Your first van, the Bongo, first got me interested in Bongos. Spent all this time pondering 🤔 18 months ago I was on the pillion of my brothers motorcycle, only done it maybe half a dozen times, visiting our mother in hospital and bang. A car hit us and we nearly died of head injuries. So now I’m up and running again, metaphorically speaking, me and my partner have just ordered a fresh import 2.5 diesel 4x4 Bongo 👍 Good luck with your new machine, amazing! All the best to you both.
Great camper, I've just bought one a little bit larger and it came with alot of the faults you mentioned. They are worth spending the money on to get them right. Its a testament to the build quality of these old busses that they still look and go well decades after they were built. Look forward to seeing more vids of here.
Thats great to hear Stevie, yeh they seem a solid van alright and have a charm all of their own. Still got a fair few jobs to sort out.Trying to find replacement blinds as these are almost unusable
You can’t go wrong with Hymer they are so well made and ahead of there time, everything you mentioned would be what you would expect of electric and Gas appliances of that age but glad to see you upgraded them. We pretty much had the same experiences with our 1982 Eriba caravan that was made by Hymer, in fact we kept it for about 10 years and sold it for more than we paid for it. You have a great plan for the future, and certainly admire you for having the bottle actually go for it. Looks like your going to have some great adventures. All the best.
Thanks guys for your reassuring words, yes I believe the old ones were made better, we are slowly getting there with the van, we are moving into it this Saturday so we still got an awful lot of things to do :) Tim/Mandy
Love Betsy excellent choice, i,m sure you will have many a great adventure in your new home , glad to see you both looking well and best wishes on you travels .
Hi Tim and Mandy - lovely to see your new home. Interestingly, you are now the 3rd TH-cam vanlifers I follow that have gone from Van to Motorhome recently. All the very best.
Hi Alan I wonder if this has anything to do with all the lock downs we are having, we are four days into full-time in the Hymer, it is much better to live in than a van for sure but not so easy to get down those narrow lanes! :) Tim/Mandy
Fantastic Tim & Mandy, nice van, ive been toying with the idea of living in my motorhome, ill wate till after Christmas & see, yes definitely life is to short, I will follow your adventures, I might get a van camp next year lol
I used to own an S555 which Imported from Germany I bought it because of the million mile engine, but I was unlucky with mine and had to rebuild it twice, due to it burning oil like Billy, mine was super low milage too still miss mine, but don't miss it being dog slow and it breaking down in the south of France. The replacement van I bought is the same size, goes up hills with speed, has a huge separate shower, and is better in many ways but I still miss the old Hymer for its character and it's super comfy bed.
Hi Guys was a pleasure to meet you both, your van is so good, Mandy and I might have to use some of your colours lol. Please stay in touch :) Tim/Mandy
Old or not. That looks very comfortable to live in Tim. You all will definitely get some great memories out of her. Thanks for showing us your new home
Thanks bro yes she needs a bit more work doing, well it never stops lol, but its a lovely place to be when the weathers horrible out, love that feeling :)
Fantastic . Hey Tim and Mandy good for you I really admire your focus on life and it’s true we are only here once so make the most of it . What a cracking van we all need a dream And I’m sure you will reach yours . Take care both Kenny 👍🏴😎
Hi Kenny thanks mate, well we are giving it a go, to be honest we don't have much to lose anyway. Its just one of those things we have always wanted to do and its now or never :) Tim/Mandy
Tim & Mandy, it sounds like there is a brilliant adventure ahead 😊A fantastic looking camper and I loved the 'peace' sign on the front 😊 Love your attitude that this is worth doing no matter the outcome and I am sure it will be an amazing learning experience.
congratulations on your new purchase Tim/Mandy, I will look forward to seeing some prawns in that sink Mandy ;o) hope to see you on your travels sometime, stay safe both and God Bless.. Kaz
Bit of a beast Tim! Looked a bit quieter when you were up on the broken road than when we were there the other week when it was a bit mad. I briefly had a LHD VW Caravelle which I soon got used to. I also drove a mate's huge Winnebago which was LHD. That was 'interesting' to drive! Not sure where I'm at with my camper as we're being locked up again in Wales. Really thinking of SORN-ing it now as things are not looking great on the vanlife front. Anyway...Good luck in your new home.
