a malaysian campervan journey

Fixing my Thetford C2 cassette toilet pump

2021-02-21T13:26:00.002+08:00

My newly acquired campervan come equipped with a Thetford C2 cassette toilet, however the flushing pump is not working. After some research on the internet, I concluded that there are 3 possibilities for the non flushing problem:

1. Blown fuse

2. Wiring issue

3. Pump itself is not working

Of the 3 possibilities, wiring would be the hardest to resolve for I have very little idea of how and where the toilet pump wire is routed in the camper. I checked the fuse and found that it was blown ( a purple colour 3A blade type located under the pump switch ).

Thinking that it is an easy fix, I replaced the fuse and tried to activate the pump, but there was no sign of any pumping action. However the good news is that the lamp in the toilet dimmed slightly when I pressed the pump switch, so the wiring should in working order. This left the pump as the default root cause, I removed the pump and the problem is immediately apparent, it looks like the motor has seized and burnt, which explained why the fused was blown.

The old pump is not Thetford branded, but a brand called Reich. Thetford parts are not on sale in Malaysia, some UK sites listed the original Thetford pump for C2 cassette at 30 over Sterling, which translate to about RM 150, not including shipping cost.

I searched on Lazada Malaysia and found a 12v submersible pump which looks very similar to the original Thetford pump, and it is much cheaper at RM23. The site also helpfully published the physical dimension of the pump, and that enabled me to ascertain that it will fit into my C2 cassette toilet.

Curiously, the no-name pump is closer in shape to the original Thetford replacement pump, I guess the this is new design. Unlike the original Thetford replacement, the non-name pump does not come with a new bracket, however the new pump fit into the old bracket without much problem, albeit not as snugly, to me that is ok. So now I have a fully functioning toilet!

Resuming my campervan journey

2021-01-28T21:09:00.001+08:00

Today is a special for me. After a 6 years hiatus, I once again became a campervan owner. My latest campervan is a Toyota Camroad Liberty 5, built by Annex. It is an early Camroad model with manual 4wd and a 2.8 litre diesel engine. Mechanically, it is in good condition, but the cab body will need some work to tidy up. The ongoing pandemic lockdown will give me some time to understand this campervan and also do some minor repairs myself, especially the storage compartment locks, which are frozen quite badly. I will provide more update as I explore my "new" campervan.

My Camroad first day at home. I am looking forward to go on roadtrip with it soon!

Technical spec of Toyota Camroad chassis

2021-01-16T18:15:00.007+08:00

There is currently a lot interest in campervan in Malaysia, especially the models from Japan. One of the model name that constantly shows up in the discussion is Toyota Camroad, the base vehicle which the campervan is built on. Visually it is very similar to the HiAce or Dyna light lorry model, yet the Camroad interior and the spec sets it apart from the familiar HiAce/Dyna family which it is obviously based on. We don't see any Camroad in lorry configuration, it is exclusively for campervan.

"CAMROAD" is a word that combines Camper (camper) and Roadability (driving performance), and means "a vehicle optimized for campers". It first introduced in 1997, and it is not listed in the model lineup of Toyota's official website because it is not sold to the general public and only camper builders (equipment manufacturers) can purchase it.

Comparison between HiAce/Dyna lorry and it's progeny Camroad

Camroad was a variant of the HiAce/Dyna family that was developed exclusively as a base for campervan builders in Japan. Camroad is a word made from Camper and Roadability. Here is a brief description of the Toyota Camroad chassis and its campervan specific features.

Campers require a lot of electricity, especially when deployed during stops, as such the Camroad is equipped with uprated alternators to handle the running charge of the leisure battery that powers the camper's appliances. It also has a larger 80litre fuel tank for greater range.

The wider rear track, single leaf elliptical spring/mounting and 80 litre fuel tank can be clearly seen in this bare chassis.

The need to accommodate standup interior head room in campers means a higher center of gravity compared to goods carrying application which the HiAce/Dyna originally designed for, as such the suspension mountings are lowered to compared to standard HiAce/Dyna, the rear suspension use single elliptical leaf spring to cater for ride quality and comfort as opposed multi leaves for load carrying capacity. The large camper body is also susceptible to crosswinds, in consideration of that, Camroad provide options for a wider track of 250 mm to provide greater stability. However some Camroad model retains the standard track width.

Technical information on Camroad chassis on the Internet is sparse, but I managed to find some Japanese sites that provide them. Here's the technical specification for various Camroad chassis model. I think these are for the newer model from 2013 onwards. I can't find information for older Camroad models.

