# hymer advice



## 72van (Dec 14, 2006)

Hi all,
I'm thinking of buying a hymer 544 or 534 and would like any info and advice on what to look for when buying, also any info on maintenance, fuel consumption etc.
I can only afford something thats fairly old so wondered if i might only find old dogs


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## David & Ann (Dec 15, 2006)

*Hymer*

Not much on Tecnical stuff, but in Germany Hymer is classed as one of the top of the range MH.


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## rogerangie (Dec 15, 2006)

*Hymer*



			
				David & Ann said:
			
		

> Not much on Tecnical stuff, but in Germany Hymer is classed as one of the top of the range MH.


In Germany they are called HUMERS. Same spelling as us, just confusing if you are thinking of buying over there which I would if I were you. The best in the business.


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## roland rat (Dec 15, 2006)

*Hymers*

Hi 72 van,
              I own a Hymer 550 on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis, to me they are the best thing since sliced bread, go ahead and buy one you wont regret it. They are built to last and best of all, they never age. My previous one was a 600 model which was originally owned by the MD of JCB Diggers its Reg is NCB 60, if you see it on the road give the owner a wave. Best of luck finding one of your choice,
                    Roland Rat.


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## 72van (Dec 15, 2006)

cheers all

am thinking of going over to Germany to buy, been looking on mobile.de and seen some that look really nice and a much better price then over here, only thing is I'm a little worried about getting ripped off and buying a dog, but i guess that could happen if i bought one here.

What sort of fuel compsumtion can i expect ?


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## David & Ann (Dec 15, 2006)

*Humers-Hymer*

You are correct  regards the pronunciation (Humer) I happen to be German. Glad that you have mentioned it for the benefit our our dear English HM'ers.


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## roland rat (Dec 15, 2006)

*Hymers*

Hi 72 van,
             Regarding fuel consumption, expect a good 30mpg with a Merc Sprinter, 15mpg with an early Merc direct drive gearbox assuming it is fitted with a 5cyl engine. If it has a 4cyl engine expect about 20-25mpg. Remember that the early mercs will be fitted with a kilometer tacho so you will have to convert the consumption into mpg. If your chosen Hymer is fitted with a Fiat engine you should expect about 25mpg but it all depends on how heavy your right foot is. I am not a fan of Alko chassis because the ride is quite solid.it can feel like slight vibrations through the steering wheel.
             I hope the info is of help,
                  Roland Rat.


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## terry1956 (Dec 16, 2006)

*Hymer*

Hi there, just picked up a Hymer B544, no idea of MPG due to fault on injectors, Did look at importing one from germany, but only saw high mileage ones, or older S660 types. For sure the older Hymers are a lot of van for the money and a lot better build quality then many newer vans I have seen around.
Due to the high mileage my partner and I cover each year in our motorhomes, around 30 to 40,000 miles each year, We wanted a bit of speed, and better fuel mileage then the older 2.9 engines give, so went for a 2.8 td.
I did see a Hymer B544 on a 98 plate with air con and very low mileage for belive it all not 10,000 pounds. The think was the site was all in german, and no one spoke English, so it was a no go.
Good luck hunting, and I hope you find what you are looking for. terry


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## David & Ann (Dec 17, 2006)

*German Speaking*

If any of you guys need a German transalator when wishing to make equiries regards purchase or information, I will be willing to oblige.


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## 72van (Dec 17, 2006)

Thank you all, some great infor for me to ponder over, and thanks David for the offer of translating, my wife is German so ok with language, only some technical terms we might need help with.


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## 72van (Dec 17, 2006)

There is one question though I would like to ask.
Is it exceptable in Germany to make a offer and barter on a MH sold by a dealer ?


