Ford Econoline 150 84 Electronic Igniion Wiring Diagram

Our autonomy and comfort depend a lot on the electrical system of our DIY camper van conversion. No power means no fridge, no lights, no smartphone = no Instagram = no #vanlife as we know it 😛 Therefore, we want our electrical system to be safe, reliable, and to work from the first time; trial-and-error is not acceptable here.

After three years on the road full time, we're happy to report that our system works as we planned, nice! Designing the electrical system was one of the most intimidating tasks of the conversion process and if you're reading this, you are probably looking for some guidance…

...We're here to help! Here is how this trilogy goes:

(click to jump to a specific section)

PART A: BUILD YOUR KNOWLEDGE

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1- Campervan Electrical System in a Nutshell

1.1- Overview

In its simplest form, a campervan electrical system isn't really complicated. It includes a battery bank, loads and charge sources:

Modern "off-the-grid" vans normally charge with solar power, alternator, shore power, and can power 12V DC & 120V AC loads:

Makes sense so far, doesn't it? Here is how all components work together to make a typical electrical system:

1.2- Diagrams & Items List

• Hover your cursor / click on each component to learn more!

Standard

Optimized for off-the-grid / energy efficiency

• The inverter and shore power are provided by two separate devices. No transfer switch to bypass the inverter when plugged to shore power.

Features:

• BATTERY BANK: 100Ah and up (one or more batteries)
• SOLAR: None or up to 700W
• ALTERNATOR: None or up to 60A
• SHORE: None or up to 80A DC
• AC IN: 15A (normal house outlet)
• INVERTER: None, 1000W, 1500W or 2000W
• TRANSFER SWITCH: None
• 120V AC Distribution Panel: None (loads are connected directly to the inverter)

Choose this diagram if:

• Your build has modest 120V needs (no device above 1,650W).
• You're mostly off-the-grid (occasionally plug into shore power).
• You're tracking your budget. Some components (bus bars, cables, switch, fuses, etc.) in this diagram are cheaper (and smaller) because they're rated for lower current.
• Maybe you don't need shore power or an inverter at all?

MAIN

#	Item	Description	Quantity	View on Amazon
1	Terminal Fuse Block with Fuse 250A	Blue Sea (Catastrophic Fail Safe. Connects directly to battery post.)	1	View
2	System Switch	Blue Sea (Main System Switch)	1	View
3	Bus Bar (250A, 4 studs)	Blue Sea	2	View
4	Cover for Bus Bar (for 250A 4 studs)	Protect the Bus Bar	2	View
5	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Fuse Block and Bus Bar	1	View
6	Fuse Block (12 circuits)	Blue Sea (12V Distribution Panel)	1	View
7	Fuses Kit	Assorted Fuses (2A 3A 5A 7.5A 10A 15A 20A 25A 30A 35A)	1	View
8	Battery Monitor	Victron BMV-712 with BlueTooth	1	View
9	Cable, 2/0 AWG, 5 ft Red	Between battery and Bus Bar	1	View
10	Cable, 2/0 AWG, 15 ft Black	Between battery and Bus Bar + Ground	1	View
12	Lugs, 2/0 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar, Terminal Fuse Block and Battery (Pack of 5)	1	View
11	Lugs, 2/0 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to System Switch and Shunt (Pack of 5)	1	View
13	Cable, 8 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	Between Bus Bar and Fuse Block	1	View
14	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	Connect to Fuse Block (Pack of 3)	1	View
15	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breaker (Pack of 3)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Battery

1	LiFePO4 200 Ah	Battle Born LiFePO4 100 Ah 12V	2	View
2	2/0 AWG Cable in 5/16″ lugs, 1 feet Red + 1 feet Black	Windy Nation Copper Cable	1	View

Solar

1	350W Solar	NewPowa 175W Mono Panel	2	View
2	Extension Cables, 8 AWG, 15 ft Red + 15 ft Black	With MC4 Connectors	1	View
3	Double Cable Entry Gland	For 8 AWG or 10 AWG Cable	1	View
4	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Panels and MPPT Charger	1	View
5	MPPT Solar Charger	Victron 100|30 SmartSolar MPPT	1	View
6	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between MPPT Charger & Battery	1	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 3)	2	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Alternator

1	60A Battery-to-Battery Charger (B2B)	Sterling Power BB1260	1	View
2	100A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Blue Sea 285-Series	2	View
3	Cable, 4 AWG, 15ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
4	Cable, 4 AWG, 5 ft Black	WindyNation	1	View
5	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 10)	1	View
6	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 2)	1	View

Shore

1	50A Charger	Samlex SEC-1250UL 12V	1	View
2	60A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Charger and Bus Bar	1	View
3	Cable, 8 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
4	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breaker (Pack of 3)	1	View
5	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Inverter

1	1000W Inverter	Samlex PST-1000-12 PST Pure Sine	1	View
2	Remote Control for Inverter	Samlex RC-15A for 600W/1000W Inverter	1	View
3	Terminal Fuse Block with Fuse 175A	Blue Sea (Connects directly on the Bus Bar. To protect inverter's cable.)	1	View
4	Cable, 2 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
5	Lugs, 2 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Terminal Fuse Block and Bus Bar (Pack of 10)	1	View

1	120V AC GFCI Outlet	GFCI, 20A		View
2	Power Cord with open end	12AWG, 10 feet		View

Hardware

1	8 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (8/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
2	10 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (10/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
3	12 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (12/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
4	14 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (14/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
5	16 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (16/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
6	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 10-12 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 14-16 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
9	Heat Shrink Butt Connector, Ancor Marine	To connect to Loads (75 Pack Kit)	1	View
10	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female	To connect to certain loads (i.e. 12V Sockets) , to make "removable" connections (i.e. Fridge, LEDs) and to connect cable of different gauge together (i.e. LED Dimmer) (25 Pack)	1	View
11	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
12	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female		1	View
13	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
14	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 18-22 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
15	3M Scotchlok Quick Splice with Gel (14 AWG stranded)	We used that to parallel our LED lights (25 Pack)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Tubing Kit (with adhesive)	To protect lug after crimping	1	View
17	Split Loom Tubing, 3/8″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
18	Split Loom Tubing, 1/2″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
19	Split Loom Tubing, 3/4″ diameter 10 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
20	Nylon Cable Clamps Kit	To secure cable/split-loom to wood	1	View
21	Zip Tie Mount with Adhesive	To secure cable/split-loom to metal	1	View
22	Nylon Zip Ties Kit	To secure cable/split-loom	1	View
23	Rubber Grommet Kit	To protect wire from sharp edge (going through metal hole)	1	View

12V Loads

High-Power

Optimized for high-power devices (induction cooktop, microwave, etc.)

• The inverter, shore power, and transfer switch are combined into a single device (Victron Multiplus).

Features:

• BATTERY BANK: 200Ah and up (two or more batteries)
• SOLAR: None or up to 700W
• ALTERNATOR: None or up to 60A
• SHORE: up to 120A DC
• AC IN: 30A (campground hookup) or 15A (normal house outlet, via adapter)
• Inverter: 2000W or 3000W
• TRANSFER SWITCH: Yes (automatically bypass inverter when plugged into shore)
• 120V AC Distribution Panel: Yes (each load is protected by an appropriate breaker)

Choose this diagram if:

• Your build includes any high-power device: air conditioning, induction cooktop, electric water heater, electric space heater, etc.
• You frequently plug into shore power (serviced campgrounds).
• You simply prefer an inverter/charger (Victron) instead of a separate inverter & battery charger.

MAIN

#	Item	Description	Quantity	View on Amazon
1	Class T Fuse, 400A	Blue Sea (Catastrophic Fail Safe)	1	View
2	Class T Fuse Block	Blue Sea (Holds the Class T Fuse)	1	View
3	System Switch	Blue Sea (Main System Switch)	1	View
4	Bus Bar (600A, 4 studs)	Blue Sea	2	View
5	Cover for Bus Bar (for 600A 4 studs)	Protect the Bus Bar	2	View
6	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Fuse Block and Bus Bar	1	View
7	Fuse Block (12 circuits)	Blue Sea (12V Distribution Panel)	1	View
8	Fuses Kit	Assorted Fuses (2A 3A 5A 7.5A 10A 15A 20A 25A 30A 35A)	1	View
9	Battery Monitor	Victron BMV-712 with BlueTooth	1	View
10	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 5 ft Red	Between battery and Bus Bar	1	View
11	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 15 ft Black	Between battery and Bus Bar + Ground	1	View
13	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar, Terminal Fuse Block and Battery (Pack of 2)	1	View
12	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to System Switch and Shunt (Pack of 10)	1	View
14	Cable, 8 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	Between Bus Bar and Fuse Block	1	View
15	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	Connect to Fuse Block (Pack of 3)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breaker (Pack of 3)	1	View
17	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Battery

1	LiFePO4 400 Ah	Battle Born LiFePO4 100 Ah 12V	4	View
2	4/0 AWG Cable in 5/16″ lugs, 1 feet Red + 1 feet Black	Spartan Power	3	View

Solar

1	350W Solar	NewPowa 175W Mono Panel	2	View
2	Extension Cables, 8 AWG, 15 ft Red + 15 ft Black	With MC4 Connectors	1	View
3	Double Cable Entry Gland	For 8 AWG or 10 AWG Cable	1	View
4	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Panels and MPPT Charger	1	View
5	MPPT Solar Charger	Victron 100|30 SmartSolar MPPT	1	View
6	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between MPPT Charger & Battery	1	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 3)	2	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Alternator

1	60A Battery-to-Battery Charger (B2B)	Sterling Power BB1260	1	View
2	100A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Blue Sea 285-Series	2	View
3	Cable, 4 AWG, 15ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
4	Cable, 4 AWG, 5 ft Black	WindyNation	1	View
6	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 10)	1	View
5	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 2)	1	View

Inverter/Charger

1	3000W Inverter/Charger	Victron Multiplus 12|3000|120	1	View
2	Remote Control for Inverter	Victron Digital Multi Control 200/200A GX	1	View
3	Class T Fuse, 400A	Blue Sea (To protect inverter's cable)	1	View
4	Class T Fuse Block	Blue Sea (Holds the Class T Fuse)	1	View
5	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	Between Inverter/Charger & Bus Bars		View
6	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Inverter/Charger (Pack of 5)	1	View
7	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 5)	1	View
8	30A Shore Inlet	Furrion 30A Marine Power Smart Inlet	1	View
9	30A AC Main	Breaker Between Power Inlet and Inverter/Charger	1	View
11	10/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	Between power inlet & inverter/charger	1	View
12	Lugs, 10 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View
13	Lugs, 10 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	2	View
14	120V AC Distribution Panel (4 Positions*)	Blue Sea Panel: AC Main + 4 Positions*	1	View
15	6/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	Between inverter/charger & AC distribution panel	1	View
16	Lugs, 6 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 10)	1	View
17	120V AC Wall Outlet	GFCI, 20A	1	View
18	14/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	To wire load that requires 15A or 10A breaker	1	View
19	Lugs, 14 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 3)	1	View
20	Lugs, 14 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 3)	1	View

