Hymer Camp 55 - Light restoration project
Discussion
I thought I would drop into this section as we have been given a 1994 Hymer Camp (55 i think) motorhome by my father who has owned it since new,
Given we have never owned a motorhome before I'm looking for recommendations for Insurance and European Breakdown cover, (Given the age of the vehicle)
Also are there any other things I will need to have checked? Apparently the fridge and heating system has never been run on gas so will be in need of a good check over before using, (any ideas on where to get this done)
As we will be mostly using the truck on the continent does anyone know the situation with the electric hookup cable? (Where to buy type etc)
Given its based on the mk1 Ducato 2.5TD (Talbot express) I'm expecting to have to get some welding done in the near future and the windscreen frame has some mild rust which will be seen to in due course, Also the paint on the habitation part is faded (Stripes etc will need repainting and it needs a good wash)
Is there anything else we need to know or look out for?
Pictures to follow once we pick it up
Given we have never owned a motorhome before I'm looking for recommendations for Insurance and European Breakdown cover, (Given the age of the vehicle)
Also are there any other things I will need to have checked? Apparently the fridge and heating system has never been run on gas so will be in need of a good check over before using, (any ideas on where to get this done)
As we will be mostly using the truck on the continent does anyone know the situation with the electric hookup cable? (Where to buy type etc)
Given its based on the mk1 Ducato 2.5TD (Talbot express) I'm expecting to have to get some welding done in the near future and the windscreen frame has some mild rust which will be seen to in due course, Also the paint on the habitation part is faded (Stripes etc will need repainting and it needs a good wash)
Is there anything else we need to know or look out for?
Pictures to follow once we pick it up
Thanks for all the replies, I'll spend some more time getting some quotes and will also have a look for a Calor place in the north west as we are picking it up from Preston next week and taking it straight to Poland as i'm not sure they bother checking anything here
Will try the AA again today, We used to be with them years ago however their EU cover became prohibitively expensive.
Will try the AA again today, We used to be with them years ago however their EU cover became prohibitively expensive.
Managed to get cover with ADAC despite living outside Germany, If anyone else is interested they are still accepting non German residents over the phone but not via their website. They speak perfect English too! number is +49 (911) 9595 - 0 if anyone is interested.
97 EUR for myself and my wife and the bonus is all 3 of our cars are now covered as it covers the person as opposed to the car. (AA quoted in excess of 300 GBP)
Now for the insurance.....
97 EUR for myself and my wife and the bonus is all 3 of our cars are now covered as it covers the person as opposed to the car. (AA quoted in excess of 300 GBP)
Now for the insurance.....
chopper602 said:
I use a broker for our insurance (AIB if I remember correctly) and I have UK & EU breakdown cover included in this. Never had to use it <touches wood> though. Your hook-up cable needs the standard camping circular blue three round pin connections. Get a UK and an EU adaptor for this (makes it easier if you plug in at home). I would suggest a good hab check, which should check gas aswell as for damp, you can often find a mobile service for this, so they come to you.
Is Poland for holiday or more permanently? We visited in 2015 and we're itching to go back . . .
I'll have a ring around my local broker, I was worried that my no claims bonus is tied up on my main car so hoping to find a company that can mirror my NCB,Is Poland for holiday or more permanently? We visited in 2015 and we're itching to go back . . .
My dad has just said he will get the habitation check done before we pick it up, (I have no idea whats involved) Will also keep an eye out for the cables,
Poland has recently become a bit more longer term, My wife is Polish and we spend our time 50/50 UK Poland however I think its starting to lean more towards being full time.
Poznan (where we live) is great, As are the other major cities however the smaller towns are a little bit depressing as they are practically empty. Planning to take the camper up to Mazury and to Hel once we have got it back here. I miss the sea!
Thanks Spuffington for the welcome! I've been reading your thread about full timing in a Motorhome with interest as its something we will have to do later in the year for 3 months whilst our house is being built,
From reading online it looks like Hymers are pretty well built, Yours looks lovely!
