# Which hymer to buy for Europe?



## TonyF

I'm new to motorhomes and giving up sailing for a (hopefully) more secure nights sleep - hence I want to buy a motorhome.

I live in spain- but given the exchange rates, I am thinking about buying in the UK.

Need LHD and it must be an A class.

I am just about convinced that it must be a hymer, but which one??

I know a lot is down to personal preference, but my wife and i will mainly be travelling throughout europe alone with occasional married friends joining us.

Main use will be around the Med - but out of season as I prefer to stay at home during the hot tourist season.

My budget is around 30K but i would prefer around 25ish

Any help or advice would be welcome (including anything to avoid!)


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## davesport

A good place to start to gather information is ebay. Not from the point of making a purchase, but simply to look at the pictures both inside & out & what kind of spec you can expect to get in your price range.

My 644 has a fixed rear bed with a garage underneath. If you dont need this it might be better to get one with a rear lounge. The fixed bed takes up loadsa space which could otherwise be lived in.

>25 K will get you a lovely van. Look at as many vans in the flesh as is humanly possible & familiarise yourself with what's in them. It'll serve you well when it comes to parting with the folding green stuff. Measure twice, cut once etc  

Spending a tenner on membership of this forum would be money well spent IMO. Questions are never unanswered for long.

Good luck in your quest, Dave.


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## TonyF

Thanks for your advice - I've probably spent around 8 years looking because i originally thought about a motorhome when I bought my boat. I have also spent around 3 days on the 'net over the past week. :roll: 

Some of my confusion is the photos of Hymer that i have scanned are confusing in description, model number and, well, some of them look like caravan bodies mounted on wheels!

What is the best quality mark (starline .....??) and would Fiat or mercedes suit best to lengthy use around Mainland Europe?

I will eventaully inport the vehicle into spain (so it must have doors on the correct side and be LHD) but I will have to change Speedos and lights if I buy in the UK (minor consideration)

I will take your advice re the subscription though - sounds extreemely good value!

Thanks once again

Tony


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## javea

I sold my Moody 35 (moored in Denia) via Majorca a few years ago and went into motorhoming, never regretted it.

Take your point about the strength of the Euro against Sterling at the moment (has increased costs on running my place in Javea but hopefully a temporary situation for me) but don't forget to have a look at buying in Germany, I have done this twice without any problem. Have a look at www.mobile.de - there is a lot to choose from and of course they are all LHD.

Regards,

Mike


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## aultymer

You have already made the right choice in manufacturer (according to other Hymer owners) and a good choice of body, please do not blow it by considering a Fiat engine and chassis. In my not so humble opinion Merc is the only way to go.
For 2 of us with occasional dogs we have the rear lounge as a fixed king size bed and the forward area as a dinette with the pull down bed for storage of light things like lifejackets, dinghy sails and spare bedding. The pull down is sometimes actually used as a bed for guests.
Whatever you choose - enjoy it.


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## citroennut

aultymer said:


> You have already made the right choice in manufacturer (according to other Hymer owners) and a good choice of body, please do not blow it by considering a Fiat engine and chassis. In my not so humble opinion Merc is the only way to go.
> For 2 of us with occasional dogs we have the rear lounge as a fixed king size bed and the forward area as a dinette with the pull down bed for storage of light things like lifejackets, dinghy sails and spare bedding. The pull down is sometimes actually used as a bed for guests.
> Whatever you choose - enjoy it.


i'd second that, either starline or s class. the gold and cream generation of s class with the one piece curved roof is still one of the best looking.

simon


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## 101405

*hymer*

You will need to check out how you intend to Import your vehicle into spain , this will not be easy, If you import it from Germany it will not have a Reg No after 15 days and you cannot Insure it in spain without plates . it cost me 2000€ to Import a 14 yr old model .most Hymers are on Fiat Chassis and Hymer consider this choice the best.
But Hymer are a mass producer and they have other well known names in the Group .all using Fiat /PSA. These vehicles have served Hymer well over 30 yrs, that In itself should be enough, but consider some of the uk Mfg's as you will find these far more comfy than some of the modern Hymers, For your price you will not get a top range Hymer you are looking at say 10/12yrs old mid range model, most German Mfg's choose Fiat/Psa chassis.


