Bongo Fury

My plan next Spring is to cut it in half as you suggest.
For me, i want the bigger opening for night times with two small kids, i figure if i mess it up i can just use ply instead!
Will be interesting if nothing else.
Strengthen the cut part with some U shape aluminium and it should be as strong as originally intented. Mother in law is a seamstress so she can make good some material to tidy the cut. That's my plan anyway. Buy some lightweight gas struts so the end part is still hydraulic, it should look pretty decent and cost significantly less than the dealers (rightfully) charge.
I love the "simplicity" of turned inner roof though, always a bit of a design oversight having the hatch in the middle of the roof.

I have the cutting equipment (Dremel through to rip-saw) if you are local, MetalSupermarket is your best bet for the section if you need it

Best bet for gas struts would be a pair of struts from a scrap Bongo as they would come with the brackets, you would have to remove the headlining or use captive nuts (nutserts) as an option. The struts are not expensive to buy otherwise and could be cheaper than the bongo ones

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/gas-stru ... oC8Qfw_wcB

http://www.eurofitdirect.co.uk/gas-stru ... oCEeLw_wcB



Just get one for the right weight to support and with the right brackets unless you make some out of a suitable steel L or T section

Regards

Dr B

All sounds about right.
I actually have a small pair of 150nm struts, which were too strong for the cupboards i made for my conversion, probably not hardy enough, but i will check at some point.
I've always used https://www.themetalstore.co.uk for my metal needs, when i built a teardrop caravan a couple of years ago, their prices were great.
Thanks for the tool offerings, i will certainly consider it when i get a shift on with making it!

Sorry if I'm being thick but I need some help understanding the cat flap Vs Alternative cat flap. The images the OP posted are unfortunately no longer visible.
My situation is that I've just bought an unconverted bongo with the plan for our two kids to sleep upstairs, they are 6 and 4 and the biggest is 120cm. The problem is that my youngest absolutely freaks out when the factory fit hatch is closed, but we can't leave it open as one or both will fall through during the night.
I like the sound of getting 123 in Reading to do the cat flap and my understanding is that the hinges at the tail end of the inner roof would lift up the portion from the tail to roughly between the downstairs cabin light and the factory fit hatch. The reminder of the inner roof (containing the factory fit hatch) would just sit in place. Is this correct? And if so, how does the Alternative cat flap differ? If anyone has any pictures that would be great.

I made both flaps hinge from the other ends. Easy to do if you are ok with a drill a tape measure and a metric tap. I have photos on my flickr album. Google johnbullas flickr bongo catflap as a starter!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbulla ... 7588048502

Dorty photos?

Happy to do another conversion if someone wants a weekday day in southampton

Dr B

Thanks Dr B - so if I understand it right your little square hatch now hinges nearest the front of your van and the cut lifting inner roof hinges at the front of the van feather than the tail?
I know I'm being cheeky but do you have any images taken from downstairs in the van looking up the cat flap in the 'up' position? It might help me get my head round it and explain it better to 'er outdoors.

It looks the same just rotated by 180 degrees

Hi folks, I am about to book my MY2000 Bongo into 321 Away to get the rear hinging flap fitted but have been reading the threads about reversing the sleeping platform and wondered of anyone can answer this question:

Which of these two conversion options leaves the MOST sleeping space with the flap open? (assuming that the reversed platform has the hatch hinges also reversed to open towards the back?)

Idealy I'd like to put my two kids up there but be able to leave the hatch open and the 321 modified platform looks like the sleeping space will be limited once the cat flap is open?

Any input gratefully received.

Purple Pixie wrote: ↑Mon Jul 09, 2018 11:49 pm https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbulla ... 7588048502

Dorty photos?

Happy to do another conversion if someone wants a weekday day in southampton

Dr B

Hi Dr B

As per your kind offer here, I am just wondering if I could ask you to reverse my sleeping platform sometime before Friday the 29th of July?
I'm happy to bring the van to you and lend a hand - obviously pay you for your time as well?
It's a standard MY2000 facelift Bongo AFT.
I'm new to the forum and can't PM you for some reason?

Dr B has been very helpful although I struggled understanding the sequence of his images on flickr, but that says more about me than anything else. Regardless, I've just finished doing mine and it's worked great with my 6yo and 5yo having the hatch near their feet upstairs. As I was doing it I compiled this guide...feel free to share but obviously this isnt the only way to do it and I can't take liability for any damages etc blah blah blah https://drive.google.com/file/d/13_j1DZ ... sp=sharing

I ended up doing mine myself too. Took an afternoon and some trial and error but it works fine, albeit without the gas struts now.

onewheeltoofew wrote: ↑Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:23 pm I like the sound of this. Since our twins arrived, I've been thinking Carton déménagement standard of getting the cat flap installed. Was it an easy job to mount the hinges?
Anyway, looking forward to seeing the pics.

I have a 2002 tintop. Can anyone recommend a company that fits aftermarket elevating roofs to tintops? I would rather avoid one with a front spoiler if at all possible.

Thank you

Welcome to BF.

This thread may help a bit:

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=74034&p=704378&hil ... of#p704378

If you would like to pop a rough location in your profile it's a bit easier to help.

Happy to re-create our swap for any listers happy to come to Southampton

Do be aware this would be in an amateur rather than professional capacity
but the more work you do the less you have to pay me in return for taking
a half day off!

Dr B