Betty Bongo

Why didn't we find Bongo's sooner?

So, after years of trying other motorhomes we discovered the Mazda Bongo.

What did we like:

• Automatic gearbox (major benefit as my other half can only drive automatics)
• Can be used as a day van as well as for camping
• Easy to drive (even down those stupid roads the sat nav insists on taking us down)
• Freedom to drive off campsites easily
• As they are Japanese the drivers seat is really suited to me (I'm under 5ft)
• They look like the VW campervans but have a much smaller price tag

The Bongo seemed like the perfect option for us so we spent the next few weeks searching for our perfect specimen.

In late August 2016 we spotted Betty on ebay; she was a beautiful 2 tone silver colour with an Imperial Moonfleet conversion. We met with the seller and checked her over. The MOT had only 1 advisory for misty headlights and importantly she only had a couple of small spots of rust on her rear wheel arches. It was love at first sight.

We had to wait for nearly a week for the auction to end and in the last hour we must have pressed the refresh button every second whilst keeping fingers and toes crossed. It was a huge relief at the end to have won her....

Betty Bongo on her first outing to the New Forest

We picked Betty up on the 1st September and have never looked back. She is the smallest motorhome / campervan we have ever owned but by far the most fun. If we had discovered her first we could have saved ourselves a lot of wasted time and money.

We are now Bongo converts.

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Remember:

Camp more, explore more, enjoy more – live life!

Bertie Bailey

To Tow or Not to Tow?

This was a tricky dilemma.... if I'm being completely honest it scared the hell out of me but how hard could it be?

So, in 2016 we traded in Suzy Swift (our motorhome) for Bertie, a 2013 Bailey Olympus caravan. He was the newest touring vehicle we had ever owned and he came with everything, built-in microwave, full size shower room with separate shower, 2 wardrobes, full size fridge, you name it he had it.

We had a VW Golf 1.9 TD to pull him with and after watching the Caravan Club towing DVD a few times, we were ready for our first trip.

We hitched up (this took about half an hour) and I tentatively pulled away. We made our way 20 miles down the road to a campsite in Wareham, Dorset. I spent half the time looking in the mirrors to make sure he was still attached and the other half monitoring my position on the road.

The first trip was amazing. The space was unbelievable and we had the freedom of the car to go exploring. After towing Bertie back home I was starting to feel more confident and it seemed that this was the best decision we had ever made.

Unfortunately a couple of trips later our cars automatic gearbox had a major meltdown. To this day we don't know if this was caused by towing Bertie or just a stroke of complete bad luck but we had lost all confidence in the car and made the hard decision to sell Bertie on.

We contemplated ending our camping days.... We thought about staying in yurts, gypsy caravans and pods but no one wanted to take our little dog Lottie so we had to find something else. But what?

We were soon to discover the Mazda Bongo and the answer to our prayers!

Suzy Swift

Bigger and Better?

After four wonderful years spent with Daisy Duetto we sold her on in 2012. Her new owners seemed over the moon and I think they still have her to this day.

But 2012 saw us moving up the ladder and, in the land of motorhomes, this meant purchasing a coach built motorhome made by Swift. Suzy was much larger than Daisy but in some ways easier to drive - gone was the 2ft long gear stick, replaced with one on the dashboard. The seat was also much more adjustable and as I'm not even 5ft tall this was a massive bonus, I did, however, still struggle to reach the handbrake.

Suzy Swift:

Length - 6.1m (approx 20ft)

Width - 2.21m (approx 7.25ft)

Height - 3.07m (approx 10.07ft)

Unladen Weight - 2821 kgs





With her spacious shower room, overhead bed and large full size rear lounge camping had suddenly taken on a much more luxurious feel. 

Even Lottie, our little Border Terrier cross Jack Russel seemed well at home....

But the luxury came at a cost, not just the HP agreement we signed, but also the difficulty of leaving a campsite once we had pitched up.

It was also a very large vehicle to drive and the small country lanes were harder to negotiate, especially when you own a sat nav that seems to insist upon taking you down the smallest roads known to man.


We went away in Suzy but our trips involved us staying on campsites and not exploring unless we could get somewhere by foot. We missed the freedom of Daisy and after four years we decided to trade Suzy in to try something completely different.................

A CARAVAN!! 

The Beginning...

In the beginning....

So, many moons ago (roughly 2008), my other half and I decided that we needed a motorhome. It started with us cursing every jolly couple that drove past us merrily on their way to some beautiful destination, probably by the sea!! Not that we were bitter. They always looked so happy and carefree and we desperately wanted to join them.

After months of cursing and in a moment of madness, fueled by alcohol no doubt, we took out a loan and bought our first van conversion motorhome - Daisy.

She was a 1996 Ford Transit Duetto in a delightful shade of beige with beige and blue flower patterned curtains and grey upholstery.

We lovingly improved Daisy, spraying her silver and having new curtains made for her.

Daisy (after being sprayed silver)

Daisy's Interior

I have fond memories of her little kitchen and shower room....

Kitchen - You can see the oven on the left

Shower Room

Her kitchen came complete with tiny oven and fridge / freezer. The freezer held about 4 chips and the oven cooked a small meal for 2.

The shower room had fold down sink and even a little compartment for the toilet roll.

Our first trip away was amazing, well, after I recovered from the sausages rolling off the disposable barbecue and ending up with a face full of water when the water hose flew off the tap. But we all have tales of woe from our very first trip, don't we?

In time we learnt the art of holidaying in a small space and got to grips with all the necessary tasks involved in going away in a motorhome, even emptying the chemical toilet!!

But within a few years we craved more space and it was time to say goodbye to Daisy and hello to Suzy....