sprinter van electrical system kit

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sprinter van electrical system kit

2022.07.31
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sprinter van electrical system kit

These are cheaper, more compact, less efficient, and require your solar panels to be wired in parallel, which is more complex. Use stranded cable for all 120V and 12V connections because the van will vibrate. A well-built solar panel from a reputable company is rated to last over 25 years, so its a good idea to explore both of these options before making the investment. We had to determine the loads the system would need to support.

Because of this, its important to understand the basic layout of a wiring diagram. As a rule of thumb, youll need at least 400Ah of battery capacity for a 2kW inverter. Luckily, people have been installing this type of stuff in boats for years. So stay tuned, up next were installing the wood slats and T-slot system. The two panels were installed onto the roof with metal brackets that screw right into the roof. You will run out of space pretty quickly if you are running stuff through the walls and the top ribs.

Renogys options, albeit good stuff, are a bit limited due to being designed in size to allow for UPS shipping. When lithium batteries read under 12v the batteries really start to suffer and can be damaged. We went this route for a few reasons: For the 12V DC circuit, we added up the loads from the fridge and the cabin heater to come, and also the LEDs and other components that we might run to give a margin of error.

towbar fixed electric step kit sprinter mercedes van We like the metal fins so that whenever the batteries are totally topped up and the solar panels are still producing power, the charge controller can dissipate the energy in the form of heat effectively.

They have a comprehensive quality control process ensuring that each panel is built to the highest standards. Coming from a designers perspective, we wanted the user experience to be similar to that of an extremely energy conscious homeowner. Carefully figure out the specs and trust your numbers. As you consume battery power, this number will drop towards 12.0 volts. Well, this video will show you our camper van setup. Tips for choosing and using an efficient van fridge, Updating Victron Energy inverter settings and firmware, 12v electric mattress pad for cheap overnight heating, Dash cam and rear view camera in one unit installation and first impressions, 12 Volt electrical systems for vans the basics, Why Mercedes Auxiliary battery package isnt a good starting point for a conversion, Not all lithium battery management systems are created equal. We added a good amount of lap sealant under and around the brackets as well as sprayed the inside screws with flex seal. Comparing this with the previous example we used, if you have lithium batteries with a capacity of 400 amp hours, you have 320 usable amp-hours compared to only 200 with AGM batteries. We still had much to figure out and plan for the electrical systembut installing the track and cladding would have been an easy win.

No extra brain power necessary.

Branch Connector Parallel Adapter Kit for Solar Panel, Magnadyne 12V Wall Mount 4 Ports USB Charging.

In this blog post, were going to cover van electrical systems including solar power. Generators can be loud, impacting your ability to enjoy the sounds of nature. Your van electrical system is one of the main ingredients to ensuring a quality living experience on the road.

We hid all of this complexity behind a really simple interface.

We added several types of lights, including spotlights and LED strips. Frequent depletion below 50% significantly decreases the lifetime of AGM batteries, so its important to monitor them to ensure theyre getting the charge they need.

Opting for a solar power system is a more eco-friendly option, but it does have a heftier initial investment.

Its a bit messy. The downside of my setup is that the battery bank is very heavy due to its size and it was also expensive. A solar power system in your van is one of the many things that differentiates van life from normal car camping.

Highly recommended: Ability to monitor your power system. Well talk more about this option later on. When your AGM batteries are full, your voltage meter should read around 12.8 volts.

We also connected all three main components (charge controller, inverter and 12 volt fuse box) directly to the out of the main switch. Obviously, consult with your tax adviser to make sure this applies to you and your situation. The wattage represents the total amount the inverter can handle at any given time.

For those of you who are DIYing, weve included links to some of our favorite resources below this video to help you better understand what sort of wiring youll need depending on your load. With this info, we could choose the right 12v battery and 120v inverter. A Li-ion battery can produce well over twice the power without damagea good option when powering high draw devices such as saws and inline hot water heaters. We did some early calculations of all our planned electrical components and decided that 200Ah would be enough for us. But per.

