Mazda Bongo advice sought

[DavetheIV]

Hello intrepid explorers, I'm hoping you can help me, help a friend who owns a Mazda Bongo & has just started to get an interest in caravanning.

Does anyone who uses this forum own a Bongo & has towed a van with it? If so I'd like to know about this & pass on some info to this friend of mine. What has your experience been? What's the towing capacity, as finding Bongo info I've found difficult? etc.....

Appreciate any help/experience people can offer please. Thanks Dave.

 

[otherclive]

Having owned a “grey” Japanese import I can sympathise with your friend. My fuse box labels were all In Japanese as were the cars weight labels. It even came with a payment receipt from a Tokyo takeaway!

However I found the Owners Club an invaluable source of information and they had translations of lots of stuff. The Australian Club was also a mine of information. I didn’t tow a caravan or trailer with mine. But it did help plenty of Land Rover Defenders and Discoveries when they got stuck. It was a SWB Pajero but I would think the Bongo community worldwide could be a source of information.

 

[Raywood]

The limit should be in the registration document. My feeling is that if none is shown then you cannot tow with it.

 

[ProfJohnL]

The limit should be in the registration document. My feeling is that if none is shown then you cannot tow with it.

Whilst that would certainly be true foe a vehicle import from any other EU country, How non EU countries stipulate or allow towing capacities could be very different.

I am conscious of the fact that I have seen several GMC Astrovans ( US imports) towing boats and caravans, so I suspect there is some protocol in place that allows UK owners to fit and use towbars.

I'm sure the dedicated web sites to the Bongo vans will have information that will lead to correct way to find out.

 

[otherclive]

My Pajero had a towing capacity in its V5 which I assume came as part of its registration by the importing company despite it not being an official Mitsubishi import.
Parksy had a long wheelbase Pajero and towed his caravan with it.

Try this link
http://andrewsjapanesecars.com/japanese-import-towing-weights/

 

[Hutch]

The limit should be in the registration document. My feeling is that if none is shown then you cannot tow with it.

Whilst that would certainly be true foe a vehicle import from any other EU country, How non EU countries stipulate or allow towing capacities could be very different.

I am conscious of the fact that I have seen several GMC Astrovans ( US imports) towing boats and caravans, so I suspect there is some protocol in place that allows UK owners to fit and use towbars.

I'm sure the dedicated web sites to the Bongo vans will have information that will lead to correct way to find out.

Prof I would not be so sure about the "protocl etc" al ot of folk manage to fit tow bars without thinking about legalities. Having lived in Nigeria and seen some very "pretty" tow bars fitted to trucks,. And then they are imported countries, not really inspected, just paper work.

 

[ProfJohnL]

....
Prof I would not be so sure about the "protocl etc" al ot of folk manage to fit tow bars without thinking about legalities. Having lived in Nigeria and seen some very "pretty" tow bars fitted to trucks,. And then they are imported countries, not really inspected, just paper work.

The question is about imports into the UK, (EU) so how other countries deal with the issue is not relevant or particularly helpful. We also know that many people feel it's ok to flout other UK regulations, (eg speeding, and weight limits) but that does not make it right or sensible to suggest such illegal actions.

The OP wants to be legal in the UK.

 

[Raywood]

The limit should be in the registration document. My feeling is that if none is shown then you cannot tow with it.

Whilst that would certainly be true foe a vehicle import from any other EU country, How non EU countries stipulate or allow towing capacities could be very different.

I am conscious of the fact that I have seen several GMC Astrovans ( US imports) towing boats and caravans, so I suspect there is some protocol in place that allows UK owners to fit and use towbars.

I'm sure the dedicated web sites to the Bongo vans will have information that will lead to correct way to find out.

My position is that if no towing figure is shown then you cannot legally tow with it here. I agree other countries may have different criteria for towing capacity, so showing one for any other country does not mean it will comply with our regulations. If a towing capacity is shown then it should be legal to tow up to that weight.

 

[DavetheIV]

To all contributors many thanks, I'll pass the entire post on to my friend & let him Mull things over.

As always really appreciate your support, wisdom & research!