This is a picture of ours that my dad sent through we pick it up next month, (Nowhere near as nice as the A class variants but great for weekends away on the cheap with 3 cats)
Cab is being repainted next week (My dad arranged it) and I think once we have it i'll spend a bit of time restoring the Hymer stripes as they look a bit faded and give the outside a good deep clean as its been parked up a while. Inside looks as new from what i can remember. The only thing that worries me slightly is the fact the drivetrain is 23 years old however here in Poland its quite common to have the habitation area transplanted onto a newer chassis cab which is something we will consider next year once we have tried motor-homing.
From reading online it looks like Hymers are pretty well built, Yours looks lovely!
This is a picture of ours that my dad sent through we pick it up next month, (Nowhere near as nice as the A class variants but great for weekends away on the cheap with 3 cats)
Cab is being repainted next week (My dad arranged it) and I think once we have it i'll spend a bit of time restoring the Hymer stripes as they look a bit faded and give the outside a good deep clean as its been parked up a while. Inside looks as new from what i can remember. The only thing that worries me slightly is the fact the drivetrain is 23 years old however here in Poland its quite common to have the habitation area transplanted onto a newer chassis cab which is something we will consider next year once we have tried motor-homing.
Flights are finally booked so we are collecting it on the 5th,
Still need to sort insurance which is a bit more problematic than I first thought as I have 0 no claims bonus to use on this one. I have 12 years no claims on my private car but it seems that is irrelevent, (Any suggestions as to who I could call would be welcome) We also need 365 day EU cover ideally.
On a brighter note, My dad had the cab repainted before we pick it up so one last massive job to do and I think it looks amazing,
I have also ordered a brand new set of headlights (LHD version) as the current ones are looking a little worse for wear,
It seems crazy as my other car is a Lexus LS430 which does everything perfectly but for some reason I really cant wait to pick this up and start driving it!
On another note, Anyone know what the speed limits for these vehicles are? The weight of it is 2800kg when I checked the vehicle tax checker online.
Still need to sort insurance which is a bit more problematic than I first thought as I have 0 no claims bonus to use on this one. I have 12 years no claims on my private car but it seems that is irrelevent, (Any suggestions as to who I could call would be welcome) We also need 365 day EU cover ideally.
On a brighter note, My dad had the cab repainted before we pick it up so one last massive job to do and I think it looks amazing,
I have also ordered a brand new set of headlights (LHD version) as the current ones are looking a little worse for wear,
It seems crazy as my other car is a Lexus LS430 which does everything perfectly but for some reason I really cant wait to pick this up and start driving it!
On another note, Anyone know what the speed limits for these vehicles are? The weight of it is 2800kg when I checked the vehicle tax checker online.
Spuffington said:
Hi - the Hymer is looking lovely! I also have a heavily specced 530d Touring but love driving the Motorhome, even after 2+ years.
In terms of insurance, try Safeguard. I've had mine with them for the last 2 years and they mirror my NCB on my car. They also do EU cover and UK & EU breakdown included.
As for speed limits, IIRC at 2800kg MGVW you're in line with car limits. Double check the Highway Code but AFAIK the limits change once you hit >3500kg. You'll find that it's probably irrelevant anyway as you'll settle into a groove around 60mph. Not sure what the Camp models are like but when I had my Rimor coach built, i got an awful lot of wind noise from the Luton cab but over 55mph which did more to limit my cruise speed than the engine in that vehicle.
Enjoy and keep us posted!
Perfect, I will give them a call on Monday and see what I can sort out, I'm guessing it will be quite noisy at speed as its a very old truck but will be great to be able to go away whenever we want In terms of insurance, try Safeguard. I've had mine with them for the last 2 years and they mirror my NCB on my car. They also do EU cover and UK & EU breakdown included.
