New & Looking for a Bongo In South Wales

[jessbob]

Hello!!

We're currently looking for a Bongo for days/nights away - we are a family of 2 adults & 2 children and complete novices.

We really haven't a clue where to start looking & what to get to be honest.

Our budget is around 8k - is it possible to buy something tidy for that?

I know that we'd want it fully converted so we can use it for camping and it must have a lifting top - we'd also like a side awning if possible too.

So...where isthe best place to look? What can we expect to get with our budget and are there any golden rules to bea in mind before we go off and buy the first one that seems right for us??

Thanks for your help xx

[g8dhe]

Hi and welcome, suggest you put a location - doesn't need to be exact - in your "User profile" under the "User control Panel" top left of the screen as it will help people suggest the nearest dealers.
If you haven't found it yet then take a look at the FAQ's and Buying a Bongo its also visible as FAQ at the top page.
I would have thought 8K would be enough to get something with a conversion, maybe not the top of the range but something suitable. Also take a look at the Bongo's for sale on the Club site there are usually a few up for sale at most times of the year!

[jessbob]

Hello again,

We are in South Wales near Llantrisant!

I've looked through the dealer list and it looks as though we are going to have to travel a bit to find a bongo within out price.

What about road tax? Is it expensive?

Should we steer clear of an import (Algy's Autos' look like the prices are good) - what about insuring an import?

Lots of questions sorry!!

[dom_e]

Hey

We found a reasonable (mechanically sound at least) Bongo for less than £4k a couple of years ago. With a full conversion of some quality costing about £5k, you may struggle a bit. The best bet is to find one already converted, but I'd suggest being a bit fussy to get the conversion that will work for you and finding a good base vehicle.

Madmile (Ed) is based in Risca and is worth chatting to if you want to get a conversion done. He's very friendly and does a very good job (although we're still sat on the converion fence and haven't used him).

A home made conversion could be a cheaper alternative. A bit of effort, so DIY skills and time could sort you out with something that costs around £800 incl. a proper fridge and cooker. We've gone down that route for the time being at least and it's serving us well (family of 3 + a dog).

Dom

[jessbob]

Hello again thanks for the replies

We have a car we could P/x which would bring about 3 k to add to it but then we would have to use a dealer (or take the time to sell it privatley) so....we could be looking at having about 10k to play with,,,

[Dr.Jekyll]

Hello again thanks for the replies

We have a car we could P/x which would bring about 3 k to add to it but then we would have to use a dealer (or take the time to sell it privatley) so....we could be looking at having about 10k to play with,,,

Take the time to sell your car and go with cash you will get a much better deal.

I bought my Bongo off EBay from a dealer in Pontypridd (since stopped doing them and has moved on to A-Team type American rubbish....) my Bongo was very cheap and after nearly 2 years I never had a problem other than a split hose.

Price does not equate to a good Bongo, condition does. A newer, read more expensive, Bongo can be in a lot worse condition than an older one but this is something you will see when you go looking. I suppose what I am saying is don’t rush and take your time. There are a bunch of us on here that live like 30 minutes or so away from you and can always show you one of our vans. This way we can show you what is/is not good about a Bongo, so when you see one, then you will have a better idea about what to look out for.

Your other questions: Road tax is around £210 a year, insurance is a pain as you are stuck to about 12 insurance co. to quote from but easy to get over the phone rather than using the net. The price is about the same as for a VW or Merc Vito or Toyota Hi Ace etc.


Anyway, I don’t mind showing you around a Bongo but having said that I am not always around that much…. This is being sent from a camp in the middle of the Sahara for instance…. But next time I am home I would be happy to help.

Dr.J

[wishmaster]

Hi Jessbob, we`re not far from llantrisant over in Caerphilly, we got a New Shape AFT V6 with LPG conversion , on hols at the moment but would happilly show you and your family around ours,the kids can try the freetop and see what they think, theyre lovely vehicles but be patient and dont rush into just anything,try a few and compare, low miles doesnt always mean its a good un, general overall condition and service history is more important . I`ll PM you when i get back and make a date to meet up if you`d like, might be couple weeks but it be worth getting the experience

Regards Izzy

[dom_e]

As Mike and Wishmaster say - you're welcome to view ours as well if that'd help with decision making.

Ours is down as a private light goods vehicle which = £205 tax/yr.

[mobilecat]

There are certainly some on the for sale page that suit your budget I would think

[jessbob]

Thank you, thank you - you have all been so kind!!

We've now seen a bongo 'in the flesh' and yes, it seems to fit the bill!

We're currently looking around and keeping our eyes open for the right one - we are not rushing and feel that maybe we've missed the best of this summer (the weather isn't very inspiring at the moment!)

We'll let you know how we get on!! xx