# What to look for when buying a 1992 hymer B644



## jm2209 (Nov 30, 2010)

Hello all,

First post and a complete motorhome novice so go gently.

We have had an offer accepted for a 1992 Fiat Hymer B644 and was wondering if there are any area's we should specifically look for to make sure the vehicles OK?

Not overly knowledgable in general with cars but want a motorhome to travel in next year and this one seems OK and from the research Hymers appear to hold their value well...

Any advice greatly appreciated.

J


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## clive1821 (Mar 27, 2010)

uuummm I'll have a go at this one... first of all welcome to motorhome facts, there a huge amount of info if you become a member at a small cost of £10.00 per year.... when I first brought a camper van it was from ebay and cost me around £10K so appling that to this one.... I checked the van was mot'ed and recently serviced, had a go with the van drove up up a hill and reversed up an incline, there was no info if the cam belt had been change so when I got it i have the cam belt changer and serviced, i checked that the gas fittings worked, the water heater / heating seemed to work, the body work in a resaonible order for the year, won't be perfect... the electrics were working ie, all the lights worked and the living area all the lights working (well 2 lamps did not no big deal) the toilet was in working order, all the taps working? (one was not but again no big deal) the waste water tank was ok and the waste discharge tap seemed to work, as long as all the van is in reasonable working order thats all you can hope for, the expensive things are the leisure battery charger, the sub mersible water pump, the truma heater and the batteries if they all seem to work off you go and enjoy!!! there's bound to be a few odds and sods that may not be quite right but these can be repaired in due time... there's a lot of people who have lots of experience and will come along with their views.... PS I also have a Hymer and its been very good to me so far..


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## hireme (Sep 10, 2010)

*Oops....ran out of space*

Hi.
This is a general list and not specific to your intended Hymer.Please bear in mind the vehicle is nearly 20 years old so should have a few battle scars and signs of wear, but if the vehicle has been well looked after and loved, will give many more years of peasure. One that has been neglected and bodged will bankrupt you.
Check all paperwork. Service history and old MOT's will verify the mileage.
It would be nice to have full service history as this would show what has been replaced and when.
If it is a Fiat base vehicle budget for a full service including cam belt, fan belt and ALL fluids.If the history shows that all or some of this has been done you can delete it from your " To do " list. 
Damp is the biggest killer of Motorhomes and is verry costly to rectify. I would suggest you either have a habitation check carried out or buy a good quallity damp meter and check all of the inside, including the inside of all cupboards and floors. Any significant readings, or a spoungy feel to the wallboards, or that unique smell of damp and you could be in for very expensive repairs. Whilst inside check all the electrics work, check the heating for opperation on gas and or electric, the same with the water heater. Check the window gaskets ( The rubber the window presses against when closed ) It should be pliable with no signes of cracking. Do the windows stay out and retract as designed? 
The electrical controll panel should indicate the voltage in the leisure battery and if fully charged will read 12.7 volts ish. Move into the cab area and check all the driving controlls work, include a visual inspection of the windscreen. Opperate the window winders and check the opperation of any fitted accesories.
On the outside of the vehicle check for any signes of poorly repaired damage to the bodywork, this can sometimes be seen by discoloured paintwork ar the lack of a gloss finish to a body panel. Stand at the back of the vehicle and look down both flanks, you are looking for any ripples in the bodywork. Check any extrnall lockers for damp and make sure the latching and locking mechanisms work corectly. Check all the lights work and that the headlights still have chrome reflectors with no signes of discolouring. Vissualy check all the exposed body seams and look for signes of poor sealing or caulking.
Make sure the tyres have the legall amount of tread and most importantly that there is no cracking in the sidewalls. Look at the front tyres and make sure they are wearing evenly over the tread, any sign of uneven wear may indicate a tracking or suspention problem.
Open the bonnet and let your fist impression be a guide. If everything has a thick film of oil, the oil filter is very dirty, etc, this may show neglect. An engine gay that has been kept cleen by the occasional wipe with a rag, the battery terminalls missing the white fungus and all levells filled to the manufacturers marks should give a feeling of confidence. At this point I would not start the engine.
A road test is vital, but you must bear in mind it will not drive as the same way your familly car does. The engine should start within a couple of seconds once the pre heat light ( A yellow coil illuminates in the instrument panel ) goes out, if it is a diesel. It will be noisey, but as it warms up it should become quieter. The clutvh should opperate smothly and engage before the end of it's travel, if it does not it may indicate a clutch problem. The Camper should not hesitate when accelerating and should feel stable with no tendancy to veer to either side of the road. An amount of sway is accepted but the camper should not continue to oscilate. When safe to do so apply the brakes as if in an emergency situation. The camper should come to a stop with no swerving or any of the wheels locking up. It may be worth getting out of the Camper and check behind you for evidence of skidding. All the instruments should reflect what is happening with the Camper, make sure the speedo needle does not


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## jm2209 (Nov 30, 2010)

**

Thanks so much Clive and Hireme... this info will be invaluable!


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