(The Slightly Dramatic Version)
When we bought our truck camper, we thought we had done the research.
We watched the videos.
We read the forums, scoured Reddit.
We were ready for cozy campfires and mountain sunsets.
What no one tells you about owning a truck camper is that the real education begins the moment something stops working – and you immediately assume you are stranded in the wilderness with no hope of survival.
Here are the things we learned the hard (dramatic) way — so you don’t have to.
If you want a peek at what a real trip looks like with our two camping dogs, I shared a full recap in A Real Weekend in Our Truck Camper (Dogs, Ticks & Tree Sap).
1. The Water Heater Will Steal 6 Gallons of Your Fresh Water Tank (And You Will Panic)
No one told us you have to fill the water heater separately.
So the first time we went to get hot water, our fresh water tank dropped like we’d sprung a leak.
Six gallons. Gone.
In a 20-gallon tank, that feels personal.
I had a complete meltdown at the thought of running out of water – as if we were on a 10-day backcountry expedition with no civilization within 200 miles.
We were, in fact, 20 minutes from a gas station.
Still. The panic was real.
Dirt Road Lesson:
Make sure your water heater is properly filled before assuming your camper is betraying you.
2. Don’t Overtighten TorkLifts
We believed in the philosophy of “tight equals safe.”
So we tightened our TorkLifts down like we were securing cargo on a space shuttle.
It does not.
Turns out, overtightening puts stress on the campers anchor points – especially the corners.
Ours ripped a hole near the anchor and Chris ended up having to repair and reinforce it.
Nothing says “fun weekend” like structural repair.
Dirt Road Lesson:
Snug is good. Over-torqued is expensive. You should start to feel tension when the handle is about half way through the pin hole.
3. Running Your Fridge on DC Will Drain Your Battery Fast
We assumed the DC setting was just… another setting.
It is not “just another setting.”
Running your truck camper fridge on DC pulls heavily from your battery, if you’re not actively charging.
Translation: You will wake up confused and underpowered.
We have found that running the fridge on DC while driving still pulls a bit too much power, so we run it on propane 100% of the time.
If you choose to go this route, just make sure you turn the propane off when you go through tunnels. Running propane in a tunnel is a fire hazard, and we aren’t trying to make the evening news.
Dirt Road Bonus Tip:
Also make sure you unplug the camper from the truck when you get to your campsite so that the camper battery doesn’t continue trying to charge off your truck battery. You’ll end up with a dead truck and camper battery.
Power management is a bigger part of truck camper ownership than most people talk about. See how we power our truck camper when we are off-grid.
Before You Head Out…
Before your next trip, grab our free Weekend Truck Camper Pre-Trip Checklist –
the exact one we use so we don’t forget
something important. (Again)
4. If You’re Not Level, Your Fridge Can Quit – And You Will Think You’re Starving
This one? Dramatic.
The same trip that caused destruction in our camper, was also the trip we learned that parking level is more than a suggestion.
We parked slightly off-level and told ourselves “it’s probably fine.”
It was not fine.
Our absorption fridge relies on an ammonia cooling unit. When parked off-level for too long, ammonia crystallization can occur – which is where crystals form on the cooling unit and your fridge stops working.
Did we know that at the time?
No.
What we did know was:
- The fridge stopped cooling
- The ice cream was melting
- We (mostly I) was acting like we might not survive the weekend.
We ate the ice cream immediately. Obviously. It’s called priorities.
The rest of the food didn’t make it.
Now we use this LogicBlue LevelMate PRO. It’s a mounted level inside the camper that connects to our phones so we can check before we even shut the truck off.
Easily one of the best camper purchases that we have made.
We also keep leveling blocks on hand at all times.
Because level isn’t just about comfort.
It’s about protecting the fridge, food – and apparently my emotional stability.
If you’re worried about forgetting something important (like leveling blocks), I created a whole truck camper planning system, so you can leave your driveway knowing you have everything you need for a weekend in the woods!
5. Carpenter Ants Will Test Your Sanity
We spent one weekend camping at a beautiful wooded spot in early fall.
The leaves were changing, the weather was cool. Life was good
Until it wasn’t.
Unbeknownst to us, it was also home to carpenter ants.
A whole colony of them.
A few hitchhiked home with us.
And they started eating our camper.
I cried.
Fully convinced the walls were about to collapse and our camper would slowly disintegrate into sawdust.
Couldn’t get worse,right?
Wrong.
You could literally hear them munching away… IN THE WALLS!
Chris ended up using an insecticide meant to attract and kill carpenter ants, and then pulling up and replacing the damaged sections in the foot locker and bed area.
Actual repairs. Inside a very small camper.
Now we inspect wood areas regularly and check carefully before leaving wooded sites.
Because apparently “nature is beautiful” comes with fine print.
I also highly recommend finding a safe insecticide that can be used safely in your camper, around pets and without killing the bees.
6. Stuff Will Break. Always.
This is the one that no one emphasizes enough.
Something will always break.
A latch.
A seal.
A board.
An appliance.
Owning a truck camper means learning how your systems work – whether you planned to or not.
That’s exactly why we keep a small toolbox in the camper at all times — it’s actually one of the truck camper essentials we use every trip.
You will:
- Google things from campgrounds
- Ask Chat GPT some absurd questions
- Watch repair videos in your pajamas
- Become more resourceful than you expected.
And somehow… that’s part of what makes it feel earned.
Dirt Road Lesson:
Keep a small arsenal of tools nearby.
What No One Tells You About Owning a Truck Camper
It’s not just campfires and mountain views.
It’s:
- Mild water related existential crises
- Emergency ice cream consumption
- Crying over carpenter ants
- And learning to fix things you never thought you would
And honestly?
That’s part of what makes it ours.
Every fix, every mistake, every “well… we won’t do that again” moment — it builds confidence.
We don’t know everything.
But we know a lot more than we did the day we bought our truck camper.
And that’s the real upgrade.
Let us know we’re not alone – what truck camper disasters have you overcome?
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