Hello fellow members.... Does anyone own ..... or has owned in the past ... a Hymer B-Class B 660 SL Bestline Mercedes ? If so, would you be prepared to give me your honest opinions of it ....likes and dislikes please?
Many thanks in advance
Caz
Hymer B-Class B 660 SL Bestline Mercedes (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Caz2307
- Start date
Hello fellow members.... Does anyone own ..... or has owned in the past ... a Hymer B-Class B 660 SL Bestline Mercedes ? If so, would you be prepared to give me your honest opinions of it ....likes and dislikes please?
Many thanks in advance
Caz
funflair
LIFE MEMBER
Never owned one but Hymers are OK and not much wrong with Merc's so does the layout suit you?
Bump.
Martin
Bump.
Martin
WSandME
Free Member
I have one. Bought it in Oct 2016.
2009, 3-litre Auto, RHD.
Previous motorhome was a Hymer B640 Starline.
Reasons for change:
Weight (5,000kg vs 3500kg - we wanted to carry bikes AND scooter AND wine)
Garage (for the scooter and large items. B640 limited to one underfloor across-the-width store for all large items - it was a push)
Fixed Bed (We were quite happy with the drop-down - except when it was really hot - but wanted a change)
Cab Air conditioning (B640 had none)
Concertina window blinds at front (B640 had metalized curtains - perfectly adequate, but dated)
Solar panels (B660 has 2 * 80W? 100W? B640 had none)
Better emissions performance (Euro4 vs Coal Roller
)
Newer (B640 was 1996, but was in mint condition)
Right Hand Drive (most of our usage is in Europe)
Automatic (B640 was 5-speed manual, again perfectly OK, but I didn't fancy a replacement with a dual-mass flywheel if it had ever been driven by anyone else!)
What we miss:
Seating arrangement (B640 had a long sofa down one side and a 2-fore, 2-aft dinette, with (belted, 6 in total!) seats which were rather more comfortable than the B660, which has the L-shaped arrangement (2 forward facing belted seats with an infill to a third side seat around a sliding table and swivelling front seats)
Kitchen storage is not as good in B660 - specifically tall cupboards for Wine / Spirits bottles.
Full size oven - no we don't really miss it, but the B660 oven/grill is mounted a little too high.
Visibility (B640 had large windows by the dinette and behind the sofa, as well as a large window in the rear kitchen. B660 has smaller window in the main area, and the window over the cooker is often obscured by the cooker cover)
Consumption (B640 averaged 26mpg, including the Alps &c. B660 struggles to get 20mpg)
I'd love to have a couple of small (slide-out?) lockers fitted to the B660.
B640 had a "roof rack" - rails and checker plate - which meant easy roof access for cleaning and sightseeing!
Both have similar handling characteristics - being built on a Sprinter chassis, the body is wider than the van the chassis was designed for, and seems to wobble side-to-side more than I'd like. Fitted Airides to B640 which was big improvement, but B660 nowhere near as bad.
B660 Fixed rear bed is just as comfortable as the drop-down in the B640, and it has the drop-down as well.
Both engines superb, both chain-driven camshafts.
B660 garage is restricted by a floor-level intrusion - I can still get my scooter in, but the rest of the floor area is raised by 10" or so. (B675 has full, proper garage, and longitudinal beds - B660 transverse beds)
Neither of them had a useable dash radio!
I fitted an underslung LPG tank to the B640, and it was , if I say so myself, a very good, secure job, and well sited. The B660 did not have any suitable space for an underslung tank, so I had to resort to Gas-It replacement bottles in the gas locker. No big deal.
I spoke to a German owner of the same model, who asked me if I suffered the same problem he had - Yes, the panels seem to creak and crack a lot more than the B640 when thermal expansion / contraction happens - maybe due to slightly different build techniques?
Hope this helps - and hope to see you as a full member on here?
2009, 3-litre Auto, RHD.
Previous motorhome was a Hymer B640 Starline.
