I'd like to have a word with....

4757 Views 17 Replies 14 Participants Last post by JeanLuc, Jun 11, 2009

peejay

Discussion Starter · Jun 10, 2009

...the bloke who designed the washroom rooflight on Hymers, preferably down a dark alley :evil:

Stupid design, it should be a sealed double glazed unit like the main dinette rooflight but for some reason they put little vents in it which let all the muck in over time making it look grubby and unsightly. The only way to clean it is to prize off the single use starlock washers on each arm (x4) and remove it as there is no easy way to clean it in situ. Of course then you have to purchase some replacement washers when and if you can find a supplier. Whats wrong with just screwing a nut on the end instead? The job would be so much easier.

Once you've got it off the only way to clean in between the panes is to shove bits of sponge attached to wire in between the narrow space and wiggle them about to get into the virtually inaccesible corners. A right pig of a job made even worse by the sharp edges that cut into your fingers when trying to get the sponge between the panes.

I'd also like to have a word with the other bloke at Hymer who decided to fit hella headlamp units with the lhd/rhd adjustment screws in possibly the most inaccesible position in the world :evil:

Apart from that, I'm quite pleased with it :lol: /rant

Is there anyone at Hymer, or any other converters for that matter who design things that you would like to have a 'word' with :?:

Pete

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

JohnsCrossMotorHomes

· #2 · Jun 10, 2009

Hi Peejay,

How about a nice F iamma Turbo vent retrofit, it will blow dry your curls!

Peter

Triple7

· #3 · Jun 10, 2009

The man/woman that designed the ridiculous plastic covers to the water/EHU.
On my Hymer Classic Camp these covers are a silly square of plastic that has a key lock in the top left corner. However, the plastic is so weak as to offer absolutely no security, but because of the retaining clips on the bottom and right side, it makes it a bugger to open to use normally. :evil:

The most stupid ridiculous design concept I think I have ever seen.

777 8)

sallytrafic

· #4 · Jun 10, 2009

All vents have to allow some ventilation when closed

I have a turbo vent and have to strip it down to clean the inside of the flyscreen mesh which is above the electronics boards, the fan and opening closing mechanism at least annually.

It takes fifteen minutes to take apart two hours to put back together again. If you have a thick roof, mating the 4" long screws with their tiny holes in the top part of the vent can be tiresome

exmusso

· #5 · Jun 10, 2009

I'd like to have a word with

The idiot who decided the original spare wheel location on my Mk 6 Transit based Rimor Sailer was OK along with the hopeless scissor jack expected to lift it in the event of a puncture.

Even up on the ramps at all four corners, it was a struggle to get underneath to lower the spare wheel using the supplied tool. I think it only went one eighth of a turn at a time.

Now located in the m/h garage and at least I've got a spare.

Cheers,
Alan

eddied

· #6 · Jun 10, 2009

Ciao tutti,
gosh what a surprise, and there's silly me thinking Hymers are supposed to be perfect. My Chausson almost is. For cleaning jobs described I use compressed air out of a tin and blow it all back out where it came from.
saluti,
eddied

greenasthegrass

· #7 · Jun 10, 2009

I'd like to have a word with the "woman" allegedly who designed the gormet kitchen in our deadlegs. She was either blind, stupid or a man! there is no work surface and in our previous hymer we had a really good chopping board that swivelled round and covered the sink up.

A drop down ledge at the side is possibly way forward but might just decide not to cook at all and eat out all the time! there - result didn't take me long to think of that one.

Oooh and also why put the towel rack behind the bog? so when you sit on it you either get the lid falling down on you cos the towels are pushing it down or it falls down during travel and makes ya think something had bumped into you.

There ----boy a good rant makes ya feel so much better - now where is the shotgun for the bus that stops outside my hoose at 11.41pm precisely and decides to close all windows loudly.

Greenie

peejay

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 10, 2009

Its not just the Germans.

I'd like to have a word with the bloke at Autosleepers who designed the extra cost option of an inboard water tank on my previous 04 Nuevo. A worthwhile addition we thought, as we do a fair bit of winter camping.
Trouble is the pipes from the tank to the water pump passed underneath the van fully exposed to the elements, so not much better than an underslung exterior tank really, it also ate into valuable underseat storage space - so we were effectively worse off after paying extra.

Anyone else? Go on, vent your spleen, you'll feel much better for it

pete

bognormike

· #9 · Jun 11, 2009

Any motorhome designer who didn't build in any outside lockers. Our first 'van - Autocruise Starfire didn't have one, and we had to keep out chairs and stuff in the loo.
I looked at the Pilote City Van 60, good layout inside, decent size, but nothing outside. No wonder Pilote are supposd to be dropping them.

Perhaps we've been spoiled with the locker space in our Galaxy 240 :roll:

And another thing - why such small water tanks? I've seen 4 and 6 berth vans with water tanks that take only 60 litres or so. That wouldn't last long when you have a van full :roll:

Pudsey_Bear

· #10 · Jun 11, 2009

As a few of you know I've been struggling to sort my Electrolux RM6401 fridge in the Laika, well it's now working fine, I tried to remove it to give access, but no such luck, all screws and sealant removed and it still didn't move, despite being able to see daylight all around it.

So I had to do it through the hole you see pictured below, there is a std fridge vent above but of no use for access.

the diagonal pipe you see had to be removed, as it blocked access, and the pipe it connected to also covered the igniter, which I had to replace, the hole is about 10" x 5" so not exactly spacey in there, I thought I'll clean the burner at the same time, which is about 6" below the level of the door hole at the bottom of the galvanised pipe on the right, the red cable you see is the HT lead to the ignition at the burner.