Base car model table
Model		QDF - KDY231 kai	LDF - KDY281 kai	ABF - TRY230 kai
Drive		2WD	Full-time 4WD	2WD
Transmission		Electronic control 4-speed automatic
Engine (Model)		2982cc (1KD-FTV) Common Rail Diesel Turbo		1998cc(1TR-FE) Gasoline
Engine power	Hp	144ps/3400rpm		133ps/5600rpm
	Torque	30.6kgm/1200～3200rpm		18.6kgm/4000rpm
Steering		Rack & Pinion
Suspension	Front	Double wishbone type independent suspension bar spring
	Rear	Axle semi-elliptical plate spring
Brake	Front	Disk
	Rear	Leading Trailing
Alternator		12V-130A		12V-80A
ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System)		Standard	Standard	Standard
Airbags		Standard (driver's seat only) passenger seat is manufacturer option
Tire size		195/70R15 106/104L LT (maximum load capacity 950 kg/piece)
Disc Wheel		15×5J 6 holes +30
Front/Rear Axle		Independent suspension system/wide tread
Wheelbase		2545mm
Tread	Front	1440mm
	Rear	1615mm
Chassis Allowable Limit	Front	1800kg
	Rear	1850kg
Minimum radius of rotation		4.9m
Fuel tank		80 L
Main battery		85D26L		50D20L
Fuel consumption rate km/l		11.2	10.2	8.4

It also has built-in wiring to facilitate the installation of rearview camera and monitor to enable rear situation awareness despite have a large camper body.

Camper accessory terminals identification

Always On Power:

Yellow Accessory Power Supply:

Red Illumination: Green

Vehicle Speed Sensor: Purple / White

Reverse: Red / Black

Audio coupler terminal identification

Black coupler: 14P

always-on power for

radio receiver (BAT):

Blue/Yellow Illumination

(ILL): Green Accessory Power Supply (ACC): Gray Left Speaker (LH): Pink (+), Purple (-)

Right Speaker (RH): Light Green (+), Blue (-)

Ground (GND): White/Black

Hope this is useful for those who wants to know the Toyota Camroad technical spec.

Back to the campervan fold

2021-01-15T12:31:00.001+08:00

This is my first update to this blog since 2014, I think a owed readers an explanation why the sudden halt in my update. My mom passed away in the year 2013, it was sudden and unexpected and it has a great impact to my family. My dad found himself living alone and since I was his only child in Malaysia, I decided to move in with him. Extended campervan outing was not feasible for me anymore since I became his prime caregiver. I sold my campervan and also my 4wd Delica van since I had no use for them for the time being. On top of that my children were also reached the age of entering their tertiary education one after the other, with all this on my plate, this blog was relegated to a dusty corner of my mind.

Fast forward to 2020-2021, my children are grown up now and I can now delegate some of the caregiving responsibilities for my dad to them. It is also a time of pandemic. This pandemic has been a shock to the world, it has probably change the way we travel for leisure forever. I personally don't feel safe to sleep in a hotel anymore, and guess what? Campervan is the perfect way to travel now, you practically bring your own home with you on your journey. Coupled with the abolishment of import AP for campervan, we are now seeing a surge of interest in Malaysia. This is exciting stuff for me, and it really rekindled my interest in campervaning again. Below are some of the local groups I have found in the internet.

Peminat Camper Malaysia : A group for campervan enthusiasts, owners and self-builders in Malaysia.

Motorhome & Caravan parts : A group focus on campervan related item ,parts and accessories, especially from Thailand.

My Campervan Malaysia : Started by local campervan pioneer Mark Ruffin, an American who lived in Malaysia for 36 years.

Travelling in your home

2014-07-23T12:30:00.001+08:00

The USA is a continent in it's own right, sometime moving from one city to another within its border is like uprooting your family from one country to another. Jason Torchinsky decided that he want to turn that undertaking into a journey in a compervan ( or RV as the Americans call it ). Here is his story. How I wish we Malaysians can do the same here.

Road trip at NZ (part 5)

2013-07-18T22:04:00.002+08:00

One of the "must visit" place in the North Island is Hobbiton, the location for the Lord of the Rings / Hobbits movies. The site was chosen for it's rolling green pasture land which devoid of any tall, modern structures. The original hobbit shire was built out of Styrofoam and plywood, which was completely demolished when the Lord of the ring movie trilogy was completed. When the movie "The Hobbit" commenced shooting, the production crew rebuilt the entire shire with permanent structures which tourist can visit today. It was all nice except for the entrance fees, each person is charged a whopping NZD75.00 for a 2 hours guided tour. With 5 members in my family I have to forked out NZD350.00 just to buy the tickets, this has to be the most expensive visit on our road trip in NZ. However, in the face of 3 teenagers who are enamoured with the LOTR and The Hobbit movie, I was in no position to object!

The Green Dragon Inn from a distance, in the movie it most appeared in closed up night view. However in daylight, with the rolling green hills as backdrop, it has a different surreal look to it.

The hobbits family!

This hobbit hole belong to Bilbo in the movie "The Hobbit". The door looks like it leads to a cosy hobbit abode, but it is fixed, there is nothing but a shallow void behind the door. The rest are just a facade. All the interior scenes were shot in studios in other locations.

Not all hobbit holes as impressive looking, this must have belong to a poor hobbit family.

