Ready? Set? Go….when we’re allowed!

I’m sure I’m not alone in starting to feel a growing sense of optimism, a feeling that things genuinely are getting slowly better? In part, I’m sure down to the inevitable changing of the seasons, Spring is in the air, the days are getting longer, and the sun is gradually warming things up again. Changes to Lockdown restrictions are being rolled out, with schools starting back, and a roadmap of lifting other restrictions if the evidence shows the continued decline of Covid cases. The epic vaccine rollout program, with to date just over half the adult population of the UK had first doses.

A sense of hope, of optimism, and a renewed desire to get out and about Bongoing!

Well, perhaps it’s time to have a look at what you should have been doing over the winter, what you can start doing to minimise the impact of long term storage, and how to begin preparing for the open road again. Let’s have a look over the Bongo.

Hopefully, like me, you have been keeping your pride and joy active over the last year? I’ve made a point of taking the Bongo for a 30 to 40 mile run every few weeks, to keep the wheel bearings, brakes, tyres and other running gear from sticking in one position. This has given me plenty of excuses to wash and polish the van too, of course! It is important for any moving machinery that it is “exercised” frequently, and it really is a case of “use it or lose it” where vehicles are concerned. Siezed brake calipers, brake pads glued to the discs with heavy corrosion, wheel bearings dried out, axle seals dry and splitting, and of course the feared condensation in the engine bay and under the van, as well as on the inside. A decent run gets some heat into everything again underneath, dries off moisture, and keeps the engine oil up and around the top end of the engine.

Before, and after a run, it’s worth having a quick look at how things are under the seats ( not every time, but certainly once a month) looking for leaks, splitting hoses, oil leaking where it shouldn’t, anything looking loose, coming apart? Have a look at the front of the engine for the belts, are they intact, not split or cracked, and at the correct tension? Have a look underneath at the exhaust system, pipework and chassis for rust. Check the condition of the tyres – not just the tread and the pressure, but the sidewalls for cracking, in between the tread itself for signs of ageing or splitting, any bulges in the sidewalls that might be a sign of the tyre delaminating, something which can be pretty dramatic at speed on the motorway! Now, open the bonnet and check the fluids accessed from there. Check that vital coolant level and condition. How does the wiring look, the connections at the battery? Brake fluid is here too, check it’s not leaking anywhere, and looks pale, almost clear, and up to the mark.

Time to start the engine!

Hopefully your battery hasn’t gone flat from sitting! Turn on the ignition, wait for the glow plug light to go out, and crank the engine. Excellent, first time!! Now, let the engine idle a bit, check for smooth idle, and have another look around for any leaks or loose components as it starts to warm up a bit.

Wipers – check the wipers and washers, do they work? Bongo washers do tend to stop working without regular use, and it costs nothing to keep skooshing your windows to keep the pumps active ( don’t forget the back one!) and it’s worth replacing those old wiper blades too.

Provided everything is as it should be at this stage, then a road test is next. Now I’m fortunate to have been working throughout the lockdown, and have been able to use the Bongo to travel occasionally, to keep things in good order, but there’s nothing wrong with a run out for a check over your vehicle, and as long as you are not out sightseeing, and drive a loop to return home directly, then this is permitted within your own Council area currently. Ample to check your Bongo over, and exercise the running gear.

Take it nice and easy, drive as if you had a tray of eggs on the roof, until you are positive everything is fine. Gentle acceleration, keeping the revs down where possible, and allowing everything to gently heat up to working temperature. My habit after this is to stop in a layby, after about 10 to 15 miles or so, leave the engine idling and have a look round and under your Bongo. Any leaks? Under the bonnet, no steam anywhere? How do the wheels and tyres look, tyres still inflated? Carefully touch the wheel. It should be warm, perhaps, but never hot. Too much heat is an indication that the brake is binding, and it will soon fail. Tyres too, can be warm, but shouldn’t be hot. If everything is okay, then press on and complete your test run. I try and cover a variety of road types, with dual carriageway and gradual increase of speed to cruising speeds ( wheel wobble? Sign of tyres out of balance, get them checked out at your local tyre fitters) all the while scanning for strange noises,and checking if the van drives as it should.

As you drive the Bongo, how does it “feel”? Does it pull the way it should? Does the gearbox change smoothly and at the expected revs? I like to see how slowly I can get the gearbox up to top gear, normally around 45 mph on a flat road. Once everything is warmed up to running temperature this should be possible. It seems pedantic, but count the gears – does it change up four times to reach top gear? Do the revs look right for the roadspeed? Somewhere around 50-55mph in my Bongo is around or just under 2000 rpm. Check you haven’t pressed the wee “hold” button on the side of the shifter, which prevents the engine getting up the gears ( it should also light up the word “hold” on the dashboard) and is used for a bit of engine braking on downhill roads.

So, complete your test drive, and park up, again with the engine idling. Does it tick over smoothly still? Is the temperature gauge looking as it should? Did you get heat from the heater? Now have a final check under the bonnet, and underneath, for signs of any leaks. DO NOT open or attempt to open the coolant tank when hot!! Wait and check it in a couple of hours, when it has cooled down, and open it SLOWLY, to allow any pressure to equalise. Have another look under the seats, now you have driven the Bongo. Again, checking for leaks, loose components, belts and anything out of the ordinary.

All well? Brilliant!! Time to give your pride and joy a good wash and polish!

I am getting my list of little tinkering projects sorted out for over the Easter holidays – as we won’t be travelling far, and campsites will still be closed, it’s the ideal opportunity to get the little improvements done ready for the season. I have lots to do – I’m planning a bit of refurbishment work underneath on the running gear, keeping the rust prevention treatment up to scratch in the wheel wells and sills etc, some internal modifications, including a replacement analogue clock (thanks Ian Kelly) and some lighting additions, plus the compulsory thorough polishing job!

Looking forward to better times, and getting to meet some fellow Bongonauts out and about, in the not too distant future.