what campervan?

andrewf75

Apologies if there is a seperate section, but have just started looking at the possiblity of getting a small campervan.

Obviously the VWs are lovely, but way too expensive. From a quick search the Mazda Bongo seems to be very highly regarded.

The downsides to the Bongo seem to be the fuel consumption and the fact that its an import. Are there any other contenders I should be looking at?

frugalmike

andrewf75 wrote: »

Apologies if there is a seperate section, but have just started looking at the possiblity of getting a small campervan.

Obviously the VWs are lovely, but way too expensive. From a quick search the Mazda Bongo seems to be very highly regarded.

The downsides to the Bongo seem to be the fuel consumption and the fact that its an import. Are there any other contenders I should be looking at?

I looked at the bongo and drove a few was very impressed but in the end,5 yrs ago now,I went with a Vw because I found a good one locally and hopefully will keep its value longer.
There is a good forum on this site http://www.bongofury.co.uk/ it will answer all your questions.

AdrianC

Bongos are small. MUCH smaller than a VW. The interiors don't tend to be up to VW standards - they tend to be two-bed, with the bed upstairs, but access to the bed is TERRIBLE. Often it's through a hatch under the mattress, because the bed fills the poptop. Which means that if you want a midnight pee, you have to dismantle the bed - and disturb the other person, if there is one.

VW T4s are not as spacious inside as the older T25s, unless you get a LWB - pricier, and don't fit in a supermarket carpark space. But T25s are getting old now, and you really do need to be a DIYer or have deep pockets.

There's plenty of Renaults or Transits or Mercs or Peugeot-Citroen-Fiats out there, with varying standards of conversions and space. At the end of the day, any bottom-end-of-market camper is a bunch of chipboard piled into a £1,000 van with a £5,000 price tag.

andrewf75

Adrian, these are the kind of things that make me think maybe sticking with a tent is for the best after all! I like the idea of a campervan, but the reality is probably not as great.....

jaydeeuk1

I looked at the idea of bongos/friendees and ford fredas (same van) earlier in the year
They're imported from Japan - they don't use salt on their roads which usually means no rust on a fresh import, however unless they're immediately sealed upon arrival they'll start to rust quite quickly over here, so be wary of models that have been in the UK for a while and avoid the ones that just appear to have minor rust issues like around the wheel arch (they're the first place to go).

I did have a planned budget of around £4-5k for the van and then another grand or two for conversion, however from my research this wouldn't get me a decent import, closer to £10k is more realistic.

Most were autos which also put me off a little, prefer a good ol' manual myself.

One good thing, like old VWs or bedford rascals/bambi vans they'll keep their value well, and might even appreciate, think they stopped making them in 2005