Bongo Fury

Hi folks
I have wanted a camper for ages and viewed a Bongo last night.
Its 1996 reg unconverted. I am sorely tempted, but also a bit worried.
Can you please tell me some of the pros and cons of Bongo owning.
I know you all love them, but there must be some things to watch out for?
Cheers

Hi, very warm welcome to BF.

There's a lot to watch for so have a read of Ian's info here:

http://igmaynard.co.uk/buying/

A good one will do you proud for years but there are people trying to shift on huge problems so Caveat Emptor.

Is it a dealer, Bongo specialist, or private?

Members' ads on here can be a good source.

Welcome. From the buying advice sheet you'll gather that rust corrosion is something you will need to be especially vigilant about especially if it's been in the UK a while. Not mentioned (or else i missed it) but V6 needs watching for noisy cam followers and leaking camshaft seals, the latter being least expensive on labour cost to fix while the expensive cambelt change is being done. The suggested values should be used only as a rough guide as what you really want is a cherished vehicle, even if mileage is a bit high and welding has had to be done: good quality welding may be worth a lot more than no welding

I'd also take the fuel consumption figures with a pinch of salt. 4wd diesel does 2mpg less on average than 2wd diesel. And my 2wd diesel could go below 20mpg on short winter runs (and all cars suffer plummeting mpg in those circumstances, to be fair). I've not heard of a 2 litre petrol achieving 35mpg either, though maybe it has been done.

Out of interest, why a Bongo? There are alternative small campers like Toyota Regius, Toyota Alphard, Nissan Elgrand, Honda Stepwagon, though only the Bongo offers an electric lifting roof model. We love our Bongos but even my Bongo mechanic insists the Toyotas fare much better when it comes to corrosion, and their motors are said to be bullet proof.

The golden rule with these old cars i think is don't allow yourself to be rushed by desperation to hit the road and get camping. Take your time, do your research, and inspect and test drive lots. The chase is fun and you'll soon develop a feel for what is a good (and bad - in hindsight, the first Bongo i test drove was a smelly dog) Bongo /camper van.

Sort of Bongo Dog Doo Doo Van?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eyVDUVJvDlM

Watch for rear arch rust and rust in general on sills and water run offs. Catankerous cooling system prone to overheating and destroying the head of the vehicle (worst case), needs regular coolant replacement/pipe checks and competent bleeding of air post coolant change. Alarms on coolant and engine temp alarm essential purchases to forewarn of overheat. Quite old and need regular maintenance and they have some well known small issues. Trip meter getting stuck and ticking, fuel meter reading wrong, dashboard temperature gauge totally useless, 4 way fuse blowing for front dashboard fan. Check for these issues. Under bonnet windscreen run off hole prone to getting blocked and tipping water into electrics (fuse above) under bonnet make sure the plastic downpipe is free of debris so it can drain.

Pro's cheapest way to get a 1/2 decent camper van, diesel has decent fuel econmy for 20 y.o. vehicle (I manage 36-40 mpg at 50-55mph on a long run) they are very comfortable to drive, access areas large vehicles cannot... i.e. Welsh width restrictions in beauty spots as an example. They pump a useful amount of heat into the cabin direct from the engine underneath your front seats, nice in winter and heat rises into cabin for 45mins + after switch off. (though can get too warm in summer when driving in the sun).

A few checks, make sure the motors work on the side door motor assist ensure the AFT roof goes up and down. Check it is not excessively smoky when revved up after warming up. Check central locking working ok and that both electric windows go up and down ok.

They are a little tight (small) for some people but are quite configurable with a little planning.

Hope that helps.

hi all
Im new to bongos
From northern ireland and just wondered if there many other bongo ppl over here and if any would like to meat up some time for a chat.
i live near Magherafelt but can travel ok.
hope to hear from anyone soon.

Hiya.

Warm welcome to BF.

There's a few peeps your way, might be worth starting a new topic in 'Fancy Meeting Up' to see who's about.

Thanks Bob
I will maybe try that soon an maybe get over to a meet in England or Scotland some tome this year if u guys over there dont mind.

You'll be made very welcome.