Road trip at NZ (part 4)

2013-06-23T23:20:00.003+08:00

Our first day on the road ended at a small town called Lichfield. Our destination is a small farm which is one of the New Zealand Native Park's campsite. Our host are Rob and Nancy Flavell, who own and run the farm. One of the limitation of touring NZ during the autumn/winter season is the shorter length of day light. After taking it easy on the first half of the day I found myself pressing for time as the sun started to settle into the horizon at around 4:30pm. At this in Malaysia, I would be having my teh tarik break instead of looking for a place for the night! As I got nearer to Lichfied, the surrounding land was mostly residential area, like what you would see in any suburb rather the rolling pastoral landscape that I have expected. Just when I was questioning the navigational reliability of the GPS, the scenery suddenly changed from sub urban housing division into farm land.

When we finally reached the Flavell's farm, it was already 5.00pm and it getting dark. By prior arrangement the Nancy will also be providing dinner for us in their home. I was initially a bit concerned about the cost of 100 NZD, but my wife urged me not to miss an opportunity to dine with our host. It turned out to be the best dinner we would have for the whole trip. It was not just the food, which was a sumptuous three course dinner, but Rob and Nancy also received us like we are their old friends in their home. Both Rob and Nancy are not full time farmers, they have day jobs and look after their farm with their spare time. Their farm is stocked with cattle and sheep, it is not a full scale farming operation but the place is beautiful, something that city dwellers would dream about.

Our campervan parked at Rob and Nancy's homestead at their farm

The leafy drive way leading to the homestead

The morning view of the farm land

Rabbits in the barn

Our children feeding the cattle with carrots

I sign the guest book at the Flavell's dining room

Our gracious host, Rob and Nancy and their house cat.

Road trip at NZ (part 3)

2013-06-17T16:50:00.000+08:00

After a night's rest at the airport campervan park, we were finally ready to hit the road. Our first destination is to the south of Auckland. Through the NZ Native Park membership, we have a arranged for a night stay at a farm. Problem is we woke up really late in the morning, by the time we have had our breakfast it was already 10am, then I have to do my sewer service duty to empty the camper's black water tank which was almost full form all the night calls ( we were too lazy to walk to the common toilet in the middle of the night ) and also to drain the grey water tank. That took another 30 minutes. I am beginning to learn that campervan trip requires certain advanced time planning and chores like these need to be taken into consideration.

Just 10Km out of Auckland, I was stopped by a police road block! This is not so different from home is it? Anyway, the police officer was more interested in testing for drunk drivers, in the morning! I guess some locals here starts their drinking early. He was waving a breathalyzer as he gestured me to stop. He took one look at me and decided that testing me would be a waste of time, he put away the instrument and asked for my driving license instead, it was good thing that I have an international driving permit (the alternative is to get a official translated document on our Malaysian license). The officer looked happy with it and said "Welcome to New Zealand sir and have a great holiday!". No worry officer, I surely will.

Scenes like this is common theme around Auckland, the city is mostly surrounded by water.

We stopped by a historical site. According to the sign board the site was a stronghold during the Maori War. I later read up about the history of the Maori War (also known as New Zealand war) found it to be a fascinating tale of British colonial land grab, inter Maori tribal rivalries and their attempt to stem British expansion. This particular place used to house a British garrison, ironically it was named after a Maori officer who served in the Bristish Colonial army.

I have made it so far without any incidents!

The site of redoubt was on a knoll, the highest point in the area that provide a commanding view of Waikato river and area surrounding it.

Today, the surrounding area is a beautiful little township.

Road trip at NZ (part 2)

2013-06-15T23:30:00.003+08:00

The campervan rental company strongly advised us to take a least 8 hours of rest before embarking on a road trip. I think it make sense, especially after a 9.5 hours flight, I was exactly in the best of condition to take on driving an unfamiliar vehicle on unfamiliar road in an unfamiliar country. One thing about day light during autumn/winter season is that it gets dark at 5pm. By the time we collected out campervan and stocked up with our supplies, it was already 3pm, which means we only have 2 hours of day light left for the day, so we really can't go anywhere anyway. It is good thing that Auckland Airport also operate a campervan park. So we have to spend our first night near the airport The booking was done on line, costing NZD 29 per day with credit card. I have expect the place to be a dreary airport car park type of place, but when we arrived there, I was pleasantly surprised by the site, it was a superbly equipped and maintained site. Nothing fancy mind you, just what cempervaners need, like common hall, cooking facility, showers and toilet and a coin operated launderette. The site was right next to a golf course so the surrounding was pretty nice as well, with plenty of greenery. One thing that really impressed me is the cleanliness of the showers and toilet and common facility, what is more amazing is that there is no attendant there, everything is self service and the airport operator expects the users to have a level of civility to keep the place clean as well. If there is anything I need to remind myself that I am far from home Malaysia, this is one of it, I am sad to say. If this is any indication of the standard of facilities that we can expect for the rest of our journey, then New Zealand as a country has to be given credit for it's level commitment towards developing their campervan tourist industry.

Our camper parked at one of the lot, with power and water hookup box.

This building housed the common facilities.

The cooking facility at the common hall, with electric stove and oven. the place is spotless!

The launderette, with washing machines and dryers.

The mirrors at the washing basins has no waters marks on it. The washing basins are brilliantly white.

The shower cubicle

Can you find any public toilets in Malaysia that even approach this standard of cleanliness?