As for speed limits, IIRC at 2800kg MGVW you're in line with car limits. Double check the Highway Code but AFAIK the limits change once you hit >3500kg. You'll find that it's probably irrelevant anyway as you'll settle into a groove around 60mph. Not sure what the Camp models are like but when I had my Rimor coach built, i got an awful lot of wind noise from the Luton cab but over 55mph which did more to limit my cruise speed than the engine in that vehicle.
Enjoy and keep us posted!
chopper602 said:
We went past there on the way to Torun (where we stayed for a few days on the airport, with all the 2CVs)
With the amount of time out of the UK, you could well be better off with a Polish insurance policy. Most of the UK policies will limit the amount of cover outside of the UK (I may be wrong!), but definitely the breakdown cover will be limited.
Torun! I'm very close to Torun as I write this staying with our inlaws its a stunning city With the amount of time out of the UK, you could well be better off with a Polish insurance policy. Most of the UK policies will limit the amount of cover outside of the UK (I may be wrong!), but definitely the breakdown cover will be limited.
Was it in May/June 2015? I remember seeing loads of 2cv's around at one point and did wonder what was going on, The plan is to register it on Polish plates within the first 6 months of owning it and insure it here as I don't really fancy driving this one back and forth for MOT's each year
It made it! Left Preston at 20.00 on thursday and arrived back last night,
Couple of issues, Upon further inspection the tyres need replacing urgently due to age as opposed to wear, (Cracking etc)
Rear engine mount is shot, Pulls to the right hard under acceleration and left when letting off, Track rod ends also feel a bit slack. These issues meant our top speed all the way home was around 45mph which was quite tedious however its now home and we love it!
Time for a bit of a rolling restoration project it seems, Starting with a deep clean.
Audi b7 seats are being fitted as my friend just took some lovely leather s-line seats out of his audi for no real reason but he wants to sell them,
Clutch cable needs adjusting,
Some sound insulation in the cab wouldn't go amiss
Stereo System, It would be nice to have one,
Restore the Hymer stripes on the habitation part, (rustoleum job)
Sort out the worn bushings etc in the front suspension as its a bit all over the place.
Apart from that inside is like new and we are both over the moon with it, I prefer sleeping in it to sleeping in our flat,
Currently parked on my inlaws farm 100kms from where we live and going to the mechanic tomorrow so that its hopefully ready to go next weekend!
Couple of issues, Upon further inspection the tyres need replacing urgently due to age as opposed to wear, (Cracking etc)
Rear engine mount is shot, Pulls to the right hard under acceleration and left when letting off, Track rod ends also feel a bit slack. These issues meant our top speed all the way home was around 45mph which was quite tedious however its now home and we love it!
Time for a bit of a rolling restoration project it seems, Starting with a deep clean.
Audi b7 seats are being fitted as my friend just took some lovely leather s-line seats out of his audi for no real reason but he wants to sell them,
Clutch cable needs adjusting,
Some sound insulation in the cab wouldn't go amiss
Stereo System, It would be nice to have one,
Restore the Hymer stripes on the habitation part, (rustoleum job)
Sort out the worn bushings etc in the front suspension as its a bit all over the place.
Apart from that inside is like new and we are both over the moon with it, I prefer sleeping in it to sleeping in our flat,
Currently parked on my inlaws farm 100kms from where we live and going to the mechanic tomorrow so that its hopefully ready to go next weekend!
Spuffington said:
Congratulations!
There is nothing quite like it. I love sleeping in mine (good job, given it's also my home at the moment :lol: )!
Check out the front wheel alignment before you go changing anything. Mine was so out, it was unbelievable. Left wheel 5mm and right wheel 15mm!!!! After having had the tracking done, it's like driving a brand new van. That said, mine has only done 45k miles so it wasn't like anything was going to be worn at that mileage. But worth a shout anyway. Good call on the tyres - they're not that expensive anyway and you've done yourself a favour given the safety aspect and now 5yrs or so before they'll need replacing again.
