Hello

[Properjob]

Hello all,

New to this forum and in exactly the same position as so many... become obsessed about buying a campervan.. narrowed it down to a California Ocean, and even rented one for a weekend to see if it could really be our only car.... passed that test and specced lots of 'essential' extras etc... and then just had a passing look at the MP and it's messed up the smooth process! So ... semi-back to the drawing board with more hours to invest/waste looking up every review/youtube clip/advert etc in existence on the web!

Will

 

[terry1956]

Hi Will. much in the same boat. I think that the vw will return a better resale value if I go to sale on after a few years, mine you I had the same idea with the morgan I owned for a year. If you look at Mercedes they drop like stones after a few years.
the vw is shorter then my car so parking would be easier then the Mercedes for day to day use as you would of found out. However inside the vw it just looks like something made up from left over ikea parts. the DRG gearbox is not as good as a full automatic, the vw as a cam belt and not a chain so will cost more to service over 4 years then the Mercedes. but there are faults with both vans. I see that the vw calfornia forum is making great effort to promote their vans over the Mercedes. their points being that the vw as history ( so what, so do I but I am falling apart). the vw is cool ( well maybe if you think you life in calfornia and I think its the air cooled vans that fit that bill, not a tarted up delivery van). the vw is a go anywhere van ( who says that you cant go the same places in a Mercedes) there is know where for a potty ( there is you just need to think about it) and the nonsense keeps going on.
However it does really depend on what you are thinking of using it for. both vans are ok for short trips, the vw does have the edge on ease of parking in small spaces. the vw comes with two leisure batteries over one in the marco.and the aux heater is standard on the vw. however the marco is a far better van to drive, as more kit in standard form then the vw for the driver. service costs ( not main dealer) should be better for the marco over 4 years.
I don't think that any of the vans are that great for long trips. I plan to carry on doing my road trips within main land Europe using camper stop overs and hotels for showers and a better bed, and for me the marco wins due to its better driving experience and I like the more up to date look. as to resale value in the long term, I think all the green nonsense will kill that know matter what van it is.
there are a number of so say people who have purchased a marco on the forums who are coming out with some truly remarkable statements. nonsense like I am getting 55mpg at motorway speeds, the beds are just so big ????????? right so large is 3foot8. 3 foot 8 is a single not even a small double.I cooked a full 3 course meal in the marco including a rousted chicken ?????? and it just keeps going on. I think that these people most be Mercedes sales man trying to drum up trade.
Its a hard pick, at the moment I am just waiting to see how things pan out over the rest of the year, I am in know hurry to spend my money, but I am at the moment sure that the vw is just too much money for what it returns. and I just wonder how a delivery van costing 18,000 pounds turns into a 37,000 van if you fit a pop up roof and a folding bench to it. then by adding a bit of flat pack ikea the same van doubles in price.

 

[Properjob]

Hi Will. much in the same boat. I think that the vw will return a better resale value if I go to sale on after a few years, mine you I had the same idea with the morgan I owned for a year. If you look at Mercedes they drop like stones after a few years.
the vw is shorter then my car so parking would be easier then the Mercedes for day to day use as you would of found out. However inside the vw it just looks like something made up from left over ikea parts. the DRG gearbox is not as good as a full automatic, the vw as a cam belt and not a chain so will cost more to service over 4 years then the Mercedes. but there are faults with both vans. I see that the vw calfornia forum is making great effort to promote their vans over the Mercedes. their points being that the vw as history ( so what, so do I but I am falling apart). the vw is cool ( well maybe if you think you life in calfornia and I think its the air cooled vans that fit that bill, not a tarted up delivery van). the vw is a go anywhere van ( who says that you cant go the same places in a Mercedes) there is know where for a potty ( there is you just need to think about it) and the nonsense keeps going on.
However it does really depend on what you are thinking of using it for. both vans are ok for short trips, the vw does have the edge on ease of parking in small spaces. the vw comes with two leisure batteries over one in the marco.and the aux heater is standard on the vw. however the marco is a far better van to drive, as more kit in standard form then the vw for the driver. service costs ( not main dealer) should be better for the marco over 4 years.
I don't think that any of the vans are that great for long trips. I plan to carry on doing my road trips within main land Europe using camper stop overs and hotels for showers and a better bed, and for me the marco wins due to its better driving experience and I like the more up to date look. as to resale value in the long term, I think all the green nonsense will kill that know matter what van it is.
there are a number of so say people who have purchased a marco on the forums who are coming out with some truly remarkable statements. nonsense like I am getting 55mpg at motorway speeds, the beds are just so big ????????? right so large is 3foot8. 3 foot 8 is a single not even a small double.I cooked a full 3 course meal in the marco including a rousted chicken ?????? and it just keeps going on. I think that these people most be Mercedes sales man trying to drum up trade.
Its a hard pick, at the moment I am just waiting to see how things pan out over the rest of the year, I am in know hurry to spend my money, but I am at the moment sure that the vw is just too much money for what it returns. and I just wonder how a delivery van costing 18,000 pounds turns into a 37,000 van if you fit a pop up roof and a folding bench to it. then by adding a bit of flat pack ikea the same van doubles in price.

Thanks for that comprehensive reply - I agree with most of what you're saying - overall it's hard to justify the price for either though, considering that they're just tarted up vans.... but there's more to it that just that or none of us would be madly buying or researching them! The 'green nonsense' point you make about killing resale values is depressing really as that's the bit that I keep trying to ignore and justify the huge cost!

 

[anyideas]

Hi Will,

Take your time and explore both Vans fully, the VW California Club website has loads of information and helpful people on to ask about the Cali should you need to. The MP is a new vehicle and as such information and understanding in the UK is going to be minimal from current Owners (I myself have one on order). These are camper vans and they are not going to be perfect, its finding the one that best suits your needs and going out and enjoying it that's the main thing.

 

[terry1956]

The marco polo is only new to the uk, its been knocking around main land Europe for a few years along with 4 other campervans sold by Mercedes.there is lots of information on German forums. I looked on the vw forum and like a few others of late signed out due to their just overbearing view that anything vw is great which its not. I am not a great mercedes fan. The command system is just so dated and needs a mobile phone to work, as the system doesn't have its own sim. I think for the over £50,000 price tag a sim is not much to ask. The aux hot water heater is also a bit of a joke, you can only run it for 50 minutes at a time so you end up freezing after that. that and the mad price is truly holding me back.

 

[Properjob]

So, after much deliberation and endless comparisons and searches, I think we're going to go with the Cali. Main reason being the way we will use it:

• we're going to have it as our only car - replacing a Volvo v70. We have to park on the street and so the Cali is only a small bit longer than the car - an MP would move it into just a bit too big territory.
• We're big campers as it is and will be nipping off to do outdoorsy things at the drop of a hat (or at least that's the theory!) and the Cali seems more rugged and utility than the MP which I think would have me being a bit too precious and irritable with the kids if they put a foot wrong!
• As there are 4 of us - 2 small kids - both beds will always be used. The easy-to-lower downstairs bed in the Cali, complete with it's comfort mattress, seems a better long-term bet for frequent use (even though it's a much less comfortable seat).
• The 2 leisure batteries will give us more versatility.
• Gut feel is that it will also hold it's value a little better.

A difficult decision but all helped by the useful answers from people on here - so thanks very much.