Hymer Aktiv 2018 User manual

Contents

Introduction to Your Aktiv............................................................................................................................................................................................6

Disclaimer ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................6

Copyright ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................6

References ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................7

Do’s and Don’ts ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................7

Symbol Legend........................................................................................................................................................................................................7

Regulatory Warnings ...............................................................................................................................................................................................7

Information, Cautions and Warnings........................................................................................................................................................................ 8

Before You Head Out................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Coming Home ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Interior Living Space..................................................................................................................................................................................................12

Cabinets and Drawers ...........................................................................................................................................................................................12

Lights..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Table...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Front Captain’s Seats ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 16

Second Row Seating .............................................................................................................................................................................................16

Ventilation..............................................................................................................................................................................................................17

Window Treatments...............................................................................................................................................................................................18

Optional Folding Mattress for Front Bed................................................................................................................................................................ 21

Bathroom Facilities....................................................................................................................................................................................................23

Enclosed Bath .......................................................................................................................................................................................................23

Door....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Toilet...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Shower ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................25

Appliances ................................................................................................................................................................................................................27

TV and DVD Player ................................................................................................................................................................................................27

Refrigerator............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 27

Microwave .............................................................................................................................................................................................................28

Stove .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................28

Outside Your Aktiv .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

Awning...................................................................................................................................................................................................................29

Exterior Connections: ............................................................................................................................................................................................30

Driver’s Side Doors................................................................................................................................................................................................30

Side Sliding Door Screen....................................................................................................................................................................................... 33

Utilities ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34

Fresh Water ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................34

City Water.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34

Water Pump...........................................................................................................................................................................................................35

Waste Water: .........................................................................................................................................................................................................35

Gray Tank ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................35

Toilet Cassette....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35

Indicators............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35

Propane System........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36

Heating and Cooling..................................................................................................................................................................................................37

Thermostat ............................................................................................................................................................................................................37

Electrical System....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Coach Batteries..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Battery Disconnect Switch.....................................................................................................................................................................................38

Charging Your Batteries:........................................................................................................................................................................................38

Inverter Charger..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Underhood Generator............................................................................................................................................................................................ 38

2000 Watt Inverter .................................................................................................................................................................................................39

Shore Power.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40

Outlets................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40

Monitor Panel............................................................................................................................................................................................................41

Power Sources ......................................................................................................................................................................................................41

12 Volt DC Power ..................................................................................................................................................................................................41

Inverter .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 43

Other Switches: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 43

Patio Light ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 43

Water Heater Switch..............................................................................................................................................................................................44

Tank Charge Indicators.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 44

Distribution Panel ......................................................................................................................................................................................................45

AC Breaker Panel ..................................................................................................................................................................................................45

12 Volt Fuse Panel................................................................................................................................................................................................. 45

Alarms and Warnings ................................................................................................................................................................................................46

Propane and CO Alarm..........................................................................................................................................................................................46

Maintenance..............................................................................................................................................................................................................49

Tires....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49

Cargo Carrying Capacity ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 49

Owner Maintenance Checks.................................................................................................................................................................................. 49

When You Stop for Fuel or Weekly........................................................................................................................................................................ 49

Every Other Week.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 49

At Least Monthly.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49

At Least Every Three Months................................................................................................................................................................................. 50

At Least Twice a Year............................................................................................................................................................................................50

At Least Once a Year.............................................................................................................................................................................................51

Other Maintenance Checks ...................................................................................................................................................................................51

Spare Tire Storage ....................................................................................................................................................................................................52

Rear Door Spare Tire............................................................................................................................................................................................. 52

Specifications............................................................................................................................................................................................................54

Hymer Limited Warranty............................................................................................................................................................................................55

Roadside Assistance Plan.........................................................................................................................................................................................57

Registration............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59

Regulatory Notices.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61

HOWTOs................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61

Disclaimer.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 61

Introduction to Your Aktiv

Congratulations on the purchase of your Aktiv and welcome to the Erwin Hymer Group North America family. The information included in this

manual is meant to help and guide you using of your vehicle so that you know how to properly use the many functions your Aktiv has to offer.

