Just looked at a 2018 540... (1 Viewer)

[Peppadog]

Hi.
We had a look at a 2018 540 yesterday at West County Motorhomes. We will be downsizing in due course from our 3900kg Hymer. The size difference is obvious, but we have had vbubs for twenty years, a Rapido folding caravan, an Eriba caravan and a coachbuilt in the mix as well since we started. So....

In many ways the van we looked at was well constructed, but a bit basic. Have I got that right? Whats been your experience living with these vans please? All opinions welcomed of course.

I hadn’t looked at Sunlight before. I now know its one of Hymer groups sub brands.

 

[Sapper520]

Hi.
We had a look at a 2018 540 yesterday at West County Motorhomes. We will be downsizing in due course from our 3900kg Hymer. The size difference is obvious, but we have had vbubs for twenty years, a Rapido folding caravan, an Eriba caravan and a coachbuilt in the mix as well since we started. So....

In many ways the van we looked at was well constructed, but a bit basic. Have I got that right? Whats been your experience living with these vans please? All opinions welcomed of course.

I hadn’t looked at Sunlight before. I now know its one of Hymer groups sub brands.

Our base vehicle is a 2020 Fiat Ducato, 140bhp, 6 speed manual, the same as any other van. It hasn’t got all the singing and dancing driver options (TPMS, lane departure etc) but does have cruise control and cab aircon.

About 31mph average, 3.5L of Adblue per 1000 miles.

The Sunlight conversion side doesn’t have the more expensive cupboard finish or leather seats, but we’re happy with it. A few touches here and there, and it’s a comfort cosy van. We added a lot of storage solutions…..we like everything to have it’s own place.

Fixed bed (my wife’s must have), latitudinal, so any taller than about 5’ 10” but width is very generous, so you’ll need to go for the 6.3m model ( ours is 6m) which has a longitudinal bed. Bed cushions easily removed for storage.


We’ve got it fitted to our requirements of solar, Gaslow, removal tow bar ( have a fixed if having one as we can’t open our back doors with the bike rack on. Removal hook doesn’t have enough adjustment.

We up plated it from 3300kgs to 3500kgs straight away. We’re good at packing (we used to tour for three weeks at a time on motorcycles) and the last time I weighed the van, in near touring mode, it was 3140kgs. Bikes, wife and a few other things to add, so plenty of payload for us.

We spent a lot of time planning ours, and it ticks all the boxes for us. 6m length so parking at home reasons.

I’d probably consider more than the 130w solar panel, but we do have two 110 leisure batteries, so ample for now. If you intend to have cycles on a towbar, have the standard one as you can adjust it with spacers etc and tilt the rack to open the barn doors. 2 x 11kgs LPG cylinders last for ages. Do most of our cooking outside, using the exterior BBQ point.

Is there anything specific you need to know?

Are we happy with it….yes. We did have a few snags, now sorted, and the Fiat Sensor problem was fixed after a few months of ownership.

Prices have increased dramatically since we ordered ours, pre pandemic, in January 2020.

 

[Sapper520]

WoldsSunlight has got a Sunlight 540 Adventure.

 

[SpeedyDux]

We have a 5.4m PVC with a similar layout, except the Sunlight has a longer kitchen unit because there appears to be no wardrobe.

There are more compromises with space than in a fixed rear bed 6m PVC. Still plenty of storage though. The Duxette does complain sometimes that we should have bought one a size bigger especially because the forward dinette / lounge is a bit tight. The 5.4m one has some advantages - easier to park (including on my drive) and tighter turning circle.

 

[Peppadog]

Thanks both.
We went to the NEC show to look at 6.3m. vans. They are mostly the same layout as 6m and we don't wont/need the longer beds. The 5.4 mostly serms to steal the space in the toilet and kitchen, but we dismissed them without thinking.

The rub is we carry a 125cc equivalent electric scooter on a Watling m/cycle rack. So definitely won’t be able to open the rear doors while the bike is on. Might be low enough to clear the doors without. Or I can use the side load bike trailer I have if forced to. Either way the length goes up by a metre or two depending which I use.