The power and water hookup box for the cameprvans

We had our first afternoon tea here.

Road trip at NZ ( part 1)

2013-06-06T22:25:00.000+08:00

We were greeted with brilliant sunshine at Auckland after a 9.5 hours flight. The first place I dived into is the toilet after the long flight with Jet Star from Singapore to Auckland. At the airport, we dialed a toll free number provided by Wenderkreisen, the campervan rental company, to inform of our arrival so that they can send a van to pick us up at the airport. The toll free number is a small but very important detail, it make it easy for customer to quickly get in touch in a convenient and painless manners.

At the arrival hall we were greeted by a giant dwarf (is that an oxymoron?) from the Lord of the Rings movie which was shot on location in NZ

Waiting for our campervan rental agent to pick us up at the airport

The driver who showed up is a friendly Maori lady by the name of Sila, who also happened to be the customer service manager of that day. In fact Ms Sila was the only staff working that day. since it was a Sunday.


This will be our home and transport for the next 8 days in NZ

The campervan is a 6 berths type, the largest in the fleet, while I was pondering how am I going to handle the behemoth on the road, Ms Sila led on a crash course on how to operate the sanitary system, gas heater and the power supply system. I was reminded to be careful not to forget the caps for the fuel tank, water tank, black water holding tank, flushing water tank and grey water holding tank. All together there were 5 caps that I should look after!

The camper is based on a Mitsubishi Canter truck with a 3 litre turbo diesel engine, the unit assigned to us is about 5 years old but it is superbly maintained and the interior is spotless. The engine only revs to 3500rpm and it will never win any race, however the moment I drove it out of the depot, it becomes apparent that it is built to pull rather than rev. The first gear is a super low ratio for crawling, for normal driving you can take off in second gear and it will happily waft along in fifth gear all day.

A 9kg LPG tank to supply the stove, water heater and air heater. In cold weather, this fuel is absolutely critical. I was told that a full tank should almost a month. WRONG!

Electric hookup cable for powered site.

The toilet is the cassette type, with slide out black water holding tank and a flushing water tank. Guess who is assigned the duty of disposing the family sewage.

Clean water tank filling hole. This camper can hold 130litres. The grey water tanks has exactly the same capacity, so what goes into this tank will eventually ends up in the grey water tank. Which means when I fill up with clean water, I must also drain all the grey water out, otherwise there will be over flow in the cabin!

Waste water is contained in a holding tank, which need to be emptied when it is full.

The hot water heater air vent. It is powered by gas so that we can have hot shower anywhere!

Our first stop is at the super market located near the airport to stock up on our food and supplies.

My campervan road trip at New Zealand

2013-05-21T22:47:00.001+08:00

In few days time I will be embarking on a campervan road trip at New Zealand. The land of the long white clouds has been a dream campervan destination for me. This journey has been in the planning for almost a year, after all the hunting for cheap airfare, the right time to take leave, to coincide with my children school holiday, find the best campervan hiring deal and the planning.May happens to be last month of autumn and many camperver rental companies offer low season prices, some give as much as 50% discount compared to prices in summer, which is consider peak season for the industry.

Initially I looked for the lowest price for cameprvan hiring, but then I found out that the cheaper campervans are mostly equipped for the warmer season only. With the colder season, you will need one with proper insulation and equipped with a gas/diesel heater, otherwise it will be too cold live in! Then there is question of camping site. In NZ, there are sites which are on public land, gazetted for wild camping and free of charge. The condition is that the camper must self contained, with waste water holding tank and sewage holding tank, it must also carries a certification sticker to shows that it is licensed to camp at these gazetted public campsite.

I booked a Koru 6 berths camper for my family of 5. This will be our home for the 10 days journey there!

The all important sticker if you planned to camp on public land gazetted for camping

Since the destination of my flight at Auckland, my road trip will be on the north island. I planned to explore the southern part first and then travel up to the north and then back to Auckland complete the journey, 10 days in all. I will strive to update as much as possible when on my road trip there.

Trailer camper anyone?

2013-04-20T15:20:00.001+08:00

Trailer camper is a good alternative to full sized caravan due to its lighter weight and more compact dimension that made it easier to handle and more feasible for smaller car to tow. If you are one who like to camp at some off road location, trailer camper is definitely for you. They are very popular in Australia, unfortunately we have yet to see any in Malaysia. The good news is that there are a lot of manufacturer in China that build this type of camper and they don't cost that much, but the challenge is to bring it into Malaysia.

The JPJ rules for such trailer is not too complicated:

Trailer will need to be sent for Puspakom for one time inspection and to be issued with a registration card from JPJ. It need a number plate like a car, the road tax is around RM50/year, and I think it also need to be insured according to its value.
The registration card will identify the number plate of the vehicle that will tow it. This means it is matched to a designated vehicle only. On the trailer there will be two registration plate, the trailer's own and the towing car. If there is a change of towing vehicle, the registration card will need to be updated.
The towing car will need to have a tow hook and electrical connection jack for tail lights and brake lights.

