Views on mid conversions

[flarts]

In this mode without the awning it is tight and unless the weather was fantastic I wouldn't want to spend too long like this.

Just shows you though, 2 grown ups, 2 wee ones AND a dog plus weeks worth of gear... for overnighters where you just need sleep and a cuppa, it can be done

We sat on the drive at the weekend sliding seats around and measuring things... it IS going to be a mid conversion for sure.
I think we've reached a stage we need to stop over thinking it and GET ON WITH IT

[Joe_anne123]

We sat on the drive at the weekend sliding seats around and measuring things... it IS going to be a mid conversion for sure.
I think we've reached a stage we need to stop over thinking it and GET ON WITH IT

My thinking too, a mid conversion (maybe with a wind out awning) should suit me well.

[flarts]

My thinking too, a mid conversion (maybe with a wind out awning) should suit me well.

That's exactly what we've got/are doing... our Bongo even looks exactly like yours too going on your avatar!! Great minds

[sotal]

My thinking too, a mid conversion (maybe with a wind out awning) should suit me well.

That's exactly what we've got/are doing... our Bongo even looks exactly like yours too going on your avatar!! Great minds

My original plan was for a wind out awning but I'm kind of glad we didn't go for one, it would be much easier to put out (I think - never tried!) than the awning but it means that everything has to be packed away each time you want to nip out anywhere.

For us the Bongo is carefully packed to fit everything we need in. This takes a bit of careful packing which takes time (everything only fits in one way!) When we have stayed on site for a week or even just a few days - we put loads out into the awning (nothing valuable) and then we can drive off without having to pack it all back in, the bedding then tends to get stuffed in the boot space behind the rear seats.

I guess the ideal solution would be to have both a wind out awning and a drive away awning, but then that is even more weight. I'd guess you could use both together - pretty sure I've seen people connect the drive away to the pull out with figure of 8.

The other thing that stopped me was the price of the wind out awning!

[sotal]

In this mode without the awning it is tight and unless the weather was fantastic I wouldn't want to spend too long like this.

Just shows you though, 2 grown ups, 2 wee ones AND a dog plus weeks worth of gear... for overnighters where you just need sleep and a cuppa, it can be done

We've even done bacon butties in the morning too!

[AngieC]

Mine's a mid-conversion from Southern Bongos, and we love it for picnics, although we've yet to camp in her thanks to a combination of weather & family circumstances. However I bought her for a slightly different reason to most; she's my work van! I do a number of "pop-up" markets & weekend events in summer, and needed something a little bigger & more comfortable to camp & cook in than our Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. I also need to carry my stock around in without endangering any passengers, thus I really wanted to keep the rear seats intact & mobile. It's mostly just me sleeping in the van; any of my technically-grown-up offspring who come along to help will want to be in their own tents. I have a freestanding awning (a little Sunncamp) which can run off the tailgate or the side, and even works on the C4, but we're fairly accustomed to travelling pretty light or there won't be enough room for my stock.

I paid a little extra to have an "enhanced" mid-conversion, with a proper fridge and a glass splash-back/sink & hob cover, and have a solar panel on the roof to try to run the fridge from in summer; we're usually in farmer's fields with no possibility of hook-up. But haven't had the chance to test it properly yet - only on the odd day out! It also allows us the possibility of going on buying trips to the Continent, if we can take advantage of the occasional cheap ferry offers & not have to worry about affording hotels... oooh, tempting...

[mikeonb4c]

My thinking too, a mid conversion (maybe with a wind out awning) should suit me well.

That's exactly what we've got/are doing... our Bongo even looks exactly like yours too going on your avatar!! Great minds

My original plan was for a wind out awning but I'm kind of glad we didn't go for one, it would be much easier to put out (I think - never tried!) than the awning but it means that everything has to be packed away each time you want to nip out anywhere.

For us the Bongo is carefully packed to fit everything we need in. This takes a bit of careful packing which takes time (everything only fits in one way!) When we have stayed on site for a week or even just a few days - we put loads out into the awning (nothing valuable) and then we can drive off without having to pack it all back in, the bedding then tends to get stuffed in the boot space behind the rear seats.

I guess the ideal solution would be to have both a wind out awning and a drive away awning, but then that is even more weight. I'd guess you could use both together - pretty sure I've seen people connect the drive away to the pull out with figure of 8.

The other thing that stopped me was the price of the wind out awning!

A trailer with a waterproof cover can make it all a lot easier when it comes to packing and/or storing stuff on site. Very little hassle to tow (even more so with something light like an Erde 122) and you can keep all your gear ready in it and it allows you to just connect and go. A good one shouldn't depreciate much if kept in good nick by using a cover / tarpaulin to keep it smart.

[flarts]

I paid a little extra to have an "enhanced" mid-conversion, with a proper fridge and a glass splash-back/sink & hob cover, and have a solar panel on the roof to try to run the fridge from in summer

It's good to hear another approval of the Southern Bongos Mid... this is what we're going for... and indeed with a couple of upgrades too to get it exactly as we'd like... exciting!!!