If the cost savings relate to van specs like lane sensors etc, at 71, I’d rather not have them tbh.
Mrs PD said kitchen storage was minimal die to the sideways fridge but thinks we could shelve the low level wardrobe adjacent to the kitchen to fix that.
It seems at least Sapper is happy with the conversion build quality. I think less that is goo is better than loads more which falls apart. I suppose thats what zi was asking.
Thanks guys

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[WoldsSunlight]

WoldsSunlight has got a Sunlight 540 Adventure.

Yes I have, and I'm very happy with it. Solo traveller with Labrador, but adequate enough space. Dog lives in crate which conveniently lives under the bed, which impacts storage space, but it does force you to carry necessities rather than 'nice to haves.'
The dinette is a bit tight, but I tend to use the swing-out table extension and sit in the reversed drivers seat anyway.

Only problems so far in 18 months of ownership have been water pipe popping off boiler (simple jubilee clip fix once discovered, as original clip wasn't strong enough,) luckily all the escaping water found it's way overboard without damaging anything. The gas regulator also gave up the ghost this time last year whilst in Germany. New regulator installed by dealer in Germany, and costs reclaimed from UK dealer once back in UK without problem.
The overall finish to the interior is fine in my opinion, I have added GasLow refillable gas, a 200W solar panel and a second 95Ah leisure battery under the drivers seat. I was not a fan of external thermal windscreen/cab covers, and initially used the internal 'curtain' that came with the van - however, this time of year especially, thermal covers are the way to go, and I wouldn't be without one now. Bulky but light, it sits in its storage bag on the made-up bed whilst in transit, and is the first thing to be fitted once parked up for the night, so no real impact on storage space.
IMHO, Sunlight PVCs offer an excellent compromise between finish and functionality, at a price point that is extremely competitive (or was, when I ordered it in 2020!) If you want to know more, ask away!

 

[Peppadog]

Thanks WorldsSunlight.

We have a big screen cover for our current A class Hymer. Its seldom used, but I know how good they are.

The 2018, 540 we came across didn’t have an extending table, oddly. But most vans with this layout seem to have similarly sized dinettes.

We lost our last dog, Peppa, two years ago, so are just a couple now. However its good to realise the travel crate space, with secure tie downs iIr? Is ideal in these vans.

Do you guys find the standard 130hp engine powerful enough?

 

[Guigsy]

I had a 5.4m van with a transverse bed and the old euro4 120bhp engine. I've now got a 6m A-class with a euro6 150bhp. They are both well below 3.5t. The van felt far nippier. I guess having an extra 30cm width and height is most of the difference.

I liked the 5.4m. If you were cheeky, you could park in a normal parking space. We lived in it for 6 months touring round Europe. It was great for exploring. It was pretty cramped inside though.

Our new van feels three times larger inside and still fits on the driveway (actually, it overhangs by 15cm even when the bumper is touching the garage door, but the neighbours haven't complained). When the weather isn't as good, it's far more comfortable.

 

[WoldsSunlight]

Thanks WorldsSunlight.

We have a big screen cover for our current A class Hymer. Its seldom used, but I know how good they are.

The 2018, 540 we came across didn’t have an extending table, oddly. But most vans with this layout seem to have similarly sized dinettes.

We lost our last dog, Peppa, two years ago, so are just a couple now. However its good to realise the travel crate space, with secure tie downs iIr? Is ideal in these vans.

Do you guys find the standard 130hp engine powerful enough?