One problem with ordering such products from China is that the manufacturers usually set a minimum units before they entertain any orders. Wingmotorhome is offering to import it in batch and to provide services to send them to Puspakom inspection and JPJ registration, insurance and ready to be on the road for RM8899. If you are interested, please register your interest in the reader's comment for this article with your name and contact number, if we can enough people who wants it it will feasible to import them.

This model is fully equipped with all the amenities, you only need to fill up the water tank, throw in your luggages, hook up to your car and you can go.

Features:

Surface finish: fully powder coated finish
Suspension: independent suspension
Wheel: 3 three new off road 235/75R15 tires with 6 studs steel Ford rim,
Jockey wheel: Heavy duty style
Protection: All access doors are lockable and water/dust proof
Tent: High quality 13OZ canvas roof and side walls. Sand fly & midge proof window screen
Cooker system: Stainless steel kitchen top and stainless steel sink
Water system: Stainless steel water tank and electric water pump

Detailed description of trailer parts:

Coupling: loading capacity: 2000KG, in accordance with Australian Standard Handbrake: hand braking with coupling
Wheel & tire:15 rims and 235/75R15 tires, stud hubs (include 1 spare tire), in accordance with Australian standard and DOT standard
Axle: 45mm solid round axle
Hub: with electric brakes
Suspension:6 leaf spring,45*6mm eye to eye
Jockey wheel: heavy duty solid steel jockey wheel
Trailer plug: 7-pin round or flat plugs as per Australian standard
Led taillight
Water tank: 60L stainless steel water tank
Electric water pump: use for water tank
Kitchen: kitchen top and stainless steel kitchen sink
Winch: PP webbing 8m used to wind camper closed, loading capacity:1000KG
Gas strut: lift up bed base to hold open
Tool box: 1160 X550X485mm (LXWXH)
Lock and key: all access doors are key lockable, seals for all doors
Drawer: two drawers
1xGas bottle holder: Standard 9KG gas bottle holder
1xStandard 20L Jerry can holder
2X wind down rear stabilizer legs

Carryboy campervan

2013-03-07T23:57:00.002+08:00

The name Carryboy is almost synonymous with pickup truck canopy in Malaysia. However very few Malaysian knows that Carryboy also make campervan in Thailand.

The base chassis is a Toyota Hilux single cab pickup, at 5.48m in length it is about the same length as the standard pickup body, but it is towers at 2.93m in height. With clever packaging, Carryboy managed to create a camper capable of providing sleeping berth for 5 adult size person. Amazingly they also managed to fit it out with self contained amenities like bed, aircon, bathroom, toilet, kitchen, TV, oven and water tank.
All in all, it is a very complete and impressive campervan package. The camper body is made from fiberglass based on German technology and comply to German TUV standard and Euro standard. Carryboy also re-engineered the base Toyota Hilux to feature adjustable suspension to compensate for the load or the terrain where the camper is parked, to ensure that the camper cabin is level. This is a very important feature when you are living in the camper. With my old camper, I often have to choose my camping spot very carefully, it no fun when the camper is not level, it just make movement inside the camper so uncomfortable.

Being our ASEAN neighbour country and also part of AFTA, why is this campervan not sold in Malaysia?

The camper body fully integrated, providing in-cab access to the cabin, it also have cab-over sleeping berth for two.

The camper is only a little longer than a standard Hilux pickup, but it is much taller, however with lightweight fiber glass the center of gravity is not as high as its stature suggest.

The airbag suspension is adjustable from the driver cab to ensure that
camper body stays level under load or when parked on uneven terrrain

The bathroom is fully equipped with shower and a potty toilet

The bathroom also has a small basin and cabinet.

The site aircon is an important feature for tropical countries like Thailand and Malaysia.

The cab-over body provide sleeping berth for 2

The bench seat and table for day time use

The bench seat and table can be converted into a 3 berth bed

It is fully equipped with TV and DVD player

The power panel provide control on power source selection, on-board battery, genset power or site plug in power. It also has battery capacity indicator water tank indicator

The camper does not have a fully fledged kitchen, but it does have a microwave oven and a fridge. To some campervan users, this may be a serious drawback, but in countries like Thailand and Malaysia known for great hawker food, cooking in the camper is probably rates quite low in terms priority

The toilet is the cassette type, the black water tank can be pulled out from outside to be emptied.

On-board power is provided by 2 battery, the water pump is located below the battery

The generator sits on a swing-out tray. It need to be deployed in swing-out position to operate safely.

The camper is equipped with grey water tank, this is important for keeping the campsite clean .

Picnic at Sungai Sendat, Ulu Yam

2013-02-16T21:46:00.001+08:00

Ulu Yam is located around 26Km away from KL, yet it is almost a world a away from the pressure cooker atmosphere of KL. From Batu Caves Selayang town, which is very much part of KL urban landscape, you drive towards to Batu dam. A steep ascent to the reservoir via Jalan Sungai Tua and all of a sudden you are outside KL and into another world. The road snakes along the water catchment reserves and the skyline changes from concrete structures to green hill tops that rises up to 600 meters above sea level. The road takes you up to the pass at the peak and then descend into the valley where the Ulu Yam town is located. It is as if you have found KL's backdoor and steps out into the green fields outside the wall of the city.

