Hymer Exsis i 588 2018 Getting on to Ferry

[ajnich]

Hi Everybody.

Has anyone had any problems getting onto a ferry, ie grounding the mh's water tanks on the ramps? The water tanks are quite low slung on ours and this will be our first trip on the ferry with it. Didn't have to worry with our old B544! Thank you.

 

[Mikeco]

The only place a van will touch the ferry ramps is right at the back due to having a long overhang. Water tanks due to their positions are usually safe from damage.

 

[Sundowners]

Go over any ramp at an angle, that helps.

 

[Lenny HB]

Last van was an Exsis i-678 current van a B678 DL, both similar underneath in fact the DL is quite a bit lower. Not had any problems with commercial ferries & we do several crossings a year.

Did have a problem with a small ferry across an estuary in Portugal last November but that was extream. It was like a huge speed bump where the boat ramp joined the shore ramp, the drivers step (far more clearance than the tanks) grounded as the front weels went down, we had to reverse off. I don't reckon any Motorhome would have made it.

 

[Red Dragon]

We regularly take ferries, if the entry/exit angle of the ramp looks to sharp you should drive the Motorhome at angle to the ramp allowing first one wheel then the second, then sharp turn on the ramp to allow the rear wheels to do the same.
Or ask the loading crew to keep an eye on your overhang.

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[Lenny HB]

Go over any ramp at an angle, that helps.

Can't do that when going onto a lot of ferries the ramps are only just wide enough to take lorries.

 

[ajnich]

Thank you for all your replies. We have full air suspension fitted, rear suspension not working at the moment, being repaired. Hopefully we will have more confidence in it when we pick it up.

 

[Speve]

Thank you for all your replies. We have full air suspension fitted, rear suspension not working at the moment, being repaired. Hopefully we will have more confidence in it when we pick it up.

We have full air on our 2018 B678DL and you can rais it a fair bit when required. Not had problem with grounding yet although only use the tunnel.

 

[tonka]

Interesting thread. I looked at the hymer mli620 yesterday and the water tank on that was very close to the rear and between the chassis. Wife and me were just chatting about it before I read this thread.

 

[ajnich]

We have full air on our 2018 B678DL and you can rais it a fair bit when required. Not had problem with grounding yet although only use the tunnel.

We normally cross over via Hull or Newcastle as we live near the Scottish border. Maybe I should tell him indoors to try the tunnel next time to stop me sweating!

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[Speve]

We normally cross over via Hull or Newcastle as we live near the Scottish border. Maybe I should tell him indoors to try the tunnel next time to stop me sweating!

It’s so easy and no rough seas either

 

[ajnich]

Interesting thread. I looked at the hymer mli620 yesterday and the water tank on that was very close to the rear and between the chassis. Wife and me were just chatting about it before I read this thread.

My husband lost his C1 licence so we had to downsize if both of us wanted to drive. It has taken some getting used to after having all the internal space of a B544. We carry a fair bit of stuff & want to travel with plenty of water as we wild camp or use aires much of the time. The Exsis has a realistic useable payload but it is tight inside. Other 3.5T we looked at were (with better internal layout) heavy when you put them on the weighbridge, nothing like the brochure figure. We didn't look underneath at the tanks duh. If you crawl underneath the tanks have metal "skids" protecting them....so they must be expecting trouble.

 

[funflair]

We normally cross over via Hull or Newcastle as we live near the Scottish border. Maybe I should tell him indoors to try the tunnel next time to stop me sweating!

Don't worry about the Hull crossing, the ramp should not be a problem and the boat is well stabilised much better than the Newcastle one

Martin

 

[CazPaul]

One advantage of buying a motorhome with a high chassis and why we have had 3 rear wheel drive A class.
The drive is really steep and bottoms out onto the road so unless you have a high van it grounds.

 

[Lenny HB]

Interesting thread. I looked at the hymer mli620 yesterday and the water tank on that was very close to the rear and between the chassis. Wife and me were just chatting about it before I read this thread.

I don't know what the current ones are like but early Ml-i's had big problems with ground clearance under the waste tank.
I aw a B678DL the same van we have but a year newer in dealers showroom last week and I noticed the the rear end looked higher so got be tape measure out, 3" more ground clearance.

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[bigtwin]

@ajnich is the water tank between the axles or is it behind the rear axle?

Ian

 

[ajnich]

one is in the middle between the axles, the other is between the axles but nearer the rear

 

[Lenny HB]

@ajnich is the water tank between the axles or is it behind the rear axle?

Ian

Normally behind, on our BDL it's the waste so not a problem with axle loading ( we have bags to spare on the 4 5t chassis) On the Exsis because it doesn't have a double floor it's the fresh water tank at the rear. This can be a pain in the butt with axle loading if you like to run with full tanks.

 

[CazPaul]

Both tanks inside a double floor helps too.

 

[ajnich]

Both tanks inside a double floor helps too.

I remember those days, don't miss it until its gone. Double floor is extra weight if you have to be 3.5t

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[Lenny HB]

Both tanks inside a double floor helps too.

Some of the latest Hymer models have gone back to that.

The tank housing in mine start at the lower floor, stupid arrangement when you have a double floor.

 

[CazPaul]

I remember those days, don't miss it until its gone. Double floor is extra weight if you have to be 3.5t

Yes agree, you don't realise how you take for granted a high van until you have a lower one for a while and heard the crunch getting off the drive.
That's the problem with the staying at 3.5 these days, the latest lightweight build quality is not to my liking.
Our 2005 6.48 metre A class is 4900kg

 

[ajnich]

As an update, we got onto the ferry without any trouble. Thank you all for your comments.