Just a catch up and Merry Christmas greetings !

[BongoBongo123]

Well not much to report on here, Bongo running fine, give it a good run every now and then, warm it up, run the air con and lift the roof every month to avoid seizure.

Seems like a lot of people selling up ? More than usual or just the usual amount of Bongo's changing hands? I hope your Bongo is bearing up against the winter ok.

We are loving ours at the moment still and there are no plans to change whilst everything runs ok.

Thinking about how to approach MOT next year. Probably do it local at first opportunity as per the MOT cert... and see what, if anything needs to be done (not expecting anything but you never know do you) Anything major or too bongo-y and it might be a run down to Plymouth ! We shall see.

Seasons greetings and happy winter motoring, keep safe on the roads.

an HNY !

[mikeonb4c]

Seasons Greetings to you and yours too bb123. On the selling up front i guess there's a lot of Bongos in UK now, maybe increased churn as they age plus they are the kind of vehicle that people want, get the camping thing out of their system (in some cases), then sell. Looking at prices though i reckon that well cared for older ones should always find a buyer, so keep that Bongo tip top

[BongoBongo123]

I think we would miss ours, it is a bit of a summer lifestyle thing for us. Life would be much poorer, we love festivals and dancing, keeps us young !

[mikeonb4c]

I think we would miss ours, it is a bit of a summer lifestyle thing for us. Life would be much poorer, we love festivals and dancing, keeps us young !

Ditto. I've hung on to it for 10 years in hope of touring when i retire. Its still a fabulous drive, a lot of fun and incredibly versatile/useful. I'd rather keep it in good nick and have it to use........than sell it

[Bob]

Good to hear from you, and Season's Greetings from us.

This kind of post is all too rare - Bongy running well, nothing to report.

Of course we don't write this up then peeps look in Techie and think all Bongos behave badly, which is a long way from reality.

Ours is doing sterling service as a removal lorry, skip wagon (allowed into our tip as its not a van), canteen, office... You name it as we refurb a flat near us. Nowt else would do it all.

[BongoBongo123]

I agree and there is something nice knowing it is there even if you are not out winter camping, you know you are going to be having a nice spring/summer/autumn time in it and that keeps you going through the dark, cold, wet, frosty, snowy, months.(which can be very beautiful in themselves) I like the driving of, to and back as much of the arriving at and being where you are.

There are always concerns and things you need to keep on top of. I do concern a little about the AFT, I greased the runners etc. (not the struts though as I heard that is not a good idea as it attracts dirt, just like the door runner does after a greasing, I keep having to clean it out and re-grease every 2 months) and the AFT does rock slightly left and right a bit as it goes up, especially on a cold winters day. It has not failed yet though and shows no signs of doing so but I still concern a bit, a weak point maybe after 20 years, but also a very important part of the Bongo's design and character. I think raising it once a month on a dry day through winter is a good plan, rather than leaving it to stand 6 months. I do a few 50-60 mile runs to keep it all loose. (I think I will dry my silica gel bags out actually)

It is a special feeling knowing you can literally go anywhere and have a cosy room to kip in wherever you end up.

Next job, oil change, circa April, got my 8L of semi-synth Magnatec ready for that under the stairs. 12months @ <5K Miles.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Yes....A Kool Yule to one and all...Enjoy the cold , as it means no spannering 'till spring!
Cheers
Helen

[mikeonb4c]

Hi
Yes....A Kool Yule to one and all...Enjoy the cold , as it means no spannering 'till spring!
Cheers
Helen

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours Helen in BrrrrrrrrBulgaria.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Mike...
Thanks, and yes, it's cold but the summers are good!....currently knee deep in puppy poop....
Cheers
Helen

[BongoBongo123]

We are doing a pretty good job matching close to Bulgaria temperatures the last few days. Would not fancy being in the Bongo with that thick frost covering it by 6PM

Met office always suggests a warmer temperature than it is. It says it will be 1C here at 9PM tonight. Then why is there frost on the cars at 6PM this evening ? Last time I checked frost forms at 0C !!

On average it seems 3 degrees colder that what Met office suggests in my locality.

[helen&tony]

Hi
MMmmmm...temperatures close to over here in Bulgaria, eh?....I can't see how you'll manage with temperatures in the region of minus 22 C. and lower...It's usually mild around Xmas here, then it plummets...so if the UK is going to get cold, and a couple of feet of snow, just be prepared to stay indoors for a week or two...that's what folks do here!...they make sure there's plenty of food and booze in , and just enjoy!....when it warms enough to melt the snow ,emerge and survey how you're going to dig the car out....and just put it off, or get someone else to do it....enjoy!...a few years back, we went shopping in minus 30C. ...we got a taxi...I'm not silly, I don't wan't someone pranging my cars ...they're lunatic speeding on sheet ice
Cheers
Helen

[BongoBongo123]

I saw -4C in Sofia on a weather check, that was my reference, it must have been wrong then. There is something nice about being cosy in the cold but -22C would be catastrophic here.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Yup....It's likely that it was minus 4...a few days back it was plus 8 here...Usually the temperatures drop after Xmas...One year , at Xmas, we were sitting outside in T-shirts on Xmas day.... ...BUT...this year they forecast a colder than average January........I LOATHE the cold and snow with a vengeance....but you can go out in minus goodness knows what when the skies are cloudless, as is quite common, it really doesn't feel that bad in the sun....it's when the air is in the mid 90s R/H that it bites.....bbbbbrrrr
It's not only the UK where minus 22 is catastrophic....same here....it's hard enough to get the population here working anyway...they don't work if it's cold, wet, too hot, too sunny, too windy....The building trade only work from the beginning of June to mid -September
Cheers
Helen

[BongoBongo123]

I guess it is quite beautiful with snow and a sunny day, for a day or 2 and then the cold gets hassley. I like in quite a hilly area and the hills get really treacherous for everyone especially old people. You forget how tiring it is to pigeon step around feeling like you are going to be A over T at any moment. It is very tiring on the muscles and you tend to use muscles you have not done for a while.

Well it seems quite cold out again here< expect frosts few nights to come.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Oh, yes, snow is lovely to look at , and when the sky is cloudless, the snow sometimes looks blueish as it reflects the sky, and in low temperatures, the ice crystals on the surface look like sparkly little diamonds....and yes to the hills....I live on the slope of a hilly bit. plenty of nice country, but most countries are beautiful outside the urban areas.....anyway, pretty or not, I Loathe snow...it should be programmed to disappear after 2 days...It hangs around here for blinkin' weeks, and stays in dirty piles beside the roads for ages...
Cheers
Helen