Helen the Hymer (1 Viewer)

[Cleve]

Hello everyone, this is just to start a thread that I hope will be helpful for me and possibly interesting or amusing to you.

I bought Helen on ebay (yes I know) a little over a month ago and promptly went across to France with my car and caravan. I live and work in Guernsey though she lives with my caravan at home in Kent.

She is a 1982 540 DS, Mercedes 207D, reg number RHL 403X. I will welcome any information about her from anyone with previous knowledge. I collected her from Scotland (Montrose) and she was as good as gold other than a fan belt issue which was sorted.

Next weekend I will take her to a place of maintenance where she will be left in the hands of my brother for a complete front to back mechanical sort out. All new hoses, filters, fluids etc etc so I can be sure she is mechanically fit as far as possible for my use over the next couple of years.

Original plan when I bought her was to update various bits etc etc but I had the chance to look around her albeit briefly last Friday and on reflection as she is very close to original condition with no fancy electronics etc I have decided to work towards restoring her to approximate original condition. The photos with accompany this posting (if I get them to work) were taken last Friday morning about 0700 after a heavy dew.

I will have rubbers and locks and fittings to replace etc. At some stage a solar panel has been put on the roof but with no obvious controller and much more. There are many things to correct and fix. If you have any odds and sods that are relevant which you wish to sell I will be happy to buy them I am sure.

I have downloaded bits in German (a language I do not speak - my French is bad enough and earns me resigned sympathy) so anything in English would be very welcome.

I will stop this here before you all nod off or lose the will to live and try and attach the pictures.

Thank you for coming this far.

Clive

 

[yodeli]

No fancy electric ....exactly what I like! I have a little Hymer too but with an over cab bed. I'd be very interested in seeing how you're coping with it all and will keep an eye on this thread .
Do you already know where to find parts?? (there's a section on here for that too).
Terry (our conversion specialist on here) will probably have a look at it too, just like many other funsters I bet!

Good luck with it all!

As for French ..... I don't see where the prob is ... dead easy really!

Come on join in then!
Broken Link Removed


Amicalement

Frankie

 

[scousebird]

Any internal photos yet? They would be interesting. Can't help with any info I'm afraid.

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[Manic]

Looks good, it's nice to see the old ones still being used and cared for.
Regarding the solar panel, maybe the controller is near the main charger. I don't know about the older type Hymer's but that's where it is on my 2001 Hymer

 

[Cleve]

Hello, inside pictures will follow after my next visit, hopefully on Thursday though my roster seems to change by the minute. Changes to my roster mean that I will be taking her to my brothers workshop a week later now. I will let him have her for a month so I can sort the inside out afterward. I need to sort the wiring, replace the batteries and a myriad of other things. All small and straightforward but I only get two or three days a month in the UK (with obligations) and I need her ready for early spring for a few run outs. Then I am hoping to cover the mountain stages of the Tour De France in Andorra next year. Before that she should have been across to Normandie and Charente Maritime. TDF route to be announced on 20/10/15 and looking forward to it. I will be down at Frontingnan Saves before then for my annual Aggassac walk and really looking forward to using her. (I bought a Hymer bike rack on ebay) last week which will carry three bikes (but I will only carry two (both mine)) last week). If your name is Helen, thank you. Her name came to me the day after I collected her while flying to Manchester.

For Frankie, there is the pull down bed fitted which I found very comfortable when I slept under the railway bridge at Penrith bringing her back to Kent. I am a regular at the sim at Blagnac so get to Toulouse frequently.

Thank you both for your interest. I am looking forward to maintaining an update of our (Helen's and mine) progress over the coming weeks.

Clive

 

[Wildman]

many a good tune played on an old fiddle, no reason to think you should not be well pleased with Helen. It is on a Merc after all.

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[FIDGET]

Hi Clive / Cleve,It was nice to meet you at Ouistreham ferry terminal albeit breifly, your more of a funster now with moho /hymer rather than the car & caravan.
She looks nice , hope you'll have many a happy journey in her/helen.
You never know our travels/paths may cross in the future, hopefully
Terry & Ann FIDGET

 

[Cleve]

• Hi Terry and Ann, lovely to meet you at Ouistreham. Hope you and your friends made the boat to the Isle of Wight, probably touch and go. I was back in Kent at 00.15, slept well. I hope that Helen and I will meet you both in the coming months. Must get a Funster sticker like yours.