Please keep this manual in your RV as a reference for when you are travelling. If you have any questions or comments on information found in this

document, please contact us at manuals@erwinhymergroupna.com.

Disclaimer

This owner’s manual was created to help owners with general use, maintenance and care of their RV. Erwin Hymer Group NA conducts ongoing

product development and uses photos from multiple brands and vehicles to create these instructions. The included images may not reflect exact

makes and/or models however, the information remains relevant and useful. These instructions are provided as general guidelines only, as certain

add-ons or customization to an RV may change the manner these operations are performed.

Erwin Hymer Group North America, Inc. (hereby known as Erwin Hymer Group NA) reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice

in colors, materials, equipment, specifications and models. The information contained in this manual is intended as a guide only, as continuous

improvements are ongoing. Please visit http://www.gohymer.com/owners-manual/ the most up to date manuals available. Some motorhomes

may be shown with equipment that is optional. Accessories shown in any photographs may not be included.

This manual is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License [1].

In summary, you may:

•Copy any portion of this manual in any form for personal use;

•Distribute this manual complete with all of its original unmodified content;

•Modify this manual for your own personal, non-commercial use. You may not:

•Use this manual for any commercial use whatsoever;

•Modify this manual except as provided for in the full license and then distribute the resulting work;

•Charge for this manual other than reasonable media and shipping costs.

All images used in this manual remain the property of Erwin Hymer Group NA. They are for illustrative purposes only and may or may not be

representative of the upfits in your Hymer. Contact Erwin Hymer Group NA for alternate licensing arrangements if you want to use or distribute

this manual commercially.

References

[1] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Do’s and Don’ts

Symbol Legend

Information: Useful information and knowledge.

Warning: Not following this instruction may lead to negative results.

Caution: You should follow this instruction.

Danger: Do NOT perform this action. Doing so may result in injury, severe damage, or death.

Regulatory Warnings

LEVEL

ITEM

INSTRUCTION

Danger

Do not place propane cylinders inside the vehicle.

• Propane cylinders are equipped with safety devices that relieve excessive pressure by discharging propane to

the atmosphere.

• Propane gas is highly flammable. This action can lead to fire or explosion and result in death or serious injury.

Warning

Do not use gas cooking appliances for comfort heating.

• Can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can lead to death or serious injury.

Warning

Gas cooking appliances need fresh air for safe operation.

• Open vents or windows slightly or turn on exhaust fan prior to using cooking appliance.

• Gas flames consume oxygen, which should be replaced to ensure proper operation.

• Improper use can result in death or serious injury.

Warning

Do not fill propane containers to more than 80% of their capacity.

• A properly filled container contains approximately 80 percent of its volume as liquid propane.

• Overfilling propane container(s) can result in uncontrolled propane flow, which could lead to a fire or explosion

and result in death or serious injury.

Danger

If you smell propane:

1. Extinguish any open flames and all smoking materials.

2. Shut off propane supply at the container valve(s) or propane supply connection.

3. Do not touch electrical switches.

4. Open doors and other ventilating openings.

5. Leave the area until the odor clears.

6. Have the propane system checked and leakage source corrected before using again.

7. Ignition of flammable vapors could lead to a fire or explosion and result in death or serious injury.

Danger

Vehicles and equipment powered by internal combustion engines and placed in recreational vehicles can cause

carbon monoxide poisoning or asphyxiation, which could result in death or serious injury.

• Do not store, transport, or dispense fuel inside this vehicle.

Information, Cautions and Warnings

LEVEL

ITEM

COMMENT

Seat Belts

Use only forward facing seats equipped with factory installed seat belts while the vehicle is in motion. All

passengers must be seated in these seats only, with the seat belts fastened while the vehicle is in motion.

Turn the TV off and stow it while the vehicle is in motion.

The flat screen TV should not be stored inside the Aktiv in cold temperatures. Remove it to reduce the chance of

damage from the cold. Check the Owner's Manual for the TV for storage and operating temperatures.

