HYMER PARTS 10 YEAR LIFE???

[PJay]

Colin Leake - 2016-10-27 4:59 PM

 

Most things can be fixed one way or another, new pins or holes enlarged and bushes pushed in etc.. I'm lucky enough to have a small lathe which often comes in handy to fix things for myself, family or friends. I've got one of the very original Dyson vacuum cleaners. The plastic wheels wore out so I bored them out and fitted some old roller bearings I had laying about. I only use it in the garage but it's still going strong.

 

Colin, you obviously understand engineering, as does my OH, he is a qualified engineer ( Ret) and has adapted things on our van

 

Lot.s of people , would not know how to begin to repair such a complicated piece of equipment.

 

Could not the bed be adapted to gas struts? Or maybe it does not hinge? so gas struts would not work.

Hymer (more complicated German built !)

 

PJay

[Brian Kirby]

Anything that can be made, can be re-made, or repaired. It is only a question of cost. I'd be surprised if the broken part can't be mended, or patterned, and possibly improved on at the same time.

 

Equally, I'd be very surprised of the cost of remedying the problem is greater than the value of your van, or even greater than the difference in its value with the broken arm and its value with the arm repaired.

 

My suggestion would be to remove both the broken arm and its pair at that end of the bed for inspection, and then seek out a local small engineering workshop to see what they can suggest. The cost of the materials will not be great and, if the workshop has the right machinery (or knows someone who has), the labour in fabrication should not be that high either.

 

There must be someone nearby who does metal fabrication and welding work who can make a new one, and reinforce the other to prevent a repeat performance.

[Colin Leake]

Thoughts at my age take a little longer to come than they used to but one has just now come in. Just because you motorhome is ten years old does not mean that the part has not been used on later vans or even possibly on current ones. I'd say there was a better than even chance that it was. It's not the sort of thing a manufacturer would look to change unless there was a very good reason to do so. Well worth checking I'd say.

[Noody]

As Brian points out those arms are easy to replicate though I would be surprised if you can't get original replacements.

 

I've taken one of these beds to pieces though just to replace the nitrogen rams, it's not easy and you will need to prepare supports for the bed frame. Often you need two people but you don't have room for two people.

[Derek Uzzell]

It would seem from Colin’s (crob’s) postings above that the ‘struts' on his Hymer motorhome’s bed were replaced two years ago, and he was advised then that the bed’s ‘arms’ were quite worn. He is now considering replacing the bed’s arms, but there is nothing to suggest that the arms are broken or that the bed is non-functional.

 

Personally, I would consider it a minor miracle if it proved possible to obtain a unique ‘in house’ part from the manufacturer of a motorhome that was 10 years old.

 

If Hymer has said that they cannot supply new bed arms for Colin’s vehicle (and the arms are unique) the only recourse will be to renovate the existing arms or have replacement arms fabricated. As long as the arms are not broken, renovation should be practicable and cheaper than fabricating replacements.

 

Even if Hymer could have supplied replacement bed arms, the cost would likely have been astronomical and the original arms would have needed to have been removed in any case.

 

Colin says earlier

 

"The arms are metal, some straight, some bent. Some have a joint that I have lubricated. 2 years ago when the struts were replaced I was told that the arms were quite worn. Don't know how or why. I can't see a local firm dealing with it - they seem quite complicated.”

 

I don’t really understand why it should be difficult for him to identify how/why the arms are worn, but the first thing to establish is surely the extent of the ‘wear’ and its current and future effect on the operation and safety of the bed's deployment mechanism. Essentially, is the wear so bad that something MUST be done immediately or the bed may well fall apart, or can the wear be tolerated for a while? If the arms themselves are still in good condition and the wear is just in the joints (as Brian advises) a smalll engineering company should be able to deal with the problem at a reasonable cost.

[Noody]

We-all appear more concerned about the Hymer bed mechanism than the original poster. Not much point in sharing similar experience and giving advice if it isn't needed.

 

My van is 12 years old, in the last year I replaced a main beam lamp and a rear lighting cluster housing. All the other external lighting fittings and lots of internal fittings are still available.

 

I wonder if the original poster has done phone-around for these parts, I have twice come up against someone answering the phone to my enquiry who clearly just could be bothere.

 

Yes, I'm a cynic about the trade. But I am happy. (Smile)

[Derek Uzzell]

Colin originally said

 

"I may need some new arms for the overcab pull down bed in our Hymer. Our nearest Hymer dealer tells me that Hymer in Germany have told them that they do not stock parts for vehicles more than 10 years old!!!”

 

It may well be the case that Hymer cannot supply parts that were unique to Colin’s motorhome when it was built 10 years ago. In fact, I would expect most (all?) motorhome manufacturers to be in a similar position.

 

Certain bought-in parts (eg. Hella headlamps) are likely to remain available as long as there’s a reasonable demand but, realistically, how many owners of a 10 year-old A-class motorhome (Hymer or any other marque) are going to need replacement ‘arms’ for its overcab bed?

 

 

 

[Noody]

Derek Uzzell - 2016-10-28 1:43 PM

 

 

 

Certain bought-in parts (eg. Hella headlamps) are likely to remain available as long as there’s a reasonable demand but, realistically, how many owners of a 10 year-old A-class motorhome (Hymer or any other marque) are going to need replacement ‘arms’ for its overcab bed?

 

 

 

Yes, it's an odd one and having had some experience with this bed arrangement it's all very strong and works well, the problem as I saw it and there were two of us sharing the problem, the original nitrogen rams were only charged enough for the weight of the bed frame and mattress. Many owners preferred to leave thier bedding on the bed rather than take it off and find storage. Also some added memory foam toppers. Just the weight of the bedding would mean the bed frame would bounce as you travel, bouncing is similar to a rattle. Something is going to give and on a really bad road (Think Southern Ireland) you end up with driver and passenger being crushed by the bed.

 

I recognised this along with another owner so we both had updated rams made and fitted them, it has been a good result but getting the rams out and in again is only for very practicle enthusiast. For anyone wanting help with this that firm in Derby who supply the nitrogen rams do offer to do the work, they did at the time I enquired.

[marksrv6]

If the arms are worn at the joints you can get the holes welded up and re-drill new holes, its not a big job.