Our destination today is Sungai Sendat waterfall, but we are not heading to the waterfall itself. Instead, we went to a quieter place a little further down the stream. The road to Sungai Sendat falls used to be unpaved, but it has since been nicely paved so that even family cars can reach there. This has the effect of making Sungai Sendat itself more accessible and hence more crowded. Sadly, it also means more littering by irresponsible people who seems to think that their rubbish will somehow be absorbed into the earth, or they just don't care. By avoiding the main waterfall we found a nice place to layout our picnic mat and have a cool dip in the stream.

From where we parked, it is just a few steps to the river

Looking up stream. A gentle flow with a soft sandy bottom. I can sit all day in the water and watch the leaves falling from their branches. There's simply nothing more therapeutic than this!

Looking down stream, water roar between large boulders, forming quick flowing currents.

I don't know what tree is this, but it has a majestic root, spreading more than 20 feet apart.

Come sit down among boulders and let the cool rushing water wash away all your tension and aches. The water is at least 5 Celsius cooler than the ambient temperature.

Satay for lunch! Nothing work up an appetite better than sitting in cool running water.

View Larger Map

ERA based campervan built in Malaysia

2013-01-25T12:10:00.001+08:00

Here's the update on the campervan built by WingMotorhome based on the Chana (aka Changan ) Era light pickup chassis. The prototype is fully completed and it is now waiting for type approval from JPJ Malaysia so that it can be sold as variant model of Chana Era, not just for road legal purpose, but also enable it to be sold as fully built new vehicle instead of a one-off modification, the JPJ type approval also enable it to qualify for auto finance. This give prospective buyers the option of hire purchase as opposed to paying the full cost up front.

This camper comes with a bathroom/toilet, sleeping berths for four, aircon, water tank powered by electric pump.

Great 3D modelling tool

2013-01-19T14:36:00.002+08:00

For DIY campervan builders, the first step is the need to visualise how the interior layout is going to be. The old school method is to use cardboard mock up to give a sense of the actual dimension of the fittings. This no doubt is the best method, but not the easiest, especially if you want to explore several alternatives that are radically different from each other.

There are 3d modelling tools around, one of the best and free one is Sketchup. Originally a Google product, it was taken over by Trimble, a name more well known in the GPS circle.

Perodua Rusa campervan conversion

2013-01-16T09:43:00.000+08:00

See how Captain Wong convert his Rusa van into a camper with minimalist, yet practical approach.

Follow this link to read Captain Wong's blog on his project

And now for something very different...

2012-12-29T13:05:00.001+08:00

VW buses has been the basis of the iconic Westfalia campervan. They are built on the philosophy of taking things nice and slow, smell the roses along the way sort of things. There are legions of VW bus enthusiasts in Malaysia who collect and lovingly restore these machines and generally subscribe to this image.

At the birth place of the VW buses however, a group of people turn their T1 micro bus into a rip snorting 520hp racing van. At the first glance it looks like a fiberglass body that mimics the general profile of a T1 microbus that is mounted on a DTM type of racing chassis. However, as I dig further I found out that it was a genuine microbus, albeit heavily modified. However it retains the classic under tray chassis and the rear engine, trans axle and trailing arm suspension layout. The engine comes from a Porsche 911 air cooled twin turbo charged engine (the last of air cooled 911 engine), Porsche trans axle/gearbox, Porsche rear trailing arms and brakes. The original VW front torsion bars suspensions has been replaced by Porsche Macpherson struts type. The end result is something very different, however it is still a VW T1 microbus in spirit because the parts sourced from Porsche 911 has their roots in the original VW Beetle, which the T1 itself also based on. Their shape and dimension is mostly compatible with the T1 chassis, even some of their bolt holes are a direct fit to original T1 engine mounting.

The most impressive thing about this T1 bus is that it is road legal and does not look too different from a standard version. Apart from the racing wheels and slightly lowered ride height, it could have passed as a yet another T1 microbus.

It started as a standard VW T1 Microbus

The original under tray was rebuilt and strengthened with additional braces

Full roll cage for protection and added strength to the body and chassis

The forward cab was similarly strengthened with a raised central for gear shifter mounting

The body was given extra width ensure the fat tyres stay inside the body works and slight increase of length to accommodate the longer 6 cylinders Porsche engine and trans axle gearbox. There is no changes to the dimension of the original floor pan.

Porsche 911 air cooled 6 cylinders engine mated to the engine bay. There is little need to alter the original engine bay.

The engine fits snugly into the engine bay.

Porsche suspension arms and brakes.

The original torsion bar is replaced by coil over shock Macpherson struts.

Fully fitted underside

The final result. A sight not unfamiliar to any T1 owners, except that it looks like it has taken steroid and went to the gym!

Lest anyone think that it is just a track day car, it has proper seats for passengers with full racing harness and it is road legal.

First run of the bus, also dubbed as the "FB1 Race Taxi". It carried 3 passengers and lap the circuit rather briskly.

