This is the Hymer Van S 500 and this is now a third opinion. The video dates to January 2017, the commentary to April 2021. I have had four years to think about it and this is what I think. The Hymer Van S 500 is a great little van for the winter.
The Hymer Van S is based on the Mercedes Sprinter. There are Seitz S7 framed windows, insulated and heated tanks, GRP lightweight floor construction with XPS insulation and a garage with access from both sides. The garage is not big enough for a bicycle but it will carry all the junk that ends up in your van that you think you will use one day.
The vehicle is also only 565cm long and 222cm wide meaning it is much easier to park and drive than most motorhomes! I managed to park it in car parking spaces in town in Germany, even though there was a lot of snow when I was out. However I must point out that 222cm is much wider than most cars – even those which are as long as the Van S.
The Van S is rear-wheel drive. I found no difficulties with this even hill starting with snow and ice on the ground.
It has a two ton towing capacity - should you need a caravan to make up for the lack of internal space. This could be a useful additional feature.
Both the fresh water and waste water tanks are concealed in insulated trays in the floor which can have hot air flowing through them. This is a useful feature for winter! The GRP underbody also offers additional protection from weather-related damage together with that caused by stones and grit. The powder-coated aluminium frame is particularly lightweight and sturdy, and also has a thermal bridge insulation layer. It comes with a Truma-Combi-4-heater which has a 4kW output which should be more than sufficient to keep even the most demanding of users warm when it is below freezing outside. Individual temperature adjustments and the boost function for fast hot water supply and room heating in the Van S can be controlled via the serial central control panel Truma CP plus with timer.
The Seitz S7 framed windows feature double acrylic glazing – for optimised thermal insulation.
The kitchen is quite small but so is the van so we cannot complain. The kitchen drawers are equipped with roller bearings for smooth action. They feature a Servo soft-touch closing mechanism and one-handed push-locks that prevent the drawers from opening and rattling when the Van S is in motion. The worktop in the compact kitchen of the Van S can be extended in one easy step to create extra space for those that do not want to work at the table. The kitchen has a 2-burner hob and sink combo. There is a 65 litre compressor fridge.
The living area in the Van S is equipped with a Midi lift/tilt rooflight as standard. A steplessly adjustable opening angle ensures effective ventilation at all times. A double roller blind is integrated in the rooflight frame to darken the interior and keep out insects.
The interior lighting throughout the motorhome features modern LED technology as standard. Nowadays this is standard with even the cheapest vans, but it was not when this van was introduced. Outside, there is a high-power LED awning light with rain deflector is also part of the standard package. It lights up a wide area outside the entrance door of the Van S so you can exit the vehicle safely in the dark.
The beds in the Van S are equipped with multi-zone cold foam mattresses that provide the right support for all areas of the body. Breathable mattress toppers in the rear section ensure good ventilation.
The wardrobe which can also be accessed from the garage. In combination with an optional tailgate, this provides a handy through-loading space when required. The wardrobe is not very good. First of all it is tiny, of course I appreciate that there is no way it could be made bigger, so what I would suggest is that if this were my motorhome, I would place a metal bar somewhere over the bed that clothes could be hung. There is a hanging bar in the wardrobe but it is too far down to be of any use, as if it were put in there as an afterthought.
The waste water tank in the Van S can be drained at the touch of a button. It is equipped with an electric valve which can be instantly opened and closed via the switch at the side of the rear garage. I think one needs a bit practice with it in order to learn how to position the van over the drain, but this is the case with every motorhome I have driven.
RV manufacturers often talk of dual use. An RV for weekends and holidays and a normal vehicle to get you to work during the week. Hymer has not marketed the Van S as such as far as I am aware but this vehicle is the closest to dual use that I have come across.
The starting price in 2016 was around EUR65k but as always once options are added on then it is likely to end up being much more expensive. How much would a used one cost today? I don’t know and don’t even want to guess.