I have the 2.3L 140bhp with a 9 speed auto gearbox, running on 17" rims which is absolutely fine for me. averaging mid 30's mpg. Be aware that a spare wheel and tyre does not come as standard, but is easy enough to source and fit underneath behind the rear axle. I also changed the Michelin Agilis Camper tyres for Michelin Cross Climates (all season tyres) within 4000 miles, which in my opinion and experience gives a slightly better ride. Without wishing to open a can of worms on the subject, I run them at 75 psi rear and 65 psi front which seems absolutely fine.
The dogs crate is a snug fit, so no need to restrain it further. It still allows limited items to be carried alongside it on either side, and I can even squeeze a lightweight folding table in on top of it.
My available drive space was the major consideration in opting for the 540, and this time of year you can get 'cabin fever' inside, but in the better weather I spend most of the time sitting outside under the wind-out awning. I toured Germany this time last year for 2 weeks, and I found it easy to set up once onsite (the bed remaining made-up throughout,) and equally straightforward to pack up in the mornings when moving on. BTW, I upscaled from a T5 California which I had for 12 years and thoroughly enjoyed, but it was time for a little more convenience and independence with the toilet/shower onboard. Chalk and cheese in some respects, but each has their place.

 

[Peppadog]

Cheers. A 9 speed auto is the preference for me too, though I would buy a manual over a comfortmatic personally.
The van we saw was the first Sunlight I had come across. Not the one we will buy. Hence all the questions here. I think we need to compare a 540 against a 600 next. There are other brands offering similar layouts of course. Sadly none of the British converted vans I’ve seen so far suit us. Whichever. None of them will offer the space of our 7m. Hymer. But its the biggest van we’ve had, and in terms of years owned (43), vw campers dominate (25)! so we are very familiar with a smaller space!!

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[Sapper520]

Thanks WorldsSunlight.

We have a big screen cover for our current A class Hymer. Its seldom used, but I know how good they are.

The 2018, 540 we came across didn’t have an extending table, oddly. But most vans with this layout seem to have similarly sized dinettes.

We lost our last dog, Peppa, two years ago, so are just a couple now. However its good to realise the travel crate space, with secure tie downs iIr? Is ideal in these vans.

Do you guys find the standard 130hp engine powerful enough?

I’ve got the 140bhp, manual and it runs fine. I could easily set the cruise control to 70 mph+ and it would pull all day.

The extra space under the bed is a great storage space……..

 

[WoldsSunlight]

Cheers. A 9 speed auto is the preference for me too, though I would buy a manual over a comfortmatic personally.
The van we saw was the first Sunlight I had come across. Not the one we will buy. Hence all the questions here. I think we need to compare a 540 against a 600 next. There are other brands offering similar layouts of course. Sadly none of the British converted vans I’ve seen so far suit us. Whichever. None of them will offer the space of our 7m. Hymer. But its the biggest van we’ve had, and in terms of years owned (43), vw campers dominate (25)! so we are very familiar with a smaller space!!

You may already be aware, but there are 2 model ranges for Sunlight PVCs, Basic and Adventure. The Adventure range comes with many things fitted as standard that are options on the Basic. For me, the black colour of the Adventure was a plus, as I didn't want to be a 'white van man!' Having said that, the temperatures we had this summer were a bit problematic, but we managed (I was more concerned for the dog than myself.)

 

[Guigsy]

I’ve got the 140bhp, manual and it runs fine. I could easily set the cruise control to 70 mph+ and it would pull all day.

The extra space under the bed is a great storage space……..

View attachment 688018

That looks like the back of our 5.4m did. Got to get creative with storage! I had a couple of Brompton bikes slotted in too.

 

[Sapper520]

That looks like the back of our 5.4m did. Got to get creative with storage! I had a couple of Brompton bikes slotted in too.

Bit more room…..it’s a 6m van. Also got an extra beer fridge towards the front. I had an extra Power point put in for it especially.

 

[Guigsy]

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Parked at the riverside parking in Basel. It was tight! But you can get away with quite a bit with a 5.4m.

If I were to get another panel van though, I'd probably get a 6m just so there's a bit more space at the table and so the bathroom wasn't quite so coffin-like.

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[Sapper520]

 

[Peppadog]

Stop showing me your lovely vans you b**gers. I’m getting too keen to get one

I wasn’t planning to put my Hymer up for sale until next spring!

 

[WoldsSunlight]