Getting your camper’s electrics installed and working for you is an important aspect of off-grid living.
These guides cover everything from batteries and solar panels to the nitty gritty detail of wiring.
Even if you plan to hand off your van to a conversion company, read through these posts to help you spec your requirements before they begin the build.
Sizing the major components of a campervan electrical system is a crucial part of your build. Installing enough solar panels and an appropriately sized solar charge controller will help you maximise how much solar electricity you can generate. An optimum-sized battery-to-battery charger or split charge relay will help maximise how much and how fast you …
Check out our introduction to portable inverter generators for RVs for a brief overview. Comfortable off-grid RV living depends on the availability of enough electricity to power your appliances. You can reduce demand by using energy-efficient appliances wherever possible or even cutting back. Maximising the supply of electricity with a well-sized solar setup and a …
Check out our introduction for how to use a digital multimeter for beginners for a brief overview. A multimeter is one of the most useful tools in an RV or campervan toolkit. When installing a campervan electrical system, you’ll use the handy tool all the time. You’ll test your solar panel’s output, battery levels, cable …
Check out our introduction to RV battery monitoring systems for a brief overview. To avoid running out of electricity when living in a van off-grid means closely managing the leisure battery bank. Using more power than the alternator or solar panels supply will eventually lead to flat batteries, no matter how big the battery bank. And, over-discharging the battery can shorten …
How to add shore power to your campervan electrical system to charge leisure batteries from the mains supply. For those who spend any time on campgrounds with mains power supply, an RV electrical hookup (240v or 110v) is a perfect way of recharging leisure batteries and powering household appliances. With the right setup, you can …
Charging a leisure battery bank in motorhomes, RVs, campervans and caravans is essential. Without an effective means of replacing the energy used, the batteries will flatten. Not only is it important to recharge them so you can continue to use them, but if left too deeply discharged for too long, their lifespan will shorten. This …
Maintaining the charge in the leisure batteries of a campervan electrical system can make or break your van living lifestyle. If you want to keep the lights on, have chilled beers for sundowners and keep your electrical gadgets charged a well sized system is imperative. And a means to effectively charge the batteries is as …
When it comes to campervan conversions and living in a van, nothing is more important than the electrical system. A well sized setup, suited for your lifestyle, will keep the lights and fridge running, start up the heater, provide running water and keep your gadgets fully charged. For off grid living, the campervan electrics are …
If you’ve read what we have, you’ll be convinced that if you’re serious about boondocking, an RV inverter charger is an essential bit of kit. Well we’ve been living in our camper full time since 2018 and we don’t have an RV inverter charger so they’re not what we’d call essential. Living in a van …
If you’re planning to live in a van full time or even for a few weeks at a time, you’ve probably already got your solar setup worked out to keep the battery bank charged. But what about when the weather is against you for days on end? Watching the battery monitor and the overall battery …
If you’re planning on living in a van full time or even for a few weeks at a time, you might want to think about buying and installing an inverter. Most campervan conversions include at least a small battery bank for charging 12v DC appliances and devices. But what about household appliances like charging laptops …
Need a crash course on campervan electrical components? This post is the perfect place to start for a quick overview of the parts of a campervan electrical system. With a summary of what each component is, what is does and why it’s needed, alongside simple diagrams showing how they fit together, this post helps build …
