A modular camper

A US based company named Teal Camper takes an innovative approach to campers. Instead of fully built up units, it provide components that you need to build the campers to the size that suits you.

The unique modular concept enable campers to be built in Lego blocks-like fashion. The basic parts consist of the wall sections ( with windows or without ), corner section, flat roof or pop-up roof, single door or double door. The beauty of this concept allows you to start with one configuration and then you can upgrade and expand to something bigger.

The built up unit can be mounted on a flat tray trailer to be a caravan or mounted onto a pickup truck cargo bed to convert it into a campervan. Or it can be a standalone structure if you so desired. Teal also supplies interior fittings like cabinets, benches, table, washing sink and even a bathroom.

An example of a built up Teal camper

The basic components of Teal camper

The pop-up roof. It is complete with lifting mechanism, windows and netting, it's size can be altered by adding middle sections.

Modular interior fittings

Cabinet and washing sink

Unit mounted on a flatbed trailer

Unit mounted on the cargo bed of a pickup truck

My campervan at Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson

My son has been asking for a father-son outing in our campervan, which has been sitting idle at my house for a few months. He wanted to go to Cameron Highland, but I only have 2 free days and it is too short for driving up to the highland for just an overnight trip. In the end we settled for Tajung Tuan at Port Dickson, a place we have never camped before. The cape extends into the Malacca straits and has two beaches on each side. The northern side is called Pantai Biru also known as Blue Lagoon but it is really a cove instead of a Lagoon, the beach itself is less than a Km wide. Whereaas the southern beach, which is called Pantai Cermin, is at least about 4-5 Km wide. However, Pantai Biru is the better beach of the two and it attract more beach goers, at high tide during a clear day it really lives up to it's name with emerald-blue clear sea water. At low tide however the sea floor reveals itself to be muddy instead of plain sand, while it looks unappealing to the eyes, it is full of life with little crabs and small shell fishes lining the exposed sea floor. The Ilham resort is built at the same side and it takes up almost 1/3 of the beach front, however the beach itself is fully accessible to the publics. I parked my campervan at a grass field near the beach it was a really nice place to spend and night and wake up in the morning.

My son owning the entire beach in the morning.

My camper on the grass field at the end of the public access road to the beach. 

There are plenty of water sport available.

The mangroves in the background is part of the protected forest at the tip of the cape.

The dream began

I have been fascinated by caravan, campervan or motorhome. I love the freedom of stopping and staying anywhere I fancy without having to worry about room booking, check-in and check-out time. Unfortunately such things are rather hard to find in Malaysia, a quick search on the net shows that there are a galaxy of information on this subject in countries like UK, US, Australia and New Zealand but practically nothing in Malaysia. Curiously, the road transport authority (JPJ) and vehicle inspection centers (Puspakom) has category for caravan.

There were a company called Malaysian Motorhome in the 90's that provided rental units, but the company has since became defunct. There are some privately imported units , usually at high cost by well heeled individuals. My budget simply do not allow me to take such route, so I have to look for cheaper alternative.

I started to look at DIY conversion using vans. At around that same time, the local classified website mudah.my started to gain popularity. To me this is truly a treasure trove for my purpose. I started to look for suitable high roofed vans for conversion. The only models that met my requirements are the Renault Traffic (known as Inokom Permas locally), Ford Transit, Toyota High Ace.

Here are some of units I found on sale.



Among the locally available make and models, the Renault Traffic van mostly closely fit into my criteria for DIY campervan conversion. It has sufficient head room for adults of average heights to stand up and the low flat floor provide walk through access between the front seats and the back. The split tail gate makes great rear access. What stops me from getting it? Being an european design, its FWD mechanical layout in a van is foreign to most mechanics who are mostly familiar with Japanese mid engined vans. The availability of parts is another concern.



Then I found this gem advertised for sale. It was a decommissioned ambulance based on a high roof Ford Transit. Most of the interior fitting are intact. It has rear air suspension and a 2 litre DOHC petrol engine (local spec Ford Transit are all diesel engined and with medium or low roof only). The ambulance spec made an ideal vehicle for conversion to campervan, I was very excited at the potential. Unfortunately,there's a legal complication of converting it from commercial use to private ownership. Sadly I have to let this one pass as well.