Hymer Van 314

Berths: 2/3 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Al-Ko Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 985kg

The Hymer Van 314 won Compact Motorhome of the Year at the 2016 Motorhome Awards. At just 5.45m long, it’s the same length as a medium-wheelbase Fiat panel van – and it’s not much wider, at 2.22m. And yet the proportions look just right.

You might imagine a Hymer Van to be a van conversion but, no, that’s the HymerCar range. The 314 is a half-metre shorter than the old (Ford-based) 522, but with basically the same layout.

The driver’s and habitation doors could easily collide when shutting. Installing a high-mounted gas strut could avoid this. Inside is an entirely traditional van-class layout: twin swivelling cab seats facing a nearside half-dinette with a wall-mounted table, the washroom behind and the kitchen opposite. Across the rear is the optional low-level transverse double bed – not quite as low as we’d hoped and still accessed by a wooden ladder.

The interior has a huge overcab skylight and a medium-sized sunroof over the lounge, as well as a window by the table and one in the door. Interior décor is welcoming, with solid, warm mid-brown woodwork and anti-stain treated cream upholstery.

Despite being diminutive, the 314 provides an incredible 985kg payload, 350kg of which can be carried in the rear store/garage.

The cab is standard Ducato, and is comfortable over long distances. Each seat has twin armrests. Driving this slim, petite Hymer was fun, and the short wheelbase afforded a tight turning circle. On the open road, the 130bhp motor propels the 314 briskly.

The entire lounge has a raised floor, and, with its swing-out extension, everyone can easily reach the table. The tabletop is heavy and, on its slim leg, is a tad wobbly.

A quartet of adults would be cosily entwined here, but three should be comfortable. For long-distance travelling the rear seat backrest is rather vertical. Television viewing is done from the swivelled cab seats, the wall-mounted TV bracket being situated above the rear travel seats.

Two inset LED reading lights serve the cab seats, with another reading light over the dinette, plus a light over the door. A central ceiling light would improve matters.

Anyone expecting a full-sized British-spec kitchen in this little Hymer will be disappointed. There’s no room for an oven, grill or microwave, but the galley works well.

The integrated Dometic two-burner hob and stainless-steel sink has a strip of worktop alongside, plus a small lift-up flap. A split hob/sink cover instead of the one-piece glass lid would provide a safer kettle location.

Below the hob is an 85-litre Isotherm compressor fridge (part of the optional Comfort-Line Pack). Other storage is provided in two large overhead cupboards which swallow lots of provisions and an impressively large drawer. Alongside the fridge, a larder unit also contains a rubbish bin - we’d prefer one on the door. And the bed’s ladder blocks access to this lower storage.

Behind its tambour door, the Hymer’s washroom is tiny but contains all necessities. Occupying a good portion of the two-hole shower tray is a Thetford swivel toilet and, facing you, a drop-down basin. Its externally-located tap doubles as a shower head. When lowered, it sticks out too far and is it has no rear lip – as fast as water runs in, it disappears down the back.

We slept comfortably in the large bed. In the low-bed version there’s ample sitting-up room (nearly a metre), but 20cm less in the standard design, which is still pretty good. The windows at the bed head and foot (the latter an optional extra) are protected by removable wooden kick-boards and there’s a privacy curtain. Aside from the lounge’s third berth, Hymer also offers a cab hammock for children.

There is space to merit the huge payload figure, thanks to the rear store. This has doors at either end but they are narrow and the floor isn’t flat throughout as the fresh water tank and the wardrobe intrude.

Up front, there’s a useful overcab shelf and side cubbies. The lounge has two overhead cupboards behind a single door and a large drawer in the end of the dinette seat base. The bedroom has two overhead lockers on the rear wall.

Below the bed is the wardrobe, with, as standard, a modest hanging drop of 65cm and here just 34cm.

At £2,640, the Comfort Pack is a must: the character of the motorhome would be very different without it.

This is an abridged version of the full review appearing in the Summer 2016 issue of MMM. Buy it now.

With no direct competitors at this length, the Van 314 is delightful, especially in the high bed version. The low bed version loses too much storage capacity - a shame, given the huge payload.