Verdict
Another beautiful A-class ’van from Hymer. It is hugely desirable, but is let down by a costly options list and its low, standard specification.
Pros
Excellent design and build; good storage levels
Cons
Pricey, once you start adding on the options
Living
The Hymer has an L-shaped dinette with facing seats, and with the cab seats swivelled it will accommodate five people. The lounge table moves on two axes for greater flexibility, although it’s a little bit on the small side at 84.5 x 69cm. The lounge windows are nothing to shout about, and the far-side one in particular is quite small, but this is more than made up for by the huge roof light.
Sadly, the Hymer has no power points at all in its lounge. In an age when we’re likely to travel with a suitcase full of chargers, we really should be getting more on this front.
There are two, belted, rear travel seats; one of its removable cushions has a hard base which requires a bit of muscle to haul up and out. Hymer has included a clever cup-holder/storage space unit which reveals itself once this cushion is lifted, giving the rear passengers somewhere to rest their drink cans while on the move.
Kitchen
The L-shaped kitchen provides a lot of moving and passing space, which is crucial since it sits between the lounge and washroom. There’s a TEC Tower facing the hob, and a good kitchen storage arrangement, with a handy set of bins located in a drawer, and two long drawers under the sink which can also be accessed from the side, through a cabinet door, making it easy to reach into them without blocking access through the vehicle.
However, the hob has only three burners, and even though the sink is large (38cm in diameter) there is a clear shortage of available workspace – a problem alleviated only slightly by the sturdy sink cover-cum-chopping board.
Washroom
The washroom is the real party piece, and performs very well. The shower cubicle is, by necessity, a plastic capsule; although roomy, it is a tad too close to the bed – therefore, in the course of day-to-day use it is likely that the bed will get wet.
The benefit of having a separate shower is that the toilet area can be made far more attractive since it does not need to be so protected from damp.
The toilet provides a top-end finish and lots of space; it is a classy area that is slightly let down by the position of the swivel toilet, which is so close to the wall that the tall and long-legged are going to find it uncomfortable to use.
Beds
The washroom is split into two cubicles and positioned just in front of the bed, so the rear section can be cordoned off to create a little en-suite bedroom area.
The Hymer’s bed is big (138cm at its widest point and 113cm at its narrowest, and is 203cm long) but it has no door to cordon off the bedroom area. Instead, it makes do with a concertina partition secured by press studs, with fasteners located on the kitchen side – a bit of a chore to operate from within the bedroom.
The pull-down bed up front is 140cm x 195cm, and is comfortable and easy to set up.
Storage
Under the raised rear beds you will find a sizeable garage with doors on both sides as standard. It’s impressive at 114cm x 94cm and positioned only 54cm off the ground – it should be very easy to load up with bulky or awkwardly shaped items. It’s lit, too, (a standard feature) and has a waste-water drain valve handles. It can’t be accessed from within the vehicle, though.
Being a double-floor model, the B694 benefits from between-floor lockers, handy for storing sundry items such as chocks and wellies. There’s a sizeable locker on the nearside, right beneath the fresh-water inlet and hook-up point, making it ideal for cables and hoses.
The wardrobe is just forward from one of the washroom cubicles, and within the partitioned bedroom areas.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 840 kg |
| MTPLM | 4000 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.30 m |
| Width | 2.35 m |
