Modding the Hymer ML-t 580 4x4

[Abgs]

Inspired by LennyHB … I thought I’d start a post to details various mods and upgrades.

I have a brand new Hymer Mlt 580 sitting on my drive waiting for a DVLA to assign a registration number. In the meantime, of course I’m going to take take it apart, fettle and modify it …..

Firstly …. Hymer, why no front mudflaps? Genuine Mercedes parts are £75 a pair, could you not include them as standard?

Anyhow, an easy install as all the fitting points are present and line up perfectly.

Ten minutes per side and a great improvement both practically and visually. Should also save the habitation step mechanism from getting covered in mud.

Part Number: Mercedes-Benz Mud flaps Sprinter 907 front set A9078890600.

 

[funflair]

Quite agree they should be standard especially being a 4x4 mud plugger.

So what's next?

 

[martin2603]

Come on they just love to charge for the extras!

 

[March Hare]

Welcome to the world of MLT5x0 ownership, there are quite a few MLT570 owners on here. We've got an MLT570 but it's not the 4x4 version - but strangely it did come complete with front mud flaps. Enjoy your lovely new motorhome - we love ours!

 

[Abgs]

So what's next?

Moving on to the Audio upgrade.

I have set of Alpine Speakers, Amplifier and Bass Speaker which were previously installed in my Hymer Grand Canyon.

This is always a bit of a fiddly install as you have to remove both the blinds and door panels.

The blinds are held in place by 5 screws, but two of them are tiny and easy to lose. The door panel has five torx bolts and three plastic screws. Hardest part is removing the blanking caps on the star bolts! Then pry the panel off, carefully disconnect the electrics and the door latch cable.

Remove the moisture barrier and reveal the lack of insulation and sound deadening … pretty much par for the course with Hymer I remember from my Grand Canyon.

Old speakers out, new ones in. Fairly substantial difference in weight !

Add sound deadening to door panels and inner door skins.

Replaced the dashboard tweeters. This make a very noticeable difference as the sound is directed towards you instead of the windscreen. Also they look fancy !

Overall a big improvement in sound quality!

I have an Alpine amplifier and bass speaker but I’m not sure whether I’ll need to fit these. Also the space under the passenger seat where the bass speaker sits is full of Hymer wiring.

Part number: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 907 / 910 SPC-106S907 high-end component speaker system.

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[jumar]

When you've finished, and reached your target...Can I have it please, we see a few in our part of Spain...mostly German owned...
and of course a UK owned one that couldn't keep all 4 wheels in contact with the ground..So sad to see...

 

[Abgs]

Just some random pictures of it underneath as I ponder the route for the rear dash-cam cable. There's a lot of big chunky, purposeful looking kit under there but it will never be this clean again!

 

[Abgs]

Dash-cam and more sound deadening ...

The Sprinter cab on the MLt is way quieter than my 21 Plate Sprinter PVC but as I had to buy another box of sound deadening I thought I look at other areas where panel resonance could be improved.

Looking at the Mercedes build sheet the Mlt has Code XM4 Acoustic Package. This adds a sound deadening blanket to the bulkhead on the engine side. You can’t really hear the engine on tick-over and it’s pretty quite on the road.

There is a bit of a drone noise - most likely due to comedy ‘let’s go off-road’ tyres.

Looking at various USA Sprinter Van Life build videos a common upgrade is to sound deaden the cab floor and footwells.

So … plastic stripped-out and cover the floor and footwells with sound deadening. Easy enough but tedious.

Note, dash cam wiring fitted while I had the floor trim out. Dual power feed so I have 'always on parked' mode and regular driving mode. Also means I have a flashing security light on the camera at night which may be act as a deterrent.

All back together ….

Dash-cam with wiring hidden behind the blinds.

Was the sound deadening worth doing ? No idea as I can’t drive it until a registration pate is issued and by then I won’t remember how it sounded before!

Parts: Dodo Matt
Dash Cam: GNet G-ONX - Not new, I have moved this camera from vehicle to vehicle - this is the third time I've fitted it!

