Hymer is well known for producing totally palatial A-class motorhomes and luxurious coachbuilts. However, you may not be aware that their early conversions were all based on panel vans.
In addition, they have continued to build them ever since, though only relatively recently have they gained real market penetration in the UK. Here, I’m looking at the game-changing Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Hymer Grand Canyon S – more recently known as the Grand Canyon 600 to differentiate it from the 700, its younger but longer GC sibling.
The Sprinter has just celebrated its 30th birthday, having become one of the best vans for converting to a camper. At its launch, I commented that its relatively narrow track and slimmer body than its market sector rivals might limit the van’s appeal as a base vehicle, and that both were likely to broaden.
Wrong! The body remains narrower than its Sevel and Ford rivals, and conversions are strong sellers all around the globe. The principal disadvantage of its svelteness is that it is impossible to have a transverse bed of practical length for adults. Wrong again!
Hymer has a clever work-around for this problem, providing the ingenuity you would look for when searching for the best campervan. Towards the rear, the body has been widened by the inclusion at window height of colour-matched moulded pods on each side, to facilitate a full-length transverse bed.
These have been designed and made to integrate with the body, as if they were part of the original build. They aren’t, but they could have been… reflecting how well executed they are.
Grand Canyon S 600 retains all five doors, making it easier when loading the campervan with bulky items. The task is aided by designing the ‘permanent’ rear bed in a way that enables it to hinge against the sides.
If you were wondering “do campervans have showers?”, you will find immediately ahead of the bed is a (UK) nearside washroom, with vanity basin, shower and toilet. The forward lounge/diner consists of a half-dinette – which also offers two additional travel seats – plus the swivelled cab pews. Cook’s quarters are on ‘our’ offside, ahead of the double bed and extending halfway across the sliding side-door aperture.
Many visitors to exhibitions and showrooms think the elevating-roof crown to the high-top is standard. In Hymer-speak a ‘Sleeper Roof’, it is actually a £4430 cost option that adds significantly to the on-the-road height and the MiRO. That said, the additional double bed is huge.
Good news… the standard high-top rear-wheel-drive GC S 600 provides a practical payload on the 3500kg chassis, so it can be driven on a standard campervan driving licence.
Weight upgrades are available for those who require it – mainly folk opting to have four-wheel drive, plus enthusiastic ticking of items on the 20-page cost options list.
There are two other models in the S 600 range. The most noteworthy is the Crossover, a model which our judging panel shortlisted for the most luxurious campervan category at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2025.
This adds four-wheel drive, raised suspension, all-terrain tyres and several ‘off-road’ handling packs. Tasty wheels plus on-trend graphics add visual interest to what is a highly desirable motorcaravan for those who wish to explore off the beaten track. Increased traction comes at a price, though. RRP at the time of writing is from £123,560.
Popular cost options will easily lift that by £10,000 and many people buying ‘the ’van they always promised themselves’ will add £20,000 of kit. A base vehicle price increase is also rumoured for the 2026 model year.
Second variant is the Experience, which adds bling and a wind-out awning, among other goodies.
What to look out for with a Grand Canyon S 600
Base vehicle
As with any internal combustion engine and particularly regarding those with complicated electronic management gizmos, things can (and do) go wrong. Principal culprits on the Mercedes Sprinter appear to be the DPF (filter) and the EGR valve, usually indicated by a hesitant pick-up from idle and illuminated warning lights.
Automatic gearboxes that tend to hold on to the gears before upward changes under light acceleration require investigating.
As usual, a full service history will be reassuring, either from a commercial vehicle specialist or an MB main agent. According to research by insurance specialist Tempcover, this generation of Sprinter is the most recalled van in recent history.
Many recalls are advisory/not safety critical, but still contact the main dealer and/or Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to ensure all have been completed, especially those that are safety related.
Conversion
Hymer’s contribution is well-finished and durable, but check the operation of all habitation systems and written evidence of a full habitation service, including a body integrity check (for water ingress) and a safety inspection.
However, Hymer isn’t responsible for post-production retrofits and upgrades, which are often undertaken by non-franchised operations when the first owner wanted to save on the cost of factory-fitted options.
Finally, a wide variety of suspension modifications and tyre profiles makes it impossible to quote a reliable overall height for Crossover variants, so if this is a critical factor, measure the actual example you are considering.
Hymer Grand Canyon S 600 essentials
Hymer Grand Canyon S 600 on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
- Built in Bad Waldsee, Germany
- Five-door high-top panel van conversion
- Overall length: 5.93m (19’ 5.5”)
What we like about the Grand Canyon S 600
- Under 6m and svelte
- Rear-wheel drive/four-wheel drive
- Global access to Mercedes spares
- Crossover’s stance
- Availability of Sleeper Roof
What we dislike about the Grand Canyon S 600
- Too many items that should come as standard are cost options for first buyer
Our pick
A fully loaded Crossover will be hard to resist. But back in the real world, an early standard model with rear-wheel drive and a limited slip rear differential that will get you out of most sticky situations, will be tens of thousands of pounds cheaper and can be driven by those with an ordinary ‘car’ driving licence.
What to pay for a used Grand Canyon S 600
Think of £85,000 as a starting point. Best value we could find at the time of writing was a 2022 example advertised by Motorhome Depot (Portsmouth and West Sussex). It is well specified and includes an engine upgrade, automatic transmission and a Sleeper Roof. Just 8000 miles covered. Asking price: £84,999. RRP new to similar specification is £116,900.
Alternatives to consider
(All offer RHD and/or 4×4.) Hymer Free S 600, Hymer DuoCar S, Hymer Grand Canyon S 700 (longer). Mclaren Sports Homes, RP Motorhomes, SC Sporthomes. You can also see what I had to say about buying a used Auto-Sleepers Topaz, a smart used camper which provides a coachbuilt’s comfort.
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