Best of luck! However, if you do have space or if you spend a lot of time in harsh climates, I recommend keeping them inside the van.
Dont forget to plug in your battery temperature probe from the charge controller as well as the MT50 display screen to keep track of your batterys voltage and solars charging data. Mono panels are generally more efficient and have a slimmer design, but they also tend to be more expensive. Knowing the difficulty of retrofitting electrical wire in an existing house, as opposed to new construction, helped make the decision a no-brainer. There are several mounting options, but you will probablyeither use a roof rack to mount them, or make use of the roof channels (if your van has them) to slide in little fixings for the edges of the panel. We had to place outlets where needed and build a central power hub. Highly recommended: Ability to monitor your power system. We chose Lithium Ion Batteries from Renogy because of the great customer service, decent price with discounts and long life of Lithium Ion Phosphate. The one-stop Mighty Mini was perfect. A storage box on the outside of your van like those made by Aluminess is one option. Before we start building, we have to prepare the van and address any interior rust issues. To have a complete solar setup you need solar panels for your van, batteries, a charge controller, and an optional (but recommended) automatic charging relay (ACR).
It has an auto sense switch built in that will recognize shore power automatically and disconnect the battery from powering the 120v AC circuits. Facing a sprinter conversion electrical system head-on? If AGM batteries are properly used and well taken care of, they should last a long time.
Generators have their pros and cons. Having one of these means if you are on the road for a few hours, your batteries will be fully charged when you arrive at your campsite. Ive been extremely happy with their van solar panels and other electrical system products and wouldnt hesitate to recommend them.
Because of this, its important to understand the basic layout of a wiring diagram. Powering with a generator is a tried and true method for road travelers and was the go-to prior to the rise of solar power. Its a bit messy. I dont recommend relying on this as the only way you charge your batteries, but it is a great backup especially during the winter months. We bought two (2) 100Ah batteries so we could collect solar power from our roof and have enough storage to last us at least a few days without any sun. After youve looked at that, the rest of this area of the site might make more sense. So, depending on your plans and your budget, these are important factors to consider.
We have an internet amplifier and a cell phone boosterthat both need power to run, and several 12 volt outlets at various points around the vehicle. Modified sine inverters are an economical choice, but will use significantly more energy and might not support certain appliances, like a refrigerator, microwave, or induction stove. Little did we know, this part of our Sprinter van conversion project turned out to be the most complex.
First, the most important thing when it comes to installing an electrical system is safety.
It seems like an economical and adequate way to run my electrical system given what my needs will be. Heres how we did it (twice!). Our goal in creating this system was to be fully off-the-grid in the simplest way possible. Thanks for shopping with our links, we get a VERY small commission with no extra costs to you! Check it: The Relion Li-ion 100Ah battery was $1400 but is worth two 100ah AGM units. Tell us if this helped you plan your electrical build! The article describes why we chose not to in the end, and its based mainly on Mercedes recommendation not to draw the kind of current that you need for house battery charging from the alternator.
We consciously paid for less weight, less size, and more power output. As it stands now, Even with all of the planning and work, Im going to be completely reworking my wiring box to clean it up and make it something Im proud to open and show off. You are choosing wiring based on a function of voltage and amperage, which is vastly different in 120V and 12V systems. Some people use a 30 Amp socket of the kind you find at RV parks, but we just use a regular 15 Amp extension cable. Pulling more than a 100A load from this battery for long periods of time is beyond the manufacturers recommendation. Important: Give this part time and patience, and an attitude of throwing it out and reworking it to be better. Its a bit messy. They can help you with DIY products, full builds, or combination of both! A full size kitchen inside a van, with a bed, makes a home, CreatID Sprinter Van Cabinets are strong & secure, simple to install, and offer crazy amounts of storage, Dennis Veatch, IDSA Run the system for a couple days at a time while boondocking.
As you consume battery power, this number will drop towards 12.0 volts.
We use our induction stove at least once a day, and a 2000 watt inverter has been able to handle whatever load we put on it. If youll only be charging one computer at a time and an occasional appliance, you can look for something in the 600-1200 watt range.