For Wildman, I was very pleased to have the mature dick and dora mechanics when I bought her as the fanbelt issue was easily sorted once I had the appropriate tools.
I found her easy to drive, she held the line without weaving at all, braked in a straight line and with ancient technology I can wind the clock back and do the work (though with limited time as it says above my brother Gary is to be entrusted with that and I know I do not have a problem there) myself. Nice and simple though lots to do as when I pressed the battery buttons no response (lifting the makeshift battery cover revealed two starter batteries) so jobs to be done there. There are more 13amp sockets in it than in my flat here so will be removing most if not all of them. There is plenty to do but I cannot wait to get started. Self control means I wait until Gary has sorted everything underneath then I will front back inside. New batteries, thorough electrical overhaul, plumbing update and bingo I hope to be visiting rallies in the spring.

Terry and Ann, sorry I have no idea where the bullet point and indent came from and dare not try to remove it.

All the best Clive

 

[FIDGET]

Hi Clive,@Cleve
Yep All 3 moho's got IoW ferry with seconds to go.
Best of luck with all your renovations , hope to meet up soon.

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[Cleve]

Photos of the inside. I arrived at Helen around 1pm today planning one to take some internal pictures and two to change the fan belt with the one I had found. Pictures were a success, fan belt was incorrect and correct one sourced and fitted. Battery flat no start and not enough time to jump start or anything today. Needs both batteries replacing anyway so I think I will just do that an know I am starting with those at least. I will try and do them tomorrow afternoon if I get the time but I of course have other obligations to meet.

Now, to add the pictures which could be before or after the text! Still happy, I knew what I was getting into and love a challenge. I must have left something on last Friday so will have to find the isolation switch - I saw nothing obvious.

 

[HymerB544]

Love the woodwork!

 

[Cleve]

Update.

Before I left her on Thursday I plugged her into the EHU on the off chance the batteries would charge overnight. I returned Friday pm and was pleasantly surprised to find her charged and ready to go. Very pleased about this as I wanted to take her for a run around the block having not been driven since I had brought her back from Scotland over a month ago.

An interesting experience compared to the motorway journey and major roads of collection. Working out where to put her on the road and for me it seems that I need to keep the white edge line on the wiper spindle which seems to give adequate clearance of the hedgerows and avoids straddling the centre line. My apologies to those motorists on the A259 and B2075 who I may have held up. There did not seem to be much traffic behind me at all, the mirrors were good and visibility through the rear window was also good until I braked for a corner and the washroom door opened. There was nowhere to pull over and shut it correctly (I had not, mental note for future) until Camber. She leans a bit in the corners and this is with reduced speed and an appreciation or knowledge of the roads so nothing could creep up on me. Possibly this is because she was almost totally empty.

Ferry her to brother's workshop next week for mechanical makeover.

More when I get her back - I will let him have her for a month so there is no pressure on him.

Very Happy Clive

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[scousebird]

good progress so far then

 

[Shrimp]

We have a lefty Hymer, the middle of the van front is where our clock is sitting-in front of that 'split'- so my husband used that on the white line/middle of the road to tell where he was on the road, now he's used to it it's not so important now!

 

[Cleve]

Hello, thank you for that. I was looking to find a guide for the centre line but kept being distracted by what I thought were puffs of smoke coming out from what would be on a RHD vehicle the nearside. After a short time I realised that it was the reflections of the offside (UK) hedgerows in my drivers mirror so that each time there was a gap it simulated a puff. Glad I sorted that out.

Thinking of putting small coloured markers on the windscreen while I get my hand in. Will try this when I take her over to my brother next week.

Nice to see the homely touch on the dashboard!

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[Rob and Val]

Loving your posts of your adventures with Helen the Hymer. We now have a check list before setting off to make sure that all doors and cupboards are secure, among other things, but before that on a number of occasions the wardrobe door would fly open en route. Also, in the early days, made the mistake of putting a number of guide books in a side cupboard. Went round a roundabout and they all jumped out together and landed in a noisy heap on the floor and I nearly had a heart attack!

Driving a motorhome is so different to driving a car. One couple we met had driven away from home while their EHU lead was still connected and had ripped the socket out of the side of the van. Oops!

 

[CWH]

Hi Clive, I'm going to really enjoy this thread - thanks for sharing

 

[aldhp21]

Hi Clive, I'm going to really enjoy this thread - thanks for sharing

Totally agree with @CWH really looking forward to updates.

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[Puddleduck]

We also used the have a very old leftie Hymer. My heart still misses her but the head knows the layout would no longer work for us - and she would be too big now the children have left home.

 

[scotjimland]

also enjoying.. great to see older Hymers being restored..

keep up the good work..

 

[Cleve]

Hello, well I have taken Helen to the garage for a "mechanical makeover" front to back so that I know she will be as sound as possible mechanically. I told my brother he could have her for a month but he said a fortnight would be enough.

The drive to Eythorne was pleasant and getting my line sorted. The 40 mph resriction into Dover was good as that was ok. It seems our Polish and Czech visiting HGV drivers have no concept of 40mph or lane width restrictions as a number passed me in contravention of both. I am sure not a single one is ever prosecuted or the word would get around between them. Silly having all these regulations and failing to enforce or even have the means to enforce them - rant over.

