Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Could a Mazda Bongo work as an everyday car too?

23 replies

tubismybub · 05/05/2007 15:28

The thread about camper vans has reignited my long standing dream of a campervan. Our main reason for not getting one is having 3 vehicles on the drive would be a problem and taxing and insuring a third vehicle that you only use for weekends is a bit pricey.

I'd thought about the bongo in the past but for some reason discounted it but now i've seen you all rave about it on the other thread I would love to seriously consider it as we will be looking to get a new family car this year anyway. So back to my original question are they to big to use as an everyday car and what are all the lovely benefits of a bongo for camping?

OP posts:
tubismybub · 05/05/2007 18:23

bump

come on i need a list of really good reasons to get one before DH comes home

OP posts:
AitchTwoOh · 05/05/2007 18:23

pmsl at bongo.

tubismybub · 05/05/2007 18:25

do you think it miht dent Dh's male ego to drive something called a bongo ?

OP posts:
ChippyMinton · 05/05/2007 18:26

everytime i see a bongo, i think of mumsnet No idea about everyday use - think you can get different layouts inside. Have a google - there must be a bongo apppreciation society out there...

AitchTwoOh · 05/05/2007 18:27

rofl at bongo. that's never not going to be funny for me. thank you. and YES to your most recent question...

WendyWeber · 05/05/2007 18:27

I'm sure Honest John had a ref to the Bongo in the Telegraph the other week. I'll see if I can find it...

WendyWeber · 05/05/2007 18:29

Here you go - about halfway down - now isn't it a good thing that Bongo is such a memorable name

He doesn't say don't get one anyway.

tubismybub · 05/05/2007 18:31

Hmm the name does conja up images of me, dh and ds all singing cum by yah as we drive along but I still really really want one.

I have had a good look at all the info on the web but just want to here real experiences from anyone who's had one/got one.

OP posts:
WendyWeber · 05/05/2007 18:33

bongofury.co.uk

Bongo tales! Of course! (slaps forehead)

tubismybub · 05/05/2007 18:33

thanks for the link wendy

OP posts:
Lucycat · 05/05/2007 19:34

afaik, browny and curlew both have Bongos - god it sounds like a nasty std doen't it? [grin[

might be worth giving them a shout, if they haven't gone away in them this weekend!

tubismybub · 05/05/2007 23:02

have spent the last two hours showing my dh stuff on the net about them i reeeeeeeeeallly want one now!

OP posts:
Skribble · 06/05/2007 11:07

Are these \www.wickedcampers.co.uk/\bongos}? You could hire one for a weekend to try it out.

Skribble · 06/05/2007 11:07

www.wickedcampers.co.uk/ ongos ?

Skribble · 06/05/2007 11:08

Bongos???

AttillaTheHan · 08/05/2007 12:47

Sorry if this is way too late but my brother has a bongo and he loves it. They use it as an everyday family car as well as a weekend camper van and he has no complaints.
In fact we are considering getting one too...

Browny · 09/05/2007 00:27

Lucycat.... how did you know we were away again?. Well, we love our Bongo and the kiddies get really excited when they see another one on the road, but it's not a rare sight anymore, looks like they're becoming really popular..... and about time too!.

Browny · 09/05/2007 00:33

Oh, meant to say that our Bongo is our every day car also (and only car), it's so very handy, too handy sometimes... like when your relatives/friends are moving house and need your 'help', or when something huge needs collecting from somewhere! It's really great too for taking the children's bikes to the park as the two back seats fold and hook up to the side leaving a huge space in the back.. can't you tell I'd never let ours go .

chocolateteapot · 09/05/2007 01:19

Browny, this is our 3rd year of dithering over a Bondo (have now got used to the idea of the name )

Can I ask if it is as horrendous on petrol as I think it's going to be ? It's been really putting me off having one we are only spending about a tenner a week on petrol at the moment. But could really do with something bigger as we can't fit my Mum in between two car seats in the back and I love the idea of being able to go away in it.

AitchTwoOh · 09/05/2007 03:24

ppppffffffffffffft. bongo...

Califrau · 09/05/2007 03:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

kokeshi · 09/05/2007 04:09

Ooooh we have a Bongo and we love it. We only use it at weekends for going away but it's neat enough to use as an everyday car I would think, it's not much wider than your average family car. We can park in normal spaces too.

We have fully comprehensive insurance, which was ridiculously low at something like £230 per annum. That's just for weekend driving though and we found that through the Bongo Fury website.

We have a back conversion, which includes a wee sink and hob, gas tank units and the bed when folded takes up the whole back space, which is big enough for 2 adults. We did get an inflatable mattress as the head rests tend to stick into your kidneys as you try to sleep!

With the bed folded away we have a full bench seat and two fold up single seats at the back. There's also a little kitchen table that can be assembled.

The electric roof is fab, it's more like a tent experience actually, and I think you'd be hard pushed to get more than two kids in there.

Disadvantages are: I've just taxed it for 6 months at a cost of £99. It's a 2.5 litre diesel engine which has permanent 4WD. The average is 30 MPG doing 60 MPH.

The battery runs down really quickly if you use any of the electrics (quite a problem with the roof, air con, lighting at night) so we're thinking of investing in a leisure battery for this purpose. I would say this has been the bigest problem and we've called out the AA on more than one occasion.

Also there's no toilet in ours, although I know some conversions have a porta potty included.

I think the best advantage for us is that we're not restricted to campsites, and Scotland is a fantastic place for wild camping. At the weekend we drove up to Crinan and then down 14 miles down a single track road to an ancient jetty overlooking the sound of Jura. It was only us, the view, and a few sheep for miles and miles. Bliss!!!

tubismybub · 10/05/2007 12:46

so judging from those who have a bongo it's the only way forward really isn't it

just go to reassure dh that it will all be fine

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page