To remove the TV, release the bracket on the back of the TV mounting bracket and remove the RCA cables,

power supply cable and antenna cable.

Propane

Do not store propane tanks inside your vehicle. Propane tanks are equipped with safety devices which relieve

excessive pressure by discharging gas to the atmosphere.

Propane

Do not refuel the propane tank to more than 80% of its capacity.

Propane

The propane tank valve must be closed and all pilot lights, appliances and their igniters must be turned off during

refueling of the motor fuel tank and/or the propane fuel tank. Only qualified personnel should refuel your propane

tank.

Propane

Purchase propane from a reputable propane facility. Contaminated propane is a common cause of system failure

and is not covered under any warranty.

Propane

The BBQ quick disconnect is regulated to 10 P.S.I. Please ensure that all devices connected to this are either

rated for high "pressure" or have their own regulator. Many grills sold in the United States are "low pressure" (1/2

P.S.I.) and will require an additional regulator to step the pressure down to a useable level. If hooked directly to

the BBQ quick disconnect they will be a severe fire hazard.

Propane Leak

Detector

Do not block the air circulation in the area where the Propane Leak Detector is located.

Propane Leak

Detector

Battery disconnect switch must be in the "ON" position for the propane detector to function.

Flammable

Liquids and

Gasses

Do not store gasoline or other flammable liquids inside your vehicle.

Heating

Never use cooking appliances or unvented propane heaters for space heating purposes. They need fresh air for

safe operation.

Heating

The heating furnace provides its own outside combustion air and exhausts to the outside.

Heating

Portable fuel burning equipment, including wood, charcoal, and liquid fuel grills and stoves, should not be used

inside your vehicle. Use of this type of equipment inside your vehicle may cause a fire or asphyxiation.

Carbon

Monoxide Leak

Detector

Do not block the air circulation in the area where the Carbon Monoxide Leak Detector is located.

Carbon

Monoxide Leak

Detector

Battery disconnect switch must be in the "ON" position for the Carbon Monoxide Leak Detector to function.

110 V Electrical

Servicing

Prior to servicing any 110 V, unplug the output lead from the power inverter.

Exterior Access

Doors

Ensure the shore power cord and city water supply lines are disconnected and in their stored positions before the

vehicle is put in motion.

Awning

Close the sliding side door prior to opening or closing the awning.

Dining Table

When storing the dining table, secure in place using the snap-on strap.

Extra Counter

Space

Make sure the stove is off and has cooled prior to lowering the stove cover.

Battery

Battery acid can burn your skin and damage clothing. Protective eye wear and gloves should be worn while

handling batteries. Effective June 2010 all Erwin Hymer Group NA installed batteries are sealed AGM batteries

that do not require the addition of water.

Battery

Disconnect the inverter/charger prior to disconnecting the auxiliary battery.

Generator

The Aktiv is supplied with an AC generator located underneath the engine. Never submerge the generator. Use a

spotter when launching a boat or crossing streams.

Waste Water

Storage and

Dumping System

Close the gray water gate valve before using the waste water system.

Freezing

Under moderate subfreezing conditions, antifreeze is required in the exterior fresh water tank, toilet cassette and

gray waste water tank. Use RV antifreeze in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Electrical

Servicing

This unit has a 12VDC, 110VAC and potentially 36 volt solar system. These systems need to be disconnected

before working on them.

Before You Head Out

Your new Aktiv is ready to go with just a little bit of preparation. To prepare for your first trip, you should:

• Read this manual.

• Contact your dealer with any questions.

• Plan your trip.

Then use this quick checklist:

• The day before your trip:

o Charge your batteries by plugging in overnight.

o Cool your refrigerator by turning it on.

o Chill any beverages in your home refrigerator.

o Fill your fresh water tank with clean tap water.

• The day of the trip:

o Load the refrigerator with cold food (from your home refrigerator).