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## Carper

_*most Hymers are on Fiat Chassis and Hymer consider this choice the best*_

Where did that information come from???

As Citreonut said, Starline or S Class. The Starline were the flagship models of their time.....and all fitted with Mercedes engines (Sprinter).

I know of at least 5 Sprinters that have been driven hard and all have done over 400k miles.....and they don't have those silly rubber cam belts, just nice big chains

Doug


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## teemyob

*Hymer Mercedes Fan*

Hello there,

Mercedes fan too, so I will give a 3rd or 4th supporting vote, despite my recent problem with our Sprinter.

Older Fiat will be cheaper and fine for warmer flatter climates. However, for true all-season touring, hill climbing, reliabilty, re-sale value and re-saleability, has to be a Mercedes Sprinter.

However, despite you being blinkered into Hymer, try also. Eriba, Frankia, Eura Mobil, Carthago, Niesman+Bischoff. Also to widen your search for the Sprinter Chassis, try Rapido, Esterel and Pilote.

Trev.


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## aultymer

> most Hymers are on Fiat Chassis and Hymer consider this choice the best.


Where do you get your info?


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## 111051

*HYmer for Europe*

Take a look at this van it is ideal for your purposeB644


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## TonyF

Thanks - but it is too old for me - I think I've now set my sights on a 2000+ Starline on a Merc Base. I currently live near Denia Spain and will be travelling back to the Uk in October to view and buy one. I will draw up a shortlist from the internet before the trip. Thanks to everyone for their advice, I'll let you know how I get on via this site.


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## grouch

Just a thought - when we were buying, Campirama of Belgium was by far the cheapest place.


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## CliveMott

809L its on the 6.6 tonne Iveco . Mercs stop at 5.2 tonne.

But certainly none of the front wheel drive Fiats.


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## JeanLuc

*Hymer A Class (or B-Class as Hymer call them)*

I am sure the Fiat-based B-Class are excellent, but have to agree that we are very happy with our Merc-based version and so would vote for them as preferable. You refer to some confusion over Hymer classes and names. Basically, in order of cost / quality, from the early 2000's, they are as follows:

S-Class based on Merc Spinters (416/616/and more recently 515)
B-Starline based on Merc Sprinters (313/316/413/416)
B-Class based on Fiat Ducatto (2.8 jtd now 2.3 or 3.0 multi-jet)
B-Classic based on Fiat (but there were a few on Merc chassis)

Merc are RWD, Fiat are FWD. RWD tends to give better traction on poor surfaces. Merc chassis numbers refer to max weight and engine power. So, the 3, 4 or 6 part refers to 3.5, 4.5, 6.5 tonnes (in fact Hymer rate the 313/316 at 3.8 tonnes) and the 13 / 16 bit refers to 130 or 160 bhp.

S-Class are much more expensive than the rest, B-Class and B-Starline are of equivalent quality of fittings and finish. B-Classic is a cheaper finish. B-Class on Fiat chassis use the Alko rear chassis section and so have double floors containing fresh and waste water tanks. This makes them very good winter vans. However, we have had no problems with our Starline which, because it is rear-wheel drive, has a single floor and no Alko chassis. The fresh water tank is inside (under the settee) and the waste tank is slung behind the rear differential but it is insulated and heated.

I have a pdf of the Hymer catalogue for 2003 (the year of our van) although it is in German. It has an extensive listing of the various layouts (excluding S-Class - they had a special catalogue of their own). If you would like a copy, please PM me with your e-mail address or I believe you can download it from www.Hymer.de (but it's not that easy to find it on the site).

Best of luck with the search.


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## b16duv

I can't believe the comments regarding mercedes over fiat - they both have faults and benefits. My 2.8jtd has covered 22000 miles in just over 2 years, running at 4 tonnes and often with the toad on the back at gcw of 5 tonnes, and it has never let me down (even in winter in the alps).

As for the best hymer to buy, that would be a Niesmann & Bischoff by a country mile! 

