Blog
How To Level Your Camper Van
Let’s Talk Leveling… Some of the most beautiful and rugged wilderness camp sites are the most unlevel and often that driveway you snagged at your friend or family’s house has a pretty significant slope. So, in this short post, I’ll explore a few options for leveling your camper van. It’s worth noting that some people simply don’t care if their van is unlevel. I wish I was like them! But, for me, leveling my rig is important to be able to sleep well. Larger motor homes and trailers typically have some sort of leveling system included with the rig but, camper vans don’t so you have to bring something along. Stuff Laying Around Some folks swear by this method. They simply harvest rocks/etc. from the surrounding area, put them under the tires that need to be leveled and voila! The clear benefit to this approach is that it’s entirely free and you don’t need to carry anything with you so it doesn’t use any space inside your van. The obvious down side is that not every camp site is going to support this approach – particularly in urban areas. It’s also a lot harder than it seems to find just the right size objects for leveling and it can be a real hassle to drive onto some of these odd shaped things. Wood Bits You can cut some wood (such as 2″ x 6″ lumber) into short sections (think tire-length strips) and then lay those onto the ground near the tires you need to level and drive up on them. In my view this is the worst option. First it takes up too much precious space in your tiny van. Then it gets really dicey when you need to stack more than one “layer” of boards to level a really wonky camping spot. However, this approach does work for some people and you may even have the scraps of wood laying around ready to repurpose this way. Leveling Blocks The commonly used plastic leveling blocks are like oversized legos. They are 8.5″ x 8.5″ square and 1″ tall. The idea is that you build a sort of pyramid out of the blocks in front of the wheel(s) you need to level and then you drive onto this pyramid. When you’re done they (theoretically) stack up onto each other to stow away into a bag provided with the blocks. Until I discovered the Flat-Jack (more on that below), this was the actually the best option. They were the devil I knew but definitely a freaking devil. There are several things I hated issues with these things. First, camper vans are heavy and you’re using these on unlevel ground so, when you drive up onto them they twist and crack which means they only stack correctly for the first few uses. That makes them hard to set up because you’re trying to use the least damaged blocks on the bottom in order to build your pyramid of blocks. That initial problem is greatly exacerbated by the fact that it’s nearly impossible to drive onto these pyramids and then stop at the exact right space (remember only 8.5″ wide). You are basically juicing the accelerator to get up on the blocks while simultaneously slamming on your brakes. If you get that right – after ten attempts – there’s a good chance your van rolls slightly off when you put it into park! Each attempt to drive onto the blocks smashes them deeper into the ground which is often muddy or sandy while crushing their shape further. So, after you use these things, even a few times, they are so mangled and dirty, they don’t stack up anymore so they end up taking up way more space than they did when they stowed away fully stacked up. The Flat-Jack Cue the angelic music. After years of disappointing experiences with other leveling systems (see above), I discovered there was a thing called the Flat-Jack widely available in Europe but not available here in the USA. So, long story made short, we got in touch with the Flat-Jack folks and became the exclusive seller of these magic air leveling pillows in the US. So, I’m certainly biased, but I think the Flat-Jack is the way to go for camper van leveling. As the name suggest, they store flat so they take up very little space in your van. I have mine stored in mesh pockets attached to my rear doors but they can be easily stashed away in so many places. When you want to use them, you simply lay them on the ground in front of the tire(s) you want to level and then drive onto them. Because they’re flat, this is super simple – all that frustration trying to get up on sets of blocks (or rocks or wood or whatever) goes way. You just lay them on the ground and drive into place. Then you connect up an air compressor or hand pump and inflate to the desired height – all the way up to 4.75″. As you inflate, you can fine tune the leveling in a way that blocks/wood/rocks cannot begin to match. The only real “con” is that they’re expensive. However, if you take into consideration how valuable space is inside a small van and how much frustration they will eliminate I think the value starts to shine through. And, unlike the leveling blocks that essentially self destruct as you use them, these will last a lifetime if you treat them well (don’t overinflate and protect from sharp objects). We’ve only been selling them for a few months but we’ve already had very positive feedback from other vanlifers an we encourage you to check them out! A Sassy Video Comparing Leveling Blocks To The Flat-Jack