If the git's had thought for a millisecond, they would have made the door wider and about 8" lower, as it is totally in the wrong place, I assume it gave access on another model, and it got left there, the fridge is the one intended for this model, bloody Ities.

I ended up having to drill a small hole to get at one of the igniter mounting screws, it now has a very small matching blanking plug, the igniter has been mover to just out of site to the right of the door.

Kev Grr

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Posted by Kev.

This post is meant for entertainment purposes only. Your mileage may vary. Do not try this at home. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. For off-road use only. Slippery when wet. Batteries not included. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle, heavy equipment, or any vehicle, especially the newer Fiat ones. Videos may be too intense for some viewers and children under 30 years of age. Please remain seated until the post has come to a complete stop. I am not a professional, I have no training, I'm not even particularly good at horse whispering. Don't believe everything that you know. Please keep your hands in the vehicle at all times. Do not tap on glass. Do not eat anything that has been on the floor for more than 3 days. Keep your hands to yourself. Not to be taken internally. Reproduction is strictly prohibited. Always wear underwear. Poster does not carry cash. Objects in mirrors are further than they appear. Don't eat yellow snow.

dinger

· #11 · Jun 11, 2009

complaints

Pete......whilst you are having a quiet word with that splendid design chap from Hymer please can you ask him why they designed the frensh water tank / dump valve that is controled by a wheel on the end of a long piece of rod with a rubber "o" ring/ bung on the end that is a pig to replace......

Triple............. that makes two of us......who the hell designed those stupid flaps
which lock over the EHU and water inlet. Once the lock goes you have order and wait for a identicle barrel so yo dont need yet another key !!

and breathe........................... :evil:

smiler

· #12 · Jun 11, 2009

Iwould like to have a word with

I would like to have a word with the man who designed the concertina blinds fitted to my Hymer.
Had them changed after they were a year old because they had a million pin holes in them, those i have now are worse.
Asked Hymer the reason why they stated it was because of the high temperatures between blinds and the window. I told them to change supplier or change the material used, not too much of a challenge. Smiler

JeanLuc

· #13 · Jun 11, 2009

Well,
I recognise the problems, but I don't see them as that serious.

I think it is an advantage to have permanent ventilation in the shower-room, (particularly beneficial after a 'heavy duty cycle'). I agree that it would be good to be able to separate the sections of the vent, but I guess that would compromise its physical integrity. I'll live with it.

The water and EHU flaps are admittedly, a bit of a bxxger to open, but I suspect they were designed to minimise wind resistance. I find it is just a case of fiddling with them and not losing my cool (every time!).

Regarding the Hella headlights, I think it would have been more sensible to fit a light that was designed to be switchable by the owner. Some years ago I had a BMW 5 Series with easily accessible switches beneath a plastic cover on the top of each headlight - bliss by comparison. I don't think the Hella lights were designed to be switched over at will. They are adjustable at the time of installation, but the fact that the self-tappers go straight into the plastic housing suggests they are a 'fit and forget' feature. Over-use will surely result in stripped threads? Having said that, this is perhaps the most disappointing feature of a vehicle that is likely to cross national boundaries.
(But perhaps, the Germans decided that having failed twice, they would not try to get over the Channel again!) The better solution would have been for the UK to switch driving lanes at the same time as the Swedes (1967). It still seems ludicrous to me that as part of Europe (no let's not start a debate about the EU here) we should persist in driving on the wrong side of the road. (After all, few of us feel the need to draw our sword to fend off attackers on the 'offside' nowadays - and in 2009, it is probably politically incorrect to assume that 'normal' people are right-handed anyway.)

Philip

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Mikemoss

· #14 · Jun 11, 2009

I'd like to have a word with...

...the people who designed and built our 11-year-old Bessacarr. They did a great job and we really don't have a single thing to complain about.

(Sorry to hijack all you Hymer owners, but I just couldn't resist. Great idea for a thread by the way).

Now I come to think of it, I'd love to meet the clot who decided that under the driver's seat was absolutely the best possible place for the habitation battery on our previous motorhome. Impossible to check, refill or replace without removing the seat, which needed a special Torx(?) driver and cannot have been a good idea from the safety perspective.

greenasthegrass

· #15 · Jun 11, 2009

mmm funny how everyone wants a hymer though! :lol: :lol:

Rapide561

· #16 · Jun 11, 2009

A word

Hi

I would n't mind a ding dong or two with the people at Dometic - how the hummer does the timer work on the air con?

Russell

peejay

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jun 11, 2009

Good response so far but not many from say Brit and Italian owners, surely they're not all perfect? I know the ones i've owned haven't been

I might apply for a job at Hymer R&D as I've found a simple Heath Robinson solution to the headlight problem I mentioned.
I searched high and low but couldn't find any suitable replacement screws with either a torx head or an 8mm socket head.
An industrious pal has brazed some 8mm nuts onto the top of all the screws and he also made up a flexible shaft with an 8mm socket attached to the end. This then attaches to a stubby ratchet screwdriver and its now an easy 5 minute job to convert the lights from lhd to rhd so I'm well chuffed with that one.

Phillip, as for the rooflight, have you had a go cleaning yours yet? Do let me know how you get on, I'm still nursing sliced fingers and severe loss of blood from the sharp edges :twisted: but it does look good now its back in situ

Pete

JeanLuc

· #18 · Jun 11, 2009

Had the van over 2 years now. Not bothered trying to clean between the layers of the shower-room roof vent. I have noticed that debris gets blown out again in a strong wind, or perhaps its the effect of motorway travel?

Philip

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

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