In the end of the day it's horses for courses, front wheel drive is rarely an issue and can often be compensated for by proper observation and plannning.

David


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## citroennut

as am considering downsizing, probably next year, mine could be for sale :roll: 8) . worth stretching the budget for  

simon


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## aultymer

> front wheel drive is rarely an issue and can often be compensated for by proper observation and plannning.


and rear wheel drive needs little observation or planning and will often keep going where observation and planning can't take account of the conditions encountered.


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## teemyob

*RWD*



aultymer said:


> front wheel drive is rarely an issue and can often be compensated for by proper observation and plannning.
> 
> 
> 
> and rear wheel drive needs little observation or planning and will often keep going where observation and planning can't take account of the conditions encountered.
Click to expand...

And RWD with twin wheels is similar to 4x4 and will go just about anywhere. We were in deepest Norway @ -21c. The van climbed a huge hill, thick with snow. With ease, no slip, no spin and no slide.

On the Beitostolen campsite there were only eight motorhomes. Seven were Iveco or Mercedes RWD and one was a Brand New Fiat Dethleffs, fitted with studded tyres and needed snowchains and a shovel.

Trev.


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## thedoc

Hymer gets our vote. We bought our LHD 2005 Starline 680 end of last year, after searching for ages for the right layout. Drives like a dream, plenty of engine power. Air-ride is a good thing to look for as the older Mercs have a tendency to roll a bit. We took it to France in August and it did 2000+ miles with ease, and plenty of comfort (Air-con in habitation area is a very handy accessory for S. Europe in the summer). We think its fitted out well and everything seems solidly built. But you can't beat seeing them in the flesh. We'd probably been in and out of hundreds of Hymers before we chose ours. You'll probably 'feel' the right one when you get in it - we certainly did, and we haven't been disappointed. Best of luck ..... and enjoy the choosing process!! If you want any specific info just let me know.

Kevin


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## TonyF

Can't thank you guys enough for taking the time to help me out. I am offline for a week, so ant advice in the meantime will be most welcome to come home to  

(Citroennut) I will upgrade my membership status when I return and make contact personally.

Having compared the prices in UK and Europe - it is most likely that I shall be travelling home (UK) to make the purchase (as long as the exchange rates remain the same) sometime in October.

Tony


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## Carper

TonyF said:


> Can't thank you guys enough for taking the time to help me out. I am offline for a week, so ant advice in the meantime will be most welcome to come home to
> 
> (Citroennut) I will upgrade my membership status when I return and make contact personally.
> 
> Having compared the prices in UK and Europe - it is most likely that I shall be travelling home (UK) to make the purchase (as long as the exchange rates remain the same) sometime in October.
> 
> Tony


Hi Tony

It is certainly worth the £10 to join.

I joined when looking for our first MH. Found the layout that would suit us best and eventually bought one through the classifieds on here.......from Citreonut :lol:

Good luck with your quest

Doug


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## TonyF

Well I have joined up and so far I think the subscription is money well spent! We've just had a week of torrential rain here in spain - so an ideal time to hunker down and search the internet for a likely Motorhome.

My wife is REALLY taken with a Dethleffs i7870L (which i think is made by Hymer?) - but being our first MH I am a little worried about the overall length - I have also found a Dethleffs i5970 which I think would be a little easier to park and mange generally.

I know this isn't the correct forum for dethleffs (??) but any views would be appreciated - Personal preferences aside-Am i doing the wrong thing straying from the Hymer mark? 8O 

I am almost ready to commit, but travelling from spain to buy means it is almost a one stop shop ...................


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## jhelm

I'm just wondering about the budget, am I not understanding something. He wants to buy an A class year 2000 or newer for 25,000 (31,000 euro). Maybe he could find a B class for around that price or am I not understanding something.


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## TonyF

I think the budget just went up a bit - it's easy to get carried away with this MH thing :lol: 

My heart was originally on a hymer because of reliability and build quality, then in an earlier post, someone mentioned that other German marks might be more comfortable :? 

