Hymer Swing 544 2001

[Pompey Faithfull]

Brand new to the MH world having graduated from tents!!

Would appreciate any views on the above MH for use in France and Spain with 2 adults and a teenager.

It has the 2.8 jtd engine and good mileage.

I was wondering if there were better 4/5berth out there for around 16k - 20k.

I was initially wanting a rear lounge but seatbelts became an issue unless you went big.

[Robbo]

The Hymer with overcab sleeping area came in 2 versions, hymercamp swing and hymercamp. The swing has a more boxy roofline, whereas the camp has a moulded plastic roof and double floor.

 

The Swing has a mass in running order is 3400Kg with a payload of 550Kg. Subtract weight of passenger and teenager from payload plus any extras such as awning etc, to get a true working payload.

 

Think about sleeping arrangements. The teenager could possibly sleep on the side couch. Overall the 544 layout is quite spacious. We had a 544 based on an A-class cab.

 

The Swing 524 has a single bed in the rear which would probably meet your requirements a bit better. Unfortunately, there are not many around.

 

Check for rust around the cab windscreen. The 2.8 engine is robust but the earlier ones did suffer problems with 5th gear. Engine and chassis improvements were made in 2002 - these are recognised by having a more curved speedometer binnacle.

 

You should be able to purchase a Hymer in good condition with your budget but I'd be looking for a post 2002 model for the reasons given.

 

 

[mgnbuk]

A vehicle of that age will meet Euro 1 or Euro 2 emissions standards, so is unlikely to meet the increasing restrictions on entry to built-up areas.

 

This age of van would get a Red Umweltplakette in Germany - Euro 3 gets an Amber, Euro 4 upwards gets Green. As far as I can recall only Green vehicles allowed in the controlled zones now - there was a transitional period that allowed Red and Amber, then Amber & Green, now only Green. There is currently talk of reinstating proposals for a Blue class for Euro 6 vehicles & some areas that have bad levels of pollution (Stuttgart for example) are pushing for this.

 

You don't mention Germany, but France is currently introducing a similar scheme & these schemes are only likely to become more arduous and widespread. While there are currently options to bypass the controlled zones, that may become more difficult in future.

 

Something to bear in mind, maybe ?

 

Nigel B

[Robbo]

My 2002 Hymer with 2.8 engine was Euro 3 (amber). This emission classification (for this engine) probably continued until 2006 when the new Fiat Euro 4 engines were introduced.

 

Can't say it's ever bothered us too much as we try and keep out of big cities. Or park/camp outside the zone and use public transport. A bit frustrating if a stellplatz is contained within a zone for which you're not permitted.

 

However, it's something to be wary of when purchasing an older van and things will only get more restrictive.

 

 

 

 

[mgnbuk]

Robbo - 2017-03-28 11:36 AM

 

My 2002 Hymer with 2.8 engine was Euro 3 (amber). This emission classification (for this engine) probably continued until 2006 when the new Fiat Euro 4 engines were introduced.

 

Can't say it's ever bothered us too much as we try and keep out of big cities. Or park/camp outside the zone and use public transport. A bit frustrating if a stellplatz is contained within a zone for which you're not permitted.

 

However, it's something to be wary of when purchasing an older van and things will only get more restrictive.

 

 

 

 

 

My first van was a 2003 CI 2 litre JTD & I went for that at the time because it was Euro 3, whereas the other slightly older vans we looked at were Euro 2. I think we got one year when it's Amber plakette was valid in the German zones. Pre-Euro 4 diesels will be (are already ?) the ones most restricted first, but already some cities / areas are talking of Euro 6 minimum by 2020.

 

We had two instances in Germany last September when not having a Green plakette would have been inconvenient - heading for the Moehnesee the autobahn was closed about 3 junctions before we were due to come off at Soest. I managed to get through near standing traffic to come off at an exit (there was just enough movement over 3/4 of an hour to change lanes & come off) , but immediately entered a Green only zone. Had I not had a green plakette, my only legal option would have been to stand with the rest until the autobahn reopened. Later, the traffic monitor on the Garmin reported hour plus delays on the autobahn around Stuttgart, so we came off early and went cross-country on the B roads. This took us into a Green only zone as we clipped the outskirts of Stuttgart. Not being able to enter the zones & being restricted to "transit" routes limits your options to detour if you want to avoid fines.

 

I don't do much in France (2 nights there so far in 6 years / 300+ nights since we got a MH), so have not paid too much attention to the Crit'Air thing - but IIRC there were no "transit" options around the Grenoble area in the initial schemes ? If that is indeed the case, then having a non-compliant vehicle means having to avoid the area altogether to be legal ?

 

Nigel B