'Move your van or we will kill you': Singaporean couple who quit jobs to travel in campervan reveal the good and bad of living off-grid
PHOTO: Bokchoytravels
PUBLISHED ONDecember 23, 2023 1:00 AMByMelissa Teo Ever wanted to just pack up your bags and live off-grid?
While the idea is tempting, especially to those who don't enjoy the city or corporate rat race, it isn't as easy as it sounds.
However, Dom Chiam, 37, and Lim Hui Jing, 26, who both used to be solar project managers, made it work.
The Singaporean couple have been on the road in a campervan since August.
For income, they do part-time drafting for solar designs.
Within this period, they've already travelled to four countries — Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
But while it's been an enriching experience that has given them plenty of freedom, the couple have had to overcome their own fair share of obstacles.
"There were many times we doubted this journey. These happened especially during scary, uncertain and tough times like when we were lost on the roads," Dom confessed to AsiaOne in an interview.
But despite the exasperating periods during their travels, they've taken it in their stride.
"We knew everything happens for a reason and that we could tide through them. Through all these difficult times, we have made great friends along the way who have guided us in the right direction," said Dom positively.
Their personal struggles were a push factor
For Dom and Hui Jing, there were not just one, but several factors that inspired them to embark on the road less travelled.
In Dom's case, he was in the midst of a separation proceeding that would take two years to complete.
Housing soon became an issue because as Dom had a low median income, he could neither afford a resale HDB flat nor a private property. On top of that, he did not qualify to ballot for a build-to-order (BTO) flat.
"The concept of van-life slowly crept up on me. It encompasses minimalistic living, opportunity for travel, and at the same time acts as a home," Dom shared with AsiaOne.
"At that time, it seemed like that was exactly what I needed. I decided to take that leap of faith and embark on this journey. I have to say, it is still a blessing to be born in Singapore despite having to deal with this [housing issues]."
Another push factor for the pair was their hectic day jobs, which they've both left to focus on their campervan life.
"We decided to keep to our own pace for a while and to live life a little."
There were positive parts to their decision too, such as their love for nature.
"Our love for nature and exploring new places together continued to fuel our motivation for this journey.
"Even as we were building up the camper, we continued to go on camping trips with the unfinished build, often sleeping on the van floor," Dom shared.
$28,000 and a year later
Embarking on such a lifestyle isn't as straightforward as just purchasing the vehicle, grabbing your passport and crossing a border.
It took the couple three months to find an appropriate van, and another nine months to convert it into a campervan.
Back then, Dom and Hui Jing were both still working full-time, which made things a little more challenging and inconvenient.
"In the beginning, we were both still holding day jobs and we only entered JB on the weekends to work on the van," Hui Jing said.
Eventually, Dom left his job to work on the project full-time.
"Close friends, family and colleagues came to help occasionally as well," Hui Jing shared, adding that her brother-in-law and father also helped to ferry in materials from Singapore to JB.
Even their colleagues pitched in and helped with the electrical system design.
As Hui Jing and Dom both have experience in solar design, they actually designed the solar system for their own van.
Though the entire process was tough, it was a fulfilling experience.
"It was a fun and gruelling nine months of build," said Hui Jing.
In total, the couple pumped $28,000 into the van, which included the cost of the vehicle itself.
Immigration issues, thieving monkeys and other struggles
Because they are constantly on the move, it can be difficult to find available campsites for them to stay the night at.
"At times, especially during unplanned situations like failed border crossings, we do need to wild camp [which involves] parking and sleeping by the street. We are still learning how to cope with the anxiety of wild camping," shared Dom.
Once, while they were camping at Khao Chang Phueak in Thailand, they slept in a rented tent amidst a fierce storm.
"We did not know if it could survive the night," he said.
Other issues that have caused them some distress include immigration issues and unfriendly strangers.
On Sept 24, a day after they entered Laos, the police searched Huay Xai town for a Singaporean guy who turned out to be Dom.
"I was escorted back to the immigration office," he recounted, adding that the reason was that his passport had been stamped incorrectly.
During another incident in Laos, they had parked their van somewhere before going on a two-day hiking trip.
When they came back, the words "move your van or we will kill you" were scribbled on their dusty window, and they found that the left rear tires was punctured too. Yikes.
Being out in the wild also means spending plenty of time with animals, which have mostly been "cute and harmless" deers and porcupines.
But on one unlucky occasion, they encountered a thieving monkey who snuck into their van and stole their breakfast.
"Other than these, so far we are lucky to not have encountered dangerous people while staying in the van," shared a grateful Dom.
Less terrifying, but more annoying problems
Apart from that, minor inconveniences such as the size constraints of the campervan have also been challenging.
"Living in our camper is essentially off-grid living and despite our camper having everything a home has like a kitchen, bed, fridge, electricity, water filtration system, work area, storage, shower and toilet, it does come with limitations," Dom admitted.
Due to the limited storage on board, the couple often has to think twice or thrice before making any purchases.
"This actually helped us a lot in minimising clutter and almost everything in the van now is an essential item."
They also have to be mindful about their electricity consumption and they have to find unshaded places to park the van to charge up the battery.
"At times when it rains for days, we have to cook using the gas stove instead of the electrical stove, use fewer lights and less ventilation to conserve the battery," Dom added.
Another issue is replacing broken essential items or consumables on the go.
"Simple items that we could purchase easily in Singapore like USB C charging cables, good phone chargers or camera accessories are extremely hard to find and many times when found, they are way too pricey," Dom explained.
"We needed to plan to have them shipped to an accommodation in the country we are in or ask friends for help to bring them over when we know they are visiting the country we are at."
Terrible conditions have also hindered their adventure.
For instance, they were once misled onto "good" roads in Laos and their van got stuck in the mud for more than an hour.
Thankfully, with a little help from locals, they managed to get out.
They've also had to drive on roads that were freshly hit by landslides, which is not something you'd experience often in Singapore.
Despite the various challenges Dom and Hui Jing have faced across the course of their journey, they don't plan on turning back just yet.
In fact, the couple already have future plans to explore India in their little campervan.
"Though that would take significant research and financial planning. It would also involve shipping our campervan over. This will be for the next stages of our travels," shared Dom.
melissateo@asiaone.com