1	50A Breaker (Double-Pole)	To upgrade 120V AC distribution panel to 50A instead of 30A		View
2	20A Breaker	For load that requires 20A breaker (e.g. A/C)		View
3	10A Breaker	For load that requires 10A breaker		View
4	120V AC Distribution Panel (6 Positions*)	*6 Positions panel is sometimes cheaper, check it!		View
5	12/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	To wire load that requires 20A breaker (e.g. A/C)		View
6	Lugs, 12 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View
7	Lugs, 12 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View

Hardware

1	8 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (8/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
2	10 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (10/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
3	12 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (12/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
4	14 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (14/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
5	16 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (16/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
6	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 10-12 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 14-16 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
9	Heat Shrink Butt Connector, Ancor Marine	To connect to Loads (75 Pack Kit)	1	View
10	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female	To connect to certain loads (i.e. 12V Sockets) , to make "removable" connections (i.e. Fridge, LEDs) and to connect cable of different gauge together (i.e. LED Dimmer) (25 Pack)	1	View
11	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
12	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female		1	View
13	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
14	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 18-22 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
15	3M Scotchlok Quick Splice with Gel (14 AWG stranded)	We used that to parallel our LED lights (25 Pack)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Tubing Kit (with adhesive)	To protect lug after crimping	1	View
17	Split Loom Tubing, 3/8″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
18	Split Loom Tubing, 1/2″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
19	Split Loom Tubing, 3/4″ diameter 10 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
20	Nylon Cable Clamps Kit	To secure cable/split-loom to wood	1	View
21	Zip Tie Mount with Adhesive	To secure cable/split-loom to metal	1	View
22	Nylon Zip Ties Kit	To secure cable/split-loom	1	View
23	Rubber Grommet Kit	To protect wire from sharp edge (going through metal hole)	1	View

12V Loads

	Standard
	Optimized for Off-the-grid / Energy Efficiency
	High-Power
	Optimized for High-Power Devices (Induction Cooktop, Microwave, etc.)

• Tap on each component to learn more!

• The inverter and shore power are provided by two separate devices. No transfer switch to bypass the inverter when plugged to shore power.

Features:

• BATTERY BANK: 100Ah and up (one or more batteries)
• SOLAR: None or up to 700W
• ALTERNATOR: None or up to 60A
• SHORE: None or up to 80A DC
• AC IN: 15A (normal house outlet)
• INVERTER: None, 1000W, 1500W or 2000W
• TRANSFER SWITCH: None
• 120V AC Distribution Panel: None (loads are connected directly to the inverter)

Choose this diagram if:

• Your build has modest 120V needs (no device above 1,650W).
• You're mostly off-the-grid (occasionally plug into shore power).
• You're tracking your budget. Some components (bus bars, cables, switch, fuses, etc.) in this diagram are cheaper (and smaller) because they're rated for lower current.
• Maybe you don't need shore power or an inverter at all?

MAIN

#	Item	Description	Quantity	View on Amazon
1	Terminal Fuse Block with Fuse 250A	Blue Sea (Catastrophic Fail Safe. Connects directly to battery post.)	1	View
2	System Switch	Blue Sea (Main System Switch)	1	View
3	Bus Bar (250A, 4 studs)	Blue Sea	2	View
4	Cover for Bus Bar (for 250A 4 studs)	Protect the Bus Bar	2	View
5	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Fuse Block and Bus Bar	1	View
6	Fuse Block (12 circuits)	Blue Sea (12V Distribution Panel)	1	View
7	Fuses Kit	Assorted Fuses (2A 3A 5A 7.5A 10A 15A 20A 25A 30A 35A)	1	View
8	Battery Monitor	Victron BMV-712 with BlueTooth	1	View
9	Cable, 2/0 AWG, 5 ft Red	Between battery and Bus Bar	1	View
10	Cable, 2/0 AWG, 15 ft Black	Between battery and Bus Bar + Ground	1	View
12	Lugs, 2/0 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar, Terminal Fuse Block and Battery (Pack of 5)	1	View
11	Lugs, 2/0 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to System Switch and Shunt (Pack of 5)	1	View
13	Cable, 8 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	Between Bus Bar and Fuse Block	1	View
14	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	Connect to Fuse Block (Pack of 3)	1	View
15	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breaker (Pack of 3)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Battery

1	LiFePO4 200 Ah	Battle Born LiFePO4 100 Ah 12V	2	View
2	2/0 AWG Cable in 5/16″ lugs, 1 feet Red + 1 feet Black	Windy Nation Copper Cable	1	View

Solar

1	350W Solar	NewPowa 175W Mono Panel	2	View
2	Extension Cables, 8 AWG, 15 ft Red + 15 ft Black	With MC4 Connectors	1	View
3	Double Cable Entry Gland	For 8 AWG or 10 AWG Cable	1	View
4	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Panels and MPPT Charger	1	View
5	MPPT Solar Charger	Victron 100|30 SmartSolar MPPT	1	View
6	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between MPPT Charger & Battery	1	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 3)	2	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Alternator

1	60A Battery-to-Battery Charger (B2B)	Sterling Power BB1260	1	View
2	100A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Blue Sea 285-Series	2	View
3	Cable, 4 AWG, 15ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
4	Cable, 4 AWG, 5 ft Black	WindyNation	1	View
5	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 10)	1	View
6	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 2)	1	View

Shore

1	50A Charger	Samlex SEC-1250UL 12V	1	View
2	60A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Charger and Bus Bar	1	View
3	Cable, 8 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
4	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breaker (Pack of 3)	1	View
5	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Inverter

1	1000W Inverter	Samlex PST-1000-12 PST Pure Sine	1	View
2	Remote Control for Inverter	Samlex RC-15A for 600W/1000W Inverter	1	View
3	Terminal Fuse Block with Fuse 175A	Blue Sea (Connects directly on the Bus Bar. To protect inverter's cable.)	1	View
4	Cable, 2 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
5	Lugs, 2 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Terminal Fuse Block and Bus Bar (Pack of 10)	1	View

1	120V AC GFCI Outlet	GFCI, 20A		View
2	Power Cord with open end	12AWG, 10 feet		View

Hardware

1	8 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (8/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
2	10 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (10/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
3	12 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (12/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
4	14 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (14/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
5	16 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (16/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
6	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 10-12 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 14-16 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
9	Heat Shrink Butt Connector, Ancor Marine	To connect to Loads (75 Pack Kit)	1	View
10	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female	To connect to certain loads (i.e. 12V Sockets) , to make "removable" connections (i.e. Fridge, LEDs) and to connect cable of different gauge together (i.e. LED Dimmer) (25 Pack)	1	View
11	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
12	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female		1	View
13	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
14	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 18-22 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
15	3M Scotchlok Quick Splice with Gel (14 AWG stranded)	We used that to parallel our LED lights (25 Pack)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Tubing Kit (with adhesive)	To protect lug after crimping	1	View
17	Split Loom Tubing, 3/8″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
18	Split Loom Tubing, 1/2″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
19	Split Loom Tubing, 3/4″ diameter 10 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
20	Nylon Cable Clamps Kit	To secure cable/split-loom to wood	1	View
21	Zip Tie Mount with Adhesive	To secure cable/split-loom to metal	1	View
22	Nylon Zip Ties Kit	To secure cable/split-loom	1	View
23	Rubber Grommet Kit	To protect wire from sharp edge (going through metal hole)	1	View

12V Loads

• The inverter, shore power, and transfer switch are combined into a single device (Victron Multiplus).

Features:

• BATTERY BANK: 200Ah and up (two or more batteries)
• SOLAR: None or up to 700W
• ALTERNATOR: None or up to 60A
• SHORE: up to 120A DC
• AC IN: 30A (campground hookup) or 15A (normal house outlet, via adapter)
• Inverter: 2000W or 3000W
• TRANSFER SWITCH: Yes (automatically bypass inverter when plugged into shore)
• 120V AC Distribution Panel: Yes (each load is protected by an appropriate breaker)

Choose this diagram if:

• Your build includes any high-power device: air conditioning, induction cooktop, electric water heater, electric space heater, etc.
• You frequently plug into shore power (serviced campgrounds).
• You simply prefer an inverter/charger (Victron) instead of a separate inverter & battery charger.

MAIN

#	Item	Description	Quantity	View on Amazon
1	Class T Fuse, 400A	Blue Sea (Catastrophic Fail Safe)	1	View
2	Class T Fuse Block	Blue Sea (Holds the Class T Fuse)	1	View
3	System Switch	Blue Sea (Main System Switch)	1	View
4	Bus Bar (600A, 4 studs)	Blue Sea	2	View
5	Cover for Bus Bar (for 600A 4 studs)	Protect the Bus Bar	2	View
6	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Fuse Block and Bus Bar	1	View
7	Fuse Block (12 circuits)	Blue Sea (12V Distribution Panel)	1	View
8	Fuses Kit	Assorted Fuses (2A 3A 5A 7.5A 10A 15A 20A 25A 30A 35A)	1	View
9	Battery Monitor	Victron BMV-712 with BlueTooth	1	View
10	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 5 ft Red	Between battery and Bus Bar	1	View
11	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 15 ft Black	Between battery and Bus Bar + Ground	1	View
13	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar, Terminal Fuse Block and Battery (Pack of 2)	1	View
12	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to System Switch and Shunt (Pack of 10)	1	View
14	Cable, 8 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	Between Bus Bar and Fuse Block	1	View
15	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	Connect to Fuse Block (Pack of 3)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breaker (Pack of 3)	1	View
17	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Battery

1	LiFePO4 400 Ah	Battle Born LiFePO4 100 Ah 12V	4	View
2	4/0 AWG Cable in 5/16″ lugs, 1 feet Red + 1 feet Black	Spartan Power	3	View

Solar

1	350W Solar	NewPowa 175W Mono Panel	2	View
2	Extension Cables, 8 AWG, 15 ft Red + 15 ft Black	With MC4 Connectors	1	View
3	Double Cable Entry Gland	For 8 AWG or 10 AWG Cable	1	View
4	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Panels and MPPT Charger	1	View
5	MPPT Solar Charger	Victron 100|30 SmartSolar MPPT	1	View
6	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between MPPT Charger & Battery	1	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 3)	2	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Alternator

1	60A Battery-to-Battery Charger (B2B)	Sterling Power BB1260	1	View
2	100A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Blue Sea 285-Series	2	View
3	Cable, 4 AWG, 15ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
4	Cable, 4 AWG, 5 ft Black	WindyNation	1	View
6	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 10)	1	View
5	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 2)	1	View

