Still more

 It now seems that there are a lot of domestic RVs on the scene, but they have a definite European air to them.

This ancient shorty Sprinter, from British Columbia, has many of the attributes of a stealth vehicle, but the roll up awning is a giveaway - maybe the surf board too.

When Chrysler had to give up the Sprinter, they came up with the Ram Van (which is a lightly disguised Fiat) and this 2500 model is a worthy replacement. The raised roof version gives it RV capability.

The big German RV maker Hymer, inserts their own logo on Fiat vans. Although common in Europe, this is first domestic Hymer I've seen - it carries Virginia plates and could almost be mistaken for a Dodge (especially with the hood up: How do you get spare parts for a Fiat?
Just follow another one around..)

 The RV season  must be coming to a close very soon, as cold weather is arriving and even the hardy Germans and Swiss are unlikely to want to be here in the winter.

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More Mercs

 The Mercedes Sprinter is a favourite amongst RV owners, and not just the van model, but the  Mercedes running gear too. Among the latest RVs that I have seen, several are Mercedes or Mercedes based.

This long wheelbase Sprinter is not exactly a "stealth" van, but the heavily tinted windows certainly give it a slightly sinister "armoured car" look.

I don't usually see the need to post photos of both sides of an RV, but this one is an exception. Tilt out vent windows were ajar on both sides.

The little "Ruff Rider" mascot lightens up the tone somewhat.

This RV is from Austria (in case there is any doubt) and was built by Hymer on a Mercedes dually chassis.

Even Winnebago is getting in the act, and building on a Sprinter cab/chassis

 

At first I missed this one, since it was in the same parking lot as the previous one, but it is definitely different. 

 

The 30 week tour map on the side is certainly an impressive achievement for this Swiss Merc Sprinter dually.

 

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They're Back - continued again

 One more European RV showed up after my last post, and this one is built by Hymer, one of the largest Geman RV makers. They build a wide range of RVs of various sizes. They all seem to use Mercedes components. Some use the Sprinter cab and others the Sprinter chassis - called the B-Class - with the Mercedes emblem on the hood.

Interesting features on this unit include a driver's door and a narrow side door on the offside, but well to the rear. I could  not detect a model number anywhere. It certainly appears to be a high end rig, but not brand new. It wisely carries a pair of spare tires on the roof since its wheels are probably an odd size.

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They're back again

A major invasion of European RVs occurred last week. All shapes and sizes are awaiting border clearance at the Fairview Cove container terminal  lined up behind the fence where they are almost unphotographable. I have nevertheless been able to count at least twenty.

I imagine they began to emerge today as I caught one downtown still with its orange window sticker marked "HFX".

A luxury Hymer Star Edition, it comes complete with satellite dish folded flat on the roof. Based on the license plate, with "ZH" and a "CH" sticker on the back, I am betting that this one is from Zurich, Switzerland.

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Fresh off the Boat - REVISED

More RVs keep rolling in. I have missed several I know, but I did manage to catch some more today such as these:

Renault with Delfin RV body.

Hymermobile - B 604 SL model 

Monster MAN with pop top body and pup trailer.

Late Catch:

I caught this one later in the day. A bit of a rarity- carrying GB plates, but a Merc:

 

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They're back

Those hardy international travellers in their camper vans are back again. Each spring, their vehicles arrive by ship, and the travellers pick them up and start on their way. The most frequent visitors are from Germany, but Monday's arrival was from France. The Fiat /Hymer seems to have covered a good part of the globe already!

For more on Hymer, see their web site: http://hymer-ulm.com/index.html

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