Sunlight by Deffleths ? (1 Viewer)

Bobby22

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Are these motorhomes any good?.....i have noticed a layout that suits but was wondering if anyone has any experience or comment on them.

It seems they are made by the Hymer group
 
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Feb 16, 2013
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Sons got a deffleths, seems well made and he's had no problems with it.
 

Billggski

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It's a budget version, they make a lot of being a Dethleffs, not really, but all part of the Hymer empire.

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Jul 12, 2013
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I have had a good look around the Sunlight, which I believe is made in another factory to the Dethleffs but still appears well constructed with a little economising on some of the fittings but the Hymer pedigree has been established over many years and I cannot see them putting their name to an inferior product.
 
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Bobby22

Bobby22

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I have had a good look around the Sunlight, which I believe is made in another factory to the Dethleffs but still appears well constructed with a little economising on some of the fittings but the Hymer pedigree has been established over many years and I cannot see them putting their name to an inferior product.
Not yet had a chance to see one but if the built quality is half decent might just take a punt.
 

icantremember

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I was talking to a guy recently who has bought a fleet of 4 or 5 to rent out so he obviously thinks they are ok but he also bought a Hymer for his own use.
 

Du And Nica

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Howdy everyone, and Zigisla in particular,

Love my A72. Done a lot of research of all makes of MH. This one ticked all boxes.

We found this forum and decided to join exactly because of this message (more about us and our plans here). We currently are trying to decide between a Sunlight A72 and a more well-known unit from Dethleffs. We have a lot of questions as we could not find a lot of info on this unit (the manufacturer's page at is really light on the details, and we could not find a single brochure online).

Our main questions are:

1) How is the thermal insulation on this unit? We rented a Dethleffs A5831 during a trip to Germany, and after overnighting in a parking spot in the Alps at -15 Celsius with no issues, we were really impressed with its cold weather performance. How does the Sunlight A72 compare?

2) Are there fly screens in the windows? We were able to confirm there's one at the "house" door, but found nothing about the windows.

3) Is there any issues with traveling with a full fresh water tank (ie, near its 120 litre stated capacity)? We found a rather cryptic note on the manufacturer's web site that seems to indicate this tank needs to be emptied before driving until it's under 20-litre full. As we love wild-camping, if true this would be a real impeditive for us... :-/

Thanks in advance for your help,
--
Du & Nica.

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Du And Nica

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Small problem - last post was 2016 so you might not get a reply.
Thanks for the heads-up, Brian. We will re-post our question in a new thread.
EDIT: got the answer we needed, so not posting the new thread. Thanks all the same ;-)
 
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Zigisla

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@Du And Nica Good News for you as I am now sitting in a British pub on a bright sunny day winding down from our 3 week jaunt to France.
I am not too sure about the thermal properties of the A72, but we have used it in the UK winter without many problems and many times when there is 2 feet of so of snow about.
All windows and skylights have fly screens and as we like to “wild it” a bit we always travel full of fresh water. 110 ltrs.
We had a look at the new A72 and the layout is slightly different to ours. The bunks have a narrower foot end on ours as the shower room is bigger and we do not have the internal fold out screen to make a shower wall. After 2 1/2 years we still love the unit. The dogs have the bottom bunk and we have the over cab bed.
590A02C2-3C93-40F5-8003-CCBE71529D83.jpeg

If you want any more info, if you place an @ in front of my user name I will always get a message. (y)

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Lenny HB

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Howdy everyone, and Zigisla in particular,



We found this forum and decided to join exactly because of this message (more about us and our plans here). We currently are trying to decide between a Sunlight A72 and a more well-known unit from Dethleffs. We have a lot of questions as we could not find a lot of info on this unit (the manufacturer's page at is really light on the details, and we could not find a single brochure online).

Our main questions are:

1) How is the thermal insulation on this unit? We rented a Dethleffs A5831 during a trip to Germany, and after overnighting in a parking spot in the Alps at -15 Celsius with no issues, we were really impressed with its cold weather performance. How does the Sunlight A72 compare?

