Any bongo owners

lennymc

Looking for info on the mazda bongo if anyone has one.

How are they for 2 adults and 1 toddler, when camping etc. Where is the best place to buy one ?

Thanks!

Alkers

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=98009028

Anything in particular you want to know?

There's good space for two adults sleeping in the roof and storing bags etc "downstairs" but it's cramped with 4 adults as with both beds made up it's basically a big bunk bed and there's not much room for all the gear. Compared to a tent it's great but it's no-where near as luxurious as a large motorhome!

I bought from adverts.ie. I had set up alerts on there and on donedeal. There's a guy in Galway who deals in them but you'll read bad reviews in my thread! Also a lot of people seem to way over-value the ones that do come up for sale over here so you might be best off looking in the UK. There's a couple of good forums and even a facebook community on them so you should find info easily. If you're planning on using it as a daily driver be aware that you're looking at 20-25mpg...

spaceHopper

Make sure you have three point belts in back or better still ISO fix. I've a Jap import toyota hice and like a bongo it's horrific on fuel. But I love it, it will kill me to sell it (one day over my cold dead body )

Alkers

spaceHopper wrote: »

Make sure you have three point belts in back or better still ISO fix. I've a Jap import toyota hice and like a bongo it's horrific on fuel. But I love it, it will kill me to sell it (one day over my cold dead body )

The bongo has 6 3-point belts, the middle seat in the two back rows have lap belts only.

lennymc

Thanks Simona1986 - just read your thread. First time I hav eseen a sink & hob like that - how do you find it?
I guess Im just looking for info on how they are to live with - it will be a second vehicle, so wont be used as an everyday car, but what are parts like to get, how reliable are they, how comfy are they (you answered that). I like the roof on the bongo - factory fit should mean no problems (or am I being naiive)

What sort of price would you expect to pay for one. There are a couple of DD at the moment, but they seem to be overprices (imho) or with mega miles.

Hoping to get one in the next few months, as I guess I am better off buying in the winter

Lenny

Alkers

lennymc wrote: »

Thanks Simona1986 - just read your thread. First time I hav eseen a sink & hob like that - how do you find it?
I guess Im just looking for info on how they are to live with - it will be a second vehicle, so wont be used as an everyday car, but what are parts like to get, how reliable are they, how comfy are they (you answered that). I like the roof on the bongo - factory fit should mean no problems (or am I being naiive)

What sort of price would you expect to pay for one. There are a couple of DD at the moment, but they seem to be overprices (imho) or with mega miles.

Hoping to get one in the next few months, as I guess I am better off buying in the winter

Lenny

I will probably take the sink back out as it wasn't required by the insurance company in the end and it's not needed for tax purposes either.

I find it great to live with, it's actually really nice to drive around town as the view out is great and the steering is really light. It could really do with a 5th gear on the motorway though as it changes to 4th at about 80kph.

Parts are easy to find: http://www.mazdabongo.com/ as well as a few places for second had parts. I think the engine are reliable but you do need to stay on top of the maintenance. Service intervals are only 5,000km so you would want to be doing them yourselves, at least for oil changes. They do rust easily so inspect very carefully for signs of corrosion on the undercarriage and around the sills and if decent I'd get it undersealed as soon as you get it. Other than that the only thing I've had go is the central locking which is a common enough fault but it's not high on my list of priorities. They actually have a great spec for the year, electric windows, roof, mirrors, some have electric blinds etc.

I wouldn't pay more than €6,000 for an old shape that was immaculate and had a conversion that suited me perfectly. The new shape can go for mad money so just be prepared to play a waiting game or look at something that needs a bit of work if you're in any way handy or know someone who is. Easy vehicle to work on.

Anything else, just ask.

LeChienMefiant

Simona1986 wrote: »

I wouldn't pay more than €6,000 for an old shape that was immaculate and had a conversion that suited me perfectly. The new shape can go for mad money so just be prepared to play a waiting game or look at something that needs a bit of work if you're in any way handy or know someone who is. Easy vehicle to work on.

What year did the new shape come out?

Alkers

LeChienMefiant wrote: »

What year did the new shape come out?

I'm not sure but I think 2000.

lennymc

Thanks again for the info Simona! Great to hear from someone who has one! There are a couple on DD for around 6k, but the mileage seems high on them - one has 300K, another is a ford freda. I might try and get to look at some of them over the next week or so. I will also check out mazdabongo.com

Alkers

Wouldn't be concerned about it being a Ford Freda, they're almost identical apart from some bodywork I think. 300,000km is a fair whack, mine has just gone over 150,000km and I have all the MOT records from the UK so it seems to be genuine.

crabbypaddy

300,000 is very high especially if its an automatic at that mileage the valve chest and clutches would be on their last legs, spend a little more and get one with 1/3 the mileage that will last you 3 times as long.

LeChienMefiant

Is there much saving buying in winter/autumn versus spring/summer?

crabbypaddy

LeChienMefiant wrote: »

Is there much saving buying in winter/autumn versus spring/summer?