Add shut off switches to mains, auxiliary, and anything that draws power. Obviously, not all of this stuff is on at once. Components are more expensive because they have to be built to withstand DC voltage arcs. Power 12V DC equipment including a stereo amplifier, LED lighting, refrigerator, water pump, fan, and a cabin heater fan. Fuses arent sexy but they are very important. When wiring, its important that you have solid, secure connections that will not vibrate loose, fit poorly and increase resistance, or promote heat and the possibility of a fire.

The system has worked great, and Im happy I overestimated because I never have to think about having enough power. We decided on an off-brand fuse box that got great reviews but was almost half the price of the Blue Seas version. Again, Im going to refer you to some additional resources below this video if you want more details on wiring. Cool stuff. In my second van, I had 440 watts of Zamp solar panels and a 660 amp-hour AGM battery bank. Having one of these means if you are on the road for a few hours, your batteries will be fully charged when you arrive at your campsite.

If you carry the can and the generatorinside the van, the fumes are terrible, so that means strapping themon to the outside of the vehicle somehow.

Ive had two different setups in my Sprinter vans. Some newer devices wont operate well on modified sine inverters either, so its important to research the exact appliances you plan to use and what the manufacturer recommends. The batterycan also be charged using solar panels. Can nearly run two 120v AC house circuits at 15 amps each. Unnecessary steps of turning things off and onand getting on hands and knees to turn something onhad to be eliminated. In my experience, its better to overestimate your needs than to underestimate, so make a liberal estimate when youre planning your battery bank. Which brings us to the circuit breaker box.

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This one was a doozy. This is all extremely helpful. T Tocas 300A Heavy-Duty Negative bus bar terminal, T Tocas 30 Amp Surface-Mount Circuit Breakers with Manual Reset, WindyNation ANL Fuse Holder

In case youre not already familiar, the way a solar power system works is that solar panels capture the suns energy and convert it into electricity which is then used to either directly power something, or more commonly, that energy is collected in a battery that can then be used to run power from.

Even though Li-ion can throw out a lot of power, we need to be careful. I regularly see incorrect battery states of charge and am not confident in relying on it to tell me how much juice the battery has.

As it stands now, Even with all of the planning and work, Im going to be completely reworking my wiring box to clean it up and make it something Im proud to open and show off.

Ultimately, the differences between the two types are only slight. We have never been short on AC power even when running several high usage electronics all at once. Do your research and calculations carefully.

When installing the inverter, we hooked up the provided thick positive cable directly to the out side of the main system switch and the provided negative cable to the negative bus bar. Its important to be aware of the demands of your appliances and devices so that your own needs are met and your equipment can be used properly. An automatic charging relay is a small device that attaches to the vehicles alternator. We went with the WUPP Fuse Box and its worked flawlessly for the last 6 months. So far, three months into vanlife, we think we made the right decision. Before you get all worried about lithium, read about the different types of lithium and lead-acid batteries, and why despite all the horror stories the lithium batteries used in van conversions are actually very safe. One caveat is youve got to keep gas stored for the generator, so thats something to consider when planning your build. Its installed in the corner of one of my cabinets and provides a simple way to monitor the solar power coming into my batteries. Its just plain cool. To prevent any further damage, we flipped the main switch so no more power could be drawn by the charge controller or 12v fuse box.

