KEI CAR CAMPING - ADVENTURES IN OUR HONDA VAMOS
A few years ago we picked up this 660cc Honda Vamos as our makeshift van for collecting items from suppliers and running stock between our storage locations.
Our first job was ditching the 13” wheels (complete with worn out tyres) for a set of 14” XTREME-J Rugged items, simply because none of our suppliers stocked replacement 13” tyres!
The 14x5.0J+45 wheels seemed almost laughably small when we unboxed them, even once we'd mounted a set of 155/65R14 tyres!
Once mounted to the Vamos though, they definitely looked tougher than the original wheel and tyre combination.
Fast forward a few months and we’d booked a last minute camping trip to Wales, only to be told a couple of days before arrival that we couldn’t turn up in a car and pitch a tent; we had to bring a “camper van” and sleep inside.
After a bit of head scratching and tentative measuring, we got to work on our Vamos, certain that it could work. With the rear seats removed, two inflatable air beds fit comfortably inside with room to spare, albeit it with the front seats folded flat.
Doing some quick measurements, we were sure that the Front Runner Slimline II roof rack from our Suzuki Jimny would fit. Thankfully it did, and we topped it off by adding a 1.4m Front Runner Easy-Out Awning on quick release brackets.
With only three speeds in the automatic gearbox, progress to Wales was slow, with 60mph equating to 6000rpm. However, the little Vamos took the whole journey in its stride, eventually arriving at the stunning Aberafon campsite in North Wales.
With the Front Runner 1.4m awning set up, we had the perfect simple camping setup, with enough room for the two of us to sleep comfortably inside and enough space for cooking and relaxing under the awning.
We also setup a Front Runner Camplight Light String around the awning, which was really nice and cosy as the beautiful sunset turned to nightfall.
We’ve since taken the Vamos on a number of other camping trips, but we’ll always remember the “what ifs?” during the rush to get it ready for this first trip, along with the excitement of that first journey to North Wales, with the 660cc engine doing its best to keep up with motorway traffic!
Watching the incredible sunset at Porth Iago, North Wales
The Front Runner Camp Kitchen Utensil Set was a game changer on this particular trip - you can see it hanging from the Front Runner Awning in this photo
The Vamos amongst more traditional camper vans at Shell Island, North Wales