Yeah especially something like a bongo, owners will be holding out for big prices during the summer, if you really want a bargain I find best time to buy is coming up to christmas and 3rd week in January when the bills have hit and everyone is broke, save the numbers from donedeal, keep old copies of buyandsell etc. and call them when they'll most need the cash. Personally I think the bongo is very narrow and small inside.

judgefoozle

lennymc wrote: »

Looking for info on the mazda bongo if anyone has one.

Hi LennyMc,

Just back from a trip to France in ours - second time over in it, have it two years now.

I use it as a daily driver, and was doing about 600km a week last year in it for work. Probably only do around 50-100km a week now at most. Mileage is around 160k, think it was 85km when I got it - All genuine from what I can see with service records.

I wouldn't be put off by mileage around the 200k mark if at the right price - if there's one out there with 300k on them, at least you know if they've been looked after they can go for a long time.

Ours gets regular servicing as it's due, or things replaced when needed and the engine is nice and quiet. It's petrol and on our recent trip to France gave around the 25mpg mark, which I was very happy with, considering we had 4 bikes on it going over and all our luggage... and with 5 bikes going home and about 50litres of wine

I'd agree with Simona re prices. €6000-€7000 would be a good price for something pre 00 in good condition both body-wise and engine if the conversion suits you. Hold out for something that suits you, take a couple for a spin. There's a lovely one on DD for around €12500, but I couldn't justify that myself no matter what the condition.

As far as living with it - it drives like a nice, tall car. Easy to park and get around in. Multistory parking not possible in most places, but you can easily find places (indoor/outdoor) that you'll fit in - say for example you won't get into Debenhams multistory in Galway, but will in Hynes Yard.

For weekends away, that's where it shines. With a toddler it'd be great, you might all end up sleeping "upstairs" - which is very comfortable, we've used it at a couple of weddings when stuck.

We've two kids, now 9 and 6, both love it and sleep upstairs together on either side of the hatch. We can turn the downstairs into a full double bed, the size of an inflatable double mattress.

Weekend camping you'd really need an awning for Ireland - we've the following and it's brilliant: http://www.khyam.co.uk/shop/motordome-quick-erect/motordome-tourer/

I'm looking into getting a bigger inflatable awning for trips outside Ireland - or maybe a folding caravan or something. We still hire a mobile home or similar if going to France, but that's personal choice really. I'd happily spend a weekend in the bongo with the above setup, but for a fortnight away we want a bit of "luxury"!

http://igmaynard.co.uk/ - BongoFury also a great site for info and research.

There's not a whole lot in Ireland - on Simona's thread, another poster's relation imported two Bongos, so might be worth getting in touch with them to see about options and costs?

Like I said, we have it two years now and still love it. We try and get away at least 4 weekends a year in it in Ireland - you have to be realistic about how often you can get away. It's heavy on fuel, but if you get a good one and you don't do high miles it might balance out so you can justify it practically - Camper tax is 102 per year, insurance max at 350 per year.

lennymc

Thanks Judgefoozle! Thats great info. The mpg doesnt bother me too much, I am used to cars that do cr@p mpg!

Alkers

judgefoozle wrote: »

Hi LennyMc,

Just back from a trip to France in ours - second time over in it, have it two years now.

Have you a conversion in yours and if so what type?

judgefoozle

Simona1986 wrote: »

Have you a conversion in yours and if so what type?

It has a two ring gas hob and sink fitted with electric pump - can carry 50litres of water but generally 25litres does us for France. Also leisure battery so have 3pin household socket as well as 12v's.

Kitchen unit is behind drivers seat - runs parallel to the dash so allows back seat to fold flat and give a good size double bed. Kids can also climb up on it to get to the roof hatch. The rear row of seats was removed, so can only carry 5 people now but to be honest, that doesn't bother me.

Flooring is laminate, which is great - you can just sweep out the back! Whoever did the conversion for previous owner did a great job in fairness - I imagine he spent a bit on it.

judgefoozle

I had added photo's before on the link below - but doesn't seem to let you enlarge them, and I'm not sure where the originals are at the moment, but you can get an idea of interior & conversion:

https://postimg.org/gallery/7nh7gvg/

Alkers

judgefoozle wrote: »

I had added photo's before on the link below - but doesn't seem to let you enlarge them, and I'm not sure where the originals are at the moment, but you can get an idea of interior & conversion:

https://postimg.org/gallery/7nh7gvg/

lennymc

So a quick update. A friend of mine has a bongo and for a few weeks I had been trying to arrange a time to get down to look at it with my wife - she hadn't seen one in the flesh and felt it might be too small. We got to look at it this morning and my wife thought it was great and we decided to get one. A couple of hours later I was browsing a classifieds site and saw a 96 2.5 Freda for sale 30 minutes from my house. Went and had a look at it, drove well, everything worked, and the seller had a genuine interest in the van, it also turns out we both know some of the same people, so long story short, left a deposit and collecting during the week. Needs a service (due in 1000km) and a few small jobs and a good clean, but apart from that I think it's a good one! I will post photos when I get it. Happy days!

