Chateau Ducato – 4p Hymer alcove from 1993

Hello,

Our camper is simply a very pleasant, characterful and reliable house on wheels. Classic Hymer structure and therefore simply very practical. Not a lot of fuss. This applies, among other things, to technology. It is a simple 2.5 liter diesel, manual transmission, where nothing can actually go wrong. Our Chateau Ducato has been in our possession for years (purchased pre-corona) and we have never saved on maintenance.

The limited length and small turning circle of this camper is a very pleasant combination. Because it is only 5.5m long, you can also park in regular parking spaces. Reversing camera and that small turning circle ensure that you are very agile for a camper. That really saves a lot of hassle.

It doesn't go fast (cruising speed is 85 km/h), but it always gets you there. That's just part of camping, if you start driving you actually have to slow down a bit. I normally have a Mercedes with quite a bit of power, but I love driving the slow, lazy diesel.

Chateau Ducato has 4 belted places and you can organize 4 comfortable sleeping places in the camper (2 alcove and 2 downstairs). There are good mattresses and sofa cushions on board that are also fresh and firm. We bought all this new when we purchased the camper and my mother-in-law did a masterful job of upholstering it. So no old smelly, dirty stuff. Despite its age (from 1993), it is simply fresh and clean.

You cook on gas, three burners, so there is plenty of space to really prepare a meal yourself. Hot water available via the boiler and the classic Trumatic heater on board (autumn, spring). Everything works fine and is easy to operate. Two gas bottles on board, so fill it once upon departure and you don't have to worry about anything (except possibly changing a bottle once, but that is very simple).

It has everything you need on board for a nice road trip. In addition to cooking utensils, there are also tools and sufficient meters of power cable and a reel (crucial on camper pitches).
You can also go off-grid if you want. There is a large solar panel on the roof and a large 90AH lithium battery on board, including an inverter to 220 (1 socket). The new Hyckes 85 liter compressor refrigerator (with freezer) also runs on 12 volts. Super economical and quiet. This is also nice when traveling, especially when traveling to warm countries it is nice to have nice cold food and drinks on board. You can also just give your kids (if you have them) an ice cream on the way.

In addition to the regular ventilation, there is also a new max fan for warm nights and when driving in the middle of the day in the sweltering heat. Saves a sip on a drink and simply ensures that it is pleasant to stay in the camper, even when it is really hot.

Finally. We have already made many trips to France and Northern Spain with this camper, last year all the way to Galicia. So that's possible. However, you do notice that climbing (gradients of 8%...) is not entirely the intention for this 2.5 liter diesel without turbo. It's possible, I've been doing it for years, but then you go up the mountain in second gear at full speed (noise) and with flashing lights on. Down the mountain is fine again ;-).

Many destinations are possible, but the real climbing is not for the Ducato Hymert.

So: just a very nice camper to take on a road trip for a few weeks or to go on a nice long weekend. Read the instructions, pack, get in and enjoy yourself.