Driving My Truck Camper ALONE For The First Time

The Journey of a Solo Adventurer: Restoring My Sunlight Camper

Hello, everyone! My name is Victoria Rose, and in this video, I'm sharing my journey of turning my 2002 Sunlight Camper into a functional living space, all on my own. This camper project has been a massive undertaking, and while I started working on it with my dad, it's now just me. The camper needed a lot of repairs, especially on the roof, and being inexperienced in construction, it's been a real learning curve.

For the past two years, I've been traveling across the USA in my Jeep Cherokee, which was much simpler than driving my current truck—a huge Tundra with a thousand-pound camper on the back. But now, with this new adventure, things are very different. Welcome to my channel, where I document these projects and adventures. I hope you'll join me by subscribing and following along.

The Challenge Begins
Today’s task is installing the torque lift tie-downs. These hold the camper securely to my truck. Though it seems like a small step, I’m doing this alone for the first time, and it’s intimidating. After some trial and error, I managed to install them, but there’s always something more to do—like finding tie-downs and turnbuckles to make everything more secure.

I also had to figure out how to level the camper, which was tricky because of a small gap between the camper and the truck bed. I headed to Tractor Supply to find affordable solutions, hoping to use horse mats to fill the gap. The process of cranking the camper up and down multiple times was physically exhausting. I’m learning that building and renovating is not for the faint of heart.

Overcoming Fears
One of the scariest parts of this project has been lifting and securing the camper on my truck. There’s always a fear that something could go wrong—like it tipping over or getting damaged—but I’m determined to conquer those fears. Once we got it loaded, driving with the camper was nerve-wracking. The truck felt huge and unwieldy, and I could barely see behind me. But I got used to it, and eventually, we hit the road. I realized that from now on, traveling with this camper would be much slower and more intentional, which is exactly what I wanted.

Discovering Issues
Once I got the camper home, I started noticing new problems, like water damage. It feels like the more I fix, the more issues I find—hence, my joke about renaming the series to “Where’s the Water Damage?” Finding leaks has been frustrating, but I’m learning to deal with it. After all, fixing these problems is part of the process of making this camper my own.

Taking Control of the Project
One of the most significant changes in this journey was deciding to bring the camper home and work on it solo. It wasn’t sustainable to keep driving 20 minutes to my dad’s place to work on it, and we have different working styles. Now, I can just step outside and get to work, making it a lot more manageable. Though it’s intimidating to tackle this alone, it’s empowering at the same time.

The Dirty Work
Not all of this is glamorous. While cleaning the camper, I discovered a dead mouse inside a table, which was gross but necessary to handle. After that unpleasant surprise, I got to work cleaning the mildew and prepping the roof for resealing. This work is exhausting—scrubbing, caulking, and sealing the roof took hours. But it’s also satisfying to see progress, even if it's slow.

Finishing Touches
Once the roof was sealed, I started working on the interior, focusing on fixing the canvas and preparing the ceiling. I found some lightweight panels that I plan to install as ceiling tiles, using glue and staples. Although I misaligned the first one (which threw off the rest), I’m hopeful the finished product will look good.

There are plenty of challenges in this process, but I’m learning to be patient with myself. This is my first time doing something like this, and every mistake is a learning opportunity.

Wrapping Up for the Day
After hours of work, I was physically exhausted, covered in paint and bleach, but satisfied with what I had accomplished. There’s still a lot to do—like finishing the ceiling and continuing the roof repairs—but I’m taking it one step at a time.

Thank you for joining me on this adventure. This project is about more than just fixing up a camper; it's about learning new skills, facing challenges, and finding joy in the process. In the next video, I’ll share more progress and hopefully, we'll see the camper start to come together.

Until next time, don’t be afraid to take on new challenges, even if they seem overwhelming at first. Stay tuned for more updates!

Victoria Rose

This article highlights a personal journey of perseverance, learning, and adventure as Victoria transforms her Sunlight Camper into a livable space.