The anticipation is huge: three colleagues, a whole weekend camping and playing disc golf in the best weather in Kreuzlingen TG on Lake Constance. You don’t know disc golf? Half as tragic. The sport in which frisbees have to be sunk into baskets instead of balls instead of holes means one thing above all for this excursion: a lot of extra luggage in addition to the normal equipment for three days and two nights at the campsite.
Blick auto journalist and disc golf enthusiast Andreas Engel (36) has therefore organized a special vehicle for the trip to Eastern Switzerland: the VW Grand California. The ordinary California, which is popularly known as the Bulli, is the epitome of campervans and has been the dream of many freedom seekers, not just since the pandemic-induced outbreak of the camping boom. Engel has already been in the Bulli a few times and knows that it will be rather tight for three adults (The Bulli in the test: If you want to camp, you have to wait). For the trip to Lake Constance, it should therefore be the Grand California, which has been available since 2019 – the big brother of the Bulli, so to speak.
On the road like a car
Instead of the California on the T6.1, the Grand California is based on VW’s large Transporter Crafter and is around six meters long and three meters high and one meter above the masses of the Bulli. However, this has a decisive disadvantage: underground car parks or normal parking spaces are simply too small for the Grand. Engel is all the more astonished when he drives the camper in the direction of Eastern Switzerland: It feels like he is in a slightly larger car.
In tighter curves, the larger structure results in stronger rolling movements, but there are no other restrictions. The two-liter turbodiesel with 177 hp offers enough power to easily swim with the traffic on the autobahn and country road. The numerous assistants on board such as adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning systems ensure deeply relaxed locomotion, the reversing camera for easy maneuvering on the campsite.
How the Bulli got its name
VW has only been officially allowed to call its camper a Bulli since 2005. However, the name established itself early on in German-speaking countries: popularly referred to as the VW Bus since its start in 1950, the name Bulli caught on from the 1970s – as an abbreviation for the mix of bus and delivery van. Buses and spare parts, which are no longer cheap, are in abundance – for example on the classifieds site Bugbus.net from tour co-organizer Claude Schaub.
VW has only been officially allowed to call its camper a Bulli since 2005. However, the name established itself early on in German-speaking countries: popularly referred to as the VW Bus since its start in 1950, the name Bulli caught on from the 1970s – as an abbreviation for the mix of bus and delivery van. Buses and spare parts, which are no longer cheap, are in abundance – for example on the classifieds site Bugbus.net from tour co-organizer Claude Schaub.
Large refrigerator, narrow sleeping area
Once there, you can start setting up: the optional awning (CHF 1077) can be cranked out and the seats stowed in the rear doors and the table (CHF 523) set up. Drinks and grilled goods for the evening BBQ have long been stowed away in the spacious refrigerator, which even has a freezer compartment. A parcel neighbor, who is also out and about in the Grand California, observes the hustle and bustle and a short time later asks who has to bite the bullet and spend the night on the extendable lounger (CHF 3,000) above the cockpit. Questioning looks around. “The two sleeping places up there are actually for children,” explains the camping professional. It’s much too tight there for adults.
Engel’s colleague Severin Wirth (37) puts the test to the test and climbs up to the upper sleeping area via a folding ladder. In fact, the space is, to put it mildly, cramped. In a diagonal reclining position, however, it should be possible for two nights, says Wirth. Meanwhile, Engel and fellow camper number three, Stefan Pfister (36), are rehearsing in the lower area. Here, too, there are unplanned restrictions: “It is not possible to stretch out comfortably,” says Pfister. The problem: Instead of lengthways as in the normal Bulli, passengers in the Grand California lie across. With a usable width of around 1.90 meters, the space available is rather tight for both colleagues who are around 1.85 meters tall. The first impression is also confirmed in the following two nights.
VW Grand California 600
drive 2.0 R4 turbo diesel, 177 PS (130 kW), 410 Nm @ 1500 rpm, 8-speed DSG, front
Performance 0-100 km / h not specified, top 156 km / h
Dimensions L / W / H 5.99 / 2.04 / 3.09 m, 3120 kg
consumption Factory / test 12.3 / 10.1 l / 100 km, 324/267 g CO2/ km
price From 65,790 francs (test car with options: 87,703 francs)
drive 2.0 R4 turbo diesel, 177 PS (130 kW), 410 Nm @ 1500 rpm, 8-speed DSG, front
Performance 0-100 km / h not specified, top 156 km / h
Dimensions L / W / H 5.99 / 2.04 / 3.09 m, 3120 kg
consumption Factory / test 12.3 / 10.1 l / 100 km, 324/267 g CO2/ km
price From 65,790 francs (test car with options: 87,703 francs)
Equipment is grand
But where exactly is the Grand California Grand, as the name suggests? Here, too, colleagues will quickly find what they are looking for: around the rear sleeping area, for example, there is plenty of space in the fold-out storage compartments. There are also plenty of shelves and fold-out work surfaces around the kitchen area with its two gas hobs and the sink. The highlight, however, is the separate shower cubicle with an integrated toilet, thanks to which going to the toilet at night can be done conveniently “on board”.
In addition, the Grand California comes up with clever detailed solutions, as you know them from the Bulli: the driver and front passenger seats can be rotated 180 degrees, turning the living room into a dining area for four people. Pull-out mosquito screens on the sliding door and vent windows protect against annoying roommates. An electrically extendable footboard also makes it easier to get into the camper, which can also be supplied with electricity independently from the site via the optional solar system (CHF 1928).
Conclusion
The classic Bulli is the more practical car thanks to its handy size and generally better space utilization – especially if it is also used as a vehicle in everyday life without camping. The Grand California, on the other hand, is interesting for all those who want to enjoy a little more comfort while traveling and are also looking for great freedom away from the campsites. These can be younger or older couples or the family with children who are not too tall and free from giddiness. A big plus point is certainly the price of the Grand California: At 65,790 francs, it is hardly more expensive than the Bulli, which, as a well-equipped California Ocean, costs at least 64,750 francs.