Hymer FG, new kid on the block?

[Carl V]

The website mentions this Hymer has a "Combination LP furnace /water heater".
Never heard of this before. Any link for such a unit?

[Tom 72]

Carl, they come out of Europe. I'll find and post a link. Good products, I've heard. Truma Combi.

http://rvdailyreport.com/products/tr...ace-hot-water/

[John in Michigan]

Carl, check Truma Combi...

[John in Michigan]

Originally Posted by Dave Fish

Thanks. I did not download the brochure. If the travel height is 7'5", then one would be very tight getting into my carport.

Dave, the Travel Height is 7'4" so it should easily fit into your carport

[Carl V]

Thanks guys!
Their website answered my next question:
"In summer mode you can heat the water independently of the space heater."

Sounds pretty interesting!

Edit: I just read the installation instructions pdf on their website, this is a very interesting product. My current furnace and water heater are working just fine right now, and the water heater can be replaced easily but not the furnace, so if it ever fails and I can't have it fixed, I'll seriously consider a combo unit like this, installed where my water heater now sits.
This seems a rather recent product over here in NA, not sure how easy I could get service if needed but hopefully it'll be more common over the years.

[kevin57]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

I was thrilled to see a new entrant into the FG business until I saw this:

"A few weeks ago Hymer was bought by... THOR."

Yep! Agree.

[k corbin]

so now Thor owns Hymer and Airstream. Interesting and perhaps the reason the Nest is having quality issues. This is not the Old Airstream company..its a Thor

[Carl V]

I don't know how Airstream "used to be" before THOR, but I've seen firsthand botched craftsmanship and poor assembly on my brother's Airstream. They are fabulous trailers but apart from the shiny skin, quality wise they are not much different from plain old stickies.

[Geronimo John]

Originally Posted by Carl V

... The size and weight of this Hymer puts it in the same category as an Escape 17....

I'm an owner of an Oliver Travel Trailer, 2018 model. OTT makes two trailers. The larger one is their Oliver Legacy Elite II, a tandem axle 23.5' double hull fiberglass egg. It's smaller brother is the Legacy Elite, a single axle 18.5 foot double hull fiberglass egg. Both trailers use almost identical construction except where needed for structural purposes. Both use top of the line materials and sub-systems.

Some of the distinguishing features of the OTT Legacy Elite series is that they are four season trailers with double fiberglass hulls. The space between the two hulls is filled with space age insulation. As all the interior cabinets and sub walls are part of the four molds (Top outside, Top inside, bottom outside and bottom inside), the "Egg" is extremely strong and resistant to torsional and longitudinal stresses.

I chose to pay a premium for a four season trailer that by it's double hull and extremely rugged running gear will stand up to the mountain fire roads that I drag it up for real boon-docking with a view. I know of no stick built trailer that could withstand this type of use.

It will be interesting to see how the Hymer single hull works for our North American mountains.

[k corbin]

I think the Truma company is rather an interesting new addition to the USA market place. They have a warehouse right in Elkhart and are busy expanding their marketing across the country. They have also established a number of authorized service centers who can also do installation work on the units. Having those service centers is a real benefit for anyone hoping to install the product into an existing RV. Also of course for anyone purchasing a new RV that contains one.



Even though the company started in Germany the name of the company was created by the founder to honor former President Harry S. Truman! https://www.truma.com/us/en/company/about-truma.html

[Raz]

On the road when this was posted so I'm late to the party. These trailers have been teased for quite some time. I'm glad to see they are now in production. Perhaps the Thor buyout was what was needed to bring these to market. Shame they are not factory direct. Ontario is not that far from here.

A big bed that doesn't require a climb over and lots of windows that can be opened in the rain are very appealing. I currently use a porta potti so the cassette toilet is not an issue. I've gotten used to fiberglass furniture so faux wood would not be my first choice nor would the pop top. I have a Dometic sink in my Trillium. The chromed plastic faucet didn't last long and is expensive to replace. The brochure won't down load to my tablet so I dont have all the information. For example the exterior is painted. Does that mean no gel coat? I see the spare tire is optional. Where is it stored?

I would consider buying an expensive trailer if the extra cost is in build quality as opposed to gadgets. I've seen two Oliver's from afar including one on our recent trip to the Outer Banks but have never been inside one. The folks were not very friendly. No matter, I wouldnt buy one. If one of these ends up at a local dealer I certainly will take the time to have a look.

[John in Michigan]

Raz, the brochure (page 5 - exterior features) indicates "Molded insulated fiberglass", so if as you say its painted, then probably no gel coat. I am ok with that. Molded fiberglass requires an outer coating of either gel coat or paint.

Regarding the price, website indicates MSRP starting at $26,460 USD │ $29,397 CDN, so not much different from Escape, Lil Snoozy, Parkliner.

EDIT: Here is something interesting. If you buy this camper in Ontario and import to US at today's conversion rate, the cost would be $22,378 USD. Under NAFTA, there would be no import duty.

[Alf S.]

Hi: All... Thor is a "Buy 'em up... make a buck... and if they don't... close 'em down type of company IMHO. The bottom line is their only concern. It's sad to see a revered company like Roadtrek fall victim to them.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Jack Walter]

I've looked at the new Hymer trailers here at a dealer just north of Atlanta and can confirm that they are fiberglass. They had three of them delivered to their lot at the beginning of October. To those of you worrying about the pop-top its is not an issue. I can say this with certainty because I have owned two German built Hymer Eriba travel trailers, a 1989 Puck and a 1988 Triton. I've never had the first leak in either one and the extra headroom is very much appreciated as well as the lower overall height when the trailer is under tow. Both of my Eribas were of the aluminum skin over a tubular steel frame with a fiberglass roof. They are very light (the 16' Triton weighs around 1500 lbs) and tow beautifully - even behind a 4 cylinder Land Rover.



I was really excited to see Hymer entering the US market because my wife wants a little bigger trailer with a bathroom. I'd already been investigating importing a newer Eriba from the Netherlands when I heard that they were setting up a manufacturing facility in Canada so I decided to wait and see what it looked like. The news about Thor acquiring Hymer is very disappointing because when I saw the new trailer at the dealer I knew something wasn't right. The interior materials in the new Hymer just looked cheap - not nearly as attractive and well built as the German versions. Instead of a hardwood frame with gas struts supporting the mattress, it just didn't look sturdy and built to last thirty years like my current 1988 Eriba. The interior panels look like some kind of cheap wood substitute and the door hinges look like bent sheet metal. The corner jacks are no where nearly as nice as the scissor jacks on the European models. The whole impression that I got was that it had built down to a price (even though its more expensive than the comparable German built models).



I guess I'll take a closer look at the Escape trailers now.

[Borrego Dave]

Jack, nice write up from a hands on owner.

[Raz]

Thanks Jack. I'm sorry to here that.