2) Are there fly screens in the windows? We were able to confirm there's one at the "house" door, but found nothing about the windows.

3) Is there any issues with traveling with a full fresh water tank (ie, near its 120 litre stated capacity)? We found a rather cryptic note on the manufacturer's web site that seems to indicate this tank needs to be emptied before driving until it's under 20-litre full. As we love wild-camping, if true this would be a real impeditive for us... :-/

Thanks in advance for your help,
--
Du & Nica.
:pink:
Hymer's version the Corado built inthe same factory in Dresden. @campa cola has a Corado.
https://www.sunlight.de/en/
Sunlight brochure
 

Du And Nica

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@Zigisla, great news indeed, and thanks for the detailed answer, and the dogs' picture (we love dogs too!).

We have been looking at both gently-used (2015+) units and new ones, and we noticed the price difference is pretty small, only about €3,000-5,000 (ie, 10-15%), so we are considering buying a new one in order to get exactly the options we want (specially the oven, which is not common in used units).

We also noticed the change in the bathroom you mentioned, seems the newer (2017+?) units have a "revolving wall" in the bathroom to move the sink to one side over the toilet, and therefore make a larger space for the shower. We are not sure how well that works out in practice...

One thing we are considering is the upgrade to 3850kg maximum weight (we will live fulltime in that motorhome, so it will have to carry all our stuff), but we noticed that Sunlight specs it as "ohne Änderung am Chassis" ("without change on chassis" according to Google Translate -- we don't speak a word of German). Does that mean that the "upgrade" to 3850kg is just a paper change (ie, changing "3500" to "3850" in the vehicle documents and in capacity plate/sticker? If that's indeed the case, we rather would not order it as it would make no practical difference and the €249 they ask for it would be too steep...

Cheers,
--
Du y Nica.
 

Nicepix

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I was looking at these at a local dealer who does Hymer, Dethleffs and Sunlight. From what I could see all three were built on the same chassis, had the same engine and gearbox, the body was the same - windows, vents and lights in exactly the same places, the layouts were the same and the equipment was as near as dammit the same. So basically the price difference came down to the furniture and fittings.

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Du And Nica

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So basically the price difference came down to the furniture and fittings.
This jibes with the info we've been able to find: seems they are all made at the same factory(ies), and the main difference is that the Sunlight, as the less expensive "entry-level" brand, gets less fancier, "designer" options and furnishings. Not really a problem for us ;-)
 

Nicepix

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And if you wait a couple of months there should be some bargains to be had on 2018 models as they try to clear stocks at the end of the season. Early this year we also looked at a 2017 model Etrusco that again is the same vehicle as those I listed above.

It was brand new with a 2.3 Fiat Euro 6 engine, auto box, awning and loads of extras, and was priced on the road at €46,000. Little Wife wouldn't authorise the extra it would cost over the S/H van we were intending to by. :(

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jumartoo

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Sunlight motorhomes seem very popular. We've seen a lot of them in Scandinavia, especially Sweden, and Germany this summer.
 
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Zigisla

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@Du And Nica We ordered ours with the “uprated” plate and it is only a paperwork excersise. At last weigh in with full fuel, water, and all gear for 3 weeks, dogs and us we weighed 3660. So for a full timer you may just need the extra carrying capacity.
93ADD38A-72EA-4627-9981-B08BA58461E9.jpeg

And you get more for the wine;)
 
Oct 5, 2012
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The Corado & Sunlight are built on the standard Fiat chassis cab not the camping car chassis.

@Du And Nica
yes that is correct, so it's high up but solid steel:), haven't come close to scraping my T 132 the back yet, even with a full 150kg load in the boot and a low tide ferry in Ireland :)

The Carado cab came with the FIAT 3 amigos for me ( hill glider/cruise control/speed limiter plus air con which haven't used much) so it was well specified compared to the Sunlight.