Learn more
Configuring a Victron MultiPlus Inverter/Charger
Why Program? In most cases you’ll need (or want) to program/configure your Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger after it’s installed into your van. For instance, since the MultiPlus comes from the factory setup to charge AGM type batteries, if you have lithium batteries, you’ll want to, at least, change the charger functionality to charge your batteries correctly. Note, if you have a system that uses Victron Energy Smart lithium batteries with a Lynx Smart BMS such as our external BMS power system example or our secondary alternator power system example, you do not need to configure your MultiPlus inverter/charger charge profile. In those systems, DVCC will take over and make sure your batteries are charged correctly from the MultiPlus and any other Victron charger that is digitally connected to a Cerbo GX/BMS such as a Smart Solar MPPT charge controller that is connected via VE.Direct. Let’s Start With The Defaults The table below shows how the settings are configured by default when you get the unit. Inverter frequency 60Hz Input frequency range 45-65Hz Input voltage range 94-143VAC Inverter voltage 120VAC Stand-alone/parallel/3-phase stand-alone AES (Automatic Economy Switch) OFF Ground relay ON Charger ON/OFF ON Battery charge curve four-stage adaptive with BatterySafe mode Charging current 75% of the maximum charging current Battery type Gel deep discharge Automatic equalization charging OFF Absorption voltage 14.4V Absorption time up to 8 hours Float voltage 13.8V Storage voltage 13.2V Repeated absorption time 1 hour Absorption repeat interval 7 days Bulk protection ON AC input current limit 50A Dynamic current limiter OFF WeakAC OFF BoostFactor 2 Programmable relay alarm function PowerAssist ON What You’ll Need 1) A Victron MK3-USB interface. This small device allows you to connect to the VE.Bus on the MultiPlus with your computer (or compatible mobile device) using USB. You’ll (of course) need the computer or mobile device. I recommend a computer if you have it. You’ll connect a standard ethernet cable with RJ45 connectors (must be a “straight-through” not “crossover” type cable which most are) from either of the two VE.Bus connections on your MultiPlus to the corresponding connection on the MK3-USB interface and then connect the USB connection on the MK3-USB to your computer/mobile device. One small tip, it’s really difficult to remove the RJ45 connection on the ethernet cable from the VE.Bus connection on the inverter/charger. So, you might consider breaking off the “clip” on that connector so it can pull out without releasing the clip. Chances are you have a broken one laying around anyway! Another thing to know is that you’ll want to be sure that the MK3-USB connected to computer/device you’re using for the configuration is the ONLY device on the VE.Bus. If you have your MultiPlus connected to a remote panel or Cerbo GX you’ll want to disconnect those during the configuration. Windows ships with a compatible driver for both the MK3-USB interface so you typically don’t need to install a driver. In case you do have issues connecting via USB, we recommend manually installing the device with the driver you can download from their software downloads page. 2) The VictronConnect software which you can either download from the Victron website or install from the Play Store for Android or Apple App Store for iOS. Note: Victron also makes a VE.Bus Smart Dongle that basically adds Bluetooth connectivity/control to the MultiPlus interter/chargers. It connects to the same VE.Bus with an ethernet cable. When you connect to the inverter with VictronConnect via Bluetooth using this dongle you can see all of the same reporting information as well as control the state of the inverter (on/off/charger only mode, etc.) but the advanced settings (configuration) is not available unless. Because of this, you need the Mk3-USB interface for the kind of programming this post discusses. However, you might want the Smart Dongle to control and monitor your inverter/charger when you’re using your van on a day-to-day basis. Alternatively, if you have a Cerbo device such as the Cerbo