Hymer Touring GT owners & resources thread - Page 2 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-09-2019, 09:35 AM   #21
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Long live station wagons, estate wagons, touring models....! That’s the sexiest Buick in recent memory. I’ll look forward to your reports.
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Old 05-09-2019, 12:15 PM   #22
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Long live station wagons, estate wagons, touring models....! That’s the sexiest Buick in recent memory. I’ll look forward to your reports.
Thanks. We love it!

We rented the Opel version in Germany last year before buying ours. Put 500-600miles on it driving thru the north country, Berlin, Peenemünde and Hamburg. Much of it on the Autobahn. It's a great car. And very undervalued here in the states. The dealerships treat them like orphans and seem dumbfounded about how to sell them. So there are lots of great discounts on them, currently. Sadly, I don't expect GM will offer it past 2020.
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Old 05-09-2019, 02:36 PM   #23
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Old 05-09-2019, 02:41 PM   #24
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Long live station wagons, estate wagons, touring models....!.
Ditto!

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Old 05-11-2019, 10:56 PM   #25
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I am very interested in the GT. Too bad the nearest dealership is over 2,000km away. I appreciate if some existing owners may help answer a couple my questions...

In many pictures of the GT, The under-frame has black steel beam on both sides, running from front to tail, while there is clearly an air gap between the steel beams and the body of the trailer. I wonder how the trailer body is attached to the under-frame chassis ? Are these black steel beams part of the underframe supporting the trailer body ??

I also noticed in these pictures, it appears the GT was engineered with a single-tongue, instead of the most common A-frame tongue. I kind of worry about this design.

What kind of axle is used . Torsion, spring .

Is wheel bearing permanently sealed ? Or regular grease/repacking is required ?

It will nice if someone can take a few pictures of the underframe, specifically around the tongue area and how the axle (wheel) is attached to the underframe.

Thank you in advanced
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Old 05-12-2019, 10:54 AM   #26
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It will nice if someone can take a few pictures of the underframe, specifically around the tongue area and how the axle (wheel) is attached to the underframe.
Here's a look at some of the things you mention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=djubelt0-Pg
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Old 05-12-2019, 10:55 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by Pwipjtl View Post
In many pictures of the GT, The under-frame has black steel beam on both sides, running from front to tail, while there is clearly an air gap between the steel beams and the body of the trailer. I wonder how the trailer body is attached to the under-frame chassis ? Are these black steel beams part of the underframe supporting the trailer body ??
Our GT is too low for me to get under without jacking. But those steel beams appear to be trusses to handle loads and prevent deflection over the length of the cabin. From what I can see, they are bolted to the undercarriage and are not part of a frame.

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I also noticed in these pictures, it appears the GT was engineered with a single-tongue, instead of the most common A-frame tongue. I kind of worry about this design.
The pole tongue is pretty common on boat trailers and other light weight trailers. It goes all the way back to connect with the axle as well as connecting to the undercarriage at several points along the way. The obvious benefit is weight savings. But it's less convenient for adding extra batteries or LP tanks up front. I'm already scheming about that, but it will require fabrication of an all new mounting system instead of just adding a couple lengths of steel angle as is common with A-frame tongue owners.

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What kind of axle is used . Torsion, spring .
Torsion type.

Quote:
Is wheel bearing permanently sealed ? Or regular grease/repacking is required ?
I haven't looked. Is that an issue? I assume it uses common tapered roller bearings as are typical in the automotive industry. Not sure about you, but I haven't had to replace a wheel bearing in any car I've ever owned. Including my race car. I assume that's an issue with boat trailers – which are submerged in water at launch – but I don't see reason for concern about this. Always interested in learning from others though if there's more to this than I'm aware.

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It will nice if someone can take a few pictures of the underframe, specifically around the tongue area and how the axle (wheel) is attached to the underframe.
I'd like to see this as well and will be happy to post photos someday when I can jack it up and get under there. That's easier said than done, however, as the Hymer's got a pretty low ride height. Also, the tanks and AC occupy most of the undercarriage near the axle.

I've spent a fair amount of time looking at construction/restoration photos of Hymer Eribas overseas. Most/all that I've seen suggest that those are based on an integrated frame, tongue and steel space frame over which the fiberglass shell is attached. The GT appears to be either a monocoque design, or a steel space frame to which the tongue and truss rails are attached. So far I haven't discovered if that design is shared by the late model Eriba Trolls in Europe, or if that design is unique to the North American model.
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Old 05-12-2019, 11:30 AM   #28
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Here's a look at some of the things you mention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=djubelt0-Pg
Good link.

It's worth noting that some online info sources (including Hymer's own webpage) show a few details differently than they ended up with in final production. Except for the weight, this video seems to have used a production model and not a prototype. Stove and sink are correct (they are not so in the brochure). If the weight is correct, then it must be for a base model with no options. The trailer shown has AC, microwave and TV like mine does (and the majority of those I've seen on RVTrader). With those options (and EZ-UP and a few kitchen items I forgot to remove...) mine scaled in at 2760lbs.

Another thing I forgot to mention about the pole tongue is that it is barely long enough for the 32" of length required to add an Equalizer hitch. I'm not convinced it needs one. But it might require a non-standard installation if one were motivated to get one. Since all the storage is behind the axle and I've not towed with it fully loaded yet, the jury's out on final tongue weight ratio. Europeans generally design their trailers with a lower polar moment than most of the blacksmiths who build trailers in the US. So Euro trailers don't need as much tongue weight ratio as is commonly thought necessary for stability in the US.
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Old 05-12-2019, 02:59 PM   #29
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Thanks OCJOhn for the reply, much appreciated !

