"Westfalia" is undoubtedly the most famous name in Volkswagen camper van lore, but "California" has also claimed its place in the VW camper van lexicon. Launched as a Westfalia model in 1988, the California eventually became Volkswagen's own in house-built camper when the California T5 went into production in 2004. Now the good Volks from Wolfsburg are exploring an XXL-sized California based on the second-generation Crafter van. The extra size paves the way for a wet bath and roomy kitchen.
Two years after the launch of the California T6, Volkswagen plays with the idea of a Crafter-based "California XXL." The Crafter doesn't have the history of the Transporter, and frankly we find it rather ugly, but it does have one major advantage: size, something that's always invaluable when trying to shove an efficiency apartment into a motor vehicle.
Volkswagen has put that extra size to work with a wet bath with shower, fold-up sink and toilet, an amenity not found in the Transporter-based California. It has also built out a kitchen with plenty of countertop and cabinetry around the dual-burner stove, refrigerator and sink.
![The California XXL has a generously sized kitchen area](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/fe74471/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1194x697+0+0/resize/1194x697!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Farchive%2Fvw-crafter-xxl-california-11.jpg)
The California XXL floor plan also includes a two-person bed, roughly 6.6 feet (2 m) in length, and a central living area with the rear bench and swivel front driver and passenger seats.
The concept camper is based on the medium-wheelbase Crafter with super-high fixed roof, and Volkswagen mentions some driver-assistance technologies. It doesn't get into any specifics, but we know the Crafter offers a large pool of standard and available assistance features, including front assist with emergency city braking, crosswind stabilization, parking assist, lane keeping assist, and trailer assist.
![The California has long been based on the Transporter, but a Crafter version might be on the way](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/ebe1944/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1620x1080+0+0/resize/1440x960!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Farchive%2Fvw-crafter-xxl-california-6.jpg)
Volkswagen has also left the powertrain box blank for now, leaving us to guess which of the 2.0-liter TDI options, between 101 hp to 175 hp, is powering things. It's also unclear if the California XXL is a front-, rear- or all-wheel drive, as the Crafter is available in all three configurations. Given that Volkswagen calls the electric Crafter the e-Crafter, we feel fairly confident that the California XXL won't follow the 2017 I.D. Buzz as an all-electric van concept.
Volkswagen will reveal all the California XXL details at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, which kicks off on August 26.
Source: VW Commercial Vehicles