Going abroad with ONLY the bongo - no trailer etc

[T9sus4]

I don't for a minute say it's not possible to live in a Bongo for long stretches - but I have decided it's not for me. I've got a year's career break in front of me, travelling Europe with my dog for much of it. I want a permanent bed, I want garage space for sports equipment and wet gear, I want swivel seats and I want a comfy sofa. As the "Bongo Tardis" never made it beyond the design stage, I have decided to "supersize" from the Bongo to a Peugeot Boxer. Now I only have to decide whether L3H2 is big enough, or whether to go straight for L4H3...

[dunslair]

Ditch the chairs altogether. We use a waterproof backed picnic rug and sit on that, with a small tripod stool as back up if we are sitting out cooking. Get rid of the suitcases as well, and use 50 or 60litre holdalls, something like a North Face base camp duffle or Ghelert equivelent is much more maliable when it comes to packing the van. unless you enjoy the hours of setting up and packing away you will find the whole trip more enjoyable

[Alison01326]

I read all this with envy as I can never imagine carrying so little for a proper holidaythat we could actually sleep in the Bongo for more than one night without turfing everything out (we can do it if we are only away for one or two nights). Can't believe that I used to fit worldly goods for two on a motorbike for three weeks in Europe with my ex. Anyway, I digress ...

As David suggests, holdalls are useful. A throwback from my biking days is this luggage, as it used to get dotted about the place to even weight out on the bike. We now dot it about the place to utilise space in the Bongo ...

A combination of these http://www.getgeared.co.uk/Speedbag_Inn ... tegory=202, these http://www.getgeared.co.uk/Universal_Dr ... tegory=202 and a big one of these (but that's only if I think it will need to be stored outside overnight, otherwise it stays at home) http://www.getgeared.co.uk/LOUIS_Intern ... egory=202. The former are also useful as pillows or cushions or "stuffing" for the square hole where the headreasts get taken out at night.

I can't wait for a day when we can use an aire in France, confident that we aren't going to have to dig through four layers of Swingball, chairs and folding cupboard to get to the loo in the night or set fire to our sleeping bags when we make a coffee in the morning.

[Nick65]

Have you thought about space saver bags? We use them instead of suitcases (Well, actually as well as) We can get 2 suitcases worth of clothes in 1 suitcase and you don't need a hoover to suction them out either.

[feeblecat]

Nick, have you a link for space-saver bags? I'm not sure I know what they are.a

We've (me) made an executive decision. Next year we're not taking the trailer. I'm going to totally ruthless regarding what we take but I WILL take our smaller base seconds quechua tent - not bothered too much about that as it really does take seconds to put up/take down and it can stay in the roof.

http://www.tinascamping.com

[feeblecat]

Nick, have you a link for space-saver bags? I'm not sure I know what they are.

We've (me) made an executive decision. Next year we're not taking the trailer. I'm going to totally ruthless regarding what we take but I WILL take our smaller base seconds quechua tent - not bothered too much about that as it really does take seconds to put up/take down and it can stay in the roof.

http://www.tinascamping.com

[Nick65]

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... E+BAGS.htm

I don't buy the ones that require a hoover, but these do for both.

I roll them up and then I can get 2 weeks worth of clothes for 4 of us in the loft for our France trips