1. I agree that the "black steel beam" is not weight bearing, I suspect it is used for mounting the water tanks and AC.
2. I don't know the difference between "underframe" and "undercarriage", but I notcie in most trailers, a structured metal frame is usually exposed, with the trailer shell/housing resting on top. But in the case of this Hymer GT, I see no exposed metal frame, except the 2 "black metal beams". I am curious if the whole undercarriage/underframe are concealed inside the fiberglass frame. If so, is this good engineering design ?
3. I have been researching for pictures/video of the European version (Eriba) too, I noticed the tongue is totally different. The Eriba uses an A-Frame tongue which looks identical the T@B AL-KO tongue (which I currently own) made prior to 2009.

Many of us LOVE the european design and the German engineering of the Eriba, but I am not sure if the GT was bulit with only the european design, but not the German engineering ! I agree with OCJohn that many of the interior component defects are all fixable, but if the structural components (brake, axle weght ratings) are under-engineered (or mis-engineered), it can become a much bigger problem. This is also the reason why I wanted to see pictures of the underbelly of the GT, hopeing that I can "guess" how good it was built.

Thanks !
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Old 05-12-2019, 03:06 PM   #30
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The GT was advertised at 2,480lbs dry. I guess your TV, battery, AC and microwave, made up the 280lbs difference to your 2,760lbs.
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Old 05-13-2019, 10:30 AM   #31
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Hymer GT Axle Info

Axle, brakes and hubs appear to have been sourced from Lippert Components, who have axle manufacturing facilities in Indiana and Texas. Lippert links below. Also a link to the product manual PDF in our FGRV downloads library:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...do=file&id=308

https://www.lci1.com/torsion-axles
http://www.lci1.com/assets/content/s...ers-Manual.pdf

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Old 05-13-2019, 02:14 PM   #32
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Hymer GT Cassette Toilet Info

Toilet bowl and cassette are both Thetford units, though neither appears on Thetford's North American sites for USA or Canada. Links and docs below were sourced from Thetford's UK site.

Thetford Cassette Toilets Main: https://www.thetford-europe.com/gb/p...ssette-toilets
C263-S - Plastic Bowl (OE for Hymer GT): https://www.thetford-europe.com/gb/p...s-plastic-bowl

PDFs in our FGRV downloads library:
Fiberglass RV - Document Center - Thetford Cassette Toilet Infographic
Fiberglass RV - Document Center - Thetford C260 Series Toilet User Manual
Fiberglass RV - Document Center - Thetford C260 Series Toilet Installation Manual
Fiberglass RV - Document Center - Thetford Spare part list C260

There's also some good info about the common C260 flap closure/lever sticking problem toward the bottom of this blog page: https://www.zwiebelfam.nl/camper/en/toilet.htm

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Old 05-15-2019, 08:37 PM   #33
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We just paid advance for buying one and may be getting in couple of weeks.
There is a small FB group too where we have been discussing
https://www.facebook.com/groups/427850547980510/
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Old 05-23-2019, 04:54 AM   #34
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Curious about the refrigerator since it's electric only. Is it one of the newer compressor fridges that use less power on DC?
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Old 05-23-2019, 07:33 AM   #35
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Curious about the refrigerator since it's electric only. Is it one of the newer compressor fridges that use less power on DC?
It's a 2 way refrigerator that runs on both 110vAC and 12vDC, but I don't have specific model info. I want to put together a build sheet that lists make and model details for all the appliances and major components. Just haven't gotten to it yet.

Along those lines, I'd love some help identifying this thing. I assume it's an inverter/charger. But it's too far down in the bottom of the systems bay and surrounded by wires and ducts to see the manufacturer's ID plate. Please speak up if you recognize the case design. Thanks.


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Old 05-23-2019, 06:51 PM   #36
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Curious about the refrigerator since it's electric only. Is it one of the newer compressor fridges that use less power on DC?
Refrigerator is a Norcold NR751.

https://norcold.com/product/norcold-...-refrigerator/
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Old 06-24-2019, 07:38 PM   #37
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Hi! We bought our Hymer GT van about 2 months ago, and are having lots of trouble - some cosmetic ( drawers, screws coming out...) but huge problem with electrical power. Wondering if you’ve had any more experience with it yet. The dealership we bought it at has been no help, and they lost the manual. No manual available online, so we are in the dark. Any ideas on how to get one? Thanks so much!
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Old 06-24-2019, 09:04 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by Cfrazita View Post
Hi! We bought our Hymer GT van about 2 months ago, and are having lots of trouble - some cosmetic ( drawers, screws coming out...) but huge problem with electrical power. Wondering if you’ve had any more experience with it yet. The dealership we bought it at has been no help, and they lost the manual. No manual available online, so we are in the dark. Any ideas on how to get one? Thanks so much!
The cabinetry issues are not uncommon. There's a more active group of GT owners over on the Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/427850547980510/

All the manuals we've found are posted over there. Including the Inverter/Charger manual. (I tried attaching it here, but the file is too large.) And there's been some recent discussion about the electrical system, but mostly about how it works. I'm not aware of any common problems.
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Old 07-02-2019, 06:36 PM   #39
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I found everything I needed to find, I think it's a great little unit with a big bed. and easy to tow. In other words just what I'm looking for.
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Old 07-03-2019, 08:32 AM   #40
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I just called to order one. At first they told me $200 to deliver it across the border to Buffalo and now they called me back to say they've changed it to $1000. Sounds a little shady but it's still better than paying 13% Ontario tax and then 8.6% Washington State tax.
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