Inverter/Charger

1	3000W Inverter/Charger	Victron Multiplus 12|3000|120	1	View
2	Remote Control for Inverter	Victron Digital Multi Control 200/200A GX	1	View
3	Class T Fuse, 400A	Blue Sea (To protect inverter's cable)	1	View
4	Class T Fuse Block	Blue Sea (Holds the Class T Fuse)	1	View
5	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	Between Inverter/Charger & Bus Bars		View
6	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Inverter/Charger (Pack of 5)	1	View
7	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 5)	1	View
8	30A Shore Inlet	Furrion 30A Marine Power Smart Inlet	1	View
9	30A AC Main	Breaker Between Power Inlet and Inverter/Charger	1	View
11	10/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	Between power inlet & inverter/charger	1	View
12	Lugs, 10 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View
13	Lugs, 10 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	2	View
14	120V AC Distribution Panel (4 Positions*)	Blue Sea Panel: AC Main + 4 Positions*	1	View
15	6/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	Between inverter/charger & AC distribution panel	1	View
16	Lugs, 6 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 10)	1	View
17	120V AC Wall Outlet	GFCI, 20A	1	View
18	14/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	To wire load that requires 15A or 10A breaker	1	View
19	Lugs, 14 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 3)	1	View
20	Lugs, 14 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 3)	1	View

1	50A Breaker (Double-Pole)	To upgrade 120V AC distribution panel to 50A instead of 30A		View
2	20A Breaker	For load that requires 20A breaker (e.g. A/C)		View
3	10A Breaker	For load that requires 10A breaker		View
4	120V AC Distribution Panel (6 Positions*)	*6 Positions panel is sometimes cheaper, check it!		View
5	12/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	To wire load that requires 20A breaker (e.g. A/C)		View
6	Lugs, 12 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View
7	Lugs, 12 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View

Hardware

1	8 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (8/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
2	10 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (10/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
3	12 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (12/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
4	14 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (14/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
5	16 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (16/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
6	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 10-12 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 14-16 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
9	Heat Shrink Butt Connector, Ancor Marine	To connect to Loads (75 Pack Kit)	1	View
10	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female	To connect to certain loads (i.e. 12V Sockets) , to make "removable" connections (i.e. Fridge, LEDs) and to connect cable of different gauge together (i.e. LED Dimmer) (25 Pack)	1	View
11	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
12	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female		1	View
13	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
14	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 18-22 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
15	3M Scotchlok Quick Splice with Gel (14 AWG stranded)	We used that to parallel our LED lights (25 Pack)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Tubing Kit (with adhesive)	To protect lug after crimping	1	View
17	Split Loom Tubing, 3/8″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
18	Split Loom Tubing, 1/2″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
19	Split Loom Tubing, 3/4″ diameter 10 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
20	Nylon Cable Clamps Kit	To secure cable/split-loom to wood	1	View
21	Zip Tie Mount with Adhesive	To secure cable/split-loom to metal	1	View
22	Nylon Zip Ties Kit	To secure cable/split-loom	1	View
23	Rubber Grommet Kit	To protect wire from sharp edge (going through metal hole)	1	View

12V Loads

• The inverter, shore power, and transfer switch are combined into a single device (Victron Multiplus).

Features:

• BATTERY BANK: 200Ah and up (two or more batteries)
• SOLAR: None or up to 700W
• ALTERNATOR: None or up to 60A
• SHORE: up to 120A DC
• AC IN: 30A (campground hookup) or 15A (normal house outlet, via adapter)
• Inverter: 2000W or 3000W
• TRANSFER SWITCH: Yes (automatically bypass inverter when plugged into shore)
• 120V AC Distribution Panel: Yes (each load is protected by an appropriate breaker)

Choose this diagram if:

• Your build includes any high-power device: air conditioning, induction cooktop, electric water heater, electric space heater, etc.
• You frequently plug into shore power (serviced campgrounds).
• You simply prefer an inverter/charger (Victron) instead of a separate inverter & battery charger.

MAIN

#	Item	Description	Quantity	View on Amazon
1	Class T Fuse, 400A	Blue Sea (Catastrophic Fail Safe)	1	View
2	Class T Fuse Block	Blue Sea (Holds the Class T Fuse)	1	View
3	System Switch	Blue Sea (Main System Switch)	1	View
4	Bus Bar (600A, 4 studs)	Blue Sea	2	View
5	Cover for Bus Bar (for 600A 4 studs)	Protect the Bus Bar	2	View
6	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Fuse Block and Bus Bar	1	View
7	Fuse Block (12 circuits)	Blue Sea (12V Distribution Panel)	1	View
8	Fuses Kit	Assorted Fuses (2A 3A 5A 7.5A 10A 15A 20A 25A 30A 35A)	1	View
9	Battery Monitor	Victron BMV-712 with BlueTooth	1	View
10	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 5 ft Red	Between battery and Bus Bar	1	View
11	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 15 ft Black	Between battery and Bus Bar + Ground	1	View
13	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar, Terminal Fuse Block and Battery (Pack of 2)	1	View
12	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to System Switch and Shunt (Pack of 10)	1	View
14	Cable, 8 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	Between Bus Bar and Fuse Block	1	View
15	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	Connect to Fuse Block (Pack of 3)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breaker (Pack of 3)	1	View
17	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Battery

1	LiFePO4 400 Ah	Battle Born LiFePO4 100 Ah 12V	4	View
2	4/0 AWG Cable in 5/16″ lugs, 1 feet Red + 1 feet Black	Spartan Power	3	View

Solar

1	350W Solar	NewPowa 175W Mono Panel	2	View
2	Extension Cables, 8 AWG, 15 ft Red + 15 ft Black	With MC4 Connectors	1	View
3	Double Cable Entry Gland	For 8 AWG or 10 AWG Cable	1	View
4	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between Panels and MPPT Charger	1	View
5	MPPT Solar Charger	Victron 100|30 SmartSolar MPPT	1	View
6	40A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Between MPPT Charger & Battery	1	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 3)	2	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 3)	1	View

Alternator

1	60A Battery-to-Battery Charger (B2B)	Sterling Power BB1260	1	View
2	100A Breaker/Switch, Surface Mount	Blue Sea 285-Series	2	View
3	Cable, 4 AWG, 15ft Red	WindyNation	1	View
4	Cable, 4 AWG, 5 ft Black	WindyNation	1	View
6	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Ring	Connect to Breakers (Pack of 10)	1	View
5	Lugs, 4 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 2)	1	View

Inverter/Charger

1	3000W Inverter/Charger	Victron Multiplus 12|3000|120	1	View
2	Remote Control for Inverter	Victron Digital Multi Control 200/200A GX	1	View
3	Class T Fuse, 400A	Blue Sea (To protect inverter's cable)	1	View
4	Class T Fuse Block	Blue Sea (Holds the Class T Fuse)	1	View
5	Cable, 4/0 AWG, 5 ft Black + 5 ft Red	Between Inverter/Charger & Bus Bars		View
6	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 5/16″ Ring	Connect to Inverter/Charger (Pack of 5)	1	View
7	Lugs, 4/0 AWG Cable, 3/8″ Ring	Connect to Bus Bar (Pack of 5)	1	View
8	30A Shore Inlet	Furrion 30A Marine Power Smart Inlet	1	View
9	30A AC Main	Breaker Between Power Inlet and Inverter/Charger	1	View
11	10/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	Between power inlet & inverter/charger	1	View
12	Lugs, 10 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View
13	Lugs, 10 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	2	View
14	120V AC Distribution Panel (4 Positions*)	Blue Sea Panel: AC Main + 4 Positions*	1	View
15	6/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	Between inverter/charger & AC distribution panel	1	View
16	Lugs, 6 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 10)	1	View
17	120V AC Wall Outlet	GFCI, 20A	1	View
18	14/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	To wire load that requires 15A or 10A breaker	1	View
19	Lugs, 14 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 3)	1	View
20	Lugs, 14 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to distribution panel (Pack of 3)	1	View

1	50A Breaker (Double-Pole)	To upgrade 120V AC distribution panel to 50A instead of 30A		View
2	20A Breaker	For load that requires 20A breaker (e.g. A/C)		View
3	10A Breaker	For load that requires 10A breaker		View
4	120V AC Distribution Panel (6 Positions*)	*6 Positions panel is sometimes cheaper, check it!		View
5	12/3 AWG Triplex AC Marine Wire	To wire load that requires 20A breaker (e.g. A/C)		View
6	Lugs, 12 AWG Cable, #8	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View
7	Lugs, 12 AWG Cable, #10	Connect to AC Main (Pack of 3)	1	View

Hardware

1	8 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (8/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
2	10 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (10/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
3	12 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (12/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
4	14 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (14/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
5	16 AWG Black/Red Duplex Cable (16/2), Ancor Marine Grade	100 feet	1	View
6	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 8 AWG Cable, #10 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
7	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 10-12 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
8	Heat Shrink Terminal Ring, 14-16 AWG Cable, #8 Ring	To connect to Fuse Block (25 Pack)	1	View
9	Heat Shrink Butt Connector, Ancor Marine	To connect to Loads (75 Pack Kit)	1	View
10	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female	To connect to certain loads (i.e. 12V Sockets) , to make "removable" connections (i.e. Fridge, LEDs) and to connect cable of different gauge together (i.e. LED Dimmer) (25 Pack)	1	View
11	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 10-12 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
12	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Female		1	View
13	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 14-16 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
14	Heat Shrink Disconnect, 18-22 AWG Cable, 1/4″ Tab, Male		1	View
15	3M Scotchlok Quick Splice with Gel (14 AWG stranded)	We used that to parallel our LED lights (25 Pack)	1	View
16	Heat Shrink Tubing Kit (with adhesive)	To protect lug after crimping	1	View
17	Split Loom Tubing, 3/8″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
18	Split Loom Tubing, 1/2″ diameter 25 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
19	Split Loom Tubing, 3/4″ diameter 10 feet	To protect wire bundles	1	View
20	Nylon Cable Clamps Kit	To secure cable/split-loom to wood	1	View
21	Zip Tie Mount with Adhesive	To secure cable/split-loom to metal	1	View
22	Nylon Zip Ties Kit	To secure cable/split-loom	1	View
23	Rubber Grommet Kit	To protect wire from sharp edge (going through metal hole)	1	View

12V Loads

NOTE: The items list above is a pretty good overview of what's needed. But you can use our calculator (faroutride.com/van-electrical-calculator) to generate a precise, customized list that defines entirely your electrical system. It doesn't get any easier than this!

Well, that escalated quickly… If you can't "read" the wiring diagram above, don't give up just yet. Keep reading to build your knowledge and work your way up! Be patient, sleep on it; it might take multiple reads before it all starts to make sense…

2- Battery Bank

Because power from the charge sources is not available at all times, a battery bank is mandatory in every van electrical system. The role of the battery bank is to accumulate energy from the charge sources, store it, then release it to the loads when needed.

2.1- Battery Types

A battery stores energy under chemical form, then converts it to electrical energy when needed. There are many battery types (chemistry) available, and each have their pros/cons:

Flooded Lead-Acid

• Cheapest type available.

• High maintenance (needs to be filled periodically with water and kept in a vented compartment).

Gel-Cell

• Similar to Flooded lead-acid but the gel wont spill as easily.

• See Flooded lead-acid.
• Must be charged at low rate.

