Full review

Externally, the new Hymer B-DL 534 motorhome looks classy, modern and understated. Side panels are aluminium, whilst the roof is hail-resistant GRP, all fully insulated and built on Hymer’s traditional wood-free PUAL structural frame. The nose has a large opening bonnet, providing good access to engine service points, while full LED headlights are optional.

There’s a cab door (with electric window) on the nearside, while the RHD driver makes do with a sliding window. The offside habitation door is wider than usual, at 60cm, with a drop-down step to ease access. The cab door is a hefty 56cm above ground, and there’s no grab handle, but an automatic step is optional.

Vision to the rear is good, despite the lack of an interior mirror – it’s replaced by a small monitor (incorporated within the radio unit) for a reversing camera, plus two large, twin-lens coach-type mirrors that hang low enough to form a slight blindspot for tall drivers. The captain’s seats are comfortable, multi-adjustable Aguti Ergoflexes with twin armrests but, unusually, these do not swivel or form part of a dinette.

The cab is certainly well-equipped, with traction control, ESP and hill-holder features, along with climate control and a system for enhanced heating of the cab area.

The U-shaped seating is all within close proximity of the wall-mounted TV point in the front corner, and with four reading lights and ambient over-cupboard strips, this area becomes a cosy night-time ‘den’. However, daytime lighting is good, with three windows sporting discreet Continental-style net blinds and a large skylight.

The kitchen has a full cooker (option) with three gas burners and one mains electric plate, plus a separate oven and grill. There’s almost no work surface apart from the glass lid of the hob and a chopping board atop the modest-sized rectangular stainless-steel sink. One has to slide the tabletop across towards the kitchen and use that, but it would be wise to protect the upholstery below from spills and splashes. A table extension would make all the difference.

There’s lots of storage, overhead and in three neat soft-close drawers (one for cutlery and one containing a rubbish bin), plus a pan drawer and a huge cupboard opposite (above the fridge/freezer – a Dometic 160-litre AES model with 30-litre freezer capacity). With all that food storage space, and a bit of jiggery-pokery with the table, one should be able create gastronomic marvels.

Forward of the kitchen, the washroom to the nearside and the separate shower cubicle to the offside can form a washroom/dressing room/shower area, with the washroom door closing across the aisle. This full-width facility then has direct access to the two wardrobes, a drawer unit in front of the bed and the bed itself.

Elbow room in the loo area is a bit cramped (as in many rivals), but there’s lots of storage, hooks and mugs (and even an unprotected mains socket). A round resin basin takes care of washing but the mixer tap doesn’t swivel, so it’s difficult to wash your face. No problems with shaving, though, nor applying the war paint or checking your garb – there are mirrors everywhere, backed up by one either side of the main doorway.

The shower cubicle opposite does the business with double frosted doors, two plugholes and a duckboard in the tray, cubbies for unguents in the moulded acrylic walls, a shower head on a riser bar and a removable ceiling rail for wet towels/coats. Everything you could want, in fact.

The drop-down bed above the cab pulls down manually with little effort and an aluminium ladder with two broad wooden treads provides easy access to the comfortable, high-quality, cold-foam mattress. Two panels slide across the aisle below the bed, isolating the cab to cut off draughts, but you could also imprison your pooch behind here.

There are overhead cupboards everywhere and wall nets for magazines, too.

There’s ample storage below the lounge settees, and, centrally, a couple of cubbies in the double floor, plus one in the washroom – and another in the raised lounge floor giving access to the garage.

Externally, the garage (with two lights, tie-down points and a door on either side) has room for a couple of bikes, chairs, barbecue, etc. The 11kg gas cylinder cupboard is here, too, and the garage can carry up to 350kg.

Heating is provided by the Truma Combi 6E, which is situated under the bottom of the bedroom drawer unit and circulates warm air via a good spread of outlets, including the washroom and cab.

DuoMobils have plenty of power sockets, this B-DL 534 providing six, including one in the washroom, as well as two 12V sockets.

Access to the Combi heater, the battery and the toilet cassette is via three neat separate external hatches along the nearside of the motorhome – all very convenient. 

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the December 2016 issue of MMM magazine. You can get a digital version of this latest issue of MMM magazine here.