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## David & Ann (Dec 17, 2006)

*German MH*

Hi Van72
Never ever give them what they ask. Always bargain. You should be able to knock them down by €1000. If it is a cash deal, you can knock them down between €1500 to €2000. (Especially Dealers)
Remember:- When purchasing an MH, make sure you have your Passport. Fahrzeugbrief=Log Book, Autoversicherung=Insurance for bringing the MH from Germany to England, make sure the Insurance is less than month old Also TÜV (pronounced TUUF)=MOT. Bill of sale, very important. If there are number plates on the MH, take them off, you have to take them to the Zulassungsstelle=Registration Office.
At the Zulassungsstelle, pull a ticket number from a machine and wait for your number to appear on a screen.
If the MH is not deregistered, you have to de-register= Abmelden. Then re-register=Anmelden, MH in your name. No number plates, it is okay. Inform them you are exporting the MH to England, they will issue you with Temporary Plates for 15 days or 30 days, take the 15 days, saves you money. YOU MUST TAKE THE MH TO THE REGISTRY OFFICE. 
The whole thing should come to around €39 approx: + €55 for plates approx:
When all the paperwork is done, within the same building you can have the plates made up. After picking up your plates, go back and wait for your name to be called out. Produce your plates and reciepts for all payments. They will stick a circular label and return everything to you. Job done.
If I can help any further let me know.


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## David & Ann (Dec 17, 2006)

*German MH*

Van72. If the MH is more than two yearsold, you do not have to pay Export Duty or any other costs. Number plates are called "Kennzeichnen" You can buy at any garage or shop which deals in cars the patches for your lights to be corrected.


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## 72van (Dec 18, 2006)

Thanks David, 
Your advice is going to come in very helpful.


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## Deleted member 967 (Feb 20, 2007)

*Hymer S700*

I looked around for about a year at Hymer Motorhomes in the UK and only found one that came up to what I was looking for and they were all over £20,000

I eventually bought a *Hymer S700 *Merc 2.9, Manual, Bar Version with Fixed end bedroom, from Dortmund on eBay in November 2006.  The seller helped with all of the registration and export documentation.

I had never driven on the continent before but really enjoyed the experience.

The Hymer was in exceptional condition.  I used Travellers cheques to pay for it and drove it back 1000k via Belgium, France and Holland.  Made a holiday of it by flying out and arriving back in the UK a week later.  

I saved about £5000, on a similar van in much poorer condition in this country, including the formalities, airfare for two, hotel for one night, camping fees and Diesel and the Ferry back from Ijmuden to Newcastle upon Tyne.

I used a laptop with Autoroute 2006 with SatNav.  This was OK for planning but was useless for guidance as it gave instructions too far ahead and if you went off route it told you “OFF ROUTE” but left you to get back on route yourself before it resumed to direct you.

We got lost on my first night in Aachen in Germany, spending 4 hours looking for the campsite and finished up wild camping on a grass verge in a residential street.  I put this down to being too tired and trying to do too much in one day.

We stayed on a campsite at Kemell in Belgium (Camping Ipra) for two nights to charge up the batteries (the vans and mine), take on more water and drop the cassette contents. We visit the battlefields of the first world war. Then wild camped two nights in Holland the last night was spent near the ferry terminal at Ijmuden. 
.


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## jockwalian (Feb 20, 2007)

Hi,
I have a S555 Hymer 1990,bought it off a mate and would`nt swap it for anything.Its reliable as they come,Merc 310 diesel in it is unbreakable.(hope i havnt jinxed it by that statement).28MPG,slow as the proverbial hare but not an issue for me.Could probably get 30mpg but would have to go even slower than i do now.Its build quality is A1,might look dated but who cares every one who owns one knows how good they are. Stick to this country if you can and get it soon or you will pay another grand or so when the season arrives.

Good luck and just do it.

Martin..


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## Hobo (Sep 17, 2007)

*FFB 570 classic*

Talking about hymers,I have just aquired a ffb classic 570 and its verry simualar to my sisters hymer,does anyone know anything about the ffb! I have not seen any on the roads anywere while traveling, am I  the only one with one?I have had a number of campers and this one is the best yet.Good luck with buying a hymer, If I see any about for sale I will let you know, Hobo.


