5 ms·
This seems pretty cool then I realize that it would probably cost 100,000$ or so and I realize looking at the stars from a blanket is free.
by robotbikes 9y ago
This seems pretty cool then I realize that it would probably cost 100,000$ or so and I realize looking at the stars from a blanket is free.
- mikestew 9y agoGiven the price of comparable Sprinter-based campers, you might even be a little under. But it’s all moot. It’s a concept vehicle, and even if VW builds it, it won’t be coming to the U. S. The pop-top California never did, and the last time VW sold campers in the U. S. was fourteen years ago.
- evervevdww221 9y agoThis is disappointing. If this RV can relieve the need for house purchasing in Bay Area, 100k price tag doesn't seem to be a problem. It's a shame that this vehicle is named California and we can't buy it in California. America is such a great place for RV camping (vast area, low population density, plenty parking spaces and so many beautiful places to go), and VW somehow decided not to sell any of these for 14 years! I mean, just checking the craigslist prices for those second hand vw campers from the 60s, their marketing people should be able to tell there is a strong demand for this in the US.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- newman8r 9y agoThe issue is where to park them. In southern california, there's some amazing rv parks in the desert that you can stay in for under $500 month, you get electricity and plumbing. Are there many places like that in the bay area?
- sulam 9y agoDepends on what you’re willing to call the Bay Area. Head east and you get to spots like that within thirty minutes, as long as it’s not commute time. If you decided to BART from Pittsburgh/Bay Point or Dublin/Pleasanton you could probably have a twenty minute commute from a cheap RV community and then take the train into the city easily enough. It’s much harder if you want to work on the peninsula, although maybe there are easy public transit options from down near Gilroy that I’m unaware of. Honestly better would be to get a boat. Cheap slips exist all over the place.
- newman8r 9y agoI've considered live aboard boating, definitely would like to try it at some point
- maxerickson 9y agoPresumably the US RV market mostly wants more space. Sort of the same thing with housing. I guess that permitting would get in the way of building really tiny efficiency apartments, but if people really wanted to live in ~10 square meters at a vaguely inconvenient location, housing would already be less of an issue.
- sandworm101 9y agoRVs are not houses. Look at the target market, look at who actually drives these things. They are mobile bathrooms. "See the stars while never being more than ten feet from your own private bathroom."
- maxerickson 9y agoThe current "California" tops out at ~$60,000. Just looking at a picture of that little space gives me a tight feeling in my chest.
- avenoir 9y agoEven older VW campers cost an arm and a leg. [1] [1] http://www.ebay.com/bhp/vw-camper http://www.ebay.com/bhp/vw-camper
- SN76477 9y agowow those things look incredibly unsafe
- s0rce 9y agoSleeping in the bed of a pickup also affords a great view of the stars and is also fairly inexpensive (compared to a dedicated camper, and especially if you have other uses for a truck). In the western US weather is often good during the summer and you don't really need much over your head.
- sliverstorm 9y agoExcept pickup beds are now 5'6" instead of 8', which makes this less comfortable
- 5_minutes 9y agoThe reason they’re called California is merely because of the romantic image the name has in Europe though. The concept car looks nice but the iconic design is completely lost here.
- deelowe 9y agoNot real. It's a "concept." I agree with the top comment. This is a VW puff piece. Ya know, the same company that just got into a metric shit ton of trouble for being environmentally irresponsible. Their motivations in publishing this are pretty paper thin when you think about it.