# Who says hymers are not built to last.



## 1978lovebus (Jun 23, 2014)

Hello everyone, I would like to introduce possibly the rarest and oldest B class Hymer in the Uk. She is lady Hymer as she is old n graceful, she is still in service and has been since 1978, this model was the next generation Hymer after the Bedford blitz, she is based on a Mercedes 208 powered by a 2.3ltr petrol that returns 20 - 28 mpg depending on speed, headwind, loading and type of roads. She permanently graced our shores in 2003 and been in active service since. She has had an internal refurb before I got her, but has had more work done since mainly electrical, she has the desirable "u" shaped rear seating. She's still in full use and pretty much self contained and can live off the grid as long as there's sun or wind, with a water fill up every 10 days. If you see her or us be sure to give us a wave or knock on the door if were parked up.. as long as we're not :shag: regards Gary n Kerry.


----------



## stonedaddy (Jun 23, 2014)

*Good Un*

That is a great old lady of the road. :lol-061: LOL I will try to be discreet if I see you parked up before I knock on the door :lol-053: ..
.... Tom ....


----------



## Makzine (Jun 23, 2014)

Great looking bus you have :wave: :drive:


----------



## Topher (Jun 23, 2014)

The more I research the different motorhomes that are available (never owned one, yet) the more I find myself looking at the old Hymers. It is great to see yours still going strong after all these years.


----------



## Deleted member 967 (Jun 23, 2014)

Pre 1994 Hymers were built to last.  Then the accountants moved in.

Lighter build was the result added to faster lighter chassis.  You get car performance.   

The old girls are built on truck chassis that were engineered to do 1,000,000 in about 3 years.  The bodies are stronger and the payloads are higher.


----------



## snowbirds (Jun 23, 2014)

Hi lovebus,

I saw an early Hymer on a Bedford chassis earlier this year with a spare donner CF thrown in with it.Do you know how far they go back and on what other chassis.

Snowbirds.





1978lovebus said:


> Hello everyone, I would like to introduce possibly the rarest and oldest B class Hymer in the Uk. She is lady Hymer as she is old n graceful, she is still in service and has been since 1978, this model was the next generation Hymer after the Bedford blitz, she is based on a Mercedes 208 powered by a 2.3ltr petrol that returns 20 - 28 mpg depending on speed, headwind, loading and type of roads. She permanently graced our shores in 2003 and been in active service since. She has had an internal refurb before I got her, but has had more work done since mainly electrical, she has the desirable "u" shaped rear seating. She's still in full use and pretty much self contained and can live off the grid as long as there's sun or wind, with a water fill up every 10 days. If you see her or us be sure to give us a wave or knock on the door if were parked up.. as long as we're not :shag: regards Gary n Kerry. View attachment 23325 View attachment 23326 View attachment 23327 View attachment 23328 View attachment 23329 View attachment 23330


----------



## mark61 (Jun 23, 2014)

First Hymer motorhomes were on Borgwards, then Mercedes 206D's and 508D's


----------



## K9d (Jun 23, 2014)

Good to know they keep going for many years, mines a mere baby at 25 years old .
I can see how the style progressed form yours to my Fiat based one.


----------



## mark61 (Jun 23, 2014)

prova Magazin Erwin-Hymer-Museum


----------



## Deleted member 775 (Jun 23, 2014)

ive also found this ,but i will try to find the oldest one if i can 
Hymer


----------



## Seahorse (Jun 23, 2014)

Makes my 1990 S660 look like a baby.


----------



## phillybarbour (Jun 23, 2014)

Just love your van especially the little box on the back in matching paint job superb!


----------



## 1978lovebus (Jun 23, 2014)

snowbirds said:


> Hi lovebus,
> 
> I saw an early Hymer on a Bedford chassis earlier this year with a spare donner CF thrown in with it.Do you know how far they go back and on what other chassis.
> 
> Snowbirds.



Hi snowbird, the Bedford your referring to is the Bedford blitz, it is the same body as mine but inter grated onto a Bedford cf chassis, these were the first line of the drop down bed up front brigade, I believe they started in the early to mid seventies then came the Bremen merc and it's chassis intergrated onto the the same body in the late seventies, also the construction of the body was beefed up for winter camping ie the PUAL system, if you google history of the Hymer there is plenty of info, I believe as mentioned the Hymer mercs goe back as far as the fifties and sixties.. This includes the dusselldorfer bus and the Bremen transporter 1 & 2.. There is a link in an earlier post that's gives quite a bit of info on the history.


----------



## 1978lovebus (Jun 24, 2014)

Topher said:


> The more I research the different motorhomes that are available (never owned one, yet) the more I find myself looking at the old Hymers. It is great to see yours still going strong after all these years.



Every year she goes off for the annual mot, and she passes without any advisories, I'm not ageist or biased but the older vehicle are far better in build quality with less to go wrong than the modern stuff, this does apply to most vehicles and not just hymers, but mercs do have a good reputation with Daimler qualitys. I repainted the roof last yr, fitted new skylights, and personalised the inside to how we want her, I have entered her in a local classic vehicle show and received a rosette sponsored bt Sheffield star for my troubles, oh and forgot to mention the side step is electric and not manually operated that just says it all, ie rolls Royce of campers..  The old uns for sale are now becoming few and far between, as folk are realising there quality, so my advice is if you get the opportunity go for it... :goodluck:


----------



## 1978lovebus (Jul 18, 2014)

*Mot*

Took "Lady Hymer" for her annual MOT, took it to a Garage that I nor the "Lady" has been too before, The Mot tester was too say the least quick keen, but on reflection to the test his words was, for 36 yrs old its in really good condition... So that means it will go on for another 36 then.. And yes she flew through with a couple of advisories as the tester is doing his job correctly.. ie headlamp masks, cracked mirrors etc.. So another yr ahead and on the 26th will be travelling down to North Devon, Braunton to be precise..


