Bongo Fury

our diy effort done about 5 years ago

here's mine guys professionally done by Elite Camper Conversions in Worksop







I have since added a power management system and leisure battery with split charging and electric pump and micro-switch sink tap

Heres my latest £1 mod, we often pile coats etc on top of the kitchen and they all fall out once the back doors opened, so £1 shop luggage net untied and re tied to fit, the mounting brackets are parts of a caravan window lock.

Relaxing after another afternoon making the bongo even better...

Finally finished my DIY rear conversion....even managed to complete it over a week before we go away!!





It is 6mm ply with 19x23 battens at the edges & finished in go faster carbon fibre effect vinyl wrap.

lifts in & out easily & securely fixed to teh floor runners with modified coach bolts.

Well done

Very nice. I like the idea of vinyl wrap.

Although my insides had been converted back in April I've been putting off posting pictures of the conversion until I'd received my new V5 and after nearly four months of waiting, with a fair bit of to'ing and fro'ing of info with the DVLA, the new V5 arrived today so here's some photos.

I've gone for three separate units down the sides of the van so I can carry my bikes inside as I deemed them too expensive to be hanging them off the back. The units are made of lightweight marine ply, veneered with ash and finished with oil. I like having the real wood and although it can mark a quick sand and re-oiling brings the finish back, plus they should look better with age.

This is the box seat which can transform into half of the bed as well as seating around the table. The carpet at the front is the back half of the original carpet which by pure chance is exactly the right size.


Looking back you can see the other two units; the kitchen unit on the right and the storage unit on the left.


The table top fits into the box seat and utilising the front seats and box seat fixed across the van can seat four, five at a pinch.


The storage unit, as the name suggests, is for storage which includes the porta potti behind the door on the front.


The kitchen unit contains the gas and fresh and waste water at one end and all the electrics at the other which includes a Waeco CB-36 fridge with a dedicated 12V power supply. This unit has been designed as a self-contained kitchen so it could be unbolted, lifted out and placed in the awning.


The bed made up using the front seats and box seat fixed across the van with its top extended and supported on gate legs.


In addition to all the flexibility of the three units, as the seat rails have been retained I've hidden a pair of seat runners under the units so by removing the box seat there is the potential to refit the middle row of seats should I want to carry more passengers and which could be used as a bed whilst still comply with the V5.

Hi Billy
Without doubt, that is one of the most imaginative conversions I've seen over the years...Top marks!....and quite sufficient room to get up and make a cuppa!....I'm not much of a "conversion " fan, as we use the Bongo as a multi-purpose vehicle, and I sleep in the awning, and Tony gets to sleep with the dogs, or t'other way round, but I'll occasionally kip in the roof.
Do you have a removeable steering wheel?....I have a quick- release one which makes sleeping on the driver's side easier when using the front seat folded!
Oh, and whilst I am a Doggy person, that's one super moggy...I've only had one house-cat...we have a couple of barn-cats, though!
Nice Conversion
Cheers
Helen

Hi Helen

Thanks for the kind words. Overall I'm quite happy with the results although I'm already looking at a few changes; maximising internal space in the boxseat and reducing the depth of the storage unit to give more floor space at the rear. I would also have liked to reduce the depth of the kitchen unit but have had to achieve the best compromise as the size of the fridge, even with the compressor decoupled and fixed underneath, largely dictates not only the dimensions of the unit but also how the unit impacts on the bed and seating arrangements. Had I been making the kitchen a permanent feature I could possibly have removed the internal panel thereby increasing space and reducing my stress levels.

I'll admit that the one thing I hadn't considered from the start was the relationship of the bed and steering wheel so I'd be interested in seeing how your quick release wheel works. As it is now, the bed is longer than required (~190cm) to stop the cushions moving by butting them up against the front console so there should be enough leg room for non-six footers.

The cat is Alex, or Millviewcoon Alexandria to give her her full title. As a Maine Coon most other cats look Lilliputian by comparison and at 15 months old she's still got some growing to do.

Hi
Billy...
I've just looked at your avatar...you have a driver's airbag, thus you can't fit a quick-release wheel...only the early ones can take such, as removing the airbag will invalidate your MOT / insurance....
Oh...indeed a big cat....HOWEVER, I had a giant of a ginger moggy when I was young...I found a 'photo a while back, and it truly was oversized...and not fat!
Cheers
Helen

It is with some nervousness I reveal BertieB's innermost secrets. This is the budget conversion, well lets say backpacking type camping but in a Bongo, 'ish. Also no modification to the Bongo itself.

"Kitchen" in the rear - we sleep using middle and front seats. Rear seats removed. Aim was to be able to make a cup of tea with bed up but domestics normally done at tailgate.
The start .....


Decked out. Free standing and anchored to floor with modified coach bolts in seat rail.


Gas strut on lid (£1.99 from ebay - so pleased!!), magnetic catches for convenience and pushbutton locks to keep everything closed on the move. Slide out chopping board removes, as does bits box for cooking away from bongo.


Now the embarrassing bit. After so long making this I lost patience, and found £14.99 plastic drawers which I mounted on a stand over the other wheel arch. Maybe one day I'll get round to replacing the bungee straps, possibly even the whole drawer stack!


Curtains at the front are in 3 pieces, front and 2xside. Cut by me, sewn by 80 something year old mother in law, bless. All hung from curtain wire, hooked into a modified guy runner attached to the outermost sun visor attachment. We thought it would be a pain putting these up but actually found it only takes a couple of minutes.


And rear is hung using a magnetic strip. Yup, we got the width slightly short ....


There it is. We bought the Bongo to tour Scotland next spring and now cant wait. Bring it on!!

Hi

after being inspired by the above esp billy' whos is really cool, good to see a really good idea which keeps the full width bed without which I couldnt cope (starfish at night!)
we have reversed the middle bench on ours including the rails and use boards and a matress on top which stores between the middle seats and the front driver/pass seats when not in use. we have the cooler box under a seat which attaches to our home made cupboard. this is to go with the kitchen unit which was in when we got her!

anyway pics prob explain better than my ramblings!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickanne/s ... 294264054/

nick

Wow what a brilliant thread some corkers there thinking of sorting something out for myself though nothing too elaborate or costly, but given me a few ideas

Hi all

Here is my recently purchased Bongo, it's 1997 2.5 Diesel 2WD, his name is Bruce. Came as a standard Bongo with the rear gulwing seats. Reversed the middle row (and the rails), the kitchen unit is from Tranzwagon http://tranzwagon.co.uk/shop/mazda-bongo-compact/. I will be installing the matching wheel arch boxes and wardrobe from Tranzwagon in the near future, also I will putting in a Smev 9222 hob/sink combination. Here are the piccys, any comments or suggestions would be welcome.


Untitled by schmoo_smith, on Flickr

Untitled by schmoo_smith, on Flickr

Untitled by schmoo_smith, on Flickr