AGM

• Low Maintenance (no need to refill with water, no need to be vented).
• Performs well under most temperature range.
• Can be charged/discharged at higher rate than Flooded Lead-Acid.

• Much heavier than Lithium.
• Shorter life span than Lithium.

Lithium (LiFePO4)

• Light weight.
• No need to be vented.
• Can be discharged deeper without affecting battery life (meaning a 100Ah Lithium delivers almost twice the energy of a 100Ah AGM or Flooded).
• Can be charged/discharged at higher rate than AGM.
• Last much longer than any other battery type (not so expensive in the long run).

• Higher initial cost.
• Much more sensitive than other types, thus they require a BMS. See below for more info.

Unless your budget is very critical, we don't really recommend flooded lead-acid or GEL (because of the maintenance aspect). That brings us to our next topic:

Choosing between AGM or Lithium (LiFePO4) Battery

When we built our van in 2016 (researching and designing during 2015), AGM was the obvious choice because it was a tried-and-true option (good performances, safe & reliable). Lithium (LiFePO4) batteries were a relatively new thing (in the van/RV world) and we were concerned about reliability & safety (and cost!). Technology has advanced so let's see if, 4 years later, our concerns have been addressed:

1- B.M.S. (Battery Management System)

There are a few scenarios where it could be unsafe to operate a LiFePO4 battery:

1. Temperature too low/too high;
2. Voltage too high;
3. Current too high.

To mitigate these scenarios, companies like Battle Born Batteries, Trojan, Relion, and Victron, now include a Battery Management System (BMS) built-in to their batteries. The BMS is in charge of ensuring that parameters (temperature, voltage, current) are within a safe range. For example, the BMS will prevent charging the battery if the temperature is too low; it will also regulate the amount of power you can take out of the battery. It makes using a Lithium battery safe.

2- Lithium batteries can't be charged below 32F/0°C (more or less)

That's quite an issue for us, knowing we use our van for skiing all winter (faroutride.com/winter-vanlife). An AGM battery does better in that department, but still performs better around room temperature; that's the main reason why we installed our AGM battery inside the van. Because we live full-time in our van, we never let the interior freeze (because food/liquid/comfort), so that solves the issue for us!

Note 1: While LiFePO4 cannot be charged below freezing temperatures, they can still be discharged. So it would be possible to install a 12V heat mat to prevent the battery from freezing…

Note 2: In fact, some brands of Lithium batteries can be charge below 32F/0°C, but at a slower rate. Check your battery specification sheet!

3- AGM vs Lithium Comparison

Let's compare our actual Rolls AGM battery (210Ah) to a BattleBorn LiFePO4 battery bank (100Ah). What really matters here is the "Actual Capacity Available" (remember that ideally an AGM should not be discharged below 50% of its capacity); so that's why we compare a 210 AGM to a 100Ah Lithium:

	210Ah AGM	100Ah LITHIUM
ACTUAL CAPACITY AVAILABLE	105Ah	100Ah
WEIGHT	133.5 lbs	31 lbs
TOTAL LIFE CYCLE*	1200	3000
UPFRONT COST	$650	$950
COST PER CYCLE	$0.54	$0.32
LENGTH	21"	12.75"
WIDTH	8.5"	6.875"
HEIGHT	9.5"	9"

*Assuming a D.O.D. (Depth-of-discharge) of 50% for AGM, 100% for LiFePO4.

For full-time Vanlife (1 full cycle daily), it means an AGM will cost roughly $200 per year to operate and will last 3.5 years; while a Lithium will cost roughly $120 per year to operate and will last 8 years.

Soooo, AGM or Lithium?

If we had to start over (in 2019), we would go for Lithium (LiFePO4). Oh wait… as of June 2019 we just upgraded to Battle Born Lithium batteries (2 x 100Ah)! We LOVE staying up-to-date with technology and we enjoy testing products, so we made the leap 🙂 Our first impressions:

• These things are crazy light weight!
• They reach 100% SOC much faster than the AGM (absorption phase in AGM occurs quite slowly), and keep in mind we made no change to our solar & alternator charging. That means more power, faster. Nice.
• Since we have two batteries in parallel, we can charge up to 100A if we upgrade our b2b charger (right now we have a 60A b2b charger); that could be nice for winter.
• So far so good, highly recommended!*

*Note: We would NOT go for Lithium if our battery bank was installed outside the van (too cold during skiing season).

New Battle Born Batteries ready for installation!

Renogy 100Ah Lithium (LiFePO4) 12V Battery

(2000 cycles life, 100A COntinuous Discharge Current)

Quality/Price

     4.5/5

Battle Born Batteries 100Ah Lithium (LiFePO4) 12V

(3000 cycles life, 100A CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE CURRENT)

Trojan 110Ah Lithium (LiFePO4) 12V

(4000 cycles life, 110A continuous discharge current)

Quick interruption: Our Opinion About Product Quality

"You get what you pay for"

What differentiates the "cheap" products (unbranded, very cheap products on Amazon & eBay) from the "Budget" products:

• Low or absent quality control. Defects in manufacturing could be introduced and go undetected.
• Incomplete, inaccurate specification sheet and product manual.
• No customer support.
• Satisfying in the short term, always deceiving in the long run.

We took our chance with cheap products on non-critical components (radio unit, inclinometer, electrical connectors when we ran out of the good ones –> we replaced them with good ones afterwards!), and the result is always the same: product doesn't last long, it's buggy, and has to be replaced soon enough. Even if the low initial cost is very appealing, we will NEVER recommend a cheap product for the electrical system (or anything else); we're not rich enough to constantly replace our stuff.

This is our entry-level. To save cost, budget products typically don't use the best internal components and consequently don't show the best performance and durability. We recommend products within that category if budget is your priority.

Brands that fall into that category:

• Renogy

Quality/Price

     4.5/5

This is our mid-level and most components in our van stand within that range. We don't mind paying more initially if the product delivers good performance and lasts a reasonable time. We think it's the best bang for the buck.

Brands that fall into that category:

• Victron
• Battle Born Batteries
• Maxxair
• Blue Sea

This is the "pro-level". Products within this range deliver the ultimate performance. It's pricey, but for critical components of our electrical system, there's no price for peace of mind.

Brands that fall into that category:

• Samlex Inverters
• Sterling Power

OK we're done, thanks for listening!

2.2- Specifications

Not all batteries are made equally! A cheap battery won't be able to give as much current as a high-quality battery… it is YOUR responsibility to make sure you're not going overboard, so read the spec sheet! Any reputable brand should publish one for each of its products. Cheap products often don't publish spec sheets; that's a good enough reason not-to buy their products!

Here is an example of how a spec sheet should be (click the image to view the pdf):

Information is clearly shown, it's straight-to-the-point, there is no marketing sales pitch… well done Relion! More examples: Trojan, BattleBorn(they really need to step up their game…), Rolls.

Information to look for:

• Recommended Charge Current: Choose a battery charger that charges within that range to maximize the life span!
• Maximum Charge Current: Never exceed that value.
• Recommended Charge Voltage (Bulk, Absorption, Float): That's called the "charging profile" and we explain later in this article why it's important...

• Charge & Discharge Temperature Range: Lithium vs AGM have very different ranges. Different brands of the same chemistry have different ranges as well.
• Continuous Discharge Current: That's the current the battery is able to deliver continuously. Power inverters draw HUGE amounts of current; make sure to size your inverter so it draws less current than the continuous discharge current of the battery!
• Peak Discharge Current: That's the max current the battery is able to deliver for a short period (time should be indicated).

2.3- Combining Batteries

• Cables: Always use identical cables (length/diameter) so they offer the same resistance, ensuring all batteries work equally together.
• Mixing batteries: Do not mix batteries of different brand/models. Do not mix batteries of different age if using lead acid (AGM, gel, etc.). It is acceptable to mix batteries of different age (no more than two years old) if using Lithium (see Battle Born FAQ).

Parallel

• Capacity (Ah): Adds up.
• Voltage (V): Same.
• Charge & Discharge Rate (A): Adds up.

For example, adding two batteries of 12V/100Ah (50A charge rate / 100A discharge rate) in parallel results in a battery bank of 12V/200Ah (100A charge rate / 200A discharge rate).

photo credit: enerdrive.com

Series

• Capacity (Ah): Same.
• Voltage (V): Adds up.
• Charge & Discharge Rate (A): Same.

For example, adding two batteries of 6V/200Ah in series results in a battery bank of 12V/200Ah.

photo credit: enerdrive.com

2.4- Charge Profile

Charging a battery is NOT like filling a car with gas…

• With a car, bringing the fuel gauge up to 100% is all that matters. Then, maintain your car periodically (oil change) and it'll be running smoothly for a long time 🙂
• With a battery, how you bring it up to 100% really matters: you are filling it and doing the maintenance simultaneously!

An adequate charge cycle goes through multiple stages; each stage has specific current/voltage parameters. The combination of these stages is called the charge profile. Different battery chemistry (AGM, Lithium, etc.) and different brands (Rolls, Trojan, BattleBorn, etc.) require different charge profiles. Why you should care about charge profile:

• To maximize the life span of the battery (prevent sulfuration of lead-acid batteries).
• A battery equipped with a BMS might cut the charge if the parameters are out of range (Lithium).

Lead-Acid (Flooded, Gel, AGM)

Typical Charge Profile

Stage 1: BULK

• Approximately between 0% and 85% of the charge.
• Current rate: BIG! As much as the charger can "push" into the battery! (battery's recommended charge current)
• Voltage: Increases with time.

During that stage, the battery doesn't offer much resistance to charging. It's easy for the charger to push energy into the battery, soa low voltage results in a large current; in other words, most of the energy is transferred during that stage. As the battery charges, it offers more and more resistance; it's much more difficult for the charger to push energy into the battery. If only bulk stage is used, the battery cannot be fully charged…

Stage 2: ABSORPTION

• Approximately between 85% and 100% of the charge.
• Current: LOW. Decreases with time.
• Voltage: Fixed (around 14.7V for AGM)

Near 85%, the battery becomes much more resistant to charging… to keep pushing energy into the battery, the charger raises the voltage. You can clearly observe that on your battery monitor (high voltage, low charging current). It's kind of like switching to first gear on your car: it's more powerful, but slower. During that stage, the high voltage results in gassing inside the battery; this gas stirs the electrolytes and helps dissolve the small sulfate crystals. That's why a proper absorption stage is so important! It prevents hard deposits (sulfuration) and, therefore, prevents loss of total capacity memory.

Stage 3: FLOAT

• Once the battery is fully charged.
• Current: VERY LOW. (typically lower than 1A)
• Voltage: Fixed (around 13.8V for AGM)

The float stage prevents self-discharge and can be maintained indefinitely.

Lithium (LiFePO4)

Typical Charge Profile

Lithium batteries don't suffer from sulfuration, so charging with the wrong charge profile is not as bad as with lead-acid batteries. Charging with the wrong profile could prevent reaching 100% charge, but that won't hurt the battery in the long term. Good to know: Most Lithium batteries are OK to charge with an AGM profile!

