Van camping event by Bongo lovers for Bongo lovers
On 6-7 April 2024, the “Japan’s largest collection of DIY bongos in Minano Town in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture” (official name undecided) was held at the “Bokurano Minano Base” campsite in Saitama Prefecture. We spoke to a couple from the event who were there with their dog.
The couple who love mountaineering start van life with Bongo
Sitting amicably on chairs set in front of the open rear gate of a 2018 Mazda Bongo van and drinking beer with relish were couple Daichi Mobara and Eri Fukada. Lunchtime beer is a pleasure that can only be enjoyed at overnight events. They seem to know how to enjoy themselves at such events, judging from the calm demeanour of their dog, Kerun, who was sitting by their side in a well-mannered manner.
“This is our first time at a car event.”
They came from Kanagawa Prefecture to the campsite “Bokurano Minano Base” in Saitama Prefecture. Mr Mobara’s all-time favorite hobby is mountaineering. He met his fiancée, Eri, through mountaineering and has climbed mountains in the 2000 m class. Kerun, of course.
“When I was looking for a car that I could sleep in as a pre-mountain climbing destination, the fact that it was relatively cheaper than other one-boxes was appealing, and the steering wheel angle and column shift were track-like and felt right! The Bongo has a cute retro look, but it’s not that old, which was another reason why we decided on the Bongo.”
DIY interior for van life with textures to match the body
The Bongo that became his car is only four months old, but both the exterior and interior are well-finished.
“We bought the car with the exterior already finished, including the different MAZDA emblem on the front, but we also looked for fabrics in colours and textures that matched the body colour and made the bed, cushions and other items such as shelves together as a DIY project.”
When we asked Eri to show us the back of the sofa bed cushions, she told us that they were made using a DIY tool called a tacker, which fixes fabric and other materials to wood in the manner of a stapler. Eri, who posed for this picture, told us that she was in charge of designing the interior of Bongo this time. Her expression shows how much fun she had while working on the project.
Enjoying van life with their dog
“We made a bed for Kerun between the driver’s seat and the passenger’s seat.”
Eri has traveled to New Zealand with a friend in a DIY van. However, this was the first time for her to touch full-scale tools, and she said that some parts were a little out of alignment or tilted when she looked closely. Such work was done at a DIY workshop at a home improvement center or in the parking lot of Mobara’s workplace.
“Even if we want to travel with our dog, there is often no accommodation conveniently close to our destination where we can stay with our dog, and Kerun usually sleeps in his bed at home and doesn’t come to our bed. When we stay in the car with Bongo, Kerun sleeps between me and her, which makes me very happy.”
Mobara said with a smile.
“This was my first time at an event like this and I enjoyed getting to know so many people who enjoy the van life and I hope to attend again. Also, Bongo has been wanting to do ceiling planking and ceiling lighting, which I’ve wanted to do since I first bought the van, and I’d like to take part in the next event.”
translated by DeepL