Pitfalls of buying an "old" hymer ?

[Pampam]

Hello i am constantly looking on ebay for a cheap motorhome,have looked at trigano tribute pvc,but am now looking at hymer coachbuilt ,what would be the pitfalls of buying an old one ,is the insurance high and if you smash the windscreen are you up the creek? Are they prone to damp ?cheers pp:) oh yes and which old model is best im not looking at a tag axle as we want to keep it small this time and cheap so we not whittling about it stuck in storage so much :)

[Dave Newell]

I won't specifically answer regarding Hymers but I would advise a lot of caution when looking for "cheap campers". In the world of motorhomes "cheap" generally equalls "TROUBLE", either through damp or needing tyres or a rusted chassis or knackered suspension or, or ,or.........

 

D.

[Tracker]

I don't know about Hymer specifically but if you buy an old A class or coachbuilt of any conversion I suspect that replacing any non base vehicle standard parts could be a real issue?

 

Having had several I am biased but if I were buying an older van I would tend towards an Autosleeper grp monocoque type because they are very durable and GRP is easy to repair and blend in minor damage.

 

There are lots of old Hymers about, especially abroad so they do seem to be more durable than many others but be aware that the older the van the more 'agricultural' the drive.

 

Usual vehicle caveats apply - get the chassis and power train properly checked by someone who knows what they are doing and give it a good long test drive - not just round the block.

 

There are plenty of old vans in regular use and as long as you have a contingency fund of several thousand pounds just in case yours is a bad one there is no reason why you can't have many years of good use from a golden oldie safe in the knowledge that you are saving a fortune in depreciation over the years which should more than offset the repair bills - unless you are very unlucky.

[StuartO]

Hymers of the early 1990s were very solidly built, there are plenty about and there is a wide choice of layouts, so as long as you don't mind them being underpowered, they present a good cheap prospect. Lots of them are LHD but don't let that put you off; we think it works better, even in UK.

 

If you have to room to park it, go for an A Class and one of the bigger one because they offer much more elbow room and they won't cost much more. We had a tag-axle B694 and it was wonderful! The colour schemes changed on 1994 to a much lighter, pleasanter effect, so 1994 and 1995 models are perhaps the best - after that the lighter construction methods started. The internal engineering of these Hymers (gas, water and electrics) was very good.

 

This dealer always carries a substantial stock of motorhomes in the relevant price bracket:

 

http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/dealer/341146/search

 

I suspect they buy from trade auctions and you shouldn;t expect the stock to be "as new" because they are far from new, but if you don't mind doing some tidying up and prettifying yourself, you could get a good deal.

[Guest pelmetman]

Dave Newell - 2014-06-09 7:03 AM

 

I won't specifically answer regarding Hymers but I would advise a lot of caution when looking for "cheap campers". In the world of motorhomes "cheap" generally equalls "TROUBLE", either through damp or needing tyres or a rusted chassis or knackered suspension or, or ,or.........

 

D.

 

I agree in some respects Dave ;-)..............there is a lot of dross out there...........but equally there is the occasional gem B-).................

 

Things that would tick my box are:-

 

1. Low number of owners

 

2. Full history

 

3. Expect 50k to 80k mileage, although I wouldn't discount a higher mileage vehicle

 

4. Ford chassis for availability and cheapness of parts

 

5. GRP Autosleeper would be high on my wish list

 

6. Expect to pay between 5 & 8k for a decent usable classic camper

 

7. Get it right and appreciation rather than depreciation would be a added bonus :D

 

So keep panning Pam ;-).............with luck you'll strike gold B-)

 

For example........

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Compass-Drifter-355-Motorhome-/301209429199?pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item46217b24cf

[Brian Kirby]

Pampam - 2014-06-09 6:39 AM

 

Hello i am constantly looking on ebay for a cheap motorhome,have looked at trigano tribute pvc,but am now looking at hymer coachbuilt ,what would be the pitfalls of buying an old one ,is the insurance high and if you smash the windscreen are you up the creek? Are they prone to damp ?cheers pp:) oh yes and which old model is best im not looking at a tag axle as we want to keep it small this time and cheap so we not whittling about it stuck in storage so much :)

I think you may mean an A class rather than a coachbuilt. Coachbuilt is the term usually applied to vans where the original driving cab is retained (Hymer have long been available as A class and coachbuilt), whereas with A class vans the whole cab area is also replaced with the converter's bodywork.

 

You will need to mug up on your Hymers, as there have been various versions over the years, based on Fiat, Renault and Mercedes. There are also the B class versions and the B Classics (Fiat/Renault based), which had a simpler body shape in pursuit of lower cost, and B star, which were the Mercedes based ones. So windscreen availability should be reasonably straightforward for the longer running B class models, but may be more difficult on a B Classic, as not so many were produced.

 

I'd suggest a trip to, and chat with, Edge Hill Motorhomes of Mansfield, near Nottingham, and having a look at the Bundesvan website list of used vans for sale. It will depend on your budget, but Edge Hill know Hymers very well, although they are not Hymer dealers (they import used vans for stock from Germany, but also sell traded-in vans, and will get new vans to order), while Bundesvan "sell" only vans in which they have reasonable confidence, usually because they supplied them originally (they import to order from Germany, new and used). The vans on Bundesvan's website will be spread around the UK as they are being sold privately, but are put up on the website as a service to buyers with vans to trade-in.

