can be clipped back in front ofthe loo to give better access to the wardrobeand a greater feeling of space in the rear ofthe 'van, but sadly there's still no throughvision for the driver. (I've no idea whyWestfalia don't fit a low-level window here.)You open the bathroom door through 180degrees to gain access and shut it to the 90degree position when using its facilities. Itmakes a good washing or changing area and,whilst there's no shower or hot water, thefolding basin feels a thousand times moresturdy and durable than others of this type.The bathroom also has an opening roofwindow and a large mirror (on the inside ofthe door).

More featuresRear speakers for the stereo are fitted in theroof and there's a courtesy light in the stepwell of the sliding door. The fresh and waste

water tanks are both inboard, making theExclusive surprisingly practical for wintercamping. And all except the cab windows aredouble-glazed. The roof windows and the left-hand lounge window are the familiar top-hinged acrylic type, while the remainder arefixed, glass double-glazed units.

Heating is by thermostatically-controlled,diesel-fired, blown-air into the lounge area.With diesel used for the heating and 12Velectricity for the fridge, there's greatlyreduced reliance on heavy and space-robbing

gas cylinders.Finally, everything in the California feels as

if it has been built to last. Quality is a muchover-used term these days, but here it reallydoes apply.

ConclusionsWill someone please donate £25 000 to apoor, under-paid MMM road test editor? Ireally do want a Westfalia California Exclusive(metallic Techno blue would be nice). Enoughsaid, I think.

TEST REPORT EXTRA


In briefBase vehicle: VW Transporter Kombi LWBEngine: 2.5-litre turbo-diesel producing 102bhpMake & model: Westfalia California ExclusiveElectrical equipment: Mains hook-up withRCD, auxiliary battery, two 2-pin Continental230V socketsCooking facilities: Two-burner Cramer hobRefrigerator: 40-litre compressor-type top-loading fridgeFresh water tank: Inboard, 49 litres (10.8gallons)Waste water tank: Inboard, 63 litres (13.9gallons)Gas locker capacity: One Campingaz 907cylinderRear restraints: Two lap and diagonal inertiareel beltsOther standard features: Anti-lock brakes,

electronic differential lock, cab air-conditioning,electric cab windows (with one-touch operation),engine immobiliser, central locking (from bothcab doors), electrically adjustable and heateddoor mirrors, driver and passenger airbags,swivel front seats, cassette toilet, diesel-firedblown-air heating, two tables, sliding rear seatwith head restraints, fitted cab carpet, vinyl floorin living area, rear stereo speakers in roof,double-glazed windows, cup holders front andrear, four top-hinged opening windows,blinds/flyscreens for roof windowsOverall length: 5.19m (17ft 0in) - excludes bikerack fitted to test vehicleOverall width (excluding mirrors): 1.84m (6ft0.5in)Overall height: 2.56m (8ft 5in)Bed dimensions: Roof bed 2.13m x 0.97m (7ft0in x 3ft 6in) with maximum headroom of 0.58m

(23in). Main bed 1.89m x 1.12m (6ft 2.5in x 3ft8in)Interior height: 1.98m (6ft 6in)Payload: 437kg (standard model)Fuel consumption on test: 31.2mpgPrice (standard model): £29 000 (brand-new)Options fitted to test vehicle: Heated frontseats, cruise control, roll-out awning, bike rack,Gamma stereo Price as tested: £23 995 (vehicle first registeredJune 1999, mileage - 25 000km/15 500 miles recorded)

Westfalia California Exclusive kindlysupplied for evaluation by: DeepcarMotorhomes International, 10a VaughtonHill, Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2SW. Tel: 0114-288 2660. Fax: 0114-288 2628.Web site: www.deepcar-motorhomes.co.uk

The 'upstairs' bed is ready in an instant and has unusually generous headroom. Lighting,opening windows and stereo speakers are all fitted in the roof.

Rear of the Exclusive with the bathroom/changing roomdoor shut. Modern, wipe-clean surfaces are usedthroughout and the quality is unsurpassed in this class.

Washroom has Thetford cassette toilet and the most solidfeeling tip-up washbasin that I've ever come across.



wish they all could be californias' -...

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