Anyhow, whilst browsing the web for a few days sitting out some spanish weather we came across a couple of Dethleffs, stating that these were from the ' Hymer Camp' - I just don't know where they fit in to the equation .......


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## JeanLuc

*Veering off the path towards Dethleffs*

When we were looking at the turn of 2006/7, we were very tempted by Dethleffs - in particular the Advantage spec. However, in our view, Hymer felt a bit more solidly constructed, both inside fittings and structurally. (Obviously, I am now biased in favour of Hymer as a satisfied owner.) We also felt that the Dethleffs did not have much ground clearance and that matters on some sites and if you like to venture off good roads. I should point out we were looking at new models; I don't know what the older ones are like.
Another thing that surprised us was the relatively low payload that a lot of the Dethleffs A Class vans had, and that was specially true of the biggest and most luxurious ones. I guess the weight was being used up by extras and fittings. I would strongly advise you to check this, and don't consider anything with less than 500kg usable payload - more if you can get it. By usable, I mean you must take account of fitted extras like awnings, engine upgrades, cab air con, satellite dishes, bike racks etc, as these are not included in the published payload figure.
I believe the Dethleffs you refer to is a twin rear axle van and therefore quite long. Do you really need this space? If it is just for two people, then you will be trading ease of use for luxury. If you have a hoard to transport, then the trade-off may be necessary. As a comparison, our van is just 6.4 metres long and is quite big enough for two, despite having a rear fixed over-garage bed rather than a lot of lounging space. Our aim is to spend time outside (walking, bird watching site-seeing etc.) rather than inside watching TV. Think what your usage pattern is likely to be before you decide. Despite its smaller length, we have been away with two adult children for short breaks: cosy but certainly not too cramped.
Bear in mind that a long, heavy van with front wheel drive may be a 'bit of a pig' to get started on wet grass.

One thing I know little about is weight restrictions for vehicles registered in other EU countries, but I am sure you do. I raise this as a warning since talking to a French MH dealer this summer. He said that ownership of a van over 3.5 tonnes entailed passing a very expensive driving course and test and then paying a significant annual fee to be retested. At least, I think that was what my less than perfect French enabled me to understand. You might want to check this situation if you are registering in Spain.

Finally, Dethleffs are not made by Hymer. But the Dethleffs Company is owned by the Hymer Group, along with N&B, Burstner, Eriba and Laika.


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## wilse

Tony

Thought I'd add my thoughts.
We bought our first MH [hymer van 572 '07] around 16 months ago, we've had a few fortnights and a 3 month stint in France/Spain/Portugal.

When it's time to replace I would go for one with a bigger lounge.
I saw a 2006 dethleffs like you are looking at, and it seems to have a good lounge space. Personally it wasn't something I thought about when buying ours, but realised the drawback when away. Ours is 6.5m long, but with fixed beds [which everyone seems to like] which I think takes up too much space.

Good luck with your search!

wilse


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## TonyF

Well - we did it!!!!

Have just purchased a Hymer B644G from a really nice guy in Bournemouth (who was very sad to sell!) and he had a really cute smart car on an A frame which he added to the sale - so we are all set to take her out to Spain - (after some 'duty visits' to relatives and friends.

We feel like we have taken a really big step and realised our dreams ... can't wait to see how it all pans out. we are planning to start the return journey home on the 13th.

Just like to thank everyone for their advice and guidance and will keep you all posted on the progress.......

Tony


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## vicdicdoc

Right on ! . . good choice :wink:


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## Carper

Hi

Very good choice

....is it the one that was on motorhomesonline, if so it looks really nice

Happy travels

Doug


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## JeanLuc

TonyF said:


> Well - we did it!!!!
> 
> Have just purchased a Hymer B644G from a really nice guy in Bournemouth (who was very sad to sell!) and he had a really cute smart car on an A frame which he added to the sale - so we are all set to take her out to Spain - (after some 'duty visits' to relatives and friends.
> 
> We feel like we have taken a really big step and realised our dreams ... can't wait to see how it all pans out. we are planning to start the return journey home on the 13th.
> 
> Just like to thank everyone for their advice and guidance and will keep you all posted on the progress.......
> 
> Tony


Really good choice Tony, I'm sure you will find the layout is easy to live with and will benefit from the storage space.