Other than the few bits you mention, sounds like there's nothing major. There'll always be something (as I've learnt over the last two years or so) but hopefully you can enjoy it whilst you're doing the work you want to.
I totally understand the attraction! There is nothing quite like it. I love sleeping in mine (good job, given it's also my home at the moment :lol: )!
Check out the front wheel alignment before you go changing anything. Mine was so out, it was unbelievable. Left wheel 5mm and right wheel 15mm!!!! After having had the tracking done, it's like driving a brand new van. That said, mine has only done 45k miles so it wasn't like anything was going to be worn at that mileage. But worth a shout anyway. Good call on the tyres - they're not that expensive anyway and you've done yourself a favour given the safety aspect and now 5yrs or so before they'll need replacing again.
Other than the few bits you mention, sounds like there's nothing major. There'll always be something (as I've learnt over the last two years or so) but hopefully you can enjoy it whilst you're doing the work you want to.
We live 8 floors up and I miss being on the ground, It looks like we may be full timing from September as our house is quite delayed and I begrudge signing another lease + we have the space at my inlaws farm with electricity etc and camping in Poland seems to be pretty cheap,
The bed in the 24 year old Hymer is far more comfortable than the cheap ikea effort we have been making do with too!
We did try to have the tracking done but they told us that the track rods are too worn, poor thing was laid up for years until we woke it up and piled a heap of miles on it in 2 days! This one is pretty low mileage too but I think being left standing for so long has taken its toll on a lot of the suspension rubbers, Mechanic came back to me earlier quoting 350 GBP ish for 2 Engine Mounts, Track rods, CV gaitors and a Manifold gasket which given the Hymer was free makes for a very cheap camper.
I've also just ordered a new mat for the false floor in the cab to alleviate the accelerator pedal issue thinking that I can use the mat as a stencil to actually make the false floor, - (My DIY skills aren't great so we will see)
I get the impression that the main cause of the pulling is the engine mounts as the engine literally moves around 10 - 20 cm when i move the throttle cable and its difficult to get into gear.
RE tyres, I'm usually anal about them on our road cars but didn't think to really check them too much on the camper however looking through the old receipts it appears the front pair were bought new in July 2000
Which is embarrassing! (And also lucky given how far its just travelled)I think this summer once all the important stuff has been done (Safety related) has been done it will be enjoy it as much as we can whilst completing little jobs, I'm planning on painting the once grey parts this coming weekend if i'm brave enough, More pics to follow,
Spent the weekend doing a few more small jobs,
Finished the false floor in the cab area so no more achy accelerator leg,
Decided to have a go at repainting the stripes on the habitation part with rustoleum and a foam roller....
What a PITA! Purchased some pin striping masking tape for the white parts and used conventional tape for everything else, Started with very light coats and spent the best part of a day with a tiny roller.
Finish isn't that bad to be fair, Will give it a light wet sand next weekend and then polish it up with a DA once the paint has 100% cured,
Pinstriping masking tape just didn't work with the bubbled finish so bled through in places which means I have to source some 15mm vinyl stripes for the white bits,
As I couldn't match the original Hymer colours I went for the same grey they use on the newer Hymer models.
Anyway, Heres how it stands at present, Not perfect but with a bit more work will be
Trying to find some 15mm self adhesive white reflective tape for the thin stripes on the side as given its such a slow moving thing some extra visibility would be nice especially on Polish roads,
Will get it finished on Friday, 4 new tyres and then head to Sopot on Saturday for our first real trip away!
Engine and gearbox mounts are all done, CV boots replaced, Track rod ends also replaced (For a massive 150 quid) Mechanically only tyres and tracking need to be addressed.
Finished the false floor in the cab area so no more achy accelerator leg,
Decided to have a go at repainting the stripes on the habitation part with rustoleum and a foam roller....
