# Virgin Campers-First Trip Abroad in a Hymer B544L



## RASSER (May 6, 2007)

Hi everyone. 
We are Bob and Jayne, newly retired in Sheffield and we imported our first 'van' a Hymer B544L at the end of last year and are now getting ready for our first trip to France.
With only a max of 3500kg on our Ducati 15 Alco chassis we have now removed some of the gear we planned to take and drained the water to stay legal. Reading the previous posts it seems that we aren't the only nieve campers who should have bought a higher payload van, particularly for long terming! However we will see how we go on and possibly upgrade later. (Waiting for SVTEC to confirm whether we can uprate, but seems doubtfull.) We thought that with 4 seatbelts, but only 2 of us using the van, that after putting our 2 bikes on the rack that actually came with the van, that there would be plenty of payload left to fill the large lockers, watertank, 150 litre fridge, but we live and learn!! Shame that we will have to restrict our enjoyment of the French cuisine to remain under the weight limit! Perhaps we need some of those helium balloons refered to in a previous post!

Half the weight seems to be in the large table that comes with the L shape and as we won't need this to make up the bed are considering removing this to free up space and weight. Have any other B544L owners done this? Any smaller table refits? 
We also have a Gaslow system with 2x 11kg tanks (part of the weight problem no doubt) which Gaslow state are no more than 80% full max. Has anyone experienced any problems with confirming this when boarding Eurotunnel? Gratefull for any advice. Bob (Rasser) :?


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

It appears to me that some motorhome designers seem to design their motorhomes to carry two pygmies, a bottle of pop and a cheese sandwich and yet stick in enough furniture for a rugby team to sleep in. What is the point sticking all this stuff in when you can only legally use it when stopped. I think I may have to loose a few pounds otherwise the missus will have to drive off without me.


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## eribiste (May 1, 2005)

*Hymer travels*

G'day Rasser,

I've travelled on the train to cross the ditch a good few times, and every time the gas installation has been checked, but only for the purpose of assuring that the bottles are shut off. No-one has ever questioned the fill status yet.

My Hymer is an S class with a U shaped rear lounge that makes up into a double, using the table. In this case the table is free-standing, but we have pulled it and replaced it with a smaller one because:

1. We use the rear bed set infrequently (only two of us).
2. It's too big.
3. It's German engineered; made from left over bits from the 
construction of the Firth of Forth rail bridge and sooo heavy.....

Travelling with near empty water tanks is sensible, IMHO, as you don't cart heavy sloshy stuff about when you're not likely to use it. We use bottled water for drinking, cheap in les hypermarches. We can top the tank up when stopped for washing and showering.

Enjoy your trip abroad, I hope you have many happy trips in your bus.

Eribiste


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Hi Bob, 
Welcome to the site . . as for re-plating from 3500Kg to 3850Kg, We have a Hymer E-520 with the same weight problem [3500Kg] SVTech assured me that providing your tyre rating is above 111 its normally just a 'paper' exercise and for £200 [+VAT] they do the necessary paperwork & send you a new [stick-on] plate


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

luckily we had plenty of payload, that was until we had the tow bar, scooter rack and scooter fitted, it was then the we noticed how much extra weight we had been carrying. Lots of thing we didn't need were removed (10 bottle of suntan lotion, four folding chairs just for the two of us, etc, etc,) and yes a very large table that we replaced with a smaller lighter one.

Ralph


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