Do your research and calculations carefully. The last thing you want is a fatigue crack from a 120V solid core cable in the wall. I would have added more switches to the location of the appliance, as pulling fuses to turn off stuff is a real PITA. We added several types of lights, including spotlights and LED strips. Clean execution was paramount. Can nearly run two 120v AC house circuits at 15 amps each. And even better yet? Heres, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), read about the different types of lithium and lead-acid batteries, the lithium batteries used in van conversions are actually very safe, plugging it in to the mains supply at home, hook straight in to the rest of your electrical set-up, shouldnt use a battery without some form of monitoring, hid all of this complexity behind a really simple interface, Blue Sea Systems warehouse just burnt down expect low stock, Keeping the shore power plug clean and dry, Upgrading the stock Sprinter stereo overview, Adding rear speakers that run from either the stereo or a separate amp, Adding an aftermarket stereo head unit to a Sprinter, Adding a subwoofer to the stock Sprinter stereo, Getting power from the (optional) overhead cubby. So far, three months into vanlife, we think we made the right decision. Zamps panels are made of high-efficiency monocrystalline solar cells and are manufactured right here in the US. We ended up spending quite a bit of time and money on our electrical setup but we wanted to do it right.
We settled on Renogy panels and in the future will likely go with Light Harvest Solar out of Portland. The fridge is a high efficiency compressor fridge that runs on 12 volts. Its an easy, DIY, budget-friendly setup. Hey there! We needed to bring power to these componentsand fight the temptation to install the track system and CVG Douglas Fir cladding. The battery power monitor on the MT-50 is pretty poor at best. In the same way that you wouldnt drive without a fuel gauge, you shouldnt use a battery without some form of monitoring. Share your questions, tips, and experiences in the comments below, and make sure to sign up for van life resource updates here! Crazy as it seems,you can get a tax credit for installing a solar system on your van if you live in it more than 10 days a year.
It also supports fully charging the Li-ion battery. My name is Kristen, and this is my outdoor blog.
But where do you start? Thats why you can specifyan auxiliary battery when you order the van, or add one yourself. Battery capacity is measured in amp-hours (Ah), which is a measurement of how much electricity the battery can store. I would not have over-specified the wiring with a larger AWG than needed. It works like a charm and costs around $150. You will run out of space pretty quickly if you are running stuff through the walls and the top ribs. A well-built solar panel from a reputable company is rated to last over 25 years, so its a good idea to explore both of these options before making the investment. Choosing a properly sized battery bank is vital and depends on how much power your devices will draw and the wattage of your solar panels. SE Portland OR, For van related inquiries visit
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Locally, Light Harvest Solar buys panels by the pallet and has much larger panel options that can give you more wattage for the available space, with a fewer number of panels. Improper wiring can be dangerous and put you at risk of electrocution or an electrical fire.
Follow along as we build our own Sprinter van conversion.
Do you want to be off-grid without ever having to plug in? Sure, it can be improved, but its safe and secure. Again, Im going to refer you to some additional resources below this video if you want more details on wiring.
Prepare for this complex project by using our trials and tribulations to improve your experience. When shopping for solar panels for your van, youll encounter two main types: monocrystalline solar panels (mono) and polycrystalline solar panels (poly). Alternatively, we opted for a Relion 100ah Li-ion battery from Miles at Light Harvest Solar out of Portland. We also didnt want to limit cargo box choices. Because the Sprinter runs on diesel, you have to carry an extra gas can with you just for the generator. The wiring is tucked out of the way through the right side C pillar, its centrally located in the van, and there is a power control panel that everything can be controlled from. We also have an air compressor for inflating bike and van tires. Be careful though inverters are very power-hungry. Please dont do this.
A full 15A 120V circuit, powered by the 90% efficient inverter, pulls about 165A. Use only the AWG needed for what you are powering. What a great Article, very informative, well written. What we love about the fuse box is that it has an indicator light for each circuit so that when the fuse has been blown or if you simply remove a fuse from the holder, it will light up identifying which fuse has tripped.
Do you want to power a fridge, a fan, lights, a water pump, a heater, a laptop, or a blender, or all of the above. House batteries can be a little finicky even if you buy the high-end Lithium ones because if you over charge or draw too much power there can be damage. Building out a 12 volt system is very different to working with 120v household wiring.
Of course, if you are traveling in your van and have water in the lines, youll want to avoid freezing temperatures regardless, but if you spend a lot of time in wintery climates, this is something to consider when choosing batteries for your van. If you have anything that needs to be plugged in, or a microwave or an induction stove, you need an inverter.
When connected to shore power, the battery will be charged and appliances can be powered from shore power instead of the battery.
So far, this inverter has performed extremely well. If it gets down to 12, youll need to charge your batteries as soon as possible as anything lower will start to degrade the battery. The batterycan also be charged using solar panels. HeresIRS Form F5695 (PDF)and its instructions. Hey Kristen! We used a lithium-based one. Making a clean electrical system in a van is not trivial.
We provide consultation and wiring schematics complete with materials and sourcing.
