Have Bongo, will travel, right? Well….not recently, we haven’t! But the strange thing is, even stood parked in the driveway, Ali Bongo is capable of putting a smile on my face. In a few short years, the adventures we have shared, the incredible sights we have seen, the places we have visited. This, and the sheer “grin factor” that starting that old diesel up, and setting off, even to the shops gives me makes the Bongo a happy place, a safe haven in the strange world we inhabit these days.
Of course, what I want to be doing is setting off on another adventure – we had several spring trips lined up, what with the newly fitted diesel heater to keep us toasty. We had planned to visit the Inner Hebrides, an island hopping adventure via Arran and onwards west. We never did get to drive the full loop of the North east 250, and the area around Kirkudbright is just beautiful in the spring time. All on hold these last few months, due to our visitor from foreign shores! The inevitable lockdown and restrictions this brings won’t last for ever….it just feels that way!
Two big highlights from last year with the Bongo were meeting fellow owners at the Scottish Summer Bash in Cannich, and of course driving the North Coast 500 route in the autumn, taking a leisurely 6 days to complete the loop and get home. The incredible scenery on offer in our country, and the warmth of fellow owners, have really helped to get me hooked on Bongo life, and whatever the future holds, I hope to have a Bongo in my life for many years to come.
I suppose the ease of driving an automatic, with a high vantage point, light, agile steering, the wheels pushed out near each corner making a stable and comfortable drive, and the compact footprint means you can go, and turn round, just about anywhere! You will never win any drag races in a diesel Bongo, but with a gentle right foot, you can get over 30mpg, and rarely almost 35mpg, giving you about a 400 mile range for your tank. It’s not about getting anywhere quickly anyway. The Bongo is all about what’s round the next corner, and affording you a great view of the scenery as well as the road ahead,and behind, thanks to the amount of glass all around.
After a while, you begin to take for granted the stuff other campervan owners look on with envy – an electric pop-top, for instance!! Sheer decadence, just lean back behind you and press that button on the roof before you get out, and watch the envious eyes swivel towards the beeping miracle that is the Bongo roof tent! The internal space afforded by the compromise of a mid-mounted engine too is not to be forgotten, meaning almost the space of a much bigger van (VWs!) in a much smaller footprint. If anywhere is lacking, perhaps you could argue for a bit more width in the cabin, which would aid hugely when converting, but that would then entail driving a vehicle that was wider than comfortable in a standard car parking space.
The Bongo life is all about the art of compromise anyway, as covered in other posts here. Life is as uncluttered as you choose to make it. If getting up to the smell of frying bacon, ice cold milk on your cereal, and water literally on-tap are important to you, then the sacrifice of a bit of elbow room must be made. If lying spreadeagled over a nice wide bed, and ease of packing/unpacking are important (they are to me), then you can’t have all mod cons, there simply isn’t the room. The main thing is, YOU choose, and you can tailor this clever vehicle to your needs and tastes. Now, what could be better than that?
What has really helped in this Lockdown, over the long days and weeks that we have been unable to get out exploring, is the happy, comfortable space in the Bongo, even in the driveway. I have spent quite a few weekend nights camping out, in my driveway, but always in my happy place, and with the blinds closed, a few drinks, and excellent free wi-fi, well, you could be absolutely anywhere! Something never in doubt was that Ali Bongo was remaining in my ownership. I have seen a few up for sale over the last few months, and although people in hardship, sadly have to make choices, I am fortunate to be able to keep Ali, and spend the time doing all the little jobs that, frankly, would have got left while actually able to use him. The fresh undersealing, the new fog lights, the deep clean and valet, all the tinkering, is actually a blessing.
So, don’t be too downhearted, and don’t dwell on the negatives if you can. Try and keep looking forward to better times, to regaining our right to roam, and to finding out what’s round that next corner – Bongo style!
Ali Bongo's adventures 