Hymer T-Class S 685 motorhome

Base vehicle: Mercedes Sprinter (FWD) Price from: £61,579 Berths: 2-5 Travel seats: 4 Length: 7.39m Width: 2.29m Height: 2.96m Gross weight: 3,500kg (4,200kg option) Payload: 525kg

Would you like your Merc-based Hymer low-profile? Up until now the choice was B-Class ModernComfort (B-MC-T) with front-wheel drive and Hymer’s own SLC lightweight chassis or ML-T with rear-wheel drive (or optional four-wheel drive).

Now, there’s a third choice – the T-Class S (that’s ‘S’ for Sprinter) with front-wheel drive but the original Mercedes-Benz chassis frame. The key factor here is price – around £10k less than an equivalent B-MC-T.

You can also now choose from three layouts for your T-Class S – the 685 with twin beds, the 695 with an island bed, both with a parallel sofa lounge, or the new 680 with single beds and a half-dinette.

Options can soon reduce your payload (and your bank balance) in typical German style. This example had the Style Package, 10.25in MBUX multimedia system, alloy wheels, cruise control, climate control, nine-speed automatic gearbox, front lounge bed, 22in TV, gas/mains heating, Driver Comfort Package 2, Comfort Plus Package 2 and Living Comfort Package, but an upgrade to a 4,200kg maximum gross weight meant a payload of almost 1,100kg. Even on a standard 3,500kg chassis, a 400kg payload should be realistic.

The exterior boasts clean, simple styling. There are no skirt lockers and only an offside door into the garage but 1.25m headroom and a 350kg limit there are both generous. The habitation door, meanwhile, comes with a deep window and a double external step for entry.

Inside, the first thing you’ll notice is that Hymer has joined the fashion for side settee lounges. That’s another differentiator as the more expensive B-MC-T sticks with half-dinette/L-settee formats. There’s a flat floor through the cab, lounge and kitchen, too.

A big opening overcab sunroof and a fold-in-half table are more en vogue features, while the settees hide flip-up backrests that convert these positions into occasional extra travel seats. In settee mode the seating is comfortable – as long as you’re sufficiently tall.

The galley will get an oven (this was a very early production example) in addition to the three-burner hob. Three drawers (incorporating a bin and cutlery holder) and a large shelved cupboard, plus a 142-litre automatic energy selection fridge ensure that there’s plenty of storage. The clean lines of the handleless gloss white top lockers give a modern look that is a real change from past Hymers’ traditional feel.

There’s a step up into the en suite. Here, the offside shower has a roof vent above, at least 1.94m headroom and shelves for shampoo, etc. Opposite, the toilet room is spacious and has a useful amount of worktop.

The single beds over the garage are 1.96m long on the nearside and slightly shorter on the offside. The shelf above the head of the beds leaves just enough room to sit up and twin reading lights are fitted. A wardrobe is located under the offside bed.

The T-Class S 685 comes as a two-berth with optional front lounge single and/or drop-down double catering for family motorhoming trips.