Mrs CC and I went from one end of Europe to the other (13K) in our Carado so it was full timed for nearly a year without any problems.........apart from the shower unit, which does indeed revolve and I couldn't be bothered with that every day so put a detachable plastic shower (on a hose pipe fitting) on the hand wash bowl tap and washed is that space without rotating the shower.

Aside from that everything else worked out OK except on our T132 we have ditched the table and use lap trays.

There is no spare tyre as standard but I used my previous one.

I did indeed get a discount on mine during August as it was a 2015 model, but there was only a detail difference on the 2016 model :)

Just done a major check of the van including underneath, still looks almost new, despite good use.

Many European hire companies use Carado/Sunlights as they are relatively simple and robust.

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Du And Nica

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@Zigisla thanks for the confirmation re: the weight upgrade being just paperwork. It will be well saved money we will then put towards a more meaningful upgrade like perhaps a 2nd battery...

It's a rather expensive battery at €299, so I'd like to ask whether you know if they upgrade anything else (like a larger charger, or perhaps a larger alternator coupled to the engine) or if they just plop a battery in a spot that would be ready for it anyway)..
 
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pappajohn

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One thing we are considering is the upgrade to 3850kg maximum weight
Hi Du & Nice, this comes with its own problems which may or may not affect you.
I have no idea how the Chilean licence system works but in Europe, to drive a vehicle between 3500kg and 7500kg you need a different driving licence.
It is.a goods vehicle licence but for leisure use rather than commercial driving.
It's known as a C1 category.
A regular full truck (semi) licence will also cover you.
A regular car licence only allows up to 3500kg.

Your Chilean licence or international driving permit may be enough to confuse any police officer if stopped but worth knowing if you didn't know already.

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Aug 22, 2007
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i have a 2017 sunlight t68s well made love it see avtar
 
Dec 16, 2017
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We hired a Sunlight while checking out layouts and were quite impressed with the VFM. In the end, as we wanted a 7m approx length but with island bed and seperate toilet and shower rooms we went for the Dethleffs Globebus. Looking at the different models it seemed very much as the main difference between the Hymer version, the Dethleffs version and the Sunlight version was down to soft furnishing trim options, some veneer options and a few bells and whistles such as spice racks etc. Always worth checking out Alan Heath's YouTube channel to see if he has a video review (he's got over 300 on there!).
 

Zigisla

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@Zigisla thanks for the confirmation re: the weight upgrade being just paperwork. It will be well saved money we will then put towards a more meaningful upgrade like perhaps a 2nd battery...

It's a rather expensive battery at €299, so I'd like to ask whether you know if they upgrade anything else (like a larger charger, or perhaps a larger alternator coupled to the engine) or if they just plop a battery in a spot that would be ready for it anyway)..
We have two batteries but nothing like the cost of yours. Maybe worth having it fitted somewhere else. Re charger I don’t think this an upgrade and th alternator is big enough. The second battery just sits beside th other one under the drivers seat. We have 2 x 95amp hrs and coupled with 150w of solar, we have enough power.

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Du And Nica

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@Zigisla your tips are making our day here: there's nothing like hearing from someone who is already experienced in the product we're going to buy! Many thanks and please keep them coming! ;-)
We have two batteries but nothing like the cost of yours. Maybe worth having it fitted somewhere else. Re charger I don’t think this an upgrade and th alternator is big enough.

If the space for the battery is already there, we think it's a simple matter to install it ourselves and save a bundle. Du (the husband) is reasonably handy with electrics, and here's what we found on Amazon.DE:


[we choose the 2 x 8 AWG 1.5m option] Electrical Wire 8 AWG Wire [...] Soft and Flexible Silicone Wire Cable [...] -- EUR 15
Total is less than €116 (under 40% of Sunlight's cost) and the installation should be a simple matter of attaching the clamps to the new battery and running a cable from each clamp to the clamp already in the old battery -- and voilá as the French say ;-)

Would you say this is doable, or are we missing something?
 