What a PITA! Purchased some pin striping masking tape for the white parts and used conventional tape for everything else, Started with very light coats and spent the best part of a day with a tiny roller.
Finish isn't that bad to be fair, Will give it a light wet sand next weekend and then polish it up with a DA once the paint has 100% cured,
Pinstriping masking tape just didn't work with the bubbled finish so bled through in places which means I have to source some 15mm vinyl stripes for the white bits,
As I couldn't match the original Hymer colours I went for the same grey they use on the newer Hymer models.
Anyway, Heres how it stands at present, Not perfect but with a bit more work will be
Trying to find some 15mm self adhesive white reflective tape for the thin stripes on the side as given its such a slow moving thing some extra visibility would be nice especially on Polish roads,
Will get it finished on Friday, 4 new tyres and then head to Sopot on Saturday for our first real trip away!
Engine and gearbox mounts are all done, CV boots replaced, Track rod ends also replaced (For a massive 150 quid) Mechanically only tyres and tracking need to be addressed.
Finally managed to get away in the camper, Logically the first trip away in a very old italian engined motorhome should be somewhere that is at least 2000 kms from where you live just in case something goes wrong and also so that you can iron out any problems.
My wife speaks fluent Italian, Italy looked sunny so off we went
Prior to leaving the Alternator died so chucked it in with the local mechanic and 450 pln later (about 100 quid) it had been fully serviced, Tail light repaired along with the alternator. Win!
After looking at google maps, My wife chose a destination, Cursory check of tyres (New anyway) and other levels, A splash of diesel and we were on our way.
Passing Leipzig on the way down there was a huge bang and then an awful lot of wind, We pulled over and looked around the van (04.00 am by this time) and all seemed well until I noticed one hell of a breeze coming from the over cab bed. The main window had parted company with the rest of the van and although still there was in 3 pieces and we simply couldn't get it back in properly.
Luckilly as this van was passed to me from my father it still had all of his tools on board under one of the sofas, (By all i'm talking a roll of Duck brand duct tape and a rubber mallet)
At this point it was still dry although windy so liberally applied the masking tape until the window felt secure and reasonably air tight. (At this point i was considering turning round, grabbing the Lexus and carrying on)
And a daylight shot of my 04.00am handy work
Hmm not great and the weather was starting to get worse, Only solution for the time being is more gaffa tape, surprising stuff in that it can hold a window in as tight as the original seal. Aesthetically i'm not a fan but it works.
Pressing on into Austria with no issues, Navi sent us through the centre of Munich which is an Umwelt Zone in quite a smokey old diesel. Still probably not much dirtier than the newer German stuff once the DPF has been removed
Not in Austria very long, Passed this place which made the inner 12 year old laugh https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/w
ktunnel
Then on down to the italian border,
One of the steepest hills I have ever seen, 5-6 kms of it in second gear (Descending) Cue soft brake pedal and lots of smoke,
Pulled over to wait for everything to cool down a bit.
Not many pictures from here as I was just determined to get to Gargano and drink some wine!
In torrential rain the gaffa tape started to leak so decided to stop at a local DIY shop and buy some silicone and a piece of perspex and another roll of gaffa tape (not duck brand so barely stuck)
My wife speaks fluent Italian, Italy looked sunny so off we went
Prior to leaving the Alternator died so chucked it in with the local mechanic and 450 pln later (about 100 quid) it had been fully serviced, Tail light repaired along with the alternator. Win!
After looking at google maps, My wife chose a destination, Cursory check of tyres (New anyway) and other levels, A splash of diesel and we were on our way.
Passing Leipzig on the way down there was a huge bang and then an awful lot of wind, We pulled over and looked around the van (04.00 am by this time) and all seemed well until I noticed one hell of a breeze coming from the over cab bed. The main window had parted company with the rest of the van and although still there was in 3 pieces and we simply couldn't get it back in properly.