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## David & Ann (Sep 18, 2007)

Hobo said:
			
		

> Talking about hymers,I have just aquired a ffb classic 570 and its verry simualar to my sisters hymer,does anyone know anything about the ffb! I have not seen any on the roads anywere while traveling, am I  the only one with one?I have had a number of campers and this one is the best yet.Good luck with buying a hymer, If I see any about for sale I will let you know, Hobo.



Go to Photo Gallery by clicking Forums at the top of the page, then click page 7 (FFB Europa 650. David & Ann). That is an FFB. I don't have it anymore. Burnt to the ground in an arson attack.


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## David & Ann (Sep 18, 2007)

***** said:
			
		

> Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a FFB?



Hi Graham
FFB is the Registration of a village in southern Germany. The Company took this reg: as the name of the Company. Example:- HH=Hamburg, B=Berlin, AC=Achen. A single letter shows the population is more than a million. Two letters is more than 500,000 pop:. Three letters is less than 500,000 pop: I know that one of the "F's" stands for Fursten. I have the full name of this town some where, have to look for it and let you know. FFB, exsists no more. They were taken over by another MH Company called KNAUS. I do not know if they build them anymore. FFB,they are few and far between. A very good quality camper. They were the first company who started building seperate showers, so I am told when I bought mine.


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## hogan (Sep 18, 2007)

David and ann,Thanks for all the info,I wish I new you 6 months ago when i bought my Hymer from germany but as it turned out all went very well,The only problem was importing it into spain nothing wrong with the German paperwork only the st***d Spanish sytems.


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## David & Ann (Sep 18, 2007)

***** said:
			
		

> Thanks for the info.
> Nice van David
> Quality like Karman I expect!



Hi Graham,
I'm off to Germany, first week in October to buy another MH. As long it is 6.5 metres long, 90KW / 122 PS, under 50,000 KM's, has double flooring, Solar panel and a seperate shower, the rest is all standard stuff, I will be happy. I can visit my kids in Hamburg while I am there. 
By the way Graham, how long is you Hymer 544?


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## David & Ann (Sep 18, 2007)

hogan said:
			
		

> David and ann,Thanks for all the info,I wish I new you 6 months ago when i bought my Hymer from germany but as it turned out all went very well,The only problem was importing it into spain nothing wrong with the German paperwork only the st***d Spanish sytems.



I know what you mean. Spain is a big headache, trying to sort things out there. We are struggling to buy a tiny place in Murcia, with all the red tape, I feel like giving up. Though I like the house in PINALLA, has a private swimming pool, a very long drive in, but need to remove the gates to get the MH in. Dirt cheap at £63000. Let's see what happens.


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## hogan (Sep 18, 2007)

David & Ann said:
			
		

> I know what you mean. Spain is a big headache, trying to sort things out there. We are struggling to buy a tiny place in Murcia, with all the red tape, I feel like giving up. Though I like the house in PINALLA, has a private swimming pool, a very long drive in, but need to remove the gates to get the MH in. Dirt cheap at £63000. Let's see what happens.



Just make sure you get a English speaking Spanish Lawyer,if the house is not on mains electric ,telephone or water be very carefull it may be a illegal build
Good luck


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## Hobo (Sep 18, 2007)

*FFB 570 classic*



			
				***** said:
			
		

> Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a FFB?


Its like an hymer to look at both inside and outside,I will take a picture and show you later this week,you will think that your looking at an hymer.Hobo.


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## pappajohn (Sep 18, 2007)

hey hobo,
the pic on your avator, its not at the duke william pub carpark at matlock is it ?????

john.


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## Hobo (Sep 19, 2007)

*ffb*



			
				***** said:
			
		

> Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a FFB?