Enjoy it.

Philip


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## TonyF

Yes - that is where I saw it first - it eally did match up to expectations - Nigel Jenner was fantastic - a real enthusiast (and reluctant seller!) He spent almost 2 days (after his night shift) showing us over the van and even had 2 new front tyres put on for the sale!

The MH is immaculate and he knew her insideout! (Even to the depth of the roof!) 

We are picking her up this morning, with the smart car and taking her to friends in Bristl to get more familiar. 

We then have some fitting out to do - bedding and personal stuff - and plan to take her home to spain on the w/e of the 13th. Can't wait to get back to the sun!

Thanks once again

Tony


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## 101405

*new purchase*

Good luck with your new M/h. If you are Importing it into spain you will have to declare it to the Dvla , but my Advice is to try and keep a uk reg for 6mths ,As its a real pain Importing it into Spain , takes months and cost a lot.


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## TonyF

Thanks - I'll take your advice - I have now 2 vehicles to sort so I expect it will be twice as expensive -not to mention beaurocratic! As you'll know - everything takes at least three visits in Spain ..... have you used one of the agencies that advertise to import your vehicle or did you do it yourself?

(in my last post - I meant to say "  get more familiar with the Motorhome' not with our friends in Bristol!!


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## chicisles

*hymer 544*

I have a hymer b544 for sale 2003 LHD ONLY 27000 KILOMETRES Immaculate condition. looking for around 28000 pounds same van selling in dealers for between 31 and 33


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## IrishHomer

*Hymer*

Can anyone explain to me the layout of the 630 Starline, 2003 model? IH


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## captmike

*2003 Starline*

Here's a link to the German language brochure (pdf).

http://www.hymer.com/medien/pdf/1129126124-D_RM_Pros_2003.pdf

Cheers,

Mike


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## IrishHomer

Thanks captmike. That was exactly what I wanted. IH


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## neilmac

TonyF said:


> Thanks - I'll take your advice - I have now 2 vehicles to sort so I expect it will be twice as expensive -not to mention beaurocratic! As you'll know - everything takes at least three visits in Spain ..... have you used one of the agencies that advertise to import your vehicle or did you do it yourself?
> 
> (in my last post - I meant to say "  get more familiar with the Motorhome' not with our friends in Bristol!!


Hi Tony, just read this thread. We have used a company to import 2 of our UK vehicles (car and Harley Davidson). We're based just inland from Gandia and the company is somewhere nearer to Alicante.

If you need any help I'll gladly pass on their contact details.

Regards,

Neil


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## TonyF

Thanks - any advice would be welcome - we have a couple of quotes - mostly from people who advertise in the CostaBlanca news - so a personal recommendation would be most welcome

TF


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## JeanLuc

*Re: Hymer B630*



IrishHomer said:


> Can anyone explain to me the layout of the 630 Starline, 2003 model? IH


The picture on page 41 of the brochure in the catalogue link is the interior of a B630 Starline. In fact identical to ours. There were two options: standard version had a dinette, alternative was an L-shaped lounge as shown on page 41.
Chassis options were 313/316 or 413/416 Sprinters. MTPLM on the 31X was either 3.5 or 3.8 tonnes. If 3.5, then the payload is a bit tight if you have extras like awning or the 316 2.7 ltr engine or auto transmission.

The shower-room is a swing-wall and it works very well. Fresh water tank is under the settee and holds 120 ltrs. Waste tank is under the chassis between rear wheels but is insulated and heated, as is the dump-valve. We have never had problems with freezing.

Let me know if you want any other info on them.

Philip


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## neilmac

TonyF said:


> Thanks - any advice would be welcome - we have a couple of quotes - mostly from people who advertise in the CostaBlanca news - so a personal recommendation would be most welcome
> 
> TF


These people Replatemate

The guy to talk to is Graham, although his colleague Alan will also help.

Tell them Neil from Montichelvo sent you 

Best of luck

Neil


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