Van Electric Build Part 1

- 5 minutes read - 1022 words
picture of electrical componets

First Componets Delivered

Electricy Gives Us Freedom

The electric system is a huge part of what makes van camping so convenient and van life so enticing. We want to be able to hop into our vans and travel to wherever we like, and live and work from the road. That requires electricity, and that’s why it’s worth the time, money, and effort to do it right.

The electric system is the most expensive and complicated modification most of us will do to our vans. We need it to power:

  • Vent fan

  • Charging ports

  • Refrigerator

  • Cooktop

  • Lights

  • Water pump

  • Exhast fans

  • Heater

That’s the load side of the equation. You also have the supply side:

  • Shore power

  • Alternator

  • Solar

There is no one size fits all. You might want a heater. You might not want solar. And you might only have budget to do part of what you want.

Figuring out what you want is complicated. Wait until you get into the details!

One Step at a Time

Be patient. Learn as much as you can before you order any parts. Far Out Ride is a great place to start your education. They have detailed build journals, wiring diagrams, parts lists, and spreadsheets to plan your build. You can follow along with their plans and pick and choose the components you need. You’ll also be able to figure out your budget and what you can get now versus later.

Size Matters

Wire sizes matter. Load calculations matter. Fuse sizes matter. It’s physics and you can’t get around that. So pay attention and use the resources the folks at Far Out Ride have put online. Use those spreadsheets!

You are going to have to spend time figuring this out. Or hire someone who knows what they are doing.

I’ve spent more than 20 hours on planning and designing my electrical system, and I have decades of experience with electronics and electrical systems. I relied heavily on Far Out Ride learning about the supply side components. I’d have spent at least 20 hours more without their fantastic resources.

The details are critically important. You don’t want to have a fire, and you don’t want to fry expensive components.

Know Your Ground Points

Find out the ground points for your van, and use the one closest to your system if possible. Go online and search for the ground points for your van’s make and model. Grounding is critical for safety - most importantly - and it is also important for the stability of your electronics. You can have maddening troubles if you end up with floating grounds. As with everything electrical, take the time to do it right.

Here is a digram of the ground points for the 2020 Ford Transit per the BEMM

Our Build

I highly recommend you spend some time using your van on short trips before you decide what you want to install. You can add a little at a time and build from there. It’s simply a matter of what time and budget will allow.

We started with the Maxxfan powered by a 30 AH AGM battery that we charged before heading out on a trip. Everything else was like we were tent camping, with the van serving as our tent.

Based on those experiment trips, we decided we want:

12 VDC Loads

120 VAC Loads

Power Sources

Charging Sources

  • Alternator - charges the batteries when we are driving. It’s isolated from the van battery, so we can’t drain it. Victron isolated DC/DC charger

  • Shore power - charges the batteries when plugged into 120 VAC at campsite or home. We chose to get a charger / invertor in one component. Victron MultiPlus

No Solar?

The system is designed and built with the idea of adding solar at some point in the future.

We decided not to go with solar right now. I’m fairly sure we will at some point, but the way we are using the van right now, it’s not a priority for us. We’re still staying in campgrounds, and we’ll be able to be disconnected from shore power for a few days before having to recharge. That fits with our current plans.

Power Distribution

Far Out Ride chose to use bus bars for 12 V+ and Ground, and resettable fuses on the source and charger loads. I went that route at first, but decided to go with the Victron Lynx Distributor.

We have one distributor for the batteries and one for the charger sources and 12 VDC loads. Each device is fused. This is more expensive than the bus bars, but it’s a cleaner and more protected setup. It can also be integrated with a more capable monitoring system if we go that route in the future. The fuses are not resettable and they will have to be replaced if/when they blow.

picture of inside of Victron Lynx Distributor with 4 100 amp fuses installed

Distributor with Fuses Installed for Batteries

What’s Next

We’ve got to take everything out of the van and remove the wall panels that came with it. Then, I’ve got to figure out the wire runs so I can figure out the right wire guages and lug sizes. Then order the cables, and start the cabinet builds while I wait for the cables to arrive. I’ll add an update as we make progress.

I hope this post has been helpful. I don’t mean to discourage anyone from doing this, but do hope you realize that it’s not a fast project. You should be prepared to spend a fair amount of time researching and learning before you order anything.

Leave a comment if you have any questions or tips to share with someone getting started with their electrical modifications.