Hymer B-Star-Line 655

By Malcolm Street

During the past couple of years, there has been a trickle of motorhomes being imported from Germany. So it was not really surprising when Europe’s largest motorhome manufacturer, Hymer Motorhomes, decided that it was time to test the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Actually it’s happening on two fronts: not only is Hymer going to sell new motorhomes but it is planning to set up a Hymer motorhome rental division as well.

Quite a few (and there are quite a few) German tourists visit Australia and they would like to travel in the style to which they are accustomed, ie, in a Hymer motorhome. So it is not surprising that Hymer has decided to do something about it.

In the winter months the Australian and NZ agents for Hymer brought in a couple of motorhomes to whet everyone’s appetites, and MHG had the opportunity to take a close look at one of them.

I should point out that the Hymer we inspected was made for the British market, with right-hand drive, and most things will be the same for Australian models, with just a few appliance specification differences.

Called the Hymer B-Star-Line 655 or Star-Line for short, it is actually what we know as an A class motorhome. Built on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis, the Star-Line is just 21ft 8in (6.6m) long. It’s a very interesting length for an A class motorhome – there aren’t too many A class units that short in Australia.

The Star-Line is built on an Al-Ko chassis, so there is not much left of the original Mercedes Sprinter cab chassis. (Incidentally, although our review/demonstration model was not, all future Hymer motorhomes imported into the country will be on Australian spec’d Benzes and therefore carry the full Mercedes-Benz (Australia) warranty.)

Something called Hymer PU-AL technology is used to make the body shell. Simplified, this consists of aluminium (AL) on the outside, with watertight and rot-proof polyurethane (PU) foam on the inside, injection-moulded not sandwiched. Hymer says it is very light and very strong.

It also has great insulating properties, according to Hymer equivalent to a 17in (44cm) brick wall. Europeans tend to insulate against the cold but it will work equally well in the heat of Australia. The chassis also has underfloor heating for the storage areas.

Anyone who is vaguely familiar with the European motorhome scene will recognise that the Star-Line has a body design that says ‘Europe’ – flat surfaces, except for the front, with rounded edges all over the place. That’s not meant to be derogatory – with the sloping streamlined front, it’s quite a classy-looking motorhome.

Although the Star-Line is built for the right-hand drive British market, its main ‘house’ entry door is on the offside: European-style. However, the passenger door (that would in Germany be the driver’s door) is on the nearside, thus making it legitimate in Australia. However it’s more than just a “legitimate” item – there’s enough room, and it’s at the right height, to make it quite easy to get to and from in roadside situations. At the campsite having the door on the “wrong” side is much less of a problem in a motorhome than a caravan.

External storage is quite generous. At the rear offside is a large storage bin with a lift-up door. Under the driver’s windows is the gas compartment, probably large enough to fit two 9kg cylinders. Mid-nearside is an interesting feature which looks like part of the moulded skirt but is actually a slide-out drawer, capable of holding a reasonable amount of gear – about 40kg worth.

Entry to the Star-Line is via a windowless Seitz door but it does have a bi-fold screen door and an electric step. Seitz windows are complete with integrated flyscreen and blind. An appreciated feature is the single latch operation of the four window catches.

Sitting in the driver’s seat of the Star-Line for the first time is a little disconcerting. The windscreen appears to be a long way from the driver: it’s not, and it doesn’t take long to get used to it, nor does getting a feel (not literally) for where the front bumper is. Apart from the extra long dashboard, the rest of it is pure Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, except for the relatively large map and book storage compartment next to the driver. It might sound an odd comment but the sun visors are easily reachable, unlike in some A class units.

On the road, the Star-Line handles like most other Sprinters, with the turbodiesel motor pushing things along well enough. Our unit had the smaller 2.2 litre (95kW) motor, but the larger 2.7 litre (115kW) motor is also available. The external rear view mirrors give good vision behind, although they lack a smaller convex mirror for close side viewing.

Starring Role

In the Star-Line lineup, a few layouts are available but our review vehicle is described aptly as “fixed bed/longitudinal seating area” by Hymer. The fixed bed sits in the rear offside corner, next to the bathroom in the opposite corner.

Sitting amidships on both sides is the catering department with the lounge area at the front. The Star-Line’s interior is classy – everything from the curved handle by the door, and the pouch by the doorway for keys and torch, to the subtle strip lighting on the fridge cabinet corner.

Decor consists of a white ceiling and light stain timber for the cabinet work with a striped upholstery called Bristol for the lounges and driver/passenger seat.

It’s nice to see everything matching but the striping is a bit too much for me. Fortunately there is multiple choice for the upholstery schemes – I think I’ll settle for the Monza, thanks Mr Hymer.

In their layout designs, Europeans tend to favour either a corner bed or a fixed bed across the rear, unlike many Australian motorhomes which have a freestanding bed.

Our Star-Line is actually classed as a six-berth motorhome. I suspect however that, practically, it will be used as a four-berth. It has its main bed sitting on a slatted wooden frame in the rear corner.

The front lounges double as beds too, and there is a bed in the front cab area too. This is a very clever idea, a single strap is undone and a double bed lowers to just above waist height.

Surrounding the bed on the front sides is a curtain that is attached to the bed and lowers down with the bed. It’s all a very simple idea that works very well and since the bed can be left made up, takes very little time to set up.

Cooking up a meal or two in the Star-Line is quite easy thanks to the L-shaped bench on the nearside that has a Cramer three-burner cooktop plus a round stainless steel sink.

On the opposite side is a large Smev oven/grill atop a 150 litre Dometic two-door fridge. Curiously no microwave oven – they are often not installed in Euro RVs.

There’s plenty of storage in the kitchen with two overhead lockers, small and large drawers, one containing not one but two garbage bins.

There’s no problem relaxing in the Star-Line. In addition to the sideways-facing lounges, driver and passenger seats swivel around giving room to spread out. The table sitting between the lounges folds over so it can easily be used by four people.

Another piece of elegant design in the Star-Line is the bathroom. With a separate shower cubicle, Thetford cassette toilet and vanity sink surrounded by timber work that includes cupboards and shelves, it is certainly something to look at, as well as use. The door to the bathroom is a space-saving roller/shutter arrangement.

Lighting throughout is 12V, with a mixture of halogen and fluorescent fittings. Eagle-eyed readers will spot the heater ducts throughout and the British powerpoints, but they will all be Australianised. There is no shortage of storage with both overhead lockers and a hanging wardrobe between the kitchen and bathroom.

The Bottom Line

For a compact A class motorhome the Star-Line 655 is very impressive, especially when the price is considered. There are plenty of features packed into 22ft (6.7m) of motorhome and the fit and finish are second to none. Features such as the drop-down bed are a very effective use of space, especially when you consider that the bed is hardly noticeable when it is lifted up and out of the way.

The kitchen is quite small and except for a microwave oven, has all the features that most people will want.

The main entry door on the ‘wrong’ side may well be a problem for some people but it’s been our experience with another Euro motorhome that after a few days, you really don’t notice.

For two people the Star-Line is going to be very comfortable touring, and even for four persons it definitely won’t be a hardship.

Prestige Continental Caravans and Motorhomes: 2433 Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains, Qld 4113, (07) 3219 0263.

We liked:

The basic concept that a comfortable A class motorhome can be built in a length of less than 22ft (6.7m)

The front elevating bed that makes a very effective use of space

Good quality fit and finish

We would have liked:

A microwave oven – most people seem to use one

Fewer stripes in the upholstery

More time to play