GX that is connected to Victron’s cloud service (VRM) and it’s configured correctly, you can actually use VRM’s remote configure option as shown in this video. The following screenshot, from the VictronConnect manual shows the 3x ways to connect to a Victron product (including the MultiPlus) If You’re Configuring an old-version (“compact”) MultiPlus 12/2000/80… There are some “dip switch quirks” when configuring the older-style “compact” MultiPlus 12/2000/80 unit. You must make sure that the #2 dip switch is “on” (switched to the right) and the others are off (switched to the left). The switches are located under the cover toward the top right of the circuit board. They are numbered from the top down. So the #2 dip switch is the second from the top as shown in the photo. You don’t need to bother with this on newer MultiPlus units including the newer version of the 12/2000/80 that begins with part number PMP (the older, “compact” version part number begins with CMP). Using VictronConnect & Updating Settings Now that everything is connected, be sure that your MultiPlus is powered on using it’s 12 volt DC power connection to your battery bank and in “inverting” mode. Next launch the VictronConnect app. It should search the VE.Bus for devices and find your MultiPlus . When it does, you can click on it to open up the reporting. From there you click on the “gear” (settings) icon in the very top right part of the interface. A message will appear telling you that the settings are disabled with what amounts to a warning not to screw things up. It’s good advice… proceed with caution and be sure to reach out to a qualified electrician/engineer or your distributor/dealer with any questions or if you don’t feel confident programming the device. If you’d like to proceed, you can click on the “enable settings” link and enter the password zzz. If you’ve made it this far you’ll see five main “sections” of settings: general, grid, inverter, charger and AC input control. In the video below, we’ll go through some of the settings we normally change/set in our installations. You can refer to the VE.Bus Configuration Guide (PDF) or the built in “help” inside the VictronConnect for details on all the settings and what they do. You may also find this Victron MultiPlus FAQ PDF helpful. Firmware Updates While you’re in these settings, you can click on the “three dots” menu at the very top right and then click on “product info” this will display the unit’s firmware version with a link to “update” if you’re not on the latest version. Lithionics or SOK Batteries The video shows the charging parameters recommended for Victron Energy SuperPack or Smart lithium batteries. Each battery maker has slightly different recommendations for charging their specific batteries. If you’re using Lithionics batteries, they recommend the following settings: Bulk charge voltage: 14.4 Absorption charge voltage: 14.4 Float charge voltage: 13.4 Absorption time: 1 hour If you’re using SOK batteries, they recommend the following settings: Bulk charge voltage: 14.6 Absorption charge voltage: 14.5 Float charge voltage: 13.5 Absorption time: 30 minutes per 100 amp hours of storage Additional Configuration Required When Using Victron Smart Lithium Batteries If you’re using Victron’s Smart batteries that do not have built in BMS, you need to have an external, VE.Bus BMS and, more than likely, some type of Smart BatteryProtect device on your “dumb” loads which are those 12 volt DC loads that don’t have any kind of “data bus” (no VE.Bus) or way to be “triggered” by the BMS to turn on/off discharging/charging. You can check out this blog post that details an example power system that uses the Smart batteries. In addition, you’re MultiPlus needs to be “aware” that it’s in a system that is using a VE.Bus BMS which requires the addition of what Victron calls an “assistant”. At the time I’m writing this post (April 2021), this additional programming/addition of “assistants” cannot be done with VictronConnect. Instead, you need to use the older VEConfigure software with the same MK3-USB interface. You can download VEConfigure as part of the VE Configuration Tools package (Windows only) on this page of Victron Energy’s website. I detail this extra programming for Victron batteries in another post. Using batteries that require an external BMS adds complexity so many DIY van builders prefer so-called “drop in replacement” type lithium batteries such as Victron’s SuperPack batteries or Battleborn, Relion, Renogy, etc. This blog post details an example of a system using batteries with a built-in BMS. There are some pros and cons to the Victron approach vs. the “drop in replacement”/built-in BMS approach that I write about in this post.