Du And Nica

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Folks, we are simply *amazed* at the level of responses we are getting here -- Thank you all!

Sunlight motorhomes seem very popular. We've seen a lot of them in Scandinavia, especially Sweden, and Germany this summer.
Glad to hear it, @jumartoo ! We think a popular brand should "blend more" with its surroundings and possibly easier to get service etc (we found no less than 16(!) official Sunlight dealers/service centers in a radius of just 100km around Dusseldorf and Frankfurt).

haven't come close to scraping my T 132 the back yet, even with a full 150kg load in the boot and a low tide ferry in Ireland
Nice, @campa cola! In Chile a lot of the roads are not well paved/levelled, specially to the South (Patagonia), so we want as much ground clearance as we can get.

he Carado cab came with the FIAT 3 amigos for me ( hill glider/cruise control/speed limiter
LOL :-O 3 amigos? ;-) What we knew for "3 amigos" here in SA is when the CheckEngine/ABS/OilPressure lights turn on simultaneously which mean the driver is "Sorry Out of Luck" ;-)

Many European hire companies use Carado/Sunlights as they are relatively simple and robust.
Another mark on the "plus" column for Sunlight. I don't think rental companies would buy any "garage queen" vehicles as it would be disastrous for their bottom line...

There is no spare tyre as standard but I used my previous one.
Humrmrmrmr... something we will also need to think about. Haven't seen a spare tyre mentioned anywhere on the Sunlight site...

Use it or loose it, you really should use it every time take the van out even if it's only for a short while to circulate the gas so that the oil in with the gas keeps the seals luricated.
Good point -- we didn't know that but it surely makes sense. We will be sure to turn ours on every now and then.

i have a 2017 sunlight t68s well made love it see avtar
Great, @pagey -- so far we haven't been able to find even a single negative comment about the Sunlights (here in the forum or in the web generally), that really helps us build up the confidence!

We hired a Sunlight while checking out layouts and were quite impressed with the VFM. (...) Looking at the different models it seemed very much as the main difference (...) was down to soft furnishing trim options, some veneer options and a few bells and whistles such as spice racks etc. Always worth checking out Alan Heath's YouTube channel to see if he has a video review (he's got over 300 on there!).
@Burgo, thanks for the info. The Sunlight brand is shaping up to be exactly what we are looking for: good quality, solid construction, robust and reliable, and a good value-for-money. We don't care much for veener/trim/bells/whistles/etc if they make the price go up ;-) And thanks for the tip on Allan's YT channel, it has a few reviews for ClassB/Van Sunlight models, good to appraise the brand's quality in general.
 

Du And Nica

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Your Chilean licence or international driving permit may be enough to confuse any police officer if stopped but worth knowing if you didn't know already.
Thanks for the heads-up, @pappajohn -- Nica (the wife) actually holds a bus driver license here -- which enables her to drive non-articulated vehicles of any weight and number of passengers. We even have an official declaration (in spanish, but with all the official seals and stamps) stating exactly what her licence allows her to drive. But having said that, our idea is to have the bonus (ie, the added cargo capacity) but not the onus (having to worry about licenses, and specially not being able to rotate driving -- as Du the husband holds a common up-to-3500kg license).

In other words, if the 3500kg-capable motorhome is mechanically equal to the 3850kg-capable, the best of all possible words is to keep it with the 3500kg plaque but knowing that we could eventually load it up to 3850kg. Not a problem for our European trip as we will arrive with just two travel suitcases each, but once we're back in Chile, the MH will put on some weight with the stuff we're leaving here, and also additional stuff like more batteries, solar panels, etc.

Here in Chile, it's totally unheard-of for a motorhome to be pulled off the road and into truck scales to be weighted. Just out of curiosity, is that a common occurrence in Europe? We are thinking it probably is, or else why would the MH manufacturer offer a "just-change-the-plaque" €249 option for their already perfectly 3850kg-capable vehicles?

PS: your signature line actually got Du the husband laughing out loud uncontrollably here ;-)

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