Thanks John, its a bit of a risk buddy, but we don't want to buy another house until they come down a bit. The prices around us are ridiculous so waiting won't do any harm. we are heading for a rescission at some point thats for sure, just getting rid of unnecessary stuff at the moment. We do have places to go if they fully lock us down again... lets hope that doesn't happen. I don't watch too much of the news these days its the same old stuff everyday. Take care buddy and maybe one day we will get to meet up :) Tim/Mandy
Good luck guys, love watching your videos, doesn't seem that long ago you were in your Mazda bongo getting it sorted, looking forward to your new adventure and sharing your videos.
Thanks yes the Bongo got us started down this road, we loved going out in it, great memories. Hopefully get some adventures in this one, but maybe of a different kind :) Tim/Mandy
You've done the research Tim & Mandy & lovely RV. An amazing & exciting new lifestyle, quite inspirational. Praying our Lord bless & keep you & family on your adventures. Hope to meet up on some campsite or forestry stop over. Enjoy.
What a beautiful Hymer Tim and Mandy, my dream camper, That is so brave of you to move into it at this time of year although i'm sure it will be a great adventure! well done to you both and i wish you the very best, but i would head off to Europe if i were you 😄 Peace and Love 🙏
Hi folks, glad to see you're doing well and health to enjoy your new home :-) That engine is what Mercedes built their reputation on, the Sprinter is merely enjoying reflected glory, not that there's much wrong with the modern Mercedes engine per se but they have the same problems as every other brand, too many electronic components/sensors mostly associated with the turbo and with emission control. Just a thought on fridges, Sterling Power have a video about whether it's more efficient to run a (cheap) domestic fridge from the 12v leisure batteries via your invertor or run a dedicated leisure fridge whether it's a 12v only compressor fridge or 3 way fridge. There's a massive difference in cost when it comes to buying the actual fridge between a domestic fridge and a leisure fridge. Like I say, just something that may be worth considering in future.
Thanks for your comments it helps to be reassured you got the right one lol, well we are going to be spending a long winter in it! the fridge idea makes perfect sense and come spring we will be looking to doing something with the fridge, stay safe :) Tim/Mandy
Well now that's a bold choice to make Tim to be honest if i could i would love to do the same. I can only hope all goes well for you both and it ends up one of life's highlights :) Fingers crossed T&M and wee Jess, peter :)
I now have the chance to buy a hymer s555. The condition is very good and it costs 20.000.- it is in switzerland. The year is 1994. I don't know but I would like to buy it.
@@savedpurplecat I wasn't sure if you'd have kids with you or not. Plenty of room there buddy. My brothers just convert a vivaro. Makes me want to get into the campervan market.
Hi buddy ive watched some of your vids as you did up the overlander, we left fairly early Saturday morning, as we always do so missed your van, thanks for stopping by :) Tim/Mandy
Always prefer classic/vintage vehicles over new, newer Mercedes cars are not as well built or as reliable as the Om606 diesel engine. Looks a nice looking motorhome for your guys with more character, slow and dependable.
Hi Tim and Mandy hope you are well , I am in the process of selling my house and looking to buy a Hymer like yours, what can you say about it now it's been a couple of years later? peace and Love 🙏
Great choice of van . Beautifully designed and built and within reason any money you put into it upgrading house systems will be paid back when you sell it as these vans are appreciating assets now . One tip . Try to keep it as original as possible ( not painting the cupboards etc ) to keep it value !!
Your first van, the Bongo, first got me interested in Bongos. Spent all this time pondering 🤔
18 months ago I was on the pillion of my brothers motorcycle, only done it maybe half a dozen times, visiting our mother in hospital and bang. A car hit us and we nearly died of head injuries.
So now I’m up and running again, metaphorically speaking, me and my partner have just ordered a fresh import 2.5 diesel 4x4 Bongo 👍
Good luck with your new machine, amazing!
All the best to you both.
Great video. Great camper. Great opportunity, good luck both of you 👍 👏
Thanks Chris looking forward :)
Congratulations on your new home/van. Enjoy the freedom...
