Hymer – Silverline 562

THE VAN EXPERIENCE HYMER STYLE

Words and photos by John Page

Immaculate timing had us collecting our vehicle during the dramatic weather of July 12th when the thermometer plunged from 26oC to 12oC during 24 hours.  Who said we wouldn’t need wet weather gear? Forget it there’s a decent heater on board. What is a Van? In Motorhome parlance it is a compact vehicle, with more space than a camper and, is an antidote to the ever-increasing size of Overcabs, A-Class etc. Van bodies however are minimally wider than their cab, highly manoeuvrable and logically with lower running costs. I’ve no idea who thought of such a bright idea but it has really caught on with some of the German constructors and selling well here. Brownhills of Newark supplied our Van with all systems go and we located just up the A1 at the beautiful Milestone Caravan Club site close by the village of Cromwell.
Construction

The length of the typical Van type tends to be just shy of 6.00m but our Silverline 562 version sports a twin single bed plan and that needed a little extra length at 6.58m. Of conventional layout but with fine attention to detail, the sleeping quarters straddle the garage, galley and washroom are at the centre with lounge/diner an extension of the cab taking full advantage of a view through 180 degrees.Unique to Hymer, the Pual Technology body construction is special. It comprises a sandwich of aluminium and plywood with polyurethane foam injected to the walls and the roof to create an exceptionally rigid and waterproof body. For the interior the furniture is partly glued, screwed and dowelled, a procedure to improve overall vehicle stability and virtually eliminate noises off when mobile. Quite the best to date, the 12v control and monitor panel has to be the most simple, obvious and effective yet, telling all you really need to know. The three roof vents are simple, foolproof and effective, as are the well-engineered thief deterrent locks and key for all exterior hatches and entrance door. Cab doors have their own remote key system. Oh, and unlike some of the competition, the spare wheel is standard – stashed for easy access in the garage.
On the Road

I confess I’m a Ford Transit fan – for their commonsense approach and value for money leisure vehicle chassis that enables some of our constructors to offer competitive prices. Our 562 Van at £48,995 for example. Here we have the 2.2-litre, Duratorq 140bhp TDCi diesel powering through the six-speed transmission to the front wheels. Very smooth with 350Nm of torque for brisk acceleration on some of our madcap roundabouts. Cab air con, driver and passenger air bags, audio/CD player with remote control on the steering wheel and tinted glass are all standard. Check our dashboard shot to see how Ford arrange all the buttons and switches for minimal distraction, whether it’s radio, heater, air con or gear shifting. Note also the fold-out tray for the tumblers. Surprisingly modest noise levels under power are about sound proofing, the integrity of the body and a good marriage of cab to coachwork.Anti-roll bars front and back, single leaf rear springs with air assist all do their stuff. And with a casual eye on the instruments and the use of cruise control occasionally it should be on the cards to achieve a 30-34 mpg figure on the long hauls. At rest you’ve got to hand it to the Ford Motor Co for their ingenious thief deterrent bonnet lock and the accessibility of the items under the bonnet that call for routine checks.
A Certain Panache

With three belted seats and the facility to create a third berth from the dinette our Van qualifies as a two + one Camper. Look at the seating though and it’s obvious that up to five can sit around the table in its extended form. Miles better than your average table this one is light but firm to handle and simple to adjust. A crew of two will find those anatomically shaped cab chairs are every bit as brilliant in armchair mode as they are for travel. Firm lumbar and thigh support plus the full recline after a meal. Faux leather upholstery in mushroom and beige was an unusual colour choice, but was warm to the touch and lightened the mood when the weather outside was trying for monsoon rating. From the number of RSPB stickers around it’s obvious we are not the only campers who enjoy our avian neighbours on site and this time the notoriously shy water rail and two fledglings were right there in the open in full view – at least until a belligerent moorhen intervened. Years ago Eric Hosking the famous bird photographer and his son took many incredible images from inside their Auto-Sleeper Camper cum bird hide.
Sleeping

