The van conversion electrical is one of the trickiest aspects of van construction. Yet, it is also considered one of the most crucial because, well, you can’t really do anything without power. Experts are here to offer you the knowledge you need to completely comprehend and then construct your off-grid electrical system, making it simpler for you to comprehend your campervan essentials electric system.
Components of Van Conversion Electrical
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The electrical system of a van can be divided into various parts.
DC Power Audit
Your van life’s power usage can be calculated pretty simply. Starting with DC, you only have to evaluate the current, or immediate flow of energy, for every point of consumption and divide it by the number of hours per day it will consume power.
Calculating Daily Power Use
We advise having at least 1.5–2 times your daily projected usage on board when deciding on battery size. We will therefore compute it in the following step. The best time to do your power audit is during the cold season when your solar panels will be producing the least amount of electricity, and you should have more storage space available.
AC Power Audit
A further step is needed in your AC power audit calculations since switching from DC to AC power results in a 15% loss of usable power. As a result, you must multiply each computation by 0.85.
Switches
There are many different types of switches that can be used to turn on and off various circuits. Using a switch panel, where all the controls are centralised, or a modular switching system, which enables you to customise the location and arrangement of switches, power outlets, and other features, can provide a professional-looking option.
It’s also a great idea to have a switch that separates all of the circuits linked to the battery nearby, known as a “master” switch. This makes it possible for you to swiftly eliminate battery power in a situation or when working on your electrical system.
Components Required to Charge Batteries
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Finding the required components you’ll need for your batteries to be charged is the natural move to make after selecting the type and number of batteries you’ll use.
- Solar MPPT Charge Controller
- Inverter
- Charger DC/DC or Li-Bim
Safeguarding the Electrical System
It must be obvious that all van conversion electrical, not just those in campervans, need to be protected.
Particularly in campervans, wiring must be run through tight places and in close proximity to sharp edges while also being continually moved and shaken by the vehicle.
We often overprotect our system because of all of these factors. These are the three ways we accomplish this:
- Fuses
- Wire Sheath
- Wire Conduit
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The van conversion electrical wiring and battery are safeguarded by fuses and breakers in the case of appliance failures or power surges.
Installing the proper size fuses and breakers will ensure that, should too much power flow down the cable, the fuse will blow, protecting the entire system.
It’s crucial to size the wiring for each device on the circuit. It must be large enough to handle the wire’s load capacity while ideally not being so large as to need excessive expenditure.
