Buying a Hymer

[Treecol]

Hello all
It's been a while since we've been here as we sold our original MoHo after doing a lot of restoration work, helped tremendously by The Big 1 and all your advice on the forum. So we've been looking for the right replacement for a while as the other MoHo didn't have the right layout for us in the end. After picking ourselves up off the floor once we saw the crazy prices this year and also the fact that things were selling as soon as they came online, we've viewed a lot of really bad ones. We've been to dealers and seen huge prices being asked for Swifts with rotten floors, Autotrails with the backs hanging out and falling apart inside and just really leaky poor condition ones. But we have decided what we want after countless viewings. We want quality!!! So it looks like it's going to have to be one of the A Classes. This next purchase will probably be a MoHo that we'll have for a few years and the we hope to live one for six months at a time, so we'll probably upgrade by then to a much newer one. So the one we're looking at is a 2003 Hymer B574. 40k miles, good MOT and service history and it's dry with not a bit of rot or water ingress. The habitation check showed the highest reading of 5% alongside only 1 window. The interior is a little tired but very good condition. The solidness and build quality is what has impressed DH as we've seen a lot of frogs ....or is it turkeys
So can we get spares easily like windows and sky lights? Is it possible, if the engine were to blow up or have a major problem, to get the engine out of it without having to lift the body off? DH thinks not. Finally, what should we pay for it. Thanks you jolly lovely lot!!

 

[Speve]

I don’t think you’ll go far wrong with a Hymer spares are widely available may not be cheap though

 

[Al-Di]

I think the engines are lowered out on the front axle, but most can be fixed insitu some with a degree of difficulty,

 

[Figaro]

If the engine is the 2.8jtd it's a good engine that rarely has major problems and unlikely to need replacing. It has none of the later emissions bolt on bits that can be troublesome. Find out if it's had a cambelt change and factor in if there is no evidence.
Also check underneath behind rear wheels as it's a common place for the timber floor to go soggy.
Good luck

 

[Manic]

So can we get spares easily like windows and sky lights

You can get windows but just have to be prepared for a long waiting time, I’ve just replaced one of mine and it cost £280. The large roof light is Hymer only but you can still get them, usually Brownhills eBay have them
and the other roof lights are easy to get as they are not Hymer specific.

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[Treecol]

Wow you're all so fast, as usual, thank you. DH has checked the underfloor, solid and dry. What do you think about the price, we can get it for £27k - down from £29k.

 

[Treecol]

It's French bed, cab bed, N/S rear bathroom, vanity sink to one side of French bed, curved dinette.

 

[62272]

Its very low mileage for its age, and given the current market the price doesn’t sound unreasonable. Very impressive build quality, they go on for decades if looked after!

 

[hymerman]

I've only ever owned old Hymers, loved all of them.
None ever had any damp problems, current van 20 years old, love it.
Obviously things will wear out, but I've never had anything that presented a major problem.
The chassis and engine are serviced by a local garage, habitation part by a local mobile guy.
2003 with a tired interior and only 40k miles suggests that it may have been lived in on a static site for a while.
This can be verified through the mileage on the MOT's, doesn't necessarily present a problem , but really check all the habitation stuff carefully.

 

[fat haggis]

Go for it. I have a 655 starline and love the big lump.

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[Wagoneer]

Fiat released an upgrade on the chassis/engine in the first quarter of 2002. Recognised by the oval speedo housing....previously it was rectangular.

I bought a new LHD Hymer 544 Classic in Germany in June 2002 which had the upgrade. I sold it in 2012 for £23k @ 57k miles. Obviously, the Classic is a cheaper model compared to the B-version which has double floor and AL-CO chassis. Only probs during my ownership were wheel bearings. Had front wheel bearings replaced at 45k miles and the bearings on the rear axle at about 50k miles.

 

[Treecol]

We've just been told it should be about £16k if all this mad frenzy for staycations wasn't going on. Whilst I realise we'll be paying a bit more at the moment, £11k is a lot over top. Anyone buy a similar one in 2019?