Watch how it chased down and overtaken a Porsche 911GT3 and an Aston Martin on the famous Spa Francochamp racing circuit.

Malaysian campervan builder (update)

2012-11-17T11:36:00.002+08:00

Wing Campervan has recently updated the JinBei based model with a more usable layout. Gone were the original seats that cannot be converted into bed. Now there are proper bench seats that can be converted into sleeping berth for three person with ample space, there is also a fully enclosed bathroom equipped with a portable potty and shower. Other amenities include a washing basin and cabinet for cooking with a portable stove. The camper comes with clean water tank and a grey water tank that stored the used water which can be drained and disposed off properly at the appropriate facility. The water supply is powered by a pressure sensitive 12v water pump. The standard interior height is 165cm, which means anyone taller will have to stoop slightly when standing up, but it is sufficient for one to stand up to change and move about inside the van. The

This is an exciting development for campervan lovers in Malaysia, because Mr Chan of Wing Campervan is building conversion kits for standard JinBei Van, which itself is a clone of Toyota's older HiAces high roof model. As such the conversion kit will fit the old HiAce as well.

Mr Chan of Wing Campervan cam be reached at 0102266456.

The base vehicle is a standard Jin Bei high roof windows van. It is dimensionally identical to the older Toyota Hiace van.

A 12v fan is included at the rear

The bench is also a storage compartment.

The interior lights are LED for low energy cosumption. The grey coloured door is the door for the bathroom/toilet.

The kitchenette is equipped with a washing basin with a faucet.

When the table tops are lowered, the benches are converted into sleeping berth

Benches in day time configuration

The bathroom/toilet is equipped with porta-potty with self-contained flushing water tank and black water tank.

A modular camper

2012-11-04T20:52:00.000+08:00

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

Camping at Ulu Langat

2012-10-17T21:41:00.002+08:00

One of the problem of modern society is that fathers are getting less involved in their son's life. It is not just about the hours, it is about fulfilling the natural role as a model for their son's to look up to. In the old days, the sons get to observe how their fathers work at the farm or at their trade, their fathers will in turn, instruct, teach and pass their living skill to their sons. In today's urban setting, that setting is lost, the men spend their working hours isolated from their sons, and it is their mothers who have more time with the boys and we have a generation of boys brought up by their mothers. Don't get me wrong, boys need their mothers just as much, but I think the fathers need to reclaim their rightful role in the father-son relationship.

With this in mind, a group of my friends decided that we should have a father-son outing. What's better for male bonding time than camping? It has been a while since I actually camped ( my son said that campervan outing is not counted as real camping!). There were a few suggestion for the location, we want a camp site with river and forest but we do not want commercialized camp sites, at the same time the place should be accessible by family cars. Finally we settled on Pangsun at Ulu Langat.

Although it was not on high land, the place was surprisingly cold at night, it was a good thing that we were brought our sleeping bags. The men were happy that they were away from their wives and enjoyed their beer and BBQ, the boys were happy that they were away from their mothers while they rolled in the mud and having their dads teaching them how to start fire, setup tent and cook. We need more this type of outing!

My boy and I at the campsite, with my L300 4WD van. I am planning to get a roof top tent for it.

The morning light. My phone camera and photo taking skill does not do justice to the actual scene, one has to be there to really appreciate the magic of the morning sun light.

The water at the stream was crystal clear.

My friend's specialty, bamboo BBQ chicken. It was delicious!

The tents were set up by the boys, with instruction from their fathers.

Slide on ambulance canopy

2012-10-08T13:49:00.001+08:00

I saw this interesting slide on box that converts a pickup at USJ1 industrial park. From the faded marking it says it used to be a government ambulance. My guess is that it was designed to slide on to a Land Rover pickup tray to convert it into an ambulance quickly. To my eyes, it looks like a perfect candidate for conversion in to a compact campervan. It as full heights rear doors and standing interior head room for average adults. The best thing is that it can quickly convert any pickup truck into a camper with minimal modification.

I wondered how many of these type of ambulance bodies were used in Malaysia, it must be quite rare because I have yet to come across other similar units. The discovery of this slide-on body leads me to search for similar type of slide-on in the Internet and I found a Canadian company called MTC that produce the very type of bodies that I was looking for. According to MTC, the slide-on body is meant to be used as a standby that can quickly convert any pickup truck into an ambulance for work crew who works in remote places where it may be difficult to call for ambulance services.

The cab-over section can easily provide sleeping berth for 2 with some internal extension.

The body is made of fiberglass and it looks like it is still in good condition despite the dull and pitted exterior

The slide-on ambulance body made by MTC

It is designed to quickly convert any pickup truck into a functional ambulance when it normal ambulance services may not be immediately available.

Hippie Van

2012-08-12T18:25:00.002+08:00

I saw this VW campervan at PJ SS2 Paramount. From far it looks like a regular bay window, but I soon noticed that there is something extra on the roof and the spare type at the front hint that it is something special. It turned out to be a fully fledged VW campervan, not an original Westfalia, but an Australian conversion. The van has certainly seen better days, but all of its camper equipment and parts are still there, and it looks road worthy. Like an aging flower child from the 60's, it may have grizzled with age but it remained stubbornly independent and unbowed.