Thanks we are four days into our new life and the government has locked us down again! oh well keep calm and carry on :) Tim/Mandy
Gorra luv a Stokie accent in a motrome.
Good Evening Tim and Mandy , Thank you for the video and all the best with your new adventure !! Take Care and Stay safe. :)
Thanks Wayne and take care buddy
Great camper, I've just bought one a little bit larger and it came with alot of the faults you mentioned. They are worth spending the money on to get them right. Its a testament to the build quality of these old busses that they still look and go well decades after they were built. Look forward to seeing more vids of here.
Thats great to hear Stevie, yeh they seem a solid van alright and have a charm all of their own. Still got a fair few jobs to sort out.Trying to find replacement blinds as these are almost unusable
My blinds had lost all there tension and wouldn't spring back correctly. Was an easy free fix though thanks to some great videos on the tube.
You can’t go wrong with Hymer they are so well made and ahead of there time, everything you mentioned would be what you would expect of electric and Gas appliances of that age but glad to see you upgraded them. We pretty much had the same experiences with our 1982 Eriba caravan that was made by Hymer, in fact we kept it for about 10 years and sold it for more than we paid for it.
You have a great plan for the future, and certainly admire you for having the bottle actually go for it. Looks like your going to have some great adventures.
All the best.
Thanks guys for your reassuring words, yes I believe the old ones were made better, we are slowly getting there with the van, we are moving into it this Saturday so we still got an awful lot of things to do :) Tim/Mandy
Great vid, straight to the point, very informative, keeping it real no bs. Best wishes guys !
Good on you, go for it and you two have a good journey together in life. All the best.
Thanks Paul
Well so jealous keep on rolling mate I was so sick at the beginning of the year as well with cancer life is different all good 👍
Love Betsy excellent choice, i,m sure you will have many a great adventure in your new home , glad to see you both looking well and best wishes on you travels .
Thanks John we are busy getting rid of years of storing rubbish lol what a job, thanks for stopping by :) Tim/Mandy
Hi Tim and Mandy - lovely to see your new home. Interestingly, you are now the 3rd TH-cam vanlifers I follow that have gone from Van to Motorhome recently. All the very best.
Hi Alan I wonder if this has anything to do with all the lock downs we are having, we are four days into full-time in the Hymer, it is much better to live in than a van for sure but not so easy to get down those narrow lanes! :) Tim/Mandy
Fantastic Tim & Mandy, nice van, ive been toying with the idea of living in my motorhome, ill wate till after Christmas & see, yes definitely life is to short, I will follow your adventures, I might get a van camp next year lol
Hi Derek yes would be great to catch up at some point, we are busy getting rid of all the useless stuff we have accumulated :) Tim/Mandy
I used to own an S555 which Imported from Germany I bought it because of the million mile engine, but I was unlucky with mine and had to rebuild it twice, due to it burning oil like Billy, mine was super low milage too still miss mine, but don't miss it being dog slow and it breaking down in the south of France. The replacement van I bought is the same size, goes up hills with speed, has a huge separate shower, and is better in many ways but I still miss the old Hymer for its character and it's super comfy bed.
Good luck. Have a wonderful time.
Thanks buddy
Looking great 👍.. was lovely to speak to you both yesterday! Wendy and Wayne 😁
Hi Guys was a pleasure to meet you both, your van is so good, Mandy and I might have to use some of your colours lol. Please stay in touch :) Tim/Mandy
What a fabulous old truck. I have followed you from your Bongo days. Best of luck to you both. Great photography as usual. Regards AJ
Thanks Alan thats nice of you to say mate :) Tim/Mandy
Quality vehicle's... I have an S555 1989 and it is slow but for me, perfect.. enjoy
Old or not. That looks very comfortable to live in Tim. You all will definitely get some great memories out of her. Thanks for showing us your new home
Thanks bro yes she needs a bit more work doing, well it never stops lol, but its a lovely place to be when the weathers horrible out, love that feeling :)
Nice one Tim and Mandy looks good mate 👍⛺️
Thanks Alan its a Hilleberg on wheels lol
Fantastic . Hey Tim and Mandy good for you I really admire your focus on life and it’s true we are only here once so make the most of it . What a cracking van we all need a dream And I’m sure you will reach yours . Take care both Kenny 👍🏴😎
Hi Kenny thanks mate, well we are giving it a go, to be honest we don't have much to lose anyway. Its just one of those things we have always wanted to do and its now or never :) Tim/Mandy
Life is but a vapour indeed thanks for sharing..
