Towing a Bongo

Slybacon · Post by **Slybacon** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:56 pm

Hi all. I've just bought a Bongo from BJ4 this week. BJ4 is arranging shipping at the moment and I am beginning to think about how I am going to transport the beast back home from the port.

Does anyone have any experience of towing a Bongo on a trailer? My pal at work has a Mitsubishi L200 and has kindly offered to tow her home on a trailer. We aren't sure if this is a goer or not. Any suggestions? I live in Scotland and am planning to ship to Newcastle as this is the closest port to me.

Captainsideways · Post by **Captainsideways** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:16 pm

Drive it home!

If it all works that is, get it insured on the chassis number, book in in for "freindly" mot & your 100% legal assuming its road legal itself ie no bald tyres or obvious defects. Sans number plates is not a problem, if stopped by plod show the export cert, your insurance & some ID & the details of where its booked in the MOt & you'll be fine & all legal.

Slybacon · Post by **Slybacon** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:21 pm

Cheers Captain! This would save me a whole lot of hasstle!

Post by **Bongoplod** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:10 pm

Captainsideways wrote:Drive it home!

If it all works that is, get it insured on the chassis number, book in in for "freindly" mot & your 100% legal assuming its road legal itself ie no bald tyres or obvious defects. Sans number plates is not a problem, if stopped by plod show the export cert, your insurance & some ID & the details of where its booked in the MOt & you'll be fine & all legal.

The only problem with your comments C`pn is that you can legally drive a veh on a road without an MOT,provided,as you say,that its pre booked into a garage,for that MOT.....HOWEVER,it can only be driven directly to
the garage,no going around the world for shopping, or whatever,on the way.
The point im making is that ,to be legal ,you must pick it up from the dock and be going direct to the garage for the MOT,NO NIPPING HOME FIRST TO POLISH IT OR WHATEVER,or a keen young copper may just take down your particulars.

Hope that helps

Brian (serving plod)

vanvliet · Post by **vanvliet** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:16 pm

That was my backup plan too and it seems to be perfectly legal as long as you have all of the documentation and a confirmation of booking . In the end I was able to borrow a set of trade plates ( probably not strictly legal)
I took a train from Edinburgh to Newcastle one- way on a book ahead ticket for £12 .The Metro link is in the main railway station and for £3 it takes you directly to a station five minutes walk from the docks car compound .I presented my release form from NSA ( they handled all of the paperwork /tax etc for £50 - well spent )at the docks booth and twenty minutes later I was driving out of the dock gates on my way up to Fife . The bongo had enough diesel in it to get me home and was exactly as described by BJ4 .It sailed through its MOT after fitting a flush fit fog ( get a Mazda 626 speedo from a breaker - do not bother with a replacement face ) and it has been almost a year now and I am still chuffed

dandywarhol · Post by **dandywarhol** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:10 pm

vanvliet wrote:That was my backup plan too and it seems to be perfectly legal as long as you have all of the documentation and a confirmation of booking . In the end I was able to borrow a set of trade plates ( probably not strictly legal)
I took a train from Edinburgh to Newcastle one- way on a book ahead ticket for £12 .The Metro link is in the main railway station and for £3 it takes you directly to a station five minutes walk from the docks car compound .I presented my release form from NSA ( they handled all of the paperwork /tax etc for £50 - well spent )at the docks booth and twenty minutes later I was driving out of the dock gates on my way up to Fife . The bongo had enough diesel in it to get me home and was exactly as described by BJ4 .It sailed through its MOT after fitting a flush fit fog ( get a Mazda 626 speedo from a breaker - do not bother with a replacement face ) and it has been almost a year now and I am still chuffed

How to keep a Scotsman happy eh?

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:48 pm

As a matter of curiosity,how would you get on with the insurance company, with regards to the possible comeback on them if the worse was to happen, (you have a prang) In a vehicle with no tax, no mot,no foglight, speedo reading in km's etc.

Would they actually honour a claim in those circumstances?

I seem to recall reading somewhere that japanese spec tyres wont pass a british M.O.T. If that is so,and it's spotted by a D.O.T. roadside check,would the driver be in trouble? Would the insurance still be valid?

Always look on the bright side eh?

Captainsideways · Post by **Captainsideways** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:54 pm

bigdaddycain wrote:As a matter of curiosity,how would you get on with the insurance company, with regards to the possible comeback on them if the worse was to happen, (you have a prang) In a vehicle with no tax, no mot,no foglight, speedo reading in km's etc.

Would they actually honour a claim in those circumstances?

I seem to recall reading somewhere that japanese spec tyres wont pass a british M.O.T. If that is so,and it's spotted by a D.O.T. roadside check,would the driver be in trouble? Would the insurance still be valid?

Always look on the bright side eh?

Some J spec won't pass SVA, totally different for MOT specs though, so long they have enough rubber on not an issue. Plenty of insurers now cover you from dock to door, Road Traffic Act allows you legally to drive A - B (MOT) with insurance, no plates etc.

Slybacon · Post by **Slybacon** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:14 pm

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions folks.

Vanvliet, is NSA - Neptune Shipping Agency? Did you deal with the Manchester office?

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:16 pm

Thanks cap'n

Glynanderson · Post by **Glynanderson** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:07 pm

Who and where are BJ4, if they're in Newcastle upon Tyne I'd love to know more about them.
Cheers

MountainGoat · Post by **MountainGoat** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:54 pm

BJ4 is the Bongo Fury member living in Osaka, Japan

He has sourced good Bongos for quite a few members and arranged for them to be shipped over here.