----------



## 1978lovebus (Jul 18, 2014)

*Mot*

Took "Lady Hymer" for her annual MOT, took it to a Garage that I nor the "Lady" has been too before, The Mot tester was too say the least quite keen, but on reflection to the test his words was, for 36 yrs old its in really good condition... So that means it will go on for another 36 then.. And yes she flew through with a couple of advisories as the tester is doing his job correctly.. ie headlamp masks, cracked mirrors etc.. So another yr ahead and on the 26th will be travelling down to North Devon, Braunton to be precise..


----------



## hpold (Sep 11, 2014)

Our is now 29years old and still going starts first turn of the key would not change it for a new one they grow on you .


----------



## 1978lovebus (Oct 20, 2014)

I keep updating her, she has LED's all over, I'm currently fitting 12v Blue dot led's at floor level and may also fit the same at ceiling level, now at 37 going on 40 shes definately not going anywhere for a while, and with the 40yr historic rolling tax scheme that definately gives me the incentive to keep her. :banana: One life live it....


----------



## Deleted member 20892 (Oct 21, 2014)

Love the wind turbine.!

jt


----------



## 1978lovebus (Oct 23, 2014)

john t said:


> Love the wind turbine.!
> 
> jt



Thats my back up power John for when the sun goes in and the windy conditions are around, perfect for scotland really.. The first pic shows it in its infancy at MAGS ITV 2013, but height was needed to get the best out of it as seen in pic2 at Haxey, and of course the solars and turbine are to keeps these topped up as seen in pic3..


----------



## maingate (Oct 23, 2014)

john t said:


> Love the wind turbine.!
> 
> jt



lovely old van. There is an old hymer that enters the Vintage rallies. You should do the same, it will be a free weekend camping for you as an exhibitor.

BTW, if anyone is interested, I have a Rutland 504 wind turbine for sale, complete with regulator.


----------



## Deleted member 20892 (Oct 23, 2014)

And I that by me doubling up my batteries from 110 to get 220amp was a lot....How many amps you kicking out with them 4 beauties.!

jt


----------



## 1978lovebus (Oct 30, 2014)

john t said:


> And I that by me doubling up my batteries from 110 to get 220amp was a lot....How many amps you kicking out with them 4 beauties.!
> 
> jt



Hi John.... each are 155ah but 6v, they have been connected in series and parralel to give 2x 12v 310ah, these are solely for the 240v electrics and the cd radio in the rear, I also have a 110ah up front for the rest of the 12v electrics at the back.. Ive now just finished fitting the blue LED's in the rear at ground level.. These pics show the first three pics are 12v and the rest are a mixture of 240v with 12v, all on seperate switches, the 240 lights are also LED, the middle upper one in pic 5/6/7 showing warm light was the most expensive @ £49 but a not very common bulb and came from Germany, the two corner ones were off ebay and are cool white..  I know Im showing the lighting at great depth but it may give someone ideas and they can see what it would look like rather the imagine what it would look like, the blue leds were off ebay from a vee dub specialist in devon.. Also this hymer has been updated in the toilet/showeroom, long gone is the porta potty and fold up sink, it now has the bathroom from the later 550 with 12v flushing toilet and led lights of course. So all in all... old she is on the outside but very modern on the inside..  Value, well one cant put a value on something unique and very rare.


----------



## K9d (Oct 30, 2014)

1978lovebus said:


> I keep updating her, she has LED's all over, I'm currently fitting 12v Blue dot led's at floor level and may also fit the same at ceiling level, now at 37 going on 40 shes definately not going anywhere for a while, *and with the 40yr historic rolling tax scheme that definately gives me the incentive to keep her*. :banana: One life live it....
> View attachment 25607 View attachment 25609 View attachment 25610 View attachment 25611



I thought the thieves, sorry government, had stopped the rolling tax thing, has it changed ?


----------



## 1978lovebus (Oct 30, 2014)

Yes its changed but have kept it quiet...  its no longer pre 72 its a rollin, but having said that they can at the budget change it again, but I hope not..

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-excise-duty-40-year-rolling-exemption-for-classic-vehicles


----------



## Burtie (Oct 30, 2014)

Nice example that is cant beat the old ones just love my hymer s750 
That's on a 1984


----------



## 1978lovebus (Nov 10, 2014)

Burtie said:


> Nice example that is cant beat the old ones just love my hymer s750
> That's on a 1984 View attachment 25856View attachment 25857



I love that style of Merc.. there is a FB page if your on FB dedicated to old hymers in Germany.


----------



## K9d (Nov 10, 2014)

1978lovebus said:


> Yes its changed but have kept it quiet...  its no longer pre 72 its a rollin, but having said that they can at the budget change it again, but I hope not..
> 
> https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-excise-duty-40-year-rolling-exemption-for-classic-vehicles



Cool, Now I've just got to wait 14 years


----------