 

[Abgs]

When you've finished, and reached your target...Can I have it please, we see a few in our part of Spain...mostly German owned...
and of course a UK owned one that couldn't keep all 4 wheels in contact with the ground..So sad to see...

Apparently I'm not allowed to consider changing it for a long, long time !

 

[Abgs]

Last bit of sound deadening, now the bonnet closes with a satisfying clunk rather than a hollow echo!

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[Joethejoiner]

Interested in effect of floor etc sound deadening.
Presume worthwhile , what did you use ?
Mine is just a PVC FIAT and fairly noisy

 

[WESTY66]

Moving on to the Audio upgrade.

I have set of Alpine Speakers, Amplifier and Bass Speaker which were previously installed in my Hymer Grand Canyon.

This is always a bit of a fiddly install as you have to remove both the blinds and door panels.

The blinds are held in place by 5 screws, but two of them are tiny and easy to lose. The door panel has five torx bolts and three plastic screws. Hardest part is removing the blanking caps on the star bolts! Then pry the panel off, carefully disconnect the electrics and the door latch cable.

Remove the moisture barrier and reveal the lack of insulation and sound deadening … pretty much par for the course with Hymer I remember from my Grand Canyon.

View attachment 956662

View attachment 956663

Old speakers out, new ones in. Fairly substantial difference in weight !

View attachment 956664

View attachment 956665

View attachment 956666

Add sound deadening to door panels and inner door skins.

View attachment 956667

View attachment 956668

Replaced the dashboard tweeters. This make a very noticeable difference as the sound is directed towards you instead of the windscreen. Also they look fancy !

View attachment 956669

View attachment 956670

Overall a big improvement in sound quality!

I have an Alpine amplifier and bass speaker but I’m not sure whether I’ll need to fit these. Also the space under the passenger seat where the bass speaker sits is full of Hymer wiring.

Part number: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 907 / 910 SPC-106S907 high-end component speaker system.

I can’t keep up, last time you had a Carthago? Or am I thinking of someone else??
Nice van btw. I’d love one but way out of my price range…….
Come to think of it, the one I already have is out of my price range

 

[Abgs]

Interested in effect of floor etc sound deadening.
Presume worthwhile , what did you use ?
Mine is just a PVC FIAT and fairly noisy

I’ve not tested the floor yet. Doing the doors always make a noticeable improvement.

Parts: Dodo Matt

 

[Abgs]

I can’t keep up, last time you had a Carthago? Or am I thinking of someone else??
Nice van btw. I’d love one but way out of my price range…….
Come to think of it, the one I already have is out of my price range

Yep … I had a 138 Carthago which was / is a really good quality motorhome.

The MLt came at a very decent discount compared to the UK price from German dealer. Was a bit of stretch but I figured if I didn’t go for one now the price difference would move to far away for me.

Also Mrs ABGS pressured me into buying as she really liked driving our previous Hymer Sprinter PVC but never really bonded with driving the Carthago. Got to keep her happy …!

 

[Abgs]

More audio upgrades ...

Disappointingly the Alpine Amp and Bass Speaker that I had in my previous Sprinter wouldn’t fit as Hymer have cluttered the under-seat area with a dedicated mains charger for the cab battery and a small DSP box.

However … in my pile of useful bits I have a smaller powered bass speaker / amplifier. This requires left and right audio inputs and power and earth. Looking the Caratec DSP there were two spare audio outputs plus a positive and negative feed. Quick test wire up and all worked fine.

Sound deadening applied to the inners panels of the base and the DSP and Charger had to be moved slightly to get the bass speaker in.

Small job but still took about three hours.

It sounded pretty good before but the extra bass just finishes it off nicely.

Before ... quick test wire.

After.

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[Abgs]

Well…. This is going to be a long job…

Washed, claybar and washed again, done.

Next, full paint correction followed by two coats of wax.

In fact the paintwork is pretty good so shouldn’t be to much of a deal to do.

Will keep me busy for the rest of the week.

Nothing else to do as DVLA still haven’t issued a number plate yet!!!

 

[Brains]

We have a MLT5780 (2x2)

Other little things you will need are the extra ring bolts for the rails in the garage

And the fitted carpet for the front section.