 

I echo the above cautions. Don't buy any van on reputation alone, they all produced duds from time to time, and any van can leak. It's just that some are, on average, less leak prone than others. Depends on what you mean by "older", but the older the van, the more it needs checking. Just like us, they all age! :-)

[Retread24800]

My view may be a little biased :-) But if you find a B class Hymer from the early '90's and it hasn't been subjected to DIY indignities then it is likely to outlast any non Hymer you will find.

They are built like a brick ...t ....e and the Fiat engineering was designed for commercial use Just make sure you pick one with the TD Motor, while you may find damp, due to the PUAL  (no structural wood) construction, it should not be a major problem. The windscreen was also fitted to a number of minibuses so I was told when I had to have a replacement last year, just make sure your insurance includes full Windscreen cover.

[Russ MMM]

Perhaps this will tempt you then Rich!

 

http://www.spinney.co.uk/sales/used-motorhomes/auto-sleeper-legend-detail

 

I wouldn't mind it myself.

[Pampam]

Yes brian sorry i meant A class and will be researching the different models thanks for info pp:)

[thebishbus]

HI. Our previous van was a 6 berth Burstner, but as the family hardly used it we decided to change to one with more living space. Had a good look around at shows etc . and decided the ideal one for us was the Hymer A class ( B584 ) bar version (2001). Under 6 metres long,drop down bed,side seat that converts to a single bed, I modified this to a three quarter / double for the grand children to use. Nice to use and drive (once you get used to the front width of an A class ) , well-built . A bit thirsty. 21-25 mpg 2.8 id TD manual. Found no pitfalls.

Brian B.

[Tracker]

Russ MMM - 2014-06-10 4:22 PM

 

Perhaps this will tempt you then Rich!

 

http://www.spinney.co.uk/sales/used-motorhomes/auto-sleeper-legend-detail

 

I wouldn't mind it myself.

 

Thanks for the thought Russ but I think that age Tranny is a bit agricultural as I was thinking more mid noughties with the better 2.8 td or better still the even more refined 2.2 hdi propulsion as the navigating/catering officer and I do so enjoy enough peace and relative quiet for some conversation when travelling uphill or at anything over 35 mph!

[Brock]

Pam, don't know where you are based but Hymer owners flock to Hambilton Engineering for non warranty work. It is based just outside Preston. Peter Hambilton is Hymer trained and what he doesn't know about Hymers, is not worth knowing. He could certainly keep an old 'un on the road - he does sell a few - as can C&M Autos who do mechanical servicing up at Lancaster.

 

http://www.friendlyhippo.co.uk/hymerdirect/aboutus.html

 

http://candmauto.co.uk/

 

Old Hymers ["brown ones"] tend to be rock solid although I suppose the odd one isn't. They look great but the mechanicals will be dated and thus not so good to drive. Then followed the first batch on the new Sevel vans. Note everyone was impressed with the build quality [compared to the previosu models] but there are plenty of these vans about suggesting they do stand the test of time. For the later vans, my old 05 plated Hymer was brilliant; 8 years of trouble free ownership. My new one isn't as good.

 

The 544 model has been the mainstay of the Hymer range in the UK. Watch out for those that are 'Classic' models. They have a lower spec, such as no double floor, but otherwise are a cheap alternative to the full monty.

 

Second hand Hymers are as rare as hen's teeth because owners don't like parting with them.

 

The HCI is the main club for Hymer owners. It has a website. I'm not a member so don't know how good it is.

 

 

 

[Guest pelmetman]

Tracker - 2014-06-10 8:27 PM

 

Russ MMM - 2014-06-10 4:22 PM

 

Perhaps this will tempt you then Rich!

 

http://www.spinney.co.uk/sales/used-motorhomes/auto-sleeper-legend-detail

 

I wouldn't mind it myself.

 

Thanks for the thought Russ but I think that age Tranny is a bit agricultural as I was thinking more mid noughties with the better 2.8 td or better still the even more refined 2.2 hdi propulsion as the navigating/catering officer and I do so enjoy enough peace and relative quiet for some conversation when travelling uphill or at anything over 35 mph!

 

Strangely my 99 works van is noisier than my 90 camper ...................makes me wonder why I paid the extra for the music system upgrade *-)...................where as the Kenwood system I installed in the camper is let down by the quality of the standard fit speakers :-| ..............

 

Progress eh?................is a slow progress...............especially when the moonshine merchants (accountants ) start.....................as Martyn pointed out only the other day, his new camper has a quiet cooker ;-).......................perhaps its just me :-S.................but that seems a heck of a way to save 5 quids worth of tea towels................and that assumption is based on buying expensive tea towels :D.......

 

 

[JamesFrance]

We bought one of the first Hymers imported by Madison's in 1985. They were all LHD then and the smaller models were the 534 which we chose, with centre kitchen and washroom and the 544 with front dinette and rear kitchen which was always the most popular model. They were painted cream and brown like the houses in Bad Waldsee where they were made.

 

These were very solidly built with an all over galvanised steel framework, but the chassis was left in primer so look for rust there. Having no turbo, hill climbing was a slow process and we managed to boil the brake fluid going down from the Splugen pass.

 

By the time we traded it in after 6 years for the same price as we paid for it new, the rear springs had weakened so the back was lower than the front. We had no other problems with it apart from the steering ball joints which had rusted before it was delivered and caused some uneven tyre wear at the front.

 

One interesting feature was the lack of a water tank, there were 3 5 gallon plastic carriers under the basin instead and you moved a submersible pump between them like in an Eriba caravan.