document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Camper Van Solar Panels, Batteries & Electrical Systems, Zamp 30 amp, 5-stage PWM charge controller, Wiring Diagram & Tutorial by Far Out Ride, Video: My Second Sprinter Van Solar Setup & Electrical System Tips, Video: Sprinter Van Solar & Electrical System Tour of my First Van, Review of Zamp Solar Charge Controller by Truck Camper Adventure, Best Batteries for Solar Power by Parked in Paradise, Solar Calculator & DIY Wiring Diagrams by Parked in Paradise, Explorist Life: Switching from AGM to Lithium, sign up for van life resource updates here, Sprinter Van Conversion: Tour my 44 Outside Van, Tips for Screening a Van Conversion Company, Sprinter Van Build-out 2.0: What Im Doing Differently This Time, Sprinter Van FAQ: Vehicle & Conversion Questions, Tour my First Sprinter Camper Van (a tiny home on wheels), https://bearfoottheory.com/sprinter-van-solar-panels-batteries/. So far, this inverter has performed extremely well. If you want to use 120 volt household appliances, youll need to add an inverter to create 120 volt AC power to run a microwave, induction cooktop, Vitamix, or other mains loads when you arent plugged in to shore power. AKA, buy extra wire and crimps. Tell us if this helped you plan your electrical build! Pulling more than a 100A load from this battery for long periods of time is beyond the manufacturers recommendation. Crazy as it seems,you can get a tax credit for installing a solar system on your van if you live in it more than 10 days a year.

Im looking to do the solar install myself but drilling a hole in the roof is well.. terrifying (as I had a company install my exhaust fan so I didnt have to cut the square in the roof myself haha). If it gets down to 12, youll need to charge your batteries as soon as possible as anything lower will start to degrade the battery.

We wouldnt recommend the factory auxiliary batteryas the basis for a conversion. / Ida.

When shopping for solar panels for your van, youll encounter two main types: monocrystalline solar panels (mono) and polycrystalline solar panels (poly). A full 15A 120V circuit, powered by the 90% efficient inverter, pulls about 165A. It took us two very long days, plus some reworking. After youve looked at that, the rest of this area of the site might make more sense. Another thing to note is that, if necessary, AGM batteries can be mounted outside if you are looking to save space when planning your van layout. If AGM batteries are properly used and well taken care of, they should last a long time.

The ceiling fan and water pump are both electric. The article describes why we chose not to in the end, and its based mainly on Mercedes recommendation not to draw the kind of current that you need for house battery charging from the alternator. At this point we have five negative cables that need to connect back to the battery. To give you an idea of what we charge in the van, we have two electric bikes, my computer, a bunch of camera equipment, two cell phones, a dust buster, a blender, and a few other random electronics that we frequently charge. Now lets move on to inverters. Tagged: Sprinter Van, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes Sprinter, Mercedes Sprinter Van, Camper Van, Camper Van Conversion, Sprinter Van Conversion, Camper Van Electrical, DIY Van build, DIY Sprinter Van Build. Hi again, correction from previous comment.the model Im considering has 2400 watt hours ( not 1000 as previously stated ) just watched your youtube video and read this posy, so much great info! We bought two (2) 100Ah batteries so we could collect solar power from our roof and have enough storage to last us at least a few days without any sun. If youve been following my blog for a while, youll know that Ive had Zamp Solar panels on both of my vans.

Li-ion batteries are less than 1/4 the weight per usable Ah. HeresIRS Form F5695 (PDF)and its instructions. If their temperature gets below freezing and you try to charge them, the batteries can be damaged.

Next, youll need to determine how powerful of an inverter to get by looking at the wattage requirements for each device youll want to power. The wiring is tucked out of the way through the right side C pillar, its centrally located in the van, and there is a power control panel that everything can be controlled from. It took the longest amount of time and required the most amount of reworking. Effective and safe. I wish I would have taken the time to lay out the wiring inside the cabinet more beautifully. Clean execution was paramount. Plus, running a heater 24/7 regularly to prevent freezing pipes consumes a decent amount of power. Heres a guide we wrote to help you work out what size battery you need. Its also a really inefficient way to charge a lead-acid battery, because the battery cant take all the power that the generator provides. Ive finally gotten to the point of planning my layout and your rollout of Van Life Roadmap is very timely though Ive had my Sprinter for a couple of years, Im at a place where I can do the project now.

Add quality crimps for disconnects and service and make sure to get secure, fully engaged crimps on all connections.

Now 15 years later, prioritizing that critical connection with nature continues to improve my life.