Full review

THERE aren’t many motorhomes that you’d choose to drive to the office, on the toddler run to nursery, or to the supermarket in place of a smaller, quicker, nimbler, more economical hatchback.

But actually I’ve chosen the VW on numerous occasions, not least to do the airport run for Bürstner’s 2011-season preview. I knew I’d get back to the Mid-Stay car park weary after a couple of long days’ work and the VW is just so relaxing to drive. Stansted to Bourne was a lot more comfortable than the hour or so before care of EasyJet, even though we couldn’t match the same velocities!

A longer, tougher trip for the Cali was to Rapido in northern France, though again the Volks would be acting more workhorse than holiday home... more’s the pity.

With an 8am ferry to catch from Portsmouth we’d have to leave Lincolnshire at silly o’clock but driving down to Surrey the night before made a lot more sense. I could stay on a friend’s drive in a space that a coachbuilt couldn’t hope to fit into then arise in the morning and be on the road again without disturbing anyone.

I didn’t even bother to raise the roof – not that pressing a switch is much bother, but putting it back down was just one less thing to worry about long before I’m normally up.

And I slept well in the California’s easily made downstairs bed, even though it is rather firm and you do notice a ridge where the seat backrest ends and the rear portion of mattress begins. Must try the roof bed next time.

On Brittany Ferries’ ‘Normandie’ we were loaded with the larger cars – MPVs, 4x4s and estates with roof boxes – rather than fully-fledged motorhomes, but doesn’t that just say it all about the T5?

It’s part-motorhome, part-MPV, and sitting in the ferry queue behind a new Golf Estate in a similar shade of red also reminded just how much the new model looks part of the VW family. Much prettier, too, with more of the elegance of the last T4s rather the bulbous look of earlier T5s.

Inside, not much has changed – either in the cab or the California conversion but the former looks a little more modern and the latter really didn’t need much to keep it up there with the best in its class.

It’s easy to forget that you’re driving a motorhome, though. The cab seats are every bit as comfy as you expect of a Volkswagen and with the armrests down you really can enjoy the best driving position in the motorhome world.

The new-look steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake and you can search radio stations and play with the volume without taking your digits away from the superbly stitched leather rim.

The big dials are very clear, too, though we’ve already noticed that the new 2-litre engine is so much quieter than the old 2.5 five-cylinder that you can rather too easily stray into the sort of speeds that will have flashing lights appearing the rear view mirror. If you can see them through the slats of the stowed bike rack...

Well, we got back to Blighty without being chased by a Gendarme, perhaps because with Normandy enjoying a 30-degree heatwave we really didn’t want to rush.

It was more a case of relax and turn the air-con up to the max, though with the lack of km/h markings on the speedo (there’s just a small digital metric read-out) you have to be extra vigilant of your speed.

If you’re planning to take your VW camper somewhere really hot, however, rest assured the climate control will cope.

The power with which it was able to blow cold air into my phizog was really rather impressive.

Driving abroad, I also appreciated the optional lane change assist feature fitted to our camper. Orange warning lights on the inside edge of the external mirrors flash if someone is creeping up on your inside where you might not see them. It could just prevent an accident.

And using the California has also reminded just how slick its central control panel – mounted just above the driving mirror – is in use.

It operates the fridge, heating and roof, as well as giving you displays on those topics, time and water levels. Only Westfalia have ever had anything similar, but it’s so neat to be able to switch the fridge on from here and dial in just how cold you want it to be.

And I’m totally converted to top-loading fridges in this type of camper – more convenient and more capacious than you’d ever give it credit for before you used it.

Convenient isn’t perhaps the word I’d have used for the 8-metre A-class that I swapped into from the Cali – more a case of little and large, as well as both being fine examples of their very different motorhoming breeds.

But you can’t help but wonder how you can squeeze so much stuff into the little Volks, with that rear boot (bulky stuff below the bed, bedding on top) being the key to its load-carrying credentials. And that’s before you slide the seat forward for even more space.

The Volkswagen California also makes a remarkably good mobile office, with its comfortable rear seat, sturdy sliding table and the proximity of a warm cup of something containing caffeine.

I actually wrote this report sitting on the docks at Caen-Ouistreham as I waited for Brittany Ferries to whisk me back home again. But then, perhaps that’s a negative – had I been in the car instead I’d have probably gone to a restaurant rather than think about getting my laptop out...