Stage 1: BULK

• Current rate: BIG! As much as the charger can "push" into the battery!
• Voltage: Increases with time.

The bulk stage is terminated when the absorption voltage is reached (around 14.4V).

Stage 2: ABSORPTION

• Current: LOW. Decreases with time.
• Voltage: Fixed (around 14.4V)

The absorption stage is terminated when current decreases below approximately 5% of the battery capacity (approx. 5A for a 100Ah battery).

Stage 3: FLOAT

• Floating a Lithium battery is unnecessary, but it won't hurt it.
• Voltage: Fixed (around 13.6V)

Consult the specification sheet of your battery brand/model to find its specific charge profile!

2.5- Discharging Batteries

We've just seen how charging a battery impacts its life cycle & performance. Discharging a battery has similar implications; let's see how!

Terminology

State Of Charge (SOC)

It is defined as "how fully charged" the battery is.

• 100% SOC = Fully Charged
• 25% SOC = A quarter of energy left
• 0% SOC = Empty

Depth Of Discharge (DOD)

It is defined as "how deep" the battery is discharged. (it's the opposite of SOC…)

• 25% DOD = A quarter of total energy available was used (75% SOC)
• 75% DOD = Three quarters of total energy available was used (25% SOC)
• 100% DOD = Fully discharged (0% SOC)

CYCLE

In a typical usage, a battery starts fully charged (100% SOC), then goes down to a certain level (e.g. 80% SOC), and then back to fully charged (100% SOC). This is defined as a cycle.

A cycle is independent of calendar days, so there could be multiple cycles per day or one cycle per week… But typically, a campervan/RV battery cycles once per day because of solar power.

CYCLE Life

The life span of a battery (how long it will last) is mostly defined by the number of cycles; it is similar to the way mileage defines the life cycle of cars.

As a battery ages (cycles), it holds less and less energy. Generally, manufacturers consider that a battery has reached the end of its life when it cannot hold more than 70% of its initial capacity (i.e. eventually, a 100Ah battery becomes a 70Ah battery).

Charge/Discharge Rate

It is defined as how fast (current) a battery bank is charged/discharged.

"0.2C Rate" means 20% of the battery bank capacity; "0.5C Rate" means 50% of the battery bank capacity; and so on. For example, if the battery bank is comprised of 2 x 100Ah Battle Born Batteries, "0.5C Rate" =0.5 x 200Ah = 100A.

Discharge Current Rate

• How fast (current rate) a battery is discharged affects its capacity and its total cycle life:

1- Its Capacity:

(credit: BattleBorn Batteries)

A Lithium battery (black curves) is able to deliver pretty much the same amount of energy regardless of how fast it's being discharged, as opposed to a lead acid (red curves).

2- Its total life cycle:

(credit: Trojan)

Discharging a battery more rapidly will reduce its total life cycle (AGM or Lithium).

Depth Of Discharge (D.O.D.)

• The DOD has a great impact on cycle life. Let's look at cycle life graphs for a Lithium VS an AGM battery:

Trojan Trillium Lithium (LiFePO4):

• At recommended discharge current (0.5C, or half its capacity):
• If cycled at 25% DOD, the Trojan Trillium should last more than 11,000 cycles.
• If cycled at 50% DOD, the Trojan Trillium should last 9,000 cycles.
• If cycled at 100% DOD, the Trojan Trillium should last 4,200 cycles.

Rolls AGM:

• If cycled at 25% DOD, the Rolls AGM should last 2,750 cycles.
• If cycled at 50% DOD, the Rolls AGM should last 1,200 cycles.
• If cycled at 100% DOD, the Rolls AGM should last 600 cycles.

For full-time Vanlife, a battery will typically see 365 cycles per year. But keep in mind that while cycle life plays a major role in the life span of the battery, calendar days also have an impact as materials (used to chemically store energy) degrade over time. Many factors influence degradation, temperature being one of the most important.

• At last, remember that there is a maximum current rate (Amps) that a battery is able to give, and it should never be exceeded. We already mentioned it under "Battery Specifications" above, but we thought we would repeat ourselves... So when sizing your inverter (they draw HUGE amount of current), take that into consideration.

2.6- Temperature

Generally, batteries perform better near room temperature. For example, take electric cars: their range in a cold climate is greatly reduced during winter! That's another reason why we installed our battery bank inside the van; exterior temperature has less impact on our battery that way.

Charging A Frozen Battery

Lead-ACID (Flooded, Gel, AGM)

First of all, unlike water, a battery will not freeze at 32F (0°C). The freezing temperature of the battery depends on the state of charge. As the state of charge in a battery decreases, the electrolytes become more like water, and the freezing temperature increases.  It is very important to make sure your battery stays fully charged in extreme cold weather. If a battery freezes, it can damage the plates and container leading to a potential explosion. A frozen battery must NOT be charged! Consult your battery manual. As a guideline, this is extracted from our Rolls Battery Manual:

Specific Gravity (SG)	State of Charge approx (%)	Freezing Temperature
1.280	100	-69°C (-92F)
1.265	92	-57.4°C (-72.3F)
1.250	85	-52.2°C (-62F)
1.200	60	-26.7°C (-16F)
1.150	40	-15°C (5F)
1.100	20	-7°C (19F)

Lithium (LiFePO4)

We often hear that a lithium battery cannot be charged below 32F (0°C); In fact, some brands of Lithium batteries can be charge below 32F/0°C, but at a slower rate. Check your battery specification sheet!

Take a look at Trojan Trillium LiFePO4 battery for example:

Good to know: the built-in BMS in high-quality batteries will take care of cutting-off the current if temperature gets too low.

Charging A Battery At High Temperature

Charging a battery at high temperature generally affects its cycle life (lifespan). For example, here is the Trojan Trillium Lithium Cycle Life VS Temperature:

3- Charge Sources

Now that we understand how to properly charge a battery, let's see our charge options:

3.1- Solar Power

Harvesting power from the sun feels a bit like cheating to us; this is the exciting part of the electrical system! It is free to use, but it is not exactly cheap to setup at first.

First of all, do you really need solar power in your system? If you're thinking of charging only from the alternator, keep in mind that while the bulk charge is relatively fast, it takes a long time to complete the absorption stage (even if you have a powerful charger). So unless you like to drive A LOT every day, solar power will ensure you get a full charge and will increase your battery life!

3.1.1- In a Nutshell

• The solar panels are in charge of converting the energy of sunlight to electricity, but the resulting voltage and current they produce are not adequate for the battery...
• The solar charge controller takes care of converting the voltage and current from the solar panels into a proper charge profile for the battery (see "Charge Profile" section above).

For example, here is a screenshot from our Victron solar charge controller (faroutride.com/victron-review). Notice how the voltage/current coming out of the panels is different from the voltage/current going into the battery:

3.1.2- Monocrystalline or Polycrystalline?

Renogy 100W Solar Panel 12V

Newpowa 175W Solar Panel 12V

Renogy 300W Solar Panel 24V

3.1.3- Combining Multiple Panels

Series

• High Voltage (voltage is added)
• Low Current

No adapter required.

• Low current means less voltage drop between the panels and the solar charger. That's better for long distance cable routing and allows to use smaller cable diameter.
• Panels depend on each other. That's really bad for partial shading (especially from the components on your roof such as the fan or the roof rack bars) and if the panels don't have exactly the same orientation.

Parallel

• Low Voltage
• High Current (current is added)

Parallel adapter required.

• Effect of partial shading and panel orientation is minimized.
• Requires Parallel MC4 Connectors (no big deal, really):

Partial shading is not a myth, but, unfortunately, professional solar installers (or DIYers) seem to ignore that a lot, judging from how solar panels are installed relative to the fans/roof racks… Take the time to read the next section!

3.1.4- Partial Shading

Blocking a single cell from a solar array can completely bring the solar output down to ZERO. That's right! Bear with us…

Solar Panel Construction

Solar panels are made of multiple solar cells all connected together in series; blocking one of the cells totally kills the output of the solar panel. Think of the old Christmas tree lights: if one of the bulbs blew, the entire thing would go off. Meh. Typically we see roof racks or fans creating partial shading (this is totally avoidable!):

This panel gives 0% output (assuming it has no bypass diode)

Solar Array

What if the solar panel above is part of an array connected in series? The resulting total power is ZERO. See the water analogy below:

Bypass Diodes

Fortunately, modern solar panels have built-in bypass diodes that helps with partial shading. In such solar panels, cells are split in 2 or 3 groups; if one cell is blocked, only the group comprising the blocked cell is "killed". Other groups bypass the killed group:

Here, the panel gives 50% output thanks to the bypass diode.

Don't celebrate too fast: even with bypass diodes, a solar array's (in series) total power will be considerably reduced:

Total Power Without Partial Shading

Total Power With Partial Shading (Series)

Total Power With Partial Shading (Parallel)

0 Watts

18V x (9A + 4.5A + 9A)

Conclusion on partial shading

• Do NOT install your panels in the shade of your fan or your roof rack! If you must, connect your panels in parallel.
• In series, adding one more panel might actually reduce your total power output (if it's in the shade of a fan/rack)!

And that explains our roof layout:

3.1.5- Panel Orientation

A panel will deliver more current if oriented perpendicularly to the sun. On large commercial solar plants, the panels are mounted on a motor-driven device that optimizes the orientation of the panel automatically throughout the day. Obviously there is no such device for a van roof (until when?), but, with some out-of-the-box thinking you can build your own system:

We reached out to Ray at Rayoutfitted and he claims his tilt system can increase solar input up to 50% in winter. Pretty good!

Adding a tilt kit will obviously add weight, raise the panel(s), and have a negative impact on fuel consumption. If we were to park for extended period of time at the same place, we might consider a tilt kit. With our lifestyle, we generally move a few times each day, so we personally don't feel like it's worth the hassle.

At last, having several panels with dissimilar orientation has a similar effect as partial shading. If you must have dissimilar orientation, consider connecting your panels in parallel.

3.1.6- Solar Panel Installation

We personally went for a simple DIY installation (faroutride.com/solar-panels-installation), but we would consider getting one of these new Flatline Van Co roof racks, because they have a few benefits:

FlatLine Van Co "Low Pro" Roof Rack

• Modular: you can shuffle the cross bars around to fit your custom roof layout (e.g. solar panels/roof fan/etc);
• Low profile: a bit more stealth and aerodynamic than the tubular aluminum "overland-style" roof rack;
• Easy installation: it's attached to the van's roof with the factory mount points (no-drill!), and because they are modular they ship flat packed in a box and they are easier to install (less bulky);
• Easy to install gear and accessories: the cross bars are 80/20 aluminum extrusions, so you can get creative and attach pretty much anything in any possible way: solar panels, decking, awning (Fiamma F45S direct-mount, no drill), light bar, etc.

For more info (features, specifications, photos, installation, shipping, etc.) click below:

3.1.7- Solar Charge Controller

MPPT vs PWM

MPPT are more efficient than PWM in cold temperatures, partially sunny days and if the voltage of your solar panels is superior to the voltage of your battery bank. However, they consume a small amount of power for themselves (it's almost nothing really) and are more expensive than PWM. The debate rages about the MPPT efficiency over PWM, but it is believed to be around 10%-20% more efficient depending on the conditions.