This is where the 562 is a cut above the typical Van with the bed bases placed for two really comfortable singles and an adjoining area at the head – absolutely ideal and giving plenty of space when you’re stretching or perhaps enjoying a rare breakfast in bed. Two access steps are sensibly placed for the night time climb and descent.A plethora of shelves, lockers and pockets around are exactly what is needed for the assorted paraphernalia most of us accumulate.Sprung slatted bed bases guarantee air circulation and the space beneath them is occupied by a pair of exceptionally capacious lockers as wardrobe and extra larder. At the base of the nearside locker an inspection hatch gives easy access to the sometimes-obscure water heater drain valve.
Galley

Apart from the sombre black laminate worktops, the appearance and layout of this galley has been meticulously planned. 89 litres of Thetford fridge-freezer is conveniently accessible below the three hob burners while the space below the sink has a deep cutlery drawer with obvious access to the gas isolator taps. Below again a two-section locker has a really effective waste container that swings out when the door opens. Brilliant thinking for the ingredient that is so often missing from some of the most majestic Motorhomes. 120-litres of fresh water is fine to supply the washroom and galley and, equally important, when the time comes to empty the waste tank it is a simple chore. Overall, galley stowage is intelligently placed and ample of capacity. Hymer have excelled with the series of fixed and sliding hooks at the galley, hall way and washroom for coats, towels etc.
Washroom

As washrooms go and they come in various degrees of the fanciful or practical – this 562 Van has it sorted. The sliding door glides shut or open – it feels truly spacious, there’s space for all your gear and a super corner locker for wash bags and other essentials – even would you believe, a socket for an electric razor. There is a proper deep basin with surrounding ledge, hooks for wet clothes as well as towels and when the panel with the sink and mirror is swivelled forward the shower cubicle is revealed complete with its faucet and soap/shampoo tray. Our photo tells it but not all.
Stowage The total capacity is nothing short of amazing – whether in  the garage, under the beds or in any other part of the living quarters. As important and a tribute to intelligent planning is the way in which each locker or cupboard is relevant its surroundings. The washroom locker for instance is vertical to save space with useful shelves for pretty well all the gear you need.  Kitchen lockers are all designed for specific items and the gas locker to one side of the garage at a sensible height makes changing cylinders straightforward whatever the weather.
Summary

Hymer’s Van Silverline 562 makes the case for the type in good measure for those who are aiming for a vehicle of generous space and a good level of comfort within a modest dimension. The design and the feel of this Motorhome is calculated to put you at ease on location, together with a sparkling performance on the road in the UK or beyond these shores, all at a price advantage compared to rather bigger Motorhomes and not a lot more than a long wheelbase Camper. Hymer have been in the game for more than three decades now and the aggregate experience of the company shows in the fabric of this Van 562. You could say that Hymer have never rested on their laurels and that their philosophy is to build Motor Caravans built to perform well and wear well over the years.

TECHNICAL DATA

Vehicle specification: Hymer Van Silverline 562 three-berth Motorhome

Price of vehicle tested: £48,995

Vehicle kindly loaned for testing by: Brownhills Leisure World, A1/A46 Junction, Newark, Notts, Tel: 0845 605 2969

CONVERSION

Overall length: 6.58m

Overall width: 2.14m

Overall height: 2.72m

MPTLM: 3500kg

Payload: 670kg

Construction: Sandwich construction body with aluminium body and polyurethane insulation.

Fresh water capacity: 100-litres

Waste water capacity: 80-litres

Gas storage capacity: two x 11kg cylinders

Auxiliary battery: 90Ah gel battery

Refrigerator: Thetford 89-litre capacity for 12v/240v/gas

Water heater: Truma gas electric Combi heater

Space heater: Truma blown air heating

Lighting: spotlighting throughout

Upholstery: Venezia leather effect fabric in mushroom and beige

Other equipment fitted: alloy wheels, radio/CD, cruise control.

BASE VEHICLE

Type: Ford Transit MWB chassis cab

Power unit:  2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel

Maximum power: 140bhp @ 3500rpm

Maximum torque: 350Nm @ 1800-2400rpm

Transmission: six-speed manual to front wheels

Steering: power assisted rack and pinion

Braking: servo assisted system to all wheel discs with ABS

PERFORMANCE

Fuel consumption: 30mpg estimated

Maximum speed: 85mph estimated

Comfortable cruising speed: 65-70 mph