Luckilly as this van was passed to me from my father it still had all of his tools on board under one of the sofas, (By all i'm talking a roll of Duck brand duct tape and a rubber mallet)
At this point it was still dry although windy so liberally applied the masking tape until the window felt secure and reasonably air tight. (At this point i was considering turning round, grabbing the Lexus and carrying on)
And a daylight shot of my 04.00am handy work
Hmm not great and the weather was starting to get worse, Only solution for the time being is more gaffa tape, surprising stuff in that it can hold a window in as tight as the original seal. Aesthetically i'm not a fan but it works.
Pressing on into Austria with no issues, Navi sent us through the centre of Munich which is an Umwelt Zone in quite a smokey old diesel. Still probably not much dirtier than the newer German stuff once the DPF has been removed
Not in Austria very long, Passed this place which made the inner 12 year old laugh https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/w
ktunnelThen on down to the italian border,
One of the steepest hills I have ever seen, 5-6 kms of it in second gear (Descending) Cue soft brake pedal and lots of smoke,
Pulled over to wait for everything to cool down a bit.
Not many pictures from here as I was just determined to get to Gargano and drink some wine!
In torrential rain the gaffa tape started to leak so decided to stop at a local DIY shop and buy some silicone and a piece of perspex and another roll of gaffa tape (not duck brand so barely stuck)
Arrived at the camp site, Repaired the window and then cracked open some wine,
Upon waking the weather was terrible however the new repair didn't leak but the campsite was a sthole!
Imagine waking up in italy in the rain, Nowhere to get a coffee and just needing to go only to be greeted by this!
So we left and went to a different place, Near Peschichi, This one was much better, Parked right on the beach, Normal toilets, decent coffee however it was still torrential rain!
Weather finally came good and as my Aliexpress delivery of 15mm slightly reflective vinyl came through prior to leaving obviously before hitting the beach it had to be installed,
Local family of cats moved in
Beach and holiday for a week Managed to get 4/5 days of decent sun
And then back home ready for work
Italy as we were leaving,
27 hours later and the camper is parked back in its parking space at the inlaws, (Everything in between was a bit of a blur.
Observations from this trip,
Take your own bedding, Trying to find an Ikea in Italy is a nightmare. (We forgot ours)
Check your 12v batteries work (Leisure) Ares don't and are totally dead, They also trigger the battery charge warning so had to remove the fuse.
Take a roll or 10 of gaffa tape anywhere you go.
Check the weather before you leave
Anyway despite a few mishaps, A few forgotten important items we had a great time and the 24 year old Ducato base vehicle performed flawlessly both ways. Old agricultural simple french Turbo Diesel engines really are quite robust.
I was also surprised that we did overtake things and wasn't the slowest vehicle on the road. The 2.5td unit really pulls the weight of the camper quite well up long hills.
Upon waking the weather was terrible however the new repair didn't leak but the campsite was a s
thole!Imagine waking up in italy in the rain, Nowhere to get a coffee and just needing to go only to be greeted by this!
So we left and went to a different place, Near Peschichi, This one was much better, Parked right on the beach, Normal toilets, decent coffee however it was still torrential rain!
Weather finally came good and as my Aliexpress delivery of 15mm slightly reflective vinyl came through prior to leaving obviously before hitting the beach it had to be installed,
Local family of cats moved in
Beach and holiday for a week
Managed to get 4/5 days of decent sunAnd then back home ready for work
Italy as we were leaving,
27 hours later and the camper is parked back in its parking space at the inlaws, (Everything in between was a bit of a blur.
Observations from this trip,
Take your own bedding, Trying to find an Ikea in Italy is a nightmare. (We forgot ours)
Check your 12v batteries work (Leisure) Ares don't and are totally dead, They also trigger the battery charge warning so had to remove the fuse.
Take a roll or 10 of gaffa tape anywhere you go.
Check the weather before you leave
Anyway despite a few mishaps, A few forgotten important items we had a great time and the 24 year old Ducato base vehicle performed flawlessly both ways. Old agricultural simple french Turbo Diesel engines really are quite robust.
