The Factory-Perfect Micro Camper
The Caddy California is the neatest trick Volkswagen has pulled with a tape measure since the original Golf swallowed a family shop. It takes the humble Caddy, sprinkles it with just enough fairy dust, and turns it into a micro-camper that doesn’t scream weekend warrior so much as whisper: “Let’s scarper.”
The bed folds out with all the theatre of a Swiss watch popping its lid—precise, satisfying, and oddly calming. It’s proper adult-length, too, so you won’t wake up at 3 a.m. trying to negotiate with your own knees. The headline act is a slide-out mini-kitchen from the tailgate: single-burner stove, some stowage, and the sort of usability that makes midnight tea and dawn bacon feel like a special forces operation—clean, swift, silent.
Inside, the cabin stays sensibly car-like. You get the usual VW build tightness, sensible storage, and electrics that don’t want your soul in exchange for light. With the optional tailgate tent, you’ve got a surprisingly grown-up living space, and there’s a factory accessories universe ready to part you from your money, all in the name of comfort.
On the road, it’s still a Caddy: tidy steering, settled highway manners, and enough refinement that you won’t feel as if you’re shouting over a drum kit. The beauty here is how stealthy it is. Park it almost anywhere, sneak in a camp-out with minimal faff, then ghost off before breakfast crowds descend. It’s the perfect antidote to overcomplicated van builds and insufferably smug glampsites.
Is it posh? No. But it doesn’t try to be. It’s an elegant, compact solution for people who like the idea of “just go.” It does the basics brilliantly and then adds a little Sunday-morning magic.
Who it’s for: Solo travelers or couples who want a turn-key, warranty-backed micro-camper that drives like a proper car and camps like a clever tool.
Best bit: The integrated, slide-out tailgate kitchen. It’s endlessly pleasing.
Consider if: You want seats for more people or room to swing a mountain bike indoors; you’ll be playing packing Tetris.
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