Who are people insuring their bongos with?

Alkers

Great news, congrats!

1,000 km before a service is due is grand, the intervals are only 5,000km!

Get it up on a ramp and have a good luck at the undercarriage, if it's in good condition get it undersealed as a matter of priority!

Is it converted or still a car on the logbook?

Dolmen will not insure as there is no "walkway" between the front seats into the "living area".

You can try get insurance through Stuarts but they are a pain to deal with. Premiums are €350 / €650 with them, the cheaper only insures you for "holiday use" whatever the exact definition of that is I couldn't get a decent response from them on and the more expensive allows you to use all the time but you still need to be insured on another vehicle. They required me to get an engineer's cert which I did and then they wanted a certificate for the gas installation but were not sure what cert they wanted. I had a RGI plumber look at the installation and sign off on it but they then wanted me to get a Campervan Dealer to assess it also and suggested a place in Wexford. As I'm in Dublin I didn't follow up on this and ended up stumbling upon Richardson's insurance who are a broker for Allianz and I had insurance for circa €500 and they were a pleasure to deal with.

judgefoozle

Well wear! Hope it's a good one that you get a nice few years out of.

I'm with Stuarts - found them good, checked cert there and it's €315 for the year. That's for me, a named driver and I think up to 30 days driving abroad in one go. It's an Aviva policy and I use it all year round with no issues.

Those photos I posted above were the ones I took to send to the insurance company - so that was enough visual evidence for them. I didn't need to supply certification. Sounds like you got a right going over Simona1986!

Getting hyped up for a stay in Electric Picnic with ours now!

lennymc

so insurance is a no go at the moment with the current layout (i knid of suspected this) so am planning on a new conversion! Yay. I get to buy things

Thinking of a side conversion and losing the middle row of seats. I will keep this thread updated with my progress. Going to put in a solid floor aswell when I am at it.

something like:

Alkers

lennymc wrote: »

so insurance is a no go at the moment with the current layout (i knid of suspected this).

Strange if it was insured before.

What conversion have you.

Try contacting Richardsons as I reckon they would insure you with the layout as it is.

Macy0161

lennymc wrote: »

so insurance is a no go at the moment with the current layout (i knid of suspected this) so am planning on a new conversion! Yay. I get to buy things

Thinking of a side conversion and losing the middle row of seats. I will keep this thread updated with my progress. Going to put in a solid floor aswell when I am at it.

Is it registered as a camper or a car? I've done a bit of research into T5's in the past, and any type of conversion you need to go specialist but with a factory built Californian, it appears you can just insure online as a car!

lennymc

it's registered as a camper.

@simona1986 - apparently the gas connection is wrong - rubber hose up to the cooker, and they don't like rear conversions. It shouldn't take me long to convert it (famous last words)!!
I'm also not stuck for transport as i have cars & bikes at my disposal.

lennymc

Haven't done much on the van since last week, bike racing and stuff getting in the way, but I ordered a shed load of bits!! As well as the split charge kit for leisure battery, smev 9222 and all gas and sink fittings, pumps, hoses, water tanks, gps tracking, wiring, a jacks, 12v portable shower, 12v control panel.

Already have a new radio, battery charger and inverter that I can use, so all i have left to buy are kitchen units - I have an Ikea based kitchen plan in mind which should work out nicely and end up looking similar to the one above, also have some waterproof kitchen laminate flooring for it. Also need table and legs, an rcd hook up, a few sockets and outlets for the 240v, some led lights and probably a few more things like curtains for the rear window. Have a week off work coming up so hoping to have all the bits ready for then and lash into it! Plan is insulation, batons, flooring & wiring, build units, fit sink & hob, get gas fitter to fit gas. Sounds easy...

I'll get some pictures up soon when i start doing the work.

Is there anything else i should buy when Im on a mad buying buzz?

Alkers

Have you considered a low coolant alarm or engine temp alarm (or both)?

What gps tracker did you get, i'd be interested in one of those.

lennymc

Forgot to mention the low coolant alarm. Ordered one last week. The GPS is one of the ebay ones - tk103b - couple of car guys I know use them and say they are OK. It will send you updates via a prepay sim.

crabbypaddy

lennymc wrote: »

Forgot to mention the low coolant alarm. Ordered one last week. The GPS is one of the ebay ones - tk103b - couple of car guys I know use them and say they are OK. It will send you updates via a prepay sim.

Can't believe the trackers are so cheap now, does it tell you the second the van moves?

Brother had a tenching machine stolen from a site in the UK a few years ago over the long weekend. It was so big it should have needed an wide load escort front and back. By the time they discovered it gone the tracker showed it in turkey heading for egypt!

Macy0161

Just on the curtains, when we had the Bay T2, we used the foil/ thermal screens for all the windows. Don't know whether they're available for Bongo's, but definitely helped retain a bit of heat, but also acted as black out blinds which helped with them sleeping! Downside was they take up more space than curtains.