MPPT VS PWM, What Others Have to Say:

• See Bogart Engineering's take on the MPPT vs PWM charge controller debate here (see FAQ "C1″)
• MorningStar MPPT vs PWM comparison.
• Victron MPPT vs PWM: Which solar charger to choose?
• Side-to-side, real world testing of MPPT vs PWM charge controller here.

MPPT VS PWM, What We Have to Say:

• We first installed a PWM charge controller (Bogart Engineering) and then upgraded to a MPPT (Victron SmartSolar).
• While we can't exactly quantify the improvement, we immediately noticed more charging current; we observed 24A with the Victron while the most we got with the Bogart was 16A.
• We also noticed more power earlier in the morning and during overcast weather.
• OK we're sold on the Victron MPPT!!

Here you will find our review about the Victron MPPT SmartSolar Charger, Battery Monitor, and VictronConnect App. We also go through the installation, initial setup, and operation process. We have a bunch of cool screenshots and things to say about the Victron, so go read the article 🙂

Choosing the size of the Charge Controller

All Victron solar charge controllers are denoted by MPPT XXX | XX:

Choosing the size of the charge controller is also covered in our "Victron Review" above 🙂

3.2- Alternator

When driving, the alternator's role is to convert mechanical energy (engine) into electrical energy. This electrical energy is delivered to all the vehicle's electrical components (lights, radio, etc.) and to charge the starter battery as well. It's possible to "borrow" electrical energy from the alternator to charge the house battery…

Do you need alternator power in your system? It depends:

• If you live full time in your van, we say it's a must. Energy is a basic need, it's not cool worrying about running out of it…
• If you take your van for adventures in summer only, you can probably live without it.
• For fall and spring adventures, we highly recommend it as the solar days get shorter and weaker. Alternator power is a good way to quickly go through the bulk charge, then solar power can complete the absorption stage.
• For winter, there's no question about it, our opinion is that you want it.

3.2.1- Isolator / Automatic Charging Relay (ACR)

An isolator and ACR combine the starter battery and the house battery together during the charge and disconnect them during discharge. They're good at "bulk-charging" the house battery, but they're not so good at finishing the charge properly because the house battery is not getting an adequate charge profile. That's not great for the cycle-life of lead-acid batteries (flooded, gel, AGM), and they tend to overwork alternators, so we prefer the B2B option.

Blue Sea ACR with Manual Control (up to 500 amps alternator).

Lithium Battery Isolation Manager (Up to 225A)

To prevent overworking the alternator, this device cycles 15 minutes "ON" then 20 minutes "OFF".

3.2.2- Battery to Battery Charger (a.k.a. "B2B" or "DC to DC")

This option is quite popular these days as it provides many advantages:

1. It's a Smart Charger, meaning it provides a multi-stage charge adapted to the battery type (Gel, AGM, LifePO4, etc.). That's important because it will keep your house battery healthy and maximize its lifecycle (especially for lead-acid batteries "flooded, gel or AGM").
2. It acts as current limiter to prevent overworking the alternator (choose between 30A or 60A models).
3. Easier to install: no need to wire to the vehicle ignition.
4. It's plug-and-forget: the B2B will automatically activate/deactivate when driving to keep the house battery topped up.

Renogy DCC50S DC to DC charger

Combine solar (25A MAX, 25V MAX, PANELS WIRED IN PARALLEL ONLY) and alternator (25A max).

Quality/Price

     4.5/5

Victron Orion-TR Smart 30A

(Can be used in our wiring diagram instead of the Sterling)

Sterling Power Pro Batt Ultra

3.2.3- Accessing Battery Power (alternator power) on the Ford Transit

Please check this official Ford SVE Bulletin on how to use the battery power (alternator) on SINGLE or DOUBLE battery variant: SVE Bulletin Q-226 (.pdf)

3.2.4- Accessing Battery Power (alternator power) on the Mercedes Sprinter

THE PICTURES ABOVE ARE EXTRACTED FROM THE BODY AND EQUIPMENT GUIDELINE, PAGE 246, 247 & 248. MAKE SURE TO READ THESE PAGES FOR MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDATIONS AND LIMITATIONS:

3.3- Shore Power

Do you need shore power in your system? We think it's a good option if:

• You spend extended time in campgrounds with full service.
• You use your van to chase the snow. Indeed, solar is VERY weak in winter, and it takes a LONG drive to complete a full charge, so it's sometimes required to plug in for the night.

3.3.1- Battery Charger / Converter

A smart Battery Charger / Converter will:

1. Charge the house battery from a 120V source by providing a multi-stage charging profile adapted to the battery type (Gel, AGM, etc.).
2. Provide power to 12V loads. This means using 12V loads (refrigerator, lights, etc.) won't discharge the battery when the charger/converter is plugged in.

Samlex 12V Smart Battery Charger / Converter.

15A/30A/50A/80A

3.3.2- Inverter / Charger

An inverter / Charger is a battery charger AND an inverter combined into one device. It is quite convenient because it simplifies the installation (one device instead of two), but it's more expensive (between 1000$-2000$ for high-quality ones) than installing a separate inverter and a battery charger…

Renogy Pure Sine Inverter/Charger (2000W).

Quality/Price

     4.5/5

Victron MultiPlus Compact Pure Sine Inverter/Charger (2000W).

Magnum Pure Sine Inverter/Charger (2000W).

4- 12V DC Loads

Installing appliances and devices that work on 12V DC is efficient because there's always a loss when converting to 120V AC. Here are all the 12V loads we're running in our van:

Maxxfan Roof Fan

LED Lights (Dimmable)

12V Sockets

Phone Chargers

Shurflo Revolution Water Pump, 3 GPM

Novakool R5810 12V Compressor Fridge

Webasto Air Top 2000 STC Gasoline Heater

Propex HS2000 Propane Heater

Sirocco II Gimbal Fan

Nature's Head Composting Toilet

Propane Solenoid Shut Off Valve

5- 120V AC Loads

5.1- Power Inverters & Inverter/Chargers

The role of the power inverter is to convert the voltage from 12V DC (direct current coming from the battery bank) to 120V AC (alternative current). Just know that there is a loss of around 10%-15% efficiency during the conversion from DC to AC, so it's better to avoid the inverter when possible. For example, it is more energy-efficient to get a 12V power adapter to power your laptop, phone, camera, etc.:

Laptop Car Charger

(make sure it's compatible with your laptop)

Phone Car Charger

Now, there are some appliances that must use 120V AC such as a microwave, a gaming laptop, a milk frother, a blender, a coffee machine, etc. In those cases, you will need an inverter. You should size your inverter according to your most demanding appliance; check the owner's manual or check online to find out how many Watts an appliance draws. If you can't find the info, you can use a Kill-a-watt. The Kill A Watt is plugged into the 120V outlet (of your house), the appliance is then plugged into the Kill A Watt and then the consumption will be displayed.

Kill A Watt

Modified VS Pure Sine Inverter

There are two types of inverters: modified and pure sine. This short but comprehensive article does a good job at explaining the differences, and there's a list of appliances that might not work with a modified sine wave inverter: https://www.samlexamerica.com/support/faqs/faq02.aspx

In a nutshell:

Modified Sine Wave

In a modified sine wave, the voltage rises and falls abruptly, the phase angle also changes abruptly, and it sits at 0 Volts for some time before changing its polarity:

• Cheap.
• Any device that uses a control circuitry that senses the phase (for voltage/speed control) or instantaneous zero voltage crossing (for timing control) will not work properly from a voltage that has a modified sine wave-form.
• Produces enhanced radio interference, higher heating effect in motors/microwaves, and produces overloading due to lowering of the impedance of low frequency filter capacitors/power factor improvement capacitors.

Pure Sine Wave

In a pure sine wave, the voltage rises and falls smoothly with a smoothly changing phase angle and also changes its polarity instantly when it crosses 0 Volts.

• Inductive loads like microwaves and motors run faster, quieter, and cooler.
• Reduces audible and electrical noise in fans, fluorescent lights, audio amplifiers, TV, fax, and answering machines.
• Prevents crashes in computers, weird print outs, and glitches in monitors.
• More expensive.

About Power Rating

Inverters are normally rated for the power they can continuously deliver on the 120V AC side. But remember that because there is an efficiency loss (around 15%), more power is drawn on the 12V DC side (battery). For example, an 1800W inverter will draw more than 1800W on the DC side:

We had really good luck with our Samlex pure sine wave inverter (and our Samlex charger as well!) and highly recommend it. It's been running great since 2016.

Renogy Pure Sine Inverter

Quality/Price

     4.5/5

Xantrex Prowatt SW Pure Sine Inverter

Samlex Pure Sine Power Inverter

High Current!

Remember that inverters draw a HUUUUGE amount of current (i.e. a 3000W inverter draws over 300 amps!) and are the most "dangerous" component of your electrical system. Make sure that your connections are p-e-r-f-e-c-t (and won't loosen with time/vibration) or else enjoy the fireworks. In doubt, ask a professional to install/verify it for you.

6- Battery and System Monitoring

6.1- Battery Monitor

A battery monitor is not mandatory, but we strongly recommend it. Depending on your model, it will display the house and van battery voltage, amperage coming in/out of the house battery, % battery left, amperage used since last charge, etc., etc. You will learn a lot from the battery monitor on: 1- the impact of shade on solar (and help you choose the right parking spot) 2- the impact of your load(s). This will help you better manage your energy. We tested and recommend the Victron BMV-712 because it's a modern, high-quality monitor:

Victron BMV-712 System Monitor

The Victron BMV-712 has built-in bluetooth, and current status (and historical data) can be displayed on an iPhone or Android phone!

Here you will find our review about the Victron MPPT SmartSolar Charge Controller, the Battery Monitor, and the VictronConnect App. We also go through the installation, initial setup, and operation process. We have a bunch of cool screenshots and things to say about the Victron, so go read the article 🙂

6.2- System Monitor

The Simarine Pico system allows you to monitor much more than just the battery. It can also monitor the consumers (current consumption of individual loads), tank levels (fresh, grey, Nature's Head, propane, etc.), temperatures (interior, exterior, fridge, etc.) and pitch/roll (inclinometer to park level). We installed it recently, and we're blown away by the quality of that thing! Not to mention it is VERY sexy and looks much better in our van than any other monitor 🙂

Simarine Pico System Monitor: Installation, Setup, and Review

7- Electrical Wiring

7.1- Wire Diameter (AWG)

Choosing the correct wire size (AWG) is essential for SAFETY (fire hazard due to ampacity) and PERFORMANCE (intermittent problems due to voltage drop ) of your electrical system.

7.1.1- Ampacity

The ampacity is the maximum current that a wire can carry continuously without exceeding its temperature rating. For example: if a wire ampacity is 60A (AWG 10) and there is a continuous current flow of 61A, the wire will overheat and the insulation could melt, creating a fire hazard. An overcurrent protection device (fuse/breaker) prevents going over the ampacity rating of the wire (the fuse/breaker size should always be smaller than the wire ampacity).

