If you knew then, what you know now?

[Apollo4000]

Hello to all you kind folk,

I have a deposit with JAL Imports for a 1998 v6 Bongo on the water. 47k mileage. The plan is to get a half convertion by JAL; we want to carry our daughter so will retain the factory fitted rear seats.

My question is simple, if you we're in my shoes, what things would ensure you got right when specifying your conversion; what things do you wish you'd got sorted at the outset of your journey? e.g. style of fridge, water tank, plugs, sockets, furry dice, alloy wheels....

To start you off, I wish we had enough money to get the post 1999 style..there, got it off my chest...now the sensible stuff.

Thanks for any insights...

[Bob]

Hi, and a very warm welcome to the Mad House.

We got ours from Phil six plus years ago. We bought unconverted with the intention of getting to a few Meets and looking at conversions plus asking lots of questions.

Bongo peeps will talk all day, and tell the truth about how things are working out.

Ours is still unconverted as it is so useful as an 8 seater/furniture van/camper/you name it.

Point is I recon it is worth looking and asking, and the Meet season is just starting, so do pop along and chat.

[mikeonb4c]

Hi, and a very warm welcome to the Mad House.

We got ours from Phil six plus years ago. We bought unconverted with the intention of getting to a few Meets and looking at conversions plus asking lots of questions.

Bongo peeps will talk all day, and tell the truth about how things are working out.

Ours is still unconverted as it is so useful as an 8 seater/furniture van/camper/you name it.

Point is I recon it is worth looking and asking, and the Meet season is just starting, so do pop along and chat.

I agree with Bob. They are so useful as an eight seater. And you can stick a removeable kitchen unit in the back, maybe DIY at low cost. But whatever you do, I'd study the form first by looking at other peoples Bongos.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Yes...100% with the "don't convert it" brigade....drive and think before you do anything. From personal experience, it's more fun to cook outside, but we're all different. I spent a few years restoring and converting a VW type 2 ...very nice conversion...and then did all the cooking outside ...same with caravans...after all, we go camping to be outside, so my viewpoint is that the van / caravan is for sleeping, and everything else outside, and there's the awning if it's wet outside.
Cheers
Helen

[mikeonb4c]

Have to admit though, with advancing years and increasing laziness, the idea of having nothing to set up on site is appealing. I still think a rear, removeable, swing out kitchen deserves consideration, though I'd want a tailgate throwover to keep the weather out. But it allows a full width bed in a small camper, plus you keep MPV versatility and if, like me, you sleep fine on the standard seats, then it saves conversion costs.

[helen&tony]

Hi Mike
If you can find some old piccies on the 'net of a VW Type 2 with a Devon conversion circa '71, some of them had a swing-out kitchen unit that was fixed behind the passenger seat, and swung out the side door...and the beds could be made up in a number of ways...ingenious!....however...I'm sure you could adapt the idea for the rear...maybe one unit either side...cooker one side, and sink unit t'other side...now that would be the height of KOOL
Cheers
Helen

[helen&tony]

Hi Mike
I've saved your fingers on the keyboard...here's a group of piccies of the exact same interior mine had....you can see the cooker unit in the piccies.:
http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/thedu ... ry/?page=1
Mine was an earlier model, with the older lights on the read, curved engine cooling nacelles, and was exceedingly customised when I'd finished. The actual conversion was so rubbishy, I pulled the interior and seats out, and made my own...
Anyway, the point is that cooker idea could easily be put in the rear of the Bongo, and a similar unit opposite to house the sink. If you put the whole caboodle each side on domestic rising butt hinges, you could lift them off when not needed....VERY KOOL
Cheers
Helen

[g8dhe]

You need to thinks about how you are going to use the van.
For us two we knew we expected to be away for several days to weeks at a time, so a full side conversion, where we could cook inside was essential.
We knew we didn't need to seat more than 4, so made sure we had 4 seatbelts available.
If your likely to want more than 4 people travelling then what ever conversion you go for is going to be a lot smaller, if you also intent to camp out for more than a day you will need an awning to give yourselves sufficient room.
Best bet is get yourselves to a meet and see what others have done and how they use the vehicle, often it can be small things that make life a lot easier.
Also take a look at this section http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 47&t=37365

[billymansell]

Another for don't convert...yet.

If you can find the opportunity then do talk to other owners and look at their conversions before you decide. I had the opportunity to attend a member's meet before I bought my Freda and it gave me an idea of what I liked and didn't like and what was practical and appropriate for me and 18 months later I'm only now getting the conversion I want.

As for your conversion, what do you intend to use it for? An obvious question I know but if you squeeze in everything you want into a Bongo you leave less room for yourselves and you could end up camping in a Wendy house.

As Helen alludes to, experiment with an awning and decide what is essential to be in the van and what can be used outside. By keeping the essentials in the van you maintain its usefulness when travelling or off-site or, should the needs must, when wild camping.

Of course. if you're looking at getting it reclassified then there are minimum requirements for internal equipment but it still allows for some creativity and personalisation.

[Dodgey]

For me, the things that are essential for a conversion are:

- Compressor fridge - not a cool box. It'll cost you north of £400 but worth every penny as your leisure battery will last a good few days between charges with it on all the time. And you'll also have a freezer. Gin & Tonic anyone? With solar you can run it indefinitely.

- Leisure battery and split charging system (i.e. Willington kit etc). Essential really.

- Solar panel - I don't ever use hookups (or campsites) so it means I don't have to worry about power. Small outlay for infinite power and you don't accidentally knacker your leisure battery by flattening it (the solar charger can be wired to cut off the battery at low power)

- Low coolant alarm.

- Make the bed wide as you can - as little as 8-10cm wider than "standard" make all the difference for two people.

- 12 volt sockets - no need to go mad. I personally never use my mains sockets as I never hookup. Plenty do though.

- Get a battery charger / PSU built in so when you hookup not only do you power all your gear, but your battery gets topped up. Nice to do the night before you go away to get the fridge down to temperature and give the battery a healthy top up. With solar this isn't really necessary though.

Everything else is personal preference. For me, the kitchen is essential. Sure, I cook bacon sarnies outside frequently, but only when the weather is nice. Every morning my g/f makes tea whilst I'm waking up, and she sure as hell won't go outside to to that when she's nekkid Also when I'm at car sprints/hill climbs she cooks and makes tea in the comfort of the van. This is England, it's often cold and damp.

p.s. There are insurers who will insure it as a camper without it saying so on the V5.

[mikeWalsall]

When they do the cam belt change .. get them to do the cam / crank seals at the same time .. it should only add the price of the seals to the belt change price ..

[windywatson]

Hi & welcome.

You haven't put your location on your avitar. Where you at, as if there are any members near by they may well drop by for you to have a look at there conversions, thats if you wanted to get a look at other vans.

Cheers

[Apollo4000]

Thanks all. Really helpful advice and plenty of food for thought. I'm In South East London if anyone's got a van to look at.

[karena]

we also started out thinking we would look at a few then convert later -but never converted -
how old is your daughter do you need space for prams etc etc will she want to take her friends out -I can pile all my grandkids in mine for a trip out (not sure thats necessarilly a blessing ) will she want to take her bike camping.

[Apollo4000]

Hi all and thanks for the advice. We have gone for a mid conversion and now await the van once JAL finish it. V excited.