Hymer AG is a motorhome and caravan manufacturer located in Bad Waldsee, Germany. Founded in 1923 by Erwin Hymer and Erich Bachem, for almost 100 years the company has prided itself on building full sized-vehicles of the upmost quality and precision.
As a young man in Bad Waldsee, Erwin Hymer’s father, Alfons Hymer, owned a local repair shop. In 1956 Erich Bachem and Erwin Hymer made the first prototype vehicle called “Eriba”.
Today, the Hymer name boasts over twelve models of motorhomes, seven caravans and 8 Hymercars (which are essentially class b motorhomes). The company has six manufacturing plants in Germany, Italy and France. They employ over 2,600 dedicated workers aiming to create masterpiece recreational vehicles.
In 2013, Chrysler LLC group and Hymer AG began plans to bridge the RV industry from Europe to America. CEO Roel L.W. Nizet believes that manufacturing Hymer models on American soil is an absolute must in order to maintain the quality standards of the Hymer product:
We are not willing, let’s say, to ship from Europe to America. Our intention is to make a sustainable business out of it. We simply want to be local (U.S) OEM with the quality level of Europe, of Germany. And we will stay in a niche, definitely. As I have mentioned previously, we want to be the iPhone of wheels- very innovative. And that’s our goal on a high level- not the cheapest, definitely that’s our main Goal. (2)
CEO Roel L.W. Nizet talks a big game, but Hymer AG provides the numbers to back it up. According to rvbusiness.com, the RV conglomerate is a 1.7 billion dollar company. They have annual sales of 47,000 units that are distributed over 28 countries.
Hymer build’s their vehicles on Fiat’s Ducato and Mercedes Benz chassis. Bernhard Kibler, managing director of Hymer Gmbh & Co. KG, talks about the relationship Hymer and Mercedes Benz have, saying: “Both our companies have been working for over 40 years on trendsetting innovations with a clear focus on customer needs. Moreover Hymer and Mercedes Benz are bound by common values, extensive experience in the premium sector and the same commitment to technical product development. We have already worked together successfully in the past, increasing our cooperation was just a logical next step.”(2)
Since January 2015, Hymer has been setting up shop here in the U.S. At the Tampa Florida RV SuperShow, the Grand Canyon RV was unveiled the Hymer brand’s American born cousin. Critics have applauded the Grand Canyon as a high quality built RV with European luxury style.
The Hymer Car 322 was also released. The Hymer Car 322 is the smaller, more compact version, equivalent to a class B motorhome. The motorhome is smaller than a traditional class B, but bigger than a minivan. It offers four swivel seats and two beds in a compact layout. Mark Rechtin at Automotive News described the vehicle as evoking, “Ikea display, the Hymer interior defies stereotypical plastic motorhome accouterment.”(1)
There is lots of buzz around the new American made Hymer models by critics, bloggers and RV enthusiasts all around.
Interested in finding out more about Hymer vehicles? Looking for a luxury and high quality class B motorhome? Take a look at our inventory at our exciting inventory, or contact us online or phone at (866)370-8222.
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