I have the dimensions if you want them, I also bought an 'off the shelf' Sprinter front carpet and then had a local carpet place cut it to the correct size and whip the edges. (I got it in black, gray would have been better)

Towbar ? I know the two places that will fit them

Sheets for the beds - Contact Snuglux - They have the pattern for the Hymer MLT's you just choose fabric and colour.

Alarm/Tracker/Immobiliser - You will not beat VanBitz

VanBitz also fitted our GasLow, Solar and the Battery master as well

Spares - get a spare pump, as they only last a year or two,
Also the door spring, well known weak link

 

[Abgs]

Done the black bits …. Just the silver bits to do now !

 

[Abgs]

We have a MLT5780 (2x2)

Other little things you will need are the extra ring bolts for the rails in the garage

Yep, found that out ... Just had to buy 8 at £44 ! Travelworld wanted £10 each.,,,

And the fitted carpet for the front section.

I have the dimensions if you want them, I also bought an 'off the shelf' Sprinter front carpet and then had a local carpet place cut it to the correct size and whip the edges. (I got it in black, gray would have been better)

That's also on my list but mine is LHD so might need to get one in the EU.

Towbar ? I know the two places that will fit them

It has the frame extension so will take a towbar but I am banned from buying any more things, particularly those that might need towing.....

Sheets for the beds - Contact Snuglux - They have the pattern for the Hymer MLT's you just choose fabric and colour.

Fitted sheets came with it but there are not great quality.

Alarm/Tracker/Immobiliser - You will not beat VanBitz

Already sorted ..

VanBitz also fitted our GasLow, Solar and the Battery master as well

It's got a diesel boiler so only needs gas for the hob and oven. I might just add one direct fill 6kg Gaslow, I did this with my old Hymer which also had diesel heating, the gas lasts for ever.

Spares - get a spare pump, as they only last a year or two,

Have also experience of this in the last Hymer ... must pick one up for the spares box.

Also the door spring, well known weak link

For the Hab door lock?

All good useful pointers - thanks!.

 

[dom_k]

Hope you get plate soon - when did the DVLA receive your application?

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[Abgs]

The interior on a tidy day ...

 

[Abgs]

Hope you get plate soon - when did the DVLA receive your application?

They sent it back to me last week as I'd missed including both part of the German Registration document. It's back with them now so it really should be any time as everything else is completed. I sent it on 16th Sept and was returned on 30th so I guess it would have been a two week turnaround.

I had my German VAT refund yesterday, down about £300 as the exchange rate moved against me during the time they were holding it. The dealer confirmed the German export was completed even though I couldn't get the customs paperwork stamped out at Hook of Holland or stamped in at Harwich.

Have you got your UK plate yet?

 

[Oldrat]

Great van, and well thought out thread. Even though I don’t aspire to a Hymer, I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts.

 

[Brains]

The interior on a tidy day ...

View attachment 963481View attachment 963482

Interesting how very different yours (2024) is compared to ours (2018).
Whilst the layout on paper appears to be identical, yours is a very different beast.

Did the curtains at the front come as standard ?
We have the rails, but no curtains, I think they would be a lot better than the Remis blinds that we have.

Bed linen:
From Snuglux can be of any quality, material and color that you chose.
It's made to measure, so the left sheet and mattress protector is different to the right.
We had them put Left/Port/red and Right/Starboard/green tabs on the sheets so we knew which sheet goes on which bed.
We have two sets, in different materials, so that we can travel without the need of finding a laundry on the same day as needing to dry sheets

Hab Door spring:
On Facebook there is the 'Hymer Owners Group', worth joining, there is a guy on there that makes and sells the door springs.
It's worth getting one now, as it's a case of 'when', not 'if' you need it.
Same applies to the water pump. They only last a couple of years.

Front mats:
I think I got my mats from here
I'm sure they would do LHD, but worth a call.
I got a carpet finish, in black.
With the benefit of hindsight, I should have gone for gray, as it would not show up the dirt as much.
I marked off the correct size with a white marker pen and then took the carpet to the local carpet warehouse and for £20 they cut it and whipped the edges.