I took a photo of my ffb but cant put it on the photo gallery so I have used my avatar.Hobo.


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## Hobo (Sep 20, 2007)

*Parking*



			
				pappajohn said:
			
		

> hey hobo,
> the pic on your avator, its not at the duke william pub carpark at matlock is it ?????
> 
> john.


No its at home near Skipton .


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## Hobo (Sep 20, 2007)

David & Ann said:
			
		

> Hi Graham
> FFB is the Registration of a village in southern Germany. The Company took this reg: as the name of the Company. Example:- HH=Hamburg, B=Berlin, AC=Achen. A single letter shows the population is more than a million. Two letters is more than 500,000 pop:. Three letters is less than 500,000 pop: I know that one of the "F's" stands for Fursten. I have the full name of this town some where, have to look for it and let you know. FFB, exsists no more. They were taken over by another MH Company called KNAUS. I do not know if they build them anymore. FFB,they are few and far between. A very good quality camper. They were the first company who started building seperate showers, so I am told when I bought mine.


Is that what FFB stands for (Few and Far Between)


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## David & Ann (Sep 20, 2007)

*Ffb*



			
				Hobo said:
			
		

> Is that what FFB stands for (Few and Far Between)



Hi Hobo
Thanks for putting a smile on my face. Yes, they are truely fw and far between.Still cannot find that info: which I know I have somewhere. But second thoughts I think it is FRANKENFURSTENBURG, a small town in Bayern, Baravia. So car reg: from that town and area would be FFB. If you open your rear door, by your steps, should be a plate giving you the coachworks number. This munber is required to order any parts specifically for your model. Under the number on this plate should give you the name of the company and also the post code. You might get lucky to find the name of the town, but I doubt it. Best I can do until I find the precise name of the town


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## Dee (Sep 20, 2007)

Do the hymers  have double glazing in the cab area  as niesamann?...If so...check em out and make sure it's not blown


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## Dee (Sep 20, 2007)

I now own a german make motorhome at this present and it's costing loads to put it right since the 3 months warranty expired...I bought it off a local dealer that told me it's the rolls royce of all motorhomes...Was given 3 months warranty with a whole years M>O>T when I traded in my well looked after Ravenna auto sleeper..I did point out to him that the shower tray needed replacing even thou he told me otherwise and that the double glazed unit has blown on the passenger side..Took him 5 months to replace the double glazing and of course have not been able to drive it anywhere properly...My insurance company decided that my motorhome does not have an immobilisor (even thou dealer said  there is one) and so i had one put in....Was advised by the garage at the time with installing the immobilisor that the wiring needs sorting as it's a mess....Seems to think that there was an immobilsor and an alarm system for the interior and that have been ripped out prob due to losing keys...How am i suppose to feel when seen off as usual


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## Alex Mac (Sep 20, 2007)

*Hymer 554*

We bought a 554 on a Citroen which we think is fab. Uses less fuel than our auto Toyota Hiace. Most of the dealers in imported Hymers seem overpriced to us, we bought private and are very happy. You have to ask what the extra you get from a dealer is worth, as you will pay more. I have heard that importing can cost around 700 quid. try' affordable motorhomes' on the net, they seem reasonable.


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## Hobo (Sep 28, 2007)

*Ffb*



			
				David & Ann said:
			
		

> Hi Hobo
> Thanks for putting a smile on my face. Yes, they are truely fw and far between.Still cannot find that info: which I know I have somewhere. But second thoughts I think it is FRANKENFURSTENBURG, a small town in Bayern, Baravia. So car reg: from that town and area would be FFB. If you open your rear door, by your steps, should be a plate giving you the coachworks number. This munber is required to order any parts specifically for your model. Under the number on this plate should give you the name of the company and also the post code. You might get lucky to find the name of the town, but I doubt it. Best I can do until I find the precise name of the town


Thank you for the Information,Hobo.


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