Coming Home

When you come home, there are a few maintenance tasks you should do to get your Aktiv ready to go for next time. Refer to other sections in this

manual for the procedures listed here.

•On your way home, dump the gray tank and toilet cassette at a convenient facility. See the HOWTO: Waste Water Dumping on the

consumer website for a concise description of the procedure to do this. Some RV parks and gas stations will let you dump for a fee, some

city wastewater plants will let you dump for free but there is no real pattern, so local knowledge is vital in locating dump stations. The

website http://www.sanidumps.com is a good resource. The maps for each state and province are

Especially helpful: http://www.sanidumps.com/maps/help.php

•At home, flush the water tank and fill it with fresh chlorinated water if you will be using it in the next few days. Otherwise, drain the tank.

Don't let water you are planning to use sit in your tank for more than a week or so, and don't let any water sit in your tank for more than

two weeks, whether you plan on using it or not. Over time, the chlorine goes away and the microbes come out to play.

•To flush the tank, fill it using the fill port in the driver's side rear panel and open the fresh water tank drain under the tank at the rear of the

Aktiv.

•Plug in overnight to fully charge batteries.

•Turn off and clean out the refrigerator and prop the door open to let it air out.

•Turn off two important switches on your monitor panel to keep from draining your batteries:

oThe battery disconnect switch.

oThe inverter switch.

•If you turn everything off and you have solar panels, the panels will keep your coach AGM batteries topped up while your Aktiv is parked. If

you have the optional Lithium EcoTrek battery system, they will need to be left on to receive a charge from the solar panels.

•If you don't have solar panels, it would be prudent to check your coach battery state of charge every month or so and charge them if

necessary. If you don't turn everything off, even with solar panels, you will probably come back to dead batteries.

Interior Living Space

Cabinets and Drawers

The cabinet latches in your Aktiv are different from the ones in your home and more like those on boats as they must stay closed when the vehicle

is in motion. The cabinet doors have buttons to unlock and open them and then lock them once closed. Press the button in and it will pop out

further to unlock, then open and close the cabinet and press the button back in to lock.

The buttons on the drawers work the same way to lock and unlock. Simply slide open when

unlocked and slide inwards to close.

Immediately beneath the galley countertop there is a drawer to

hold silverware and small cooking utensils. (Picture 12.1) The

right panel directly next to it and above refrigerator is not a

drawer and is for maintenance access only. The two drawers

below the silverware drawer provide storage space for food

and larger cooking utensils. There are movable dividers to

optimize the organization or the compartments. There are

additional cabinets above the galley for food and other storage.

It is not recommended to keep large, round, and/or heavy objects in a cabinet unsecured as they may roll

around and apply excessive pressure to the inside of the cabinet doors as you drive. The objects may

shift position with vehicle motion and cause injury when the cabinets are opened. For this reason, Ewin

Hymer Group NA recommends that you are aware of the objects that you store in overhead cabinets.

Directly across from the galley (behind) there is a shelf with a slide up door. This is a great place to store

spices and other food items. (Picture 12.2)

Picture 12.1

Picture 12.2

Lights

All cabin lights use 12VDC and are powered by the coach batteries, so the battery disconnect switch must be on for any of these lights to work.

The main cabin lights turn on and off with their switches at one end of the galley, accessible right by the passenger sliding door. This includes the

light for the bathroom. From the left, the first switch controls the two ceiling lights. The second switch controls the ceiling lights in the rear. There

is an outlet plug then two more light switches. The first switch (on the second set, the right of the plug and first set) controls the podium floor lights

close to the floor at the front of the coach, just inside the sliding door. The final switch controls the light to the bathroom. (Picture 13.1)

There are additional lights in the cabin controlled by their own individual switches (there is a switch on each side of the light). These lights are

located directly over the galley, one over the back-passenger seats by the window and finally one over each window (two total) over the bed in the

rear of the cabin. (Pictures 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4)

Ceiling

lights in

main cabin

area.

Ceiling

lights in rear

of cabin.

Podium floor

lights.

Bathroom

lights.

