This guide is going to take you through all the details you need to be able to get electricity into your campervan. We will be sharing our understanding of electricity, concepts and components as well as how to do it.
Considerations
From appliances to energy consumption, there are many considerations when it comes to designing an electricity (power) system for off-grid living in a camper van.
There are a few main things we need to look at when it comes to having electricity in your campervan.
- How do we store the electricity? (Batteries)
- Where does the electricity come from? (Split charge relays and solar)
- How do we use that electricity to do things? (wiring up appliances)
We have guides on all three of these.
Understanding electricity
But first, let’s take some time to understand what we are talking about. Electricity can be a complex topic but as an aspiring campervan enthusiast wanting to wire their own camper there are certain core concepts which should be understood. Context is king.
Power and Voltage. Electrical energy measurement represented by watts (W) while voltage measures how strongly electricity flows within wiring/circuits marked as volts (V). It’s important in your project that you select appropriate wire size/quality to handle expected inputs safely.
Current. Refers precisely to how much charge can flow through circuits at once measured using amperes (A), plays another crucial role during building out electrical systems: excessive current causes overloading, which can trip breakers or worse melting parts and cause fires.
Resistance. This term describes a materials’ capability of obstructing or supporting fluid (or electricity) flow along a given channel – measured normally in ohms(Ω) – where smaller resistance values ensure better conductivity helping move things along more quickly.
Direct current (DC) and alternative current (AC) represent two major types of electrical energy. The primary difference between these forms is their flow direction. Direct flows in a single line only going one way and alternating currents change directions constantly. In campervan conversions nearly all appliances like LED lighting or refrigerators run from direct-current sources as they tend to be more efficient than AC-branded equivalents.
Ohms Law When working with Direct Current circuits it’s important for anyone starting out building an electric system to understand Ohm’s Law.
Think of electricity as a magical force that flows through wires like water in a pipe. Just like with plumbing, the flow of electricity can be controlled by valves (or resistors). Ohm’s Law helps us understand how much current (electricity) we’ll get when we apply different amounts of pressure (voltage) and resistance.
Ohm’s law gives us a formula I = V/R where I stands for Current (how fast electrons move), V is Voltage (the amount of “push” behind them), and R is Resistance (those darned cones!).
In a typical campervan 12V system, you have various components like lights, fridge, water pump etc. that all require different amounts of electrical power to function. The amount of power required by each component depends on its specifications such as wattage or amperage rating.
The component/ appliance will have that information on it, usually a little sticker somewhere on the bottom.
By understanding ohms law you can calculate just how much energy (in amps) will be flowing through the wires and connectors in your van’s electrical system at any given time by dividing Voltage over Resistance: I = V/R
This information helps you plan out things like wire thickness needed for proper safety margins; fuse sizes required to protect against possible shorts or overloaded circuits; battery bank capacity so that it lasts long enough without draining down too quickly; solar panels size if applicable, since sunlight provides an additional source of electricity during daylight hours.
When building a campervan 12V system using Ohm’s Law allows us to design our setup with efficiency in mind, meaning we’ll achieve optimal performance while minimising waste and keeping you safe.
12v Systems and their components
Essentially, 12v refers to a low-voltage electrical system that is designed to power the various appliances and gadgets that you might want to use while living off-grid in your campervan.
Unlike the electrical systems in a typical house, which run on a much higher voltage, a 12v system is much simpler and easier to manage. This is because the appliances and devices that are designed to run on 12v are generally less power-hungry than their higher-voltage counterparts, meaning you can easily power everything from your lights to your fridge to your phone charger using a relatively small and simple system.
One further advantage of using a 12v system in your campervan is that 12v is already a part of most vehicles. This means that you don’t need to go to great lengths to install a separate electrical system and instead, you can simply tap into the existing 12v system that is already on board. More on that in the “charging you batteries” section.
Bus Bars
In a campervan 12v system, electrical components like lights, fans, refrigerators and many more are all connected to the battery so they get their electricity. Each of these components have wires that need to be hooked up to the battery’s positive or negative terminal which can quickly become an ever-expanding tangle if not organised properly.
Here’s where busbars come into play.
A busbar is essentially a thick strip of metal (typically copper) that acts as an extension of your leisure batteries terminals – connecting all the circuits together in one place instead of having them individually wired directly back to the battery bank. They help simplify installation by allowing easy access for maintenance and future expansion while making it safer by reducing risk from sparks when working near exposed cables.
Many professional builders recommend installing both positive (+) & negative (-) bars since some appliances draw high amperages. This ensures cleaner connections wherever possible, stabilising voltage/ currents throughout the entire circuitry no matter what device(s)/appliance(s) are connected. This approach also allows monitoring voltage levels via multimeter readings providing insights on whether discharging too hard will damage equipment prematurely.
Fuses
In a campervan 12V system, fuses are an essential part of your electrical protection plan.
Simply put, a fuse is a small component that serves as the “safety valve” for each circuit in your camper’s electrical system. It works by limiting the amount of current that can flow through any given circuit and protects appliances from potentially dangerous overloads which could burn out wires, damage components or start fires if left unchecked.
How do campervan fuses work?
If too much electricity starts flowing through one of the circuits in your campervan- say because you accidentally shorted something with a metal tool- then it will cause overload ata certain point downstream.
Fuses prevent this from happening by having very thin wires inside them called filaments that purposely melt/break when exposed to too much current (amperage) passing through its contacts; disconnecting whenever things become unmanageable thereby protecting your appliances.
Every time you replace blown fuses take note of what caused failures so keep better tabs making sure there isn’t an underlying issue creating additional risk factors
When designing wiring systems for recreational vehicles big enough to live in, understanding amperes required per appliance/device helps selecting correct size fuse ensuring safety & preventing accidents.
Wires
In a campervan 12V system, wires and cables are the lifelines of your electrical infrastructure. They are used to connect all the various components in your camper such as lights, fans, pumps etc., with the battery bank so they can function properly.
When selecting wires for your campervan’s electrical setup there’s much more involved than just buying whatever is cheapest or looks good.
Here are some key aspects of wiring & cabling that one should keep in mind:
Wire Thickness (gauge): The thickness/gauge (named differently depending on if you’re from the UK or USA) required depends on how many amps it needs to carry along specific routes; thinner thickness wires generally lower amp ratings hence break easier compared heavier ones providing better conductivity reducing resistance thereby maximising efficiency across longer distances. A lot of people will use 4mm for around the van, but do your own maths and always go bigger if in doubt.
Stranded vs Solid Core Wires: Solid-core types have single copper strand making them less flexible – prone snapping when inflexible – whereas stranded consists multiple tightly intertwined strands allowing bending without breaking prolonging lifespan considerably. Given where you have likely run all your wires during the “running wires” stage, you will need them to be as flexible as possible.
Cable Markers/Labelling: Proper labelling helps easy troubleshooting later on, preventing confusion during repairs.
Colour Coding Schemes: A simple yet effective method employing color-code schemes defined industry convention whereby red indicates live/hot line(+), black represents negative (-) side ground (earthed); additional green or yellow-green stripes denote grounding/bonding conductor where necessary according National Electrical Code guidelines.
Invest upfront to ensure your wires match your needs and you can travel with peace of mind.
Next, we’ll look at what you can do with all this good stuff, starting with the centre of it all, the batteries.