I was also surprised that we did overtake things and wasn't the slowest vehicle on the road. The 2.5td unit really pulls the weight of the camper quite well up long hills.
Thats the thing with gaffa tape, its amazing stuff, The more you use the better! Now we are home picked up a tube of sikaflex and some gorilla tape.
This friday I will bond some 1mm aluminium sheet over the window aperture (Well the whole front panel) as a more permanent fix, Cut to size cost less than a tenner and then paint with rustoleum and replace the decals. Wallboard seems reasonable enough so after a bit of insulation it can be made to look relatively OEM from the inside too.
Plenty of work to do on the van over the winter which includes new lino, New interior lighting and new batteries. Inside could do with a repaint too
This friday I will bond some 1mm aluminium sheet over the window aperture (Well the whole front panel) as a more permanent fix, Cut to size cost less than a tenner and then paint with rustoleum and replace the decals. Wallboard seems reasonable enough so after a bit of insulation it can be made to look relatively OEM from the inside too.
Plenty of work to do on the van over the winter which includes new lino, New interior lighting and new batteries. Inside could do with a repaint too
Update time!
Finally got round to having the front part around the window painting after installing the replacement window in a bit of a rush before winter came. (still needs a tidy up with a nice bead of caulk but thats a job for when I have an electric caulking gun)
Managed to have some new decals made up by scanning in a knockoff set I happened upon in the Polish small ads, (60 quid for the full set however the quality wasn't great) Scanned these in. had a graphic designer retrace them and then re printed in UV resistant ink.
A Before shot.
And after
Managed to get the blown air heating working to some extent although it isn't that hot, Will have a closer look over summer.
New lino installed in the kitchen instead of the carpet which is nice.
Pretty much ready for the summer!
Finally got round to having the front part around the window painting after installing the replacement window in a bit of a rush before winter came. (still needs a tidy up with a nice bead of caulk but thats a job for when I have an electric caulking gun)
Managed to have some new decals made up by scanning in a knockoff set I happened upon in the Polish small ads, (60 quid for the full set however the quality wasn't great) Scanned these in. had a graphic designer retrace them and then re printed in UV resistant ink.
A Before shot.
And after
Managed to get the blown air heating working to some extent although it isn't that hot, Will have a closer look over summer.
New lino installed in the kitchen instead of the carpet which is nice.
Pretty much ready for the summer!
We moved house so sadly the van didn't get much use or attention over the winter however when doing a few little jobs in January I noticed a fair amount of damp starting come through.
On a van this age its pretty much imperative that these things are kept under check and repaired immediately otherwise things go downhill very quickly. Being a Hymer and having an Aluminium frame as opposed to wood means these things are usually saveable.
This was the sad evening in January when I realised what was wrong and set about stripping everything down.
A quick phonemail later on the Monday and we arranged to drop the van off with a guy 50kms away in a random Polish village which consisted of 3 houses and a huge metal hangar type shed. I was panicking slightly about just "dumping" the van with some unknown guy who apparently repaired motorhomes. My thoughts were its insured and whats the worst than can happen.
No mention of money was made, No negotiation over price as I had no idea what it would cost. I just told the guy to fix it and make it right. get rid of any damp and do what is necessary. (I stuck 2k in English money to one side but suspected I would have to add to this)
3 months later while I'm doing something totally unrelated my wife got a surprise call from the guy with our motorhome to say that it was all finished.
He has deleted the over cab window, resigned the whole panel with fibreglass, insulation and then wallboard from the inside. Reskinned the roof with fibreglass. Installed 3 skylights and wall boarded and wallpapered the whole interior. My heart sank slightly that he had got it done so quickly (I was expecting it back in June once I had finished a few more bits on the house) and was a little worried about how much this would all cost as its a huge amount of work.
