# The Hymer drop down bed strikes again!



## Bushtrekker (Jun 27, 2012)

Anyone who has seen my bed when it's down will know that it and the mechanism takes up most of the camper.  I've just been on the roof working out where to put the panel, which only just fits and where to run the cable and of course the best position has to be directly over the bed. I have no problem with the bed itself, which is very comfortable and long enough for me to sleep without adopting a foetal position, just the way it takes up so much room when it's down and even when it's up I have to remember that the mechanism comes down at the sides, so I'm limited as to where to put things such as the TV.  I was hoping to drop straight down, keeping the cable run short, but it looks as though I'm going to have to run it round to clear the bed mechanism. 

Have any of the Hymer owners on here got any idea how thick the roof is liokely to be?


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## Somelier (Jun 27, 2012)

When SWMBO and I were looking for a new mh, we looked at the Hymer and couldn't believe how crude the bed mechanism was - so ugly and took up so much space. Needless to say, we looked elsewhere!


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## Bushtrekker (Jun 27, 2012)

*Mine was the prototype.*

According to the Hymer site the drop down bed was first used in the Hymertramp in 1989, which is interesting as mine is 1988.


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## Makzine (Jun 27, 2012)

Bushtrekker said:


> According to the Hymer site the drop down bed was first used in the Hymertramp in 1989, which is interesting as mine is 1988.



Lucky you getting the prototype :lol-053::wave:


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## DRoader (Jun 27, 2012)

Some drunk old bloke in France once told me that Hymer created a drop down overcab bed that took up all the space in the motorhome. Me I thought it just utilised the redundant cab space of a night.


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## su51bfc (Jun 27, 2012)

my 1985 Hymer has a drop down bed...its fine and a good use of space..can't comment on roof thickness tho..sorry..


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## Burtie (Jun 28, 2012)

If anything like the roof on my hymer they are not really that thick but the biggest problem is finding somewhere to screw in to the roof unless you plan on going straight through and using somekind of seal on the outside I find that the bed is a good size and when pushed up I can still store things on there


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## Deleted member 967 (Jun 28, 2012)

I have just measured the fibreglass roof on my Hymer S700.  It is 20mm thick.  Fibregass sandwich with fibres in the middle for insulation.

We have just fitted 2 x 130 watt panels.  One across the rear and one inline and behind the central large rooflight.   We brought the wiring in through the roof of the wardrobe and ran the wires through the existing trunking to the front by the drop down bed.

No need to screw anything throgh the roof as it is all held in place by Sikaflex.

I mounted the regulator on the cupboard side facing the bed.  I then ran trunking from here down the wall to the battery box below the drivers seat and beside the door.  The run from the regulator is the most important to avoid voltage drop.  The panel output is 17 to 20 volts and the regulator brings this down to 12 volts.

With this set up I have been averaging 75.5 Ah per day this month despite the poor weather.  Max output 100Ah/day from the panels so far on a bright day with a peak of 18 amps at one point.

I used the Morningstar Duo (25amp) regulator as it keeps both sets of batteries topped up on a 90%/10% split.

I do not know if the roof on the B class is the same thickness.

John


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## Bushtrekker (Jun 28, 2012)

*It's different on the Hymertramp*

The bed doesn't run side to side as in most Hymers, it runs from front to back and when it's down the only part accessible is the kitchen and bathroom area.


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## wallyblackneck (Jun 28, 2012)

*hymer roof?*



Bushtrekker said:


> Anyone who has seen my bed when it's down will know that it and the mechanism takes up most of the camper.  I've just been on the roof working out where to put the panel, which only just fits and where to run the cable and of course the best position has to be directly over the bed. I have no problem with the bed itself, which is very comfortable and long enough for me to sleep without adopting a foetal position, just the way it takes up so much room when it's down and even when it's up I have to remember that the mechanism comes down at the sides, so I'm limited as to where to put things such as the TV.  I was hoping to drop straight down, keeping the cable run short, but it looks as though I'm going to have to run it round to clear the bed mechanism.
> 
> Have any of the Hymer owners on here got any idea how thick the roof is liokely to be?



all hymers have square tubing framing in between the panel sandwich, early hymers were steel later , post 1980 are aluminium, thats why there strong enough to walk on, dont drill within 3 ins of the edge the support bars are spaced about 6 ins apart, you can detect them with one of the tools builders use to find wood/steel/wires inside plaster board etc works better on steel than alloy,  look where the side bed brackets are avoid that area by 6 ins each way, re the panel as suggested glue down using sikaflex EBT , dont buy from pricy caravn shops/ dealers go to screwfix page 69 in the catalogue £6.39 a tube in black,grey,white, far better than silicone,(tip mask round the foot area of the brackets apply sealant ensure it goes through the holes in the bracket and completly covers the bracket, usual wet finger it smooth, wait 10 mins carefully peel masking tape away in an upward motion, leave to set 24hrs, you will have a thick edge to the ebt that will not lift in all weathers) you can place a plastic wedge in front of the panel, acts as a wind spoiler and helps to keep the crap of it, finally to avoid splintering drill from inside to the outside of the roof after carefull measuring, you cant splinter the alloy skin! but the ply inside will splinter. use a proper box/gland nut and face the exit to the rear seal well with  sikaflex ebt remenber to mask up edges. any loose cable from the box to the panel, blob with ebt, if left loose it will catch in the wind and rattle on the roof and ANNOY !!! when finised it will look like a profesional job, dealers charge £80 to £100 for this relativley easy job, at the northern motorhome show last year they had 3 "teams" of so called profesional fitters installing in the carparks and camping area looked like jobbing  unemployed teenagers to me , one guy complained the found 2 holes inside one of his roof lockers plugged with silicone where they were experimenting trying to find the best place to drill, they refunded his fitting fee to make him go away, still had unwanted holes in his roof! I would have stayed there all day telling potential customers to steer clear! these show people clear thousands every day! with there so called show deals! i junked my usless carver style heater for a better trumatic blow heater, i use the now reduntant roof vent to bring the wires down from the roof of the solar panels and roof sat dish sealed with ebt, USE NO OTHER!!!   be lucky!


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## Brian Noble (Apr 1, 2013)

*Bed betterment*



Somelier said:


> When SWMBO and I were looking for a new mh, we looked at the Hymer and couldn't believe how crude the bed mechanism was - so ugly and took up so much space. Needless to say, we looked elsewhere!



Eh! The drop down bed on the standard Hymer's is surely an engineering achievement. Its comfortable and convenient and allows far more room than a fixed bed - what am I missing?


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## Gemani2 (Apr 1, 2013)

*Hymer drop down bed*

Slept in my friends drop down bed on her hymer 644, huge, comfortable, genius ...easy to get into, easy to put up and drop down , a brilliant use of space...never seen one that's goes front to back though , only across side to side..and that hymer memory foam mattress.......heaven


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