Amen Colin so true so soon over :) Tim/Mandy
Best of luck on this latest step in your journey.
Thanks bro :) Tim/MAndy
Tim & Mandy, it sounds like there is a brilliant adventure ahead 😊A fantastic looking camper and I loved the 'peace' sign on the front 😊 Love your attitude that this is worth doing no matter the outcome and I am sure it will be an amazing learning experience.
Hi Gerry up to our heads at the moment downsizing stuff! what a job...hope your well buddy, :) Tim/Mandy
Life is too short Tim! I hope you and Mandy have a great time on your new adventures in your lovely Hymer! all the best to you two x
Thanks Paul its amazing how much stuff we have accumulated over the years, trying to downsize in every way, looking forward
Love it! We’ve always said your Hymer is what we would buy if we ever sold the vw. Enjoy your new life on the road 😊
Thanks guys which VW do you have?
Good luck to you both in your new adventure, and if I see you at Mam Tor, I will say hello. Good on you both for living your dream. Best wishes
Thanks David please give us a wave if you see us, we are up there most Fridays :)
Good luck guys! Great van 👍😁👍
Thanks Andrew we are four days into our new life :) Tim/Mandy
congratulations on your new purchase Tim/Mandy, I will look forward to seeing some prawns in that sink Mandy ;o) hope to see you on your travels sometime, stay safe both and God Bless.. Kaz
haha thanks Kaz, made Mandy chuckle, I'm sure she will be back on the prawns soon :)))))
Bit of a beast Tim! Looked a bit quieter when you were up on the broken road than when we were there the other week when it was a bit mad. I briefly had a LHD VW Caravelle which I soon got used to. I also drove a mate's huge Winnebago which was LHD. That was 'interesting' to drive! Not sure where I'm at with my camper as we're being locked up again in Wales. Really thinking of SORN-ing it now as things are not looking great on the vanlife front. Anyway...Good luck in your new home.
Thanks John, its a bit of a risk buddy, but we don't want to buy another house until they come down a bit. The prices around us are ridiculous so waiting won't do any harm. we are heading for a rescission at some point thats for sure, just getting rid of unnecessary stuff at the moment. We do have places to go if they fully lock us down again... lets hope that doesn't happen. I don't watch too much of the news these days its the same old stuff everyday. Take care buddy and maybe one day we will get to meet up :) Tim/Mandy
Been a while since I have popped along Tim. Hope you are keeping well at the moment. Atb
Hi Ray thanks for popping by mate, hope your well buddy :) Tim/Mandy
Exciting times. Good luck guys ✌
Thanks Lee :)
Good luck guys, love watching your videos, doesn't seem that long ago you were in your Mazda bongo getting it sorted, looking forward to your new adventure and sharing your videos.
Thanks yes the Bongo got us started down this road, we loved going out in it, great memories. Hopefully get some adventures in this one, but maybe of a different kind :) Tim/Mandy
You've done the research Tim & Mandy & lovely RV. An amazing & exciting new lifestyle, quite inspirational.
Praying our Lord bless & keep you & family on your adventures.
Hope to meet up on some campsite or forestry stop over.
Enjoy.
Thanks Kenny, we are hoping to live in it for a while, unless they completely lock us down again...then well the just shall live by faith lol
What a beautiful Hymer Tim and Mandy, my dream camper, That is so brave of you to move into it at this time of year although i'm sure it will be a great adventure! well done to you both and i wish you the very best, but i would head off to Europe if i were you 😄 Peace and Love 🙏
Hi bro great to hear from you, we are about four days into our new life and the government has locked us down again! :) Tim/Mandy
I've a Autostratus none turbo 2.5 - you soon get use to the mellow 86 pony power
Mellow I like that thats a good way of looking at these old buses :) Tim/Mandy
Hi folks, glad to see you're doing well and health to enjoy your new home :-) That engine is what Mercedes built their reputation on, the Sprinter is merely enjoying reflected glory, not that there's much wrong with the modern Mercedes engine per se but they have the same problems as every other brand, too many electronic components/sensors mostly associated with the turbo and with emission control.