Reasons for change:
Weight (5,000kg vs 3500kg - we wanted to carry bikes AND scooter AND wine)
Garage (for the scooter and large items. B640 limited to one underfloor across-the-width store for all large items - it was a push)
Fixed Bed (We were quite happy with the drop-down - except when it was really hot - but wanted a change)
Cab Air conditioning (B640 had none)
Concertina window blinds at front (B640 had metalized curtains - perfectly adequate, but dated)
Solar panels (B660 has 2 * 80W? 100W? B640 had none)
Better emissions performance (Euro4 vs Coal Roller
)Newer (B640 was 1996, but was in mint condition)
Right Hand Drive (most of our usage is in Europe)
Automatic (B640 was 5-speed manual, again perfectly OK, but I didn't fancy a replacement with a dual-mass flywheel if it had ever been driven by anyone else!)
What we miss:
Seating arrangement (B640 had a long sofa down one side and a 2-fore, 2-aft dinette, with (belted, 6 in total!) seats which were rather more comfortable than the B660, which has the L-shaped arrangement (2 forward facing belted seats with an infill to a third side seat around a sliding table and swivelling front seats)
Kitchen storage is not as good in B660 - specifically tall cupboards for Wine / Spirits bottles.
Full size oven - no we don't really miss it, but the B660 oven/grill is mounted a little too high.
Visibility (B640 had large windows by the dinette and behind the sofa, as well as a large window in the rear kitchen. B660 has smaller window in the main area, and the window over the cooker is often obscured by the cooker cover)
Consumption (B640 averaged 26mpg, including the Alps &c. B660 struggles to get 20mpg)
I'd love to have a couple of small (slide-out?) lockers fitted to the B660.
B640 had a "roof rack" - rails and checker plate - which meant easy roof access for cleaning and sightseeing!
Both have similar handling characteristics - being built on a Sprinter chassis, the body is wider than the van the chassis was designed for, and seems to wobble side-to-side more than I'd like. Fitted Airides to B640 which was big improvement, but B660 nowhere near as bad.
B660 Fixed rear bed is just as comfortable as the drop-down in the B640, and it has the drop-down as well.
Both engines superb, both chain-driven camshafts.
B660 garage is restricted by a floor-level intrusion - I can still get my scooter in, but the rest of the floor area is raised by 10" or so. (B675 has full, proper garage, and longitudinal beds - B660 transverse beds)
Neither of them had a useable dash radio!
I fitted an underslung LPG tank to the B640, and it was , if I say so myself, a very good, secure job, and well sited. The B660 did not have any suitable space for an underslung tank, so I had to resort to Gas-It replacement bottles in the gas locker. No big deal.
I spoke to a German owner of the same model, who asked me if I suffered the same problem he had - Yes, the panels seem to creak and crack a lot more than the B640 when thermal expansion / contraction happens - maybe due to slightly different build techniques?
Hope this helps - and hope to see you as a full member on here?
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Granny C
Free Member
WE have this model and we love it . Have any other owners had their weighed on weigh bridge? We have the 3L auto engine and the front axel weight is at its limit with just the driver on board.? Hymer don't seem interested
WSandME
Free Member
I haven't weighed mine yet, but do our plates match?
MAM 5000kg
MTW 6900kg
Axle1 2000kg
Axle2 3500kg
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Granny C
Free Member
No they don't match
4200kg
5880kg
1800kg
2430kg
We have almost given up trying to remedy this. Travelworld tried but to no avail. Just wondering if there isa anyone else out there who has had the same issue. how can Hymer produce a vehicle so close to its stated weight limits?????
4200kg
5880kg
1800kg
2430kg
We have almost given up trying to remedy this. Travelworld tried but to no avail. Just wondering if there isa anyone else out there who has had the same issue. how can Hymer produce a vehicle so close to its stated weight limits?????
WSandME
Free Member
My friend's B675 - almost exactly the same as mine except a little longer, was fitted with Airides, and was plated at 5300kg.
So I assume that yours has for some reason been down-plated, although why to 4200kg I can't imagine - unless it was an import, and wherever it was originally registered had some break-point at that weight? Without being there and having a good look-around, I'd suggest that it should be a straightforward exercise to replate it to at least 5000kg. I believe SV Tech is worth a phone call.
So I assume that yours has for some reason been down-plated, although why to 4200kg I can't imagine - unless it was an import, and wherever it was originally registered had some break-point at that weight? Without being there and having a good look-around, I'd suggest that it should be a straightforward exercise to replate it to at least 5000kg. I believe SV Tech is worth a phone call.
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