7.1.2- Voltage Drop

There is a loss of energy (voltage drop) as current moves through passive elements (wires, terminals, etc.) of an electrical system. The wires are a big contributor to the voltage drop, and this should be taken into account when designing the electrical system. How? By selecting the appropriate diameter; the bigger the diameter, the smaller the voltage drop. Generally, wire diameter should be selected to provide a maximum of 3% voltage drop for critical loads (panel main feeder, inverter, electronic) and 10% maximum voltage drop for non-critical loads (lightning, fan, etc.). That being said, we personally like to use around 3% voltage drop for everything in our van.

7.1.3- Selecting the correct wire diameter

Now, really, how do you select the correct wire diameter? It can be done manually by following ABYC standards (ABYC E-09 1990 pdf); however, but to make your life easier, we designed this WIRE GAUGE CALCULATOR:

Wire Gauge (AWG) Calculator

• Choosing the correct wire size is essential for SAFETY (fire hazard due to max current capacity) and PERFORMANCE (intermittent problems due to voltage drop) of your electrical system.
• Wire gauge depends on CURRENT and LENGTH of the wire. This means even if your friend installed the same components (e.g. inverter, fridge, etc.) as you, you most likely need different wire gauge.
• Wire sizing per ABYC standards for 12V DC, 105°C copper wire conductor. This calculator does not supersede manufacturer recommendations and is for reference only; have your diagram and installation checked by a professional.

How can we help today?

I KNOW THE LOAD CURRENT Preferred. Better accuracy.

I DON'T KNOW THE LOAD CURRENT, BUT I KNOW THE FUSE SIZE Easier, but may result in slightly oversized wire (which is totally fine in terms of safety and performance; the downside is the cost!)

Load Current Maximum current flow expected from the load.

Fuse size As recommended by the manufacturer.

(amps)

Wire Length Round-trip (positive + negative).

(pos+neg, feet)

Voltage Drop The loss of energy as current moves through a wire results in voltage drop. A larger wire offers less resistance and therefore minimize voltage drop. We recommend 3%.

(%)

Fuse/Breaker If you don't know, we will use:
LOAD CURRENT X 1.4

(amps)

I don't know, tell me!
Per owner's manual.

Derating Factors Factors that impact the ampacity or the voltage drop of wires

• Wire in ambient temperature of 50°C (122F) or more? This option is equivalent to "In Engine Room" per ABYC standards, which REDUCES THE WIRE AMPACITY BY 15%. This is most likely the case for wire running in ceiling or wall, as it gets much hotter than in the living space of the van (especially for dark color van).The max current that the wire can safely carry is reduced because it has less capacity to dissipate the heat generated by the current flow.
• Load runs continuously for 20 minutes or more? This option increases the load current by 25% for voltage drop calculation (but not for the fuse/breaker calculation). This is to mitigate the fact that more heat builds up in the wire if the current flows continuously.
• Wire in conduit, insulation or bundled with 2 (or more) wires? Wire ampacity is reduced by 30%, since its ability to dissipate heat generated by current flow is reduced.

Recommended Wire

AWG ?

AMPACITY: ?A Maximum current that a wire can carry continuously without exceeding its temperature rating.

DERATED AMPACITY: ?A Corrected ampacity when taking derating factor(s) into account.

Fuse too small

ENTER FUSE

OUT OF RANGE

AWG ? DUPLEX

AWG ? BLACK

AWG ? RED

*You can select the wire length on Amazon

How this wire calculator works

Based on Load Current:

1. Using load_current and length, we first find the wire gauge that meets the selectedvoltage_drop.
2. We find a wire gauge for which the ampacity is higher than the fuse size (fuse size per owner's manual, otherwise we compute it as follows: fuse_size = load_current x 1.4).
3. We compare 1. and 2. above and keep the wire with the largest gauge.
4. Voilà!

Based on fuse size:

1. We assume that: load_current = fuse_size/1.25 (it is generally accepted that a fuse must be at minimum 125% the size of the load current)
2. Using load_current and length, we compute the wire gauge that meets the chosen voltage drop.
3. We find a wire gauge for which the ampacity is higher than the fuse size.
4. We compare 2. and 3. above and keep the wire with the largest gauge.

Derating Factors:

Wires can carry a certain amount of current continuously and no more; more current means the wire will overheat (and melt) as it cannot dissipate the heat that is generated by too much current flow. That characteristic is called AMPACITY (maximum current that a wire can carry continuously without exceeding its temperature rating). Certain factors reduce the ampacity rating of wires and the voltage drop as well:

Ambient temperature of 50°C (122F) or more

A wire located in ambient temperature of 50°C (122F) or more loses its ability to dissipate heat, and, therefore, its ampacity is reduced by 15%. (note: this is per ABYC standards "In Engine Room"). This is most likely the case for a wire running in the wall/ceiling of a van because temperature in there is much higher than in the living space (that's especially true for darker color vans).

Load runs continuously for 20 minutes or more

A wire that carries a current flow for a long duration (~20 minutes) builds up more heat. As the temperature of a wire increases, so does the resistance to current flow = more voltage drop. To mitigate this factor, the load current is increased by 25% for the voltage drop calculation (but not for the fuse/breaker size calculation). This is not an ABYC requirement at the moment; however, it is generally accepted by marine product manufacturers (such as Blue Sea).

Wire in conduit, insulation, or bundled with 2 (or more) wires

A wire located in a conduit, sheath, running through insulation, or bundled with 2 (or more) wires loses its ability to dissipate heat, and therefore, its ampacity is reduced by 30%. This is not an ABYC requirement at the moment; however, it is generally accepted by marine product manufacturers (such as Blue Sea).

Maxxfan Wire Sizing Example

Method 1: Calculate Wire Gauge from Load Current (preferred)

Better accuracy

Load Current

Always use the maximum current that the load is expected to draw. The Maxxfan can draw up to 2.8A at the highest speed in steady state (according to our Simarine Pico Monitor). However, any load with a motor draws more current during startup for a very short period of time, so we'll go ahead and add about 50% buffer to account for startup. If you have no clue what current to use as an input, it's OK to use the FUSE SIZE that the manufacturer recommends. As a result, you'll get slightly oversized wires (which is quite good for safety, performance, and durability).

Wire Length

The wire length input is always the round-trip length. The round-trip length is the sum of the positive and the negative wires. Remember that a duplex wire packs the positive and the negative into a single wire, so the round-trip length is equal to twice the duplex length.

Voltage Drop

There is a loss of energy (voltage drop) as current moves through passive elements (terminal, fuse, wire, etc.); a smaller wire means more voltage drop. For example, if we size the wire for 3% voltage drop (bigger wire), the voltage will go from 12V at the fuse block down to 11.64V at the Maxxfan. If we size it for 10% voltage drop (smaller wire), the voltage at the Maxxfan will be 10.8V; this can become a problem as the battery voltage goes down (low SOC). For best performance, we recommend 3% (5% would be OK as well).

FUSE/Breaker

Overcurrent protection devices (fuse/breaker) protect the wire (not the load) from being used over its ampacity; it's the weakest link! Therefore, a fuse/breaker should be smaller than the ampacity of the wire but big enough so that it doesn't blow during normal operation of the load. The easiest way to determine the fuse size is to follow the manufacturer recommendations! So check the owner's manual or specifications sheet. Can't find it? OK then. As a general rule, the fuse size can be determined as follows: LOAD CURRENT x 1.4 and then round up to the next available fuse. In the Maxxfan scenario: 4A x 1.4 = 5.6A = 7.5A fuse. However, it looks like the manufacturer recommends a 10A, fuse so we'll stick to that.

• Wire in ambient temperature of 50°C (122F) or more? --> Yes, because the wire is routed in the ceiling!
• Load runs continuously for 20 minutes or more? --> Oh yeah, definitely!
• Wire in conduit, insulation, or bundled with 2 (or more) wires? --> Not in our case.

Method 2: Calculate Wire Gauge from fuse size

Easier, but may result in slightly oversized wires (which is totally fine in terms of safety and performance; the downside is the cost!)

Fuse Size

In the scenario where we have no clue how much current the Maxxfan draws (load current), we'll use the fuse size instead. Using our Google super skills, we find that the manufacturer recommends a 10A fuse:

Wire Length

Voltage Drop

When basing our calculation from the fuse size, we like to use 5% voltage drop (instead of 3%). This is to "compensate" for the slightly oversized wire that this method gives.

• Wire in ambient temperature of 50°C (122F) or more? --> Yes, because the wire is routed in the ceiling!
• Load runs continuously for 20 minutes or more? --> Oh yeah, definitely!
• Wire in conduit, insulation, or bundled with 2 (or more) wires? --> Not in our case.

1500W Inverter Wire Sizing Example

Current

As always, we want to use the maximum current as an input. 1500W/12V = 125A is an oversimplification. Actually, the inverter can work down to 10.7V and the efficiency ratio is around 85%, so: 1500W/10.7V/0.85 = 165A. But according to the specifications sheet, the "maximum input current" is 200A. We always follow the manufacturer recommendations, so:

Length

As always, we want to use the round-trip length as an input. That's the sum of the positive and negative wires:

Voltage Drop

Reputable inverter brands are quite aggressive with voltage drop; we've seen it in the 2% range. Why? Because they care about how their product performs in the real-world, not just on the specifications sheet. For example, most inverters stop working below 10.7V; if the inverter was wired for 10% voltage drop, it means it won't work when the battery charge (SOC) is at around 60%-70% (for AGM), which can happen very frequently in the real world...

Fuse/Breaker

According to the Samlex owner's manual, a fuse of 200A is recommended:

• Wire in ambient temperature of 50°C (122F) or more? --> Yes, even if that might not be the case often.
• Load runs continuously for 20 minutes or more? --> Unlikely, but we can't say it's never going to happen.
• Wire in conduit, insulation, or bundled with 2 (or more) wires? --> Not in our case.

The inverter is the most finicky and dangerous part of an electrical system. While you can use this calculator for sizing the wires, we highly recommend to follow the manufacturer recommendations from the owner's manual (fuse size, wire gauge, and wire length). That'll ensure the inverter installation is safe and performs as it should. (Expect to find different recommendations between this calculator and different inverter brands; no one seems to use the same calculation/factors...)

Making things easy:

Did you know that our Wiring Diagram features a built-in wire gauge calculator? So you don't actually need to size each wire individually… it doesn't get any easier than this!

7.2- Wire Type

Electrical wire is made of a conductor inside an insulator. There are two types of wire depending on how the conductor is made:

Stranded

• Very flexible (easier to route)
• Resistant to vibration

• More expansive
• Less resistant to corrosion (that's why some marine-grade wire is tinned)

Solid

• Cheaper
• Smaller diameter for same conductibility
• More resistant to corrosion due to decreased surface area

• Not intended to be flexed (more difficult to route)
• Not resistant to vibration (will break in the long run)

Solid wire is commonly found in houses, not in moving vehicles (car, RV, boat). Because of the vibration and tight turning radius (when routing), the conductor in solid wire will most likely break in the long term. Therefore, it is mandatory to use copper stranded wire that's rated for 105°C (lower rated temperature cannot handle as much current, so it invalidates the wire sizing per ABYC):

Primary Wire

(Battery/Inverter/Charger/etc.)