I wished I have gotten to meet it's owner. There must be many interesting story to be told about this campervan. I sincerely hope that it will be continue to roam on the road and continue to explore the world and bring back tales of travels and adventure.

The first give-away is the bull bar mounted spare tyre

The campervan was parked at the Shell Petrol station at PJ SS2 Paramount

The gas tank compartment and water filler cap are clearly visible. The stickers tells us its past journeys at the state of Victoria, Australia.

Even thought the body is rust streaked, it looks to be in good shape.

The pop top looks like it has not been deployed for a long time.

The site power socket is of the Australian type

LandRover Ambulance as campervan?

2012-07-26T09:32:00.004+08:00

Purpose built ambulance is a natural candidate for campervan conversion. It has the interior space designed to carry people on stretcher. Most have standing room for paramedics to perform their duty. Most come with dual alternators to power the emergency equipments. Military spec ambulance are even more interesting due to their need to have some sort of off-road capabilities. In one of previous post, I have written about another Landrover conversion which is based on a Luton van body, however a factory built body is always better because it is properly designed engineered to match the chassis.

Recently a Landrover based ambulance is spotted at Mudah.my. It was previously operated by the Malaysian Red Crescent as an civilian ambulance, from the look of the photo posted on the site, it looks like the Defender 127 ambulance type. Which means it is is factory built ambulance body. While the Mudah.my photo is sketchy, I managed to find other photos of the same body type. This would be an ideal candidate for an overlander expedition camper with minimal modification! While it may not offer standing room in it's interior, it is sufficiently roomy to accommodate living space for two person.

This is the posted picture of the Defender 127 on sale on Mudah.my

This is a sample picture of the same type.

The rear gate.

The interior has room for four on stretchers, but it will very cramped. There is really no proper standing room, except for people with compact frame.

For those of us who own a Land Rover with standard wagon body type, it is still possible to build a cosy camper without any modification to the original body structure. Below is another example of how a standard Landy can transformed into a very livable campervan.

Malaysian campervan/motorhome builder

2012-07-05T23:14:00.000+08:00

Despite growing interest in campervan lifestyle in Malaysia, there isn't any local manufacturers who specialized in building campervan or motorhome for the retail market. Of the few campervans in Malaysia, most are fully imported units, Malaysia Motorhome used to have a fleet which was custom built for their rental business, unfortunately the company has since winded up years ago. There are also a few one-off and some DIY campers here and there. If you want to buy a new campervan that is built and fully supported locally, you are out of luck.

However this is about to change, a local company called Wing Motorhome has recently embarked on an effort to build and sell a locally designed series production campervan model. The company is a brainchild of a gentlemen who preferred to be simply addressed as Ah Wing. I made a visit to his workshop where he is building his campervan model based on Chana light pickup truck chassis. In his workshop the very first unit is already in an advanced stage of construction. The body frame, panels, interior fittings are all fabricated in-house. The windows, air vent and doors are imported and they are specially made for cameprvan application. The end result is a very professional product. It is worth noting that Wing Motorhome can customize their basic design as per customer's requirement.The unit in construction is already booked by a customer who want to use it as a mobile office. According to Wing Motorhome, this is their entry level model which is designed to sleep 4 persons, with a kitchenette, shower/toilet, washing basin, water tank with pressure sensitive electric pump, AC and DC electric power circuit, an AC powered aircon. The base Chana pickup has a 1.5 litre petrol engine, manual transmission. A completed unit is expected to cost RM 60-70K depending on the level of interior fittings.

Wing Motorhome is blazing a trail, they have plan to launch middle size and large size models in the future. For Malaysians who want to get into the motorhome life style, this has to be one of the most exciting development in local campervan industry. You can contact Wing Motorhome at +60102266456.

The JPJ approved engineering plan of Wing Motorhome entry level campervan model

The campervan started life as a bare ladder chassis

The perimeter frame takes shape

Installation of floor board

The frame is fleshed out with aluminum panels

Interior fittings begin to take shape. This is going to be the kitchenette

Cabinets and stowage compartments

The window has built in, retractable netting and blind combination. With the plexiglass panel opened, you can choose between a blind or a netting, or a combination half blind and half netting.

The door actually consist of and outer and inner doors. The outer frame is a panel door with window. The inner door is actually a grill door with netting for maximum ventilation. This is very important in the tropical climate of Malaysia

The external lockable stowage compartment, ideal for a small generator

The window from inside

Besides the over-cab version shown above, there is also a van body camper based on a Jin Bei van in prototype stage. According to Wing Motorhome, the interior layout of this prototype is not optimum and there will be a revised design to be released in the future.

The base vehicle is Jin Bei van, the body remain standard

The prototype's kitchenette and washing basin is located behind the driver's seat.

A close up of the the kitchenette

A disadvantage of this location is that it make access from driver's cab to the rear cabin diffcult

The seats are standard seats repositioned, however the final design will feature a custom made seats which can be converted into bed.