 

[dom_k]

They sent it back to me last week as I'd missed including both part of the German Registration document. It's back with them now so it really should be any time as everything else is completed. I sent it on 16th Sept and was returned on 30th so I guess it would have been a two week turnaround.

I had my German VAT refund yesterday, down about £300 as the exchange rate moved against me during the time they were holding it. The dealer confirmed the German export was completed even though I couldn't get the customs paperwork stamped out at Hook of Holland or stamped in at Harwich.

Have you got your UK plate yet?

I haven’t got mine yet. It has been 2 weeks now so hopefully soon. I couldn’t get mine stamped at Calais or Dover either but got my refund immediately on supplying the NOVA cert to the dealer so within the first week which was good. I’m hoping for my plate next week so I can use it!!

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[Abgs]

Did the curtains at the front come as standard ?
We have the rails, but no curtains, I think they would be a lot better than the Remis blinds that we have.

It's an option.

"Insulated partitioning curtain for cab, double-layered sewn € 350 "

I didn't spec this van as it was dealer stock but I would have ticked the option if I was ordering new. Reason being is that the Remis blinds always rattle and are a bit fiddly. More importantly on the raised height 4x4 AWD Sprinters there is a grab handle on each door which aids ingress and egress. This is removed by Hymer in order to fit the blinds.

Not so so important for me being 6ft something but Mrs ABGS struggles a little with it.

Retro fitting the handles is on my list to do and I will either modify the plastic sides of the blinds or remove them and use magnetic insulated window covers along with the thermal curtain.

The curtain is a pretty snug fit behind the cab seats - i'll grab a picture of it later.

 

[Brains]

Another minor mod you can do,
add a couple of foldable coat hooks to the right of the loo door.
Strange that they are not fitted as standard now

And the black strip above the sink on our one holds a deep plastic tray which is where the fairy liquid and the washing up brush live

 

[March Hare]

Your new motorhome looks great - it's very smart and modern! We've got an almost identical motorhome to Brains (MLT570 60th Edition), and they used to live almost next to each other, like identical twins!

That aside, we were parked up in Brittany last month beside a new 4x4 MLT580 very similar to yours, and it towered above us! I should have got a photo, but I was wondering how tall your motorhome is please?

 

[Abgs]

That aside, we were parked up in Brittany last month beside a new 4x4 MLT580 very similar to yours, and it towered above us! I should have got a photo, but I was wondering how tall your motorhome is please?

The 4x4 AWD Sprinter chassis sits 8cm higher at the rear and 10cm at the front than the 2WD version.

Plus the extra height of the tyres:

Standard fit
235/65R16 Tyre Height (Diameter) 28 in 71.2 cm

All Terrain Tyres
245/75R16 Tyre Height (Diameter) 30.5 in 77.4 cm

Difference Tyre Height (Diameter) 2.5 in 6.2 cm

So ... it’s 14.2 cm higher at the rear and 16 cm at the front.

Someone on one the German Hymer Forum measured his and reckoned it to be 3.09m high to the top of folded Sat dish

I may well remove the dish as I can’t see it will get much use. A decent 4G Aerial would be a better use of that bit of roof space which might recover a few cm off the height.

I think it's about 10cm taller than my previous A Class Carthago. The body section on the Carthago was taller than the MLT because it incorporated the double floor, but the MLT sits higher off the ground. Parked on my drive at home, using the fence and house walls as reference points height-wise is doesn't look massively different to the Carthago.

 

[Brains]

It's an option.

"Insulated partitioning curtain for cab, double-layered sewn € 350 "

I didn't spec this van as it was dealer stock but I would have ticked the option if I was ordering new. Reason being is that the Remis blinds always rattle and are a bit fiddly. More importantly on the raised height 4x4 AWD Sprinters there is a grab handle on each door which aids ingress and egress. This is removed by Hymer in order to fit the blinds.

Not so so important for me being 6ft something but Mrs ABGS struggles a little with it.

Retro fitting the handles is on my list to do and I will either modify the plastic sides of the blinds or remove them and use magnetic insulated window covers along with the thermal curtain.

The curtain is a pretty snug fit behind the cab seats - i'll grab a picture of it later.

Found it.
here
Page 21

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