# Dispirited motorhomer



## Brock (Jun 14, 2005)

Not a good week for me with the van. I am still awaiting the parts to fit my electric step after more than 2 months. Hymer UK have made a pig's mess of this fix (admittedly unusually for them but perhaps a reflection that they have lost their good staff). My wife injured herself (not seriously) exiting the vehicle and blames my failure to fix the step.

Last Sunday, a driver side rear break line bulb blew. A new bulb didn't work. I've spent a few days thinking about this after work and trying easy fixes without success. Today, I decided to have a real go. Two hours later I concluded that the wire from the junction box on the Alko chassis to the light cluster was broken.

I called out Britannia rescue and a man appeared in about twenty minutes and fitted a new wire. Fixed. As he drove off, my indicators failed on the driver side. An hour later, the man returned after I had phoned Britannia again.

Upshot is that after spending the afternoon under the van, the mechanic (really pleasant soul) had to replace the wiring because the wires were broken (they were put in too short and bend too tightly to cope with the rigours of bumpy roads). He did so willingly but it still took quite a bit of checking and electrical work to get the lights working properly. Then the rear fog light stopped working. Having already spent more than three hours on the van, the breakdown man apologised but said he could spend no longer.

I have wasted another day with the van and still have a broken rear fog light. I'm advised to have the wire to the fog light changed.

As the breakdown man said, why do they make life so hard to maintain these vehicles. He deals with trucks, buses, and commercial vans and has never seen such a botched up wiring job. And I have a Hymer!

So, this evening I sat down and tried to record all the down time I have had with my current van because something was not working properly and the time I have had to take off work to visit dealers. Comparing my memory with my son's actual records from his 2,000 mile a week 03 Transit van, even allowing for his new engines and gearboxes, my down time is much greater than his.

My Hymer is more reliable than my Arto, two Swifts and an Elldis . Yet I am now beginning to think that the frustration of owning a motorhome built by cottagers (those who run cottage industries, not the other sort) is not worth the stress release and joy the van gives me on the few days it seems to be working properly. Perhaps I am losing patience with age.

Anyone want to buy an 05 Hymer 544?


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Brock said:


> Anyone want to buy an 05 Hymer 544?


No thanks - you presented a great advert for it  - but I'll give it a miss and stick with our VW Compass 

You'll get it fixed I am sure and come back on here telling us how yu are enjoying yourself


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## kc10 (Jan 28, 2010)

So who do you blame? Renault or Hymer?


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## TDG (May 26, 2009)

Brock said:


> Not a good week for me with the van. ........Anyone want to buy an 05 Hymer 544?


It does seem that the system outfitting on the majority of vans by the "cottagers" is fairly c**p :evil:
It must be expensive and frustrating for those without the inclination or technical knowledge to tackle some of the running repairs that seem to be required to keeps our vans servicable  
One sort of expects some issues on the likes our cheapo van but on a posh Hymer....... :?: 8O 
The French electrics on ourChausson are terrible and lots of fittings keep falling of in Jane's hands :roll: , but despite that, for us, it continues to tick most of the boxes


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Where does Renault come into the equation, the 544 is based on a Fiat chassis with Fiat electrics. :wink: 

tony


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

I've moved this to Hymer - it was posted in the Renault forum


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