Bongo Fury

Hi All,

I have a young family (2 children aged 5 and 3). My interest has been sparked in campervans for cheap non term-time holidays. The Bongo seems like an awesome vehicle versatility wise.

I am seeking a facelift 2.0 litre petrol, AFT with a manual transmission but understand manuals are rather rare? Internet searches are not helped by listings being vague or inaccurate. I am not interested in converted vans as I want maximum bed space and the flexibility to remove the seats for carrying large loads on occasion. I have camping gear, so figure see how I get on with that and may invest in a removable kitchen pod (or build my own). Plus buy an awning that is quick and easy to erect (any recommendations welcome).

My main driver towards a manual is perhaps better mpg than an auto and simpler / less expensive to fix.

So the big question: does what I want exist and recommendations on where to buy would be very helpful. I live in Southampton.

Many thanks

Welcome, first only the diesel had manual gearbox, it has never been available on either of the petrol versions.
Manuals are available from the shop https://bongoland.co.uk/product-category/manuals/
The 2l petrol is a much simpler engine to maintain, but obviously has less power available, the 2.5 l V6 is nice, plenty of power and needs you to keep an eye on the speed However it is less efficient in terms of mpg unless you add LPG and then spend time hunting the gas down not always so easy when touring.
the 2l will give you 25mpg + on longer journeys, the V6 has less on average 21mpg overall with sub 20 around town and 25+ on longer motorway trips. The diesel is around the 25mpg but you can use vegetable oil straight from the supermarket which can help bring the price down, even if you get odd looks pouring bottles of oil in the carpark!

Welcome aboard.

Full answer from Geoff, sadly fuel economy and Bongo are rarely in the same sentence, but a great all round vehicle.