Give yourself more room for switches and shut offs. I would have purchased locally. After considering the space we had left on the roof, we purchased two 100 watt solar panels from Renogy. Its such a luxury to be able to charge all of your electronics and run a fridge in your van. This is all extremely helpful. The van has a 12 volt system for the factory components. Now, Ill briefly touch on wiring. Its also a really inefficient way to charge a lead-acid battery, because the battery cant take all the power that the generator provides.
Another thing to note is that, if necessary, AGM batteries can be mounted outside if you are looking to save space when planning your van layout. Even the little Honda EU generators are noisy and extra hassle. Per amp hour, Li-ion is over 4x as expensive. Ultimately, it comes down to budget and climate demands. In this blog post, were going to cover van electrical systems including solar power. Some advice to heed, when you find yourself tangled in miles of wiring: And lastly, dont make the mistake I did give yourself twice as much extra wire out of both entry/exit points you think youll need. Plenty of clean power for electronics at a good price. I discovered the power of the outdoors in my 20s, at the time I needed it most. Its possible to learn all that you need to and to put together a safe, efficient system. If youre using a battery (which you will if youre planning on having a solar setup in your van), youll also need an inverter to convert the DC power in the battery to usable AC power for your appliances. As mentioned earlier, an inverter takes the DC power from the battery bank and converts it into usable AC power that comes out of your 110v outlets, just like in a regular house. A final option I recommend is to connect your house batteries to your vehicles alternator which allows you to charge your batteries while youre driving. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. The solar system credit is extendeduntil 2021 now, but will step down in credit value from 2019 onwards. Solar is the most popular van electrical system option, and what we would recommend for those planning a van build. "Bus" bars are handy organizational tools to help connect many wires to a battery terminal. The diesel heater needs electrical power to run its fan and glow plug element. Opting for a solar power system is a more eco-friendly option, but it does have a heftier initial investment. What sort of appliances will you run and how often? Pick fuse values based on the wire amperage capacity, AKA amapacity. Once youve got a good idea of how much power youll be drawing, you can determine how big of a battery bank youll need. We connected 8 awg wire from the main switch to the positive of the fuse box as well as 8 awg wire connecting to the negative bus bar. Batteryuniversity.com and batterystuff.com are both good resources for nerding-out on battery technology if you need some more details. These are cheaper, more compact, less efficient, and require your solar panels to be wired in parallel, which is more complex. Renogy two (2) 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Solar Panels (Compact Design), Renogy two (2) 100Ah 12 Volt Smart Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries, Renogy 2000W 12 Volt Pure Sine Wave Inverter, EP EVER MPPT Solar Charge Controller with Remote Meter and Temperature Sensor Monitoring, Kohree Battery Disconnect Master Switch Things like an induction stove, power tools, a microwave, or a blender have a high draw, so theyll require an inverter that has a high wattage rating. Keeping a clean setup and choosing the right wire type and size will help to prevent the unnecessary loosening of wires due to frequent motion in the van. Tell me why this is a bad idea? For the battery bank setup, we calculated needs at ~400Ah. Recessed warm color dimmable LED light pucks, Knacro digital temperature controller for auto fan control, Renogy Solar charge controller temperature sensor, PENSON CAYQK007010 Hydraulic Wire Battery Cable Lug Terminal Crimper Crimping Tool, 9 Dies, 10 Ton, Dream Lighting RV LED Recessed Down Light 2W Warm White Black Shell Pack of 6, KNACRO 20-90C Digital Temperature Controller Heating Cooling Thermostat Switch DC 12V, Van Conversion Upgrade with a Custom Kitchen, Elevating the Sprinter Conversion with an Adjustable Bed System, Sprinter Van Interior Walls: Making Utility Cozy, Industrial Design Service from Start to Finish.
Li-ion batteries are less than 1/2 the size per usable Ah. roostvans.com. You need a substantially larger wire to power a 10 amp appliance off of 12V than you do off of 120V. We went this route for a few reasons: For the 12V DC circuit, we added up the loads from the fridge and the cabin heater to come, and also the LEDs and other components that we might run to give a margin of error. There are two types of solar charge controllers. A solar power system in your van is one of the many things that differentiates van life from normal car camping. Youll need batteries to store this power, and a way to recharge the batteries like solar, your engine alternator, or a generator. Its very helpful We added up all of the load requirementsand carefully planned out what components we might actually have powered up at any given timeto calculate an amperage draw. Why did Mercedes put the trailer wiring box so close to the Sprinters receiver hitch mount? You can do this with a voltage meter. These controllers are more expensive, larger, and also give you more flexibility with the way you wire your solar panels.
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