Picture 13.1

Lights (Continued)

Picture 14.1

Picture 14.2

Picture 14.3

Picture 14.4

Kitchen Galley Lighting

Aisle and Rear Coach Lighting

Dining and Second Row Step Up Lighting.

Table

The rear tabletop is stored in front of the back-passenger seating. It is folded in position behind the driver’s captain seat and should remain

secured while the vehicle is in motion, using the snap-on strap which is attached to the table. (Picture 15.1, 15.2)

Before using the table and putting into place, be sure the front captain driver’s seat is pushed forward or the table cannot fold out and be fully

extended or used properly. To use the table, release the snap-on strap first, lift the table top and the leg underneath will snap into place adding

stability to the table setup. There is a short snap strap on the right side (closest to the driver’s captain seat) and extend the rest of the table top.

(Picture 15.3)

Picture 15.1

Picture 15.2

Picture 15.3

Front Captain’s Seats

The seats must be set as far forward as possible prior to swiveling, otherwise the plastic trim may get

damaged.

The two captain's seats in the front of your Aktiv are adjustable fore and aft by pulling up on the bar under the front

of the seat and will swivel when the swivel tab (the black plastic lever on the side of the chair base) is pulled up.

(Picture 16.1) Always return the seats to the forward-facing position when driving. They will lock into this position

and stay locked until the swivel tab is raised again.

To create a front lounge area, loosen the recline adjustment and move the backs of the seats to a vertical position.

Do not attempt to pivot a reclined seat. Use the fore-and-aft adjustment while swiveling the seats to allow the sides

of the chairs to clear the armrests on the vehicle doors, the engine cover, and other obstructions. Do not force the

seats around. Swiveling the driver's seat may require you to loosen the tilt steering wheel adjustment and move the

steering wheel as far forward and up as possible. Opening the front doors slightly will facilitate clearance of the

door armrests. *Note – Prior to swiveling the front chairs to their forward facing position, the front dinette

table needs to be stowed completely.

Second Row Seating

There are two rear passenger seats. You can access them by

the passenger sliding door. They are directly in front of the

bathroom and behind the driver’s seat. The cushion on them

does lift and underneath them there are two removable wood

panels that give access to the water heater. (Pictures 16.2,

16.3)

Picture 16.1

Picture 16.2

Picture 16.3

Swivel Tab

Ventilation

Your Aktiv is equipped with a ceiling mounted ventilation fan. The fan has a cover that raises by turning the knob. As you turn the knob, the fan will

automatically begin working. (Pictures 17.1, 17.2)

There is also a fuse in the body of the fan, in

addition to the fuse in the distribution panel.

Check both this fuse and the one on the

12VDC fuse panel, if your fan stops working. If

you remove the fuse from the fan, it will not

operate. Remove fuse in case of emergency or

defect in the operation of the fan.

For more details, please refer to the fan owner’s

manual, especially for instructions on operating

the fan with a remote.

When the RV is unattended or the fan is not monitored, do not leave it on or objects may become obstructed.

Picture 17.1

Picture 17.2

Window Treatments

The skylight window in your Aktiv can be covered using the pull shade, included below the

skylight. On the other side, there is a pull screen. To open the skylight, pull the crank handle

down and turn. This is also a source of mild ventilation, without a fan.

Many of the side windows have similar shades. Pull the shade down and to lock it, it latches

quite easily to the bottom runner/track. These are located on the windows at the sides of the

vehicle and on the back. (Pictures 18.1, 18.2, 18.3, 18.4)

Never attempt to attach any sort of fastener or track above the front doors. The airbag

could deploy causing severe injury.

Never use the shade locking latch to raise or lower the shades in your Aktiv. (Picture 18.4) Always use the grooved finger railing to

lift and lower your shades.

Picture 18.1

Picture 18.2

Picture 18.3

Picture 18.4

Sleeping Facilities

Your Aktiv has a bed at the rear of the vehicle. While the vehicle is in motion, the bed needs to be latched in place using the barrier. (Picture 19.1)