As she is away for at least 2 weeks and I may not be able to get over to the mainland to collect her for three this thread will possibly be dormant for a few days.

Enjoy Clive

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[Cleve]

Latest news of Helen.

Visited my brother Gary on Sunday to view the progress. Looks as if my "month" idea was optimistic and his fortnight a non starter.

The simple reason being that getting parts for such an old vehicle means sourcing much from Germany - the usual motor factors not able to help a lot. This is coupled by incorrect parts having to be returned and replaced eg correct disc pads but wrong discs. It makes me very happy that I elected to hand her over to him and not attempt to do the stuff in my own very limited spare time.

Exhaust manifold away to be welded - difficult finding a replacement and alternator away for rebuild (it is serviceable but I want to minimise risk of future failure).

I suspect another two or three weeks before I can have her back but not a worry. Next news when I get her back.

I would like to suggest that anyone considering buying a mature motorhome of any make, if it is on a Mercedes base, try and get a Sprinter based one as I suspect parts will be easier. When complete I will use Helen for a couple of years until retirement when I plan to replace her with a 514 (fixed bed and garage).

Happy daysClive

 

[Cleve]

Time for a very brief update on Helen. I visited the UK on Wednesday for my periodic car swap returning on Friday. I took the opportunity to visit my brothers "clinic" Thursday and see how the patient was progressing, also drop off a couple of body bits (door stay and window catches) for when I start on the insided. My visit was unannounced and when I got there he was out elsewhere. Not a problem I popped the bits in.

I was able to see just how thorough a job he is doing and very pleased I am as well. Looks like it will be a while yet before she is back in my hands but will be well worth the wait. I probably will not be back in the UK for another month now so I do not mind.

I will be launching an appeal later for anyone who might have a couple of very old window stays but I will photograph and post on here what I am after before doing the alternative and changing to a later style. Have googled and ebayed to no avail. It may need a visit to a caravan breakers with some very old stock (the sort that is up to its shoulders in brambles and nettles).

Anyway beginning to ramble on now so will stop. More news when I have it.

Clive (so much for brief)

 

[scotjimland]

Thanks for the update Clive.. you must be pleased ..

if not alreay a member, the Classic Hymer Facebook Group is worth joining, they also have a classified section for Hymer parts. my prove useful for the window stays .. .. Classic Hymermarket

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[gus-lopez]

Glad it is progressing well.

 

[Cleve]

Good morning ScotJim

I applied to join the facebook Classic Hymer Group about a week ago and when I look there it says pending, interesting picture on their title page.

I have also applied to join the the Hymer Club International a little over a week ago. I suspect that despite their better judgement they may be going to let me in as they have cashed my cheque - a rare event these days (the cheque, not letting me in!).

When I have clicked post I will have a look at the market site you have suggested though I suspect entry will be barred until membership approved.

Thank you for your helpful suggestions. Once she is back at Old Romney I will be able to concentrate on the interior.

 

[scotjimland]

I have also applied to join the the Hymer Club International a little over a week ago. I suspect that despite their better judgement they may be going to let me in as they have cashed my cheque - a rare event these days (the cheque, not letting me in!).

How quaint.. the web site is also very retro ..

I looked at it but haven't joined.. yet

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[Cleve]

Well after waiting ages it looks as if I should be able to get Helen back from my brother on Sunday. He will drive her to me and I will give him a lift back - after me first flying over from here Sunday morning.

I will then have a lot to do in a short time, scrubbing out etc. ready for her initial voyage with me from Newhaven to Dieppe on 27 May. I have only two UK visits before departure, so a lot to do. I will probably have to do some while on the road.

That is the story so far, one of the number 1 jobs will be installing my Funster badge centre top of the windscreen.

Hopefully happy travelling updates soon!

Clive

 

[Cleve]

Well, that Sunday came and went but finally she has made it home, yesterday. I now have about 4 days between now and the Dieppe ferry on 27 to do rather a lot.

Distressed that she has been keyed on the UK nearside while away and other things but that is what happens when you relinquish control. I will sort all ills.

Today I had limited time and resolved to wash the front, before and after pictures to insert. I have been reading the column which features recently returned Charles and gleaned much of interest and practical use.

I started using the Fenwicks product on the bottom as recommended but it did not seem to be moving the more ingrained filth. I took a break, made tea and thought I wonder if this Vistal stuff I had bought was any better. Well, I have no connection with them but for me (and not necessarily you) it worked very well for me. Three pictures attached, before, probably during and after. Can't get back for 11 days so looks like the work will continue into my travels.

Thank you for viewing

 

[jonsea]

Hi good luck with it and enjoy John and Mary

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