1: Many lengths available.

2: Many lengths / lug sizes available.

Duplex Wire

(6/2 AWG up to 16/2 AWG)

7.3- Wire Crimping

There are many ways to connect wires together or to a terminal. We will go straight to the point here, the best way to do it is crimping. Crimping will deform the connector into the wire and ensure a solid permanent mechanical connection with low resistance. To crimp, you need quality crimping tools and quality crimp connectors.

7.3.1- Crimp Connectors

There's 3 types of material:

Vinyl/PVC

One word: CHEAP. With this type of crimp, the wires remain exposed to the elements and can corrode. Moreover, the insulation can become brittle and crack over time. The vinyl/PVC are not great against pull-out. We pass.

Nylon

Like the Vinyl, the wires remain exposed to the elements. However, the nylon is more durable than the vinyl and is double-crimped, which provides more tensile strength and strain relief against pull-out.

Heat Shrink

The connector is crimped (single-crimp, because double-crimp might damage the insulation) and then heated to shrink the insulation around the wire and the melting adhesive adheres to the wire insulation. This provides a waterproof and permanent connection. Heat shrink connectors are more expensive, but there's no price for safety and peace of mind!

We recommend the Ancor, marine-grade connectors:

Terminal Ring

Terminal rings are commonly used to make connections to the fuse block, battery, etc.

Butt Connector

Butt connectors are commonly used to make a permanent connection to an appliance.

Disconnect

Disconnects are commonly used to make "non-permanent" connections (i.e. to our fridge, which we periodically pull-out to clean the back) and to connect to certain appliances (i.e. 12V Sockets, switches, etc.).

*Hint: Female disconnect should be on "hot" side of the wire (that's the wire closest to the battery), male disconnect on the side of the appliance. This is to prevent short circuit when manipulating the "hot" wire.

7.3.2- Tools

Quality tools = safe and durable electrical system. Do not use pliers as you will get poor connections = safety and reliability issues.

Ancor Single-Crimp Tool (8 - 22 AWG)

(for vinyl & heat shrink connectors)

Ancor Double-Crimp Tool (10 - 22 AWG)

(for nylon insulated connectors)

Ancor Wire Cutter and Stripper

Hydraulic Crimper (4/0 - 10 AWG)

Cable Cutter (Up to 4/0 AWG)

Heat Gun (for heat shrink)

Digital Multimeter

You shall make your crimp-face when crimping.

7.4- Wire Installation

Before or after the insulation?

Current flowing through a wire generates heat. In steady state (after a long and continuous usage), the wire must be able to evacuate as much heat as it generates. Otherwise the temperature inside the wire keeps increasing, leading to a few possible problems:

1. Resistance of a conductor increases with temperature. In other words, higher temperature equals more voltage drop.
2. The maximum current that a wire can carry continuously without exceeding its temperature rating is called "ampacity". Installing a wire inside insulation reduces the ampacity rating of a wire by approximately 30% (it's huge!) because the ability of the wire to evacuate heat is greatly reduced. For example, a 6 AWG copper rated for 105°C can normally carry 120A continuously, but if it's buried in insulation it can only carry 84A continuously. Going over 84A will overheat the wire and create a fire hazard.

So while hiding the wires inside the insulation looks like an elegant solution, it's far from ideal; indeed, it reduces the performance of the electrical system and increases safety hazard. We therefore recommend insulating first and then installing the electrical wires after. We know it makes things more complicated, but it is what it is (it's physic we can't deny that).

Securing the Wires

For safety's sake, the wires should not be installed loose and unprotected; as opposed to a house, there is a lot of vibration and movements that will damage the wires in the long run.

The wires should be routed through Split Loom Tubing (make sure to buy several diameters) attached with zip ties.

When routing a wire through a metal hole, always use a rubber grommet to protect it from the sharp edges.

Split Loom Tubing

The wires should be routed through Split Loom Tubing (make sure to buy several diameters).

Zip Ties

The split loom attached with zip ties.

Cable Clamps

The split loom attached to wood walls with nylon cable clamps.

Adhesive Zip Ties Mount

Adhesive zip tie mounts can be used on metal (clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol first).

Rubber Grommets

Rubber grommets protect the wire from sharp edges.

8- Fuses and Breakers

Fuses and breakers are essential in any electrical system! It will protect the circuit wires and the components against over current and ultimately fire. If you blow a fuse during your system installation (we did a few times), it means that you just avoided a potential failure or fire! Nice!

In our wiring diagram, every positive wire has a fuse or a breaker to prevent going over the ampacity (max current rating) of the wire. To select the correct fuse/breaker size, consult the owner's manual of the load or use our calculator above. To keep things neat and organized, a fuse block is used for all our 12V loads:

Blue Sea Fuse Block

The fuse will drive the wire diameter selection. For example, if wiring a load that draws 5A and a fuse of 15A is used, you should choose a wire with an ampacity rating (max current rating) of more than 15A! This is a safety matter.

Breakers are similar to fuses except that if a breaker blows it is possible to reset it without replacing it. Fuses generally blow faster than breakers and, therefore, fuses are preferred for sensible electronics. We added a few 40 amp breakers in our system. Why? First, to avoid having to use big electrical wires. Indeed, our fuse block is capable of 100A; even if we know that we will never draw 100A, we need to size our wires for 100A ($$). By adding 40A breakers, we can size our wires for 40A. We can also turn off a portion of the system by switching a breaker off (for example, turn off solar panels to display on our system monitor the draw that the loads are pulling. Or the opposite to display the charge that the solar panels are providing).

Here is a more complete article about this topic: http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/fuses-guide-uses.html

Connecting the Blue Sea 285 breakers:

We recommend the Blue Sea 285 Series breakers. On the breaker, you'll find a terminal labeled as "AUX" and a terminal labeled as "BAT". For this type of thermal responsive breaker, it does not matter how it is connected. BUT this is not the case for all breakers, so be careful, and check for each type of breaker.

9- Short and Long term Van/RV Storage

Not planning on using your van for a while? Then you've got a few things to do in order to maximize your battery lifespan! For either short-term storage (weeks) or for long-term storage (months), here are our recommendations:

Loads & Charge Sources

• Disconnect all 12V DC and 120V AC loads to prevent battery drain.
• Lithium: Disconnect all charge sources. (Lithium don't really self-discharge)
• Lead-acid (flooded, gel, AGM): Disconnect all charge sources, but keep solar connected. (self-discharge occurs with lead-acid batteries)

Battery SOC

• Lithium: 50-70% SOC is ideal.
• Lead Acid (flooded, gel, AGM): 100% SOC is ideal (keep solar "ON" to maintain it, or charge it periodically to keep it above 85%).

Temperature

• 15°C (60F) is ideal for all battery types.
• The higher the temperature, the more non-recoverable permanent capacity loss.  The battery should not be allowed to freeze.

Storage Mode for Lead-Acid (flooded, gel, AGM):

Storage Mode for Lithium (LiFePO4):

10- Power "Generator" (Goal Zero, Kodiak, etc.)

Designing and building an electrical system is far from an easy task, so Power "Generators" (thanks marketing people for this confusing term… how about "Power Station" instead?) seems like a simple alternative, right? Well, it depends.

We think it's a great solution for a photographer (for example) working and living for short stretches in their vehicle:

• Fully portable (no permanent installation required)
• Plug-and-Play (no electrical knowledge required)

However, we don't think they're really meant for a "true" van electrical system because they have far too many limitations:

• They cost much more than doing your own electrical system (we're OK with that; there's a price to pay for a high-end, all-in-one solution).
• The 12V DC output port (called "Power Pole Port") max current is quite low (i.e. 20A for the Yeti 1400 & 3000 Lithium). That's probably not enough for a "full" electrical system (fridge, fan, lights, water pump, Webasto, etc.).
• The total capacity is not that much, unless you go for the Yeti 3000 Lithium (230Ah))
• You're pretty much stuck into the Goal Zero ecosystem; future expansions are limited and costly.

Aware of the pros/cons? Still think it's the adequate solution for you? Awesome! Here are the latest Power Stations from Goal Zero:

Yeti 400 Lithium

Yeti 1000 Lithium

Yeti 1400 Lithium

Yeti 3000 Lithium

Boulder Solar Panel

11- Real World Data

11.1- Measured Summer Daily Power Usage

Thanks to the Victron SmartSolar Charge Controller, it's possible to measure our actual power usage, if:

1. We don't use any other charge source (alternator, shore).
2. There is more solar than we need.

When both conditions above are fulfilled, we can then say that our harvest = our usage. Here is what we measured from June 25th 2018 to July 24th 2018:

The data was gathered when we did not use our inverter at all*, so our actual power usage for the 12V DC loads is very close to what we calculated in Part B.

*At that time, our inverter was still hooked to the van battery. Since then we updated our system, and our inverter is now connected to the house battery (exactly like our wiring diagram).

11.2- Summer VS Winter Solar Harvest

Because there's not enough solar during winter and because we can't measure the power provided by our Sterling B2B charger (which is our main charge source in winter), we can't deduce our exact power usage. But we can still gather and manipulate data :)

In the graph below, we superposed our solar harvest (harvest, not usage) during summer and winter:

No surprise here: winter harvest is way, way lower than summer. Note that during summer, the harvest stops when the battery is full; so we could have actually harvested even more.

What's the point? We're glad we installed a Sterling Power B2B (faroutride.com/b2b-review) to charge from the alternator! The Sterling is our Plan B in summer, Plan A in winter. We think the combination of solar + alternator makes a nice and balanced electrical system. It's nice not relying on a single charge source.

12- If We Had To Start Over

• What would we change?
• We would build our electrical system exactly as per our wiring diagram!

Indeed, the actual wiring diagram as you know it is the result of 2 years of full-time testing, so it doesn't get any better than this. Because our mission is to stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest products, we update our system periodically. For example, here are a few upgrades we performed over the years:

• Upgrade our PWM solar charger to MPPT Victron Smart Solar Charger.
• Delete the option to power our loads directly from the van battery (we never used that and it made our system wayyyyy overcomplicated).
• Install the Sterling Power B2B instead of the inverter+battery charger combo.
• Install Lithium (LiFePO4) Battle Born Batteries instead of our AGM battery.
• Upgrade our monitor to the Simarine Pico. Note that we still recommend the Victron Monitor as baseline (Get the Simarine Pico if you want something high-end with advanced features).

PART B...

We're not done yet!

Feeling overwhelmed? Anxious? That's perfectly normal! To help, We created a group for DIY Van builders to connect and share their issues/concerns/solutions/ideas/etc... See you there!

Source: https://faroutride.com/electrical-system/

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