Hymer Model B544 PremiumLine 2016
Hymer B544 Premiumline on the driveway at Lancaster
Hymer one gave us really good service during the time that we owned it. The Hymer was 12 years old when we purchased it, and in very good condition. The annual MOT test was passed without any issues and everything worked well. So why change it? Our first foreign journey was to the Bordeaux region in France, where we met our son and his family who were staying at a holiday park. We really enjoyed the freedom of being able to move around from place to place and stay in rural locations away from cities.
When we purchased the Hymer we were not sure whether we would like it or not, so we bought a modest vehicle in case we didn’t like it. After a careful evaluation we decided that we would upgrade and buy a more recent vehicle so that we would feel more comfortable about making longer journeys in Europe where we would be a long way from home. Hymer on was advertised and sold to the first person who came to look at it. Overall the depreciation was around 10% so we were very happy and so was the buyer, who was doing exactly what we had done, that is buying a moderate vehicle to see how that liked it.
Having sold our Hymer we set about looking for a replacement, which turned out to be much more difficult than we expected. We looked and searched, but could not find another Hymer of the same model, the B544. We wanted that model because it has two long bench type seats along the sides rather than short seats on either side of a small table. We widened our search to include other makes, but were very disappointed by the quality and resilience of what we saw. We eventually decided that if we were going to find another vehicle that was around a year old then we might have to settle for something different. The old thing we could find was a Pilote, with a similar interior layout to what we wanted. We agreed to buy it subject to what seemed like minor remedial work and paid a deposit to a dealer about 150 miles from home.
As collection day approached the dealer called to say that they apparently minor problem, a split in one of the seats caused by people stepping on them to gain access to the bed, was not so minor. The repairer said that it could not be done easily. There was a lot of pressure from the dealer to accept the situation, but we were not happy, no reduction was being offered and there had been some other difficulties. We suggested that further negotiation was necessary and that the only way that could take place was for the dealer to release us from the contract. They were not entirely happy – of course, but agreed, so the deposit was refunded the same day.
We continued looking. We found a dealer in Newark who had several Hymers and set off to visit. It’s a long way from Lancaster to Newark but turned out to be worth the drive. This dealer had three suitable vehicles, different ages, all within our price range. We looked and tested, looked more, thought long and hard. We decided to buy the most expensive Hymer, only 8 months old and just over 6,000 miles on the clock. Not a cheap vehicle, but about 20% below the new price. We had no vehicle to part exchange, so we were able to negotiate a lot of extras or a reduction in the price. We wanted the extras, so we got . . .
- a spare wheel with new tyre to match the others
- a solar panel and extra leisure battery
- high security locks on the driver door and habitation door
- two refillable LPG tanks including fitting
- alarm system to meet the requirements of our insurance company
In addition we got 12 months warranty for parts and labour. We paid for the installation of a 2-camera reversing setup.
This Hymer has 6 speed automatic gearbox, a 2.3 litre diesel engine, leather upholstery and host of minor features that make it a delight to drive and live in. It is a delight to drive, the engine is very responsive and the gearbox too. It will cruise on the motorway all day without any problems. We have taken trips of up to 3,000 miles without any hesitation and all we have had to do it put fuel in and top up the screen wash bottle regularly. We have had regular services, MOTs have drawn comments from the examiner about the lack of problems, especially the chassis and lack of corrosion. Internally the quality of the fixtures and fittings is excellent and justifies the initial purchase price. Overall we are very satisfied with the vehicle and what it has done for us.
We hope you will browse through the pages of this website and look at some of the journeys that we have done, especially if you are thinking of buying your own motorhome.
Photos of our current Hymer B544
Click any image to enlarge
Ten Years later . . .
hard to believe, but it’s ten years since we purchased our Hymer B544 Premiumline, 2016 when it was only 8 months old. Here we are ten years and over 60,000 miles travelled, a set of tyres worn out and still the Hymer looks like new inside. There are a couple of minor scrapes on a wheel arch and the outside needs a good clean.
We have our Hymer serviced more than it really needs, but we get in, drive off and expect faultless performance, that’s what we get. We don’t drive our Hymer hard, it’s still got the original brake pads and still feels great. We aim to spend around a hundred nights a year in the Hymer, sometimes we fall short but not by much. Our tours around Europe are long, we rarely eat out, preferring to cook our own food from fresh ingredients. We use a mix of paid and free aires or campsites depending on what country we are in at the time.
France is definitely the most motorhome friendly country, Spain second while the UK comes at the bottom of the list as far as we are concerned. When we’re in Europe we spend a lot of money on fuel, food and wine — only the french seem to have realised how valuable le camping carists are and provides great facilities, often free of charge. The UK seems to have a problem and regards motorhomes as something bad, stuck in the 1950s caravan era we think! So, we head for europe and spend our money there.
Have a look around our travels and feel free to contact us.