Just a thought on fridges, Sterling Power have a video about whether it's more efficient to run a (cheap) domestic fridge from the 12v leisure batteries via your invertor or run a dedicated leisure fridge whether it's a 12v only compressor fridge or 3 way fridge. There's a massive difference in cost when it comes to buying the actual fridge between a domestic fridge and a leisure fridge. Like I say, just something that may be worth considering in future.
Thanks for your comments it helps to be reassured you got the right one lol, well we are going to be spending a long winter in it! the fridge idea makes perfect sense and come spring we will be looking to doing something with the fridge, stay safe :) Tim/Mandy
Well now that's a bold choice to make Tim to be honest if i could i would love to do the same. I can only hope all goes well for you both and it ends up one of life's highlights :) Fingers crossed T&M and wee Jess, peter :)
Thanks Peter hope your well buddy, tough times mate
Great video. Who's playing in the background? The bagpipe....
err think its the music lol happy new year
The Hymer looks great! Look forward to following your adventures in it! Stay safe. ATB Anthony 👍👍👍
Thanks Anthony, strange times we are in bro, but hopefully we can all still get out and enjoy this glorious countryside
I now have the chance to buy a hymer s555. The condition is very good and it costs 20.000.- it is in switzerland. The year is 1994. I don't know but I would like to buy it.
Great mate. How many of yous will be living in it. Its huge
Hi there is the two of us and the dog, hopefully we will be ok :) Tim/Mandy
@@savedpurplecat I wasn't sure if you'd have kids with you or not. Plenty of room there buddy. My brothers just convert a vivaro. Makes me want to get into the campervan market.
@@TheHuzi2012 best thing we ever did hobby wise
Very informative…. Thankyou!
Beautiful Hymer Mate!:)
Thanks brother
Coil shock on that five looks a bit full on👍
lol its way too much for my needs, my mate wants that shocker :) Tim/Mandy
That’s what hoping to do when I get motor home retire in 10 years time and travel
Sounds like a plan Gary go for it :) Tim/Mandy
Fantastic live the dream 🙌
Thanks buddy
Great new camper I know alot with them awesome German built.
was you at blue john caven this weekend? Think I saw you. ? I was in the gray overlander
Hi buddy ive watched some of your vids as you did up the overlander, we left fairly early Saturday morning, as we always do so missed your van, thanks for stopping by :) Tim/Mandy
@@savedpurplecat I left at dinner now travelling peaks area this week
@@TheOffgridNomadUK How did you get on in lock down, did you manage to wild camp?
@@savedpurplecat very easy police was fine
@@TheOffgridNomadUK That is very refreshing to hear!
Always prefer classic/vintage vehicles over new, newer Mercedes cars are not as well built or as reliable as the Om606 diesel engine. Looks a nice looking motorhome for your guys with more character, slow and dependable.
Thanks hopefully it should be a very simple engine to work on and maintain, it sounds very old school lol takes you back...
Hi Tim and Mandy hope you are well , I am in the process of selling my house and looking to buy a Hymer like yours, what can you say about it now it's been a couple of years later? peace and Love 🙏
Hi its been very reliable just the usual wear and tear very very warm in winter too thanks Tim/Mandy
@@savedpurplecat That's great to hear thank you
Miss your videos guys
Thanks Richard we will be uploading a lot more soon hopefully :) Tim/Mandy
It’s a beaut
555 Hymer con letto in coda pannelli solari stufa trauma o fiamma piano cottura a L frigo 80 litri meccanica Mercedes 250 aspirato o TD
Great choice of van . Beautifully designed and built and within reason any money you put into it upgrading house systems will be paid back when you sell it as these vans are appreciating assets now . One tip . Try to keep it as original as possible ( not painting the cupboards etc ) to keep it value !!