A Ford Ranger WildTrak 2021…. bought new and delivered in January 2022. The build starts from scratch. But where do we start?…. In Malaysia there are limited sources of quality products, although this has improved in the last 12 months, in January 2022, the finish build looked far off…in truth, it seemed like a classic art painting that is never finished.
The first main outside element was a rear steel bar and we had to wait till April for a road trip to Bangkok to get the canopy placed on the truck. The Alu-Cab Canopy Camper is designed and built in South Africa and the closest supplier at the time was Ironman 4×4 Bangkok. One 14 day road trip later …CHANGE is visible.
As we predicted, each element we add to the truck increased the weight and strain on the suspension. Time to make further changes, new suspension, tyres and a long range fuel tank was fitted and a front bar matching the rear also added. ‘Otw’ was taking shape.
Time to start working inside the canopy. A 50L water tank and filter, 300ah LifePo4, 3000w inverter, diesel heater and hot shower was added.
Through the next few months the truck was changing from a pickup truck to an overlander and it was time to ramp it up another notch. We drove back to Bangkok for further upgrades; 270 degree awning, shower cube, spare tyre carrier and….internal cupboards. We had been working on the design for sometime and through the contacts of Ironman, we arranged for a fitter to make our designs real.
Then we added some small finishing touches like LED lights and cushions, 12v oven, fridge freezer and a tap…it was beginning to look like home. Soon as the solar panels and wifi via a Starlink was fitted, it was time to test out the upgrades.
As of Mid 2024, ‘Otw’ is almost complete, we have had a few test runs and with some minor changes and updates, she will be ready. The full process has taken around 2 years in the making, but perhaps, just maybe, apart from our home, she is something special, definitely one of a kind.
Check out the Youtube video to get a tour, you will get to see us showing you how things work out following the test run. You can also see some videos of how the build was developed step by step.
Click the pic and enjoy!