1200 GBP was the answer. An absolute bargain in my opinion. Van has been saved and now looks better than ever.
Whilst most of the furniture was out it seemed like a good idea to fit some fresh Lino in there as the 26 year old original was a bit disgusting.
Furniture back in.
Old fluorescent tubes replaced with 12v LED strip in an Aluminium profile connected up to 2 remote controlled drivers.
Got quite a bit of stick on the Hymer groups for doing away with the original light fittings however I'm delighted with the amount of light the LEDs produce and it also means the batteries will last much longer.
Excess LED strip was stuck on top of the units hidden away to give an uplighting effect. (Nice and bright in there now)
Next up was the bathroom. The original plastic sink was fked so decided to have a go at making my own solution.
Bit of softwood cut to size.
Rattle can it grey (Not perfect but looks fine) and install a small conglomerate surface mount basin. (30 quid from the local bathroom shop)
Oh and a finishing touch. Spent a lot of time last year getting the original stickers scanned in and then re-traced and printed as the faded originals looked a bit rubbish.
Had a few sets printed off
Next step is a bit of welding (cosmetic) and a bit of paint to the cab. Kon Tiki front bumper. Side steps, Install the Audi S line seats and try to find a Fiat Uno Turbo steering wheel.
Pretty pleased with the result so far. - Total spend is less than 1500 GBP.
On a van this age its pretty much imperative that these things are kept under check and repaired immediately otherwise things go downhill very quickly. Being a Hymer and having an Aluminium frame as opposed to wood means these things are usually saveable.
This was the sad evening in January when I realised what was wrong and set about stripping everything down.
A quick phonemail later on the Monday and we arranged to drop the van off with a guy 50kms away in a random Polish village which consisted of 3 houses and a huge metal hangar type shed. I was panicking slightly about just "dumping" the van with some unknown guy who apparently repaired motorhomes. My thoughts were its insured and whats the worst than can happen.
No mention of money was made, No negotiation over price as I had no idea what it would cost. I just told the guy to fix it and make it right. get rid of any damp and do what is necessary. (I stuck 2k in English money to one side but suspected I would have to add to this)
3 months later while I'm doing something totally unrelated my wife got a surprise call from the guy with our motorhome to say that it was all finished.
He has deleted the over cab window, resigned the whole panel with fibreglass, insulation and then wallboard from the inside. Reskinned the roof with fibreglass. Installed 3 skylights and wall boarded and wallpapered the whole interior. My heart sank slightly that he had got it done so quickly (I was expecting it back in June once I had finished a few more bits on the house) and was a little worried about how much this would all cost as its a huge amount of work.
1200 GBP was the answer. An absolute bargain in my opinion. Van has been saved and now looks better than ever.
Whilst most of the furniture was out it seemed like a good idea to fit some fresh Lino in there as the 26 year old original was a bit disgusting.
Furniture back in.
Old fluorescent tubes replaced with 12v LED strip in an Aluminium profile connected up to 2 remote controlled drivers.
Got quite a bit of stick on the Hymer groups for doing away with the original light fittings however I'm delighted with the amount of light the LEDs produce and it also means the batteries will last much longer.
Excess LED strip was stuck on top of the units hidden away to give an uplighting effect. (Nice and bright in there now)
Next up was the bathroom. The original plastic sink was f
ked so decided to have a go at making my own solution.Bit of softwood cut to size.
Rattle can it grey (Not perfect but looks fine) and install a small conglomerate surface mount basin. (30 quid from the local bathroom shop)
Oh and a finishing touch. Spent a lot of time last year getting the original stickers scanned in and then re-traced and printed as the faded originals looked a bit rubbish.
Had a few sets printed off
Next step is a bit of welding (cosmetic) and a bit of paint to the cab. Kon Tiki front bumper. Side steps, Install the Audi S line seats and try to find a Fiat Uno Turbo steering wheel.
Pretty pleased with the result so far. - Total spend is less than 1500 GBP.
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