Learn more
Camper Van Mobile Internet
We get a lot of questions on how to stay connected on the road. Internet connectivity is very important for most people and even more essential for digital nomads like myself. I’ve tried a number of things since I built my first Promaster camper van back in 2016 but haven’t been really thrilled about any of them. I started with a Sprint MIFI that featured unlimited bandwidth but was severely limited by Sprint’s lousy network coverage outside of densely populated areas. Later, in early 2019 I fell for AT&T’s bait and switch routine when I put the Roadlink Togo “bubble” on the roof of my van. It was actually a great system but then they jacked up the data plan prices crazy high in late 2019 like a strange precursor to the nightmare that was 2020. So, now that hardware is worthless roof clutter unless I use its WIFI extending capability which I have never done and probably will never do. The truth is that there are limitations and caveats to any mobile internet setup and the word “unlimited”, when used with mobile providers, is almost always “marketing speak” for “read the fine print to learn about the actual limits”. However, I’m pretty happy with the set of compromises in my current setup and I’m a heavy consumer of data that hasn’t run into any issues with this setup. Knocking on wood! Visible By Verizon My setup centers around Visible service which uses the Verizon network – including their new-ish 5G speeds where available – but offers “unlimited” data plans starting at only $25 per month total – without any taxes, fees or other nonsense. More on pricing below. It’s well known that Verizon has the best coverage in the USA followed by AT&T. The other carriers seem to lag far behind in coverage. So, there’s a real advantage to being on the Verizon network with Visible – particularly when you’re outside of urban areas which is often the case with vanlife. Visible Pricing The base plan with Visible is $40 per month but if you join a “party” of 4 or more people the price drops to $25 per month. There’s an entire sub-Reddit dedicated to finding Visible parties and, importantly, you don’t need to know the people in your “party” since every party member pays their own bill. The primary thing to look for is a party large enough to support some of the members dropping off. One of the great features of Visible is that there are no commitments so a larger party helps ensure that you’ll stay in the preferred pricing bracket with 4 or more members. One example is the Technomadia party that has 60 members as I write this today. Visible also has a referral program. If you use a referral code (like mine which is 3lSHB6) when signing up, you’ll receive $20 off your first month service and I will get a $20 credit for your signup! How It Works When you sign up, Visible will send you a SIM card that must be used in a smartphone that is compatible with their service. You cannot use the Visible SIM in a hotspot – it must be used with a phone. I wanted a dedicated phone for this purpose so the internet connectivity would be constant and I could use my “real” phone as I normally would, so I purchased the ZTE Blade A7 Prime phone for $79 from Visible when I signed up. When the SIM card arrived up I had no trouble inserting it into the phone and activating the service. My Setup I use the WeBoost Drive Sleek signal booster that utilizes a small, magnetic rooftop antenna to pull in and “boost” wireless signals. It has a “cradle” that I’ve mounted just behind the passenger seat. Whatever device you put into this cradle gets the signal boosting. So, this serves not only as a booster but a handy mounting point for the phone I’m using. As I mentioned before, I use a teeny-tiny Mango router that has a USB connection to tether to the phone via USB. This becomes the “single” device that the phone’s hotspot allows and it creates a WIFI network inside the van much like a router at a home or office that I can connect all my devices to (other phones, laptop, security devices, etc.). The entire setup with the phone, router and WeBoost signal booster was right around $300. My Experience I’m writing this post at the end of March 2021 and I’ve been using the Visible system in my van since early February. In that time I’ve traveled from Colorado to Florida and, overall, I’m really impressed with the setup. In my experience the service is truly unlimited. There are no speed limitations when using mobile data on the phone itself but the hotspot functionality (when tethering) constrains the bandwidth to about 5 Mbps (megabits per second). While this sounds crazy slow, I find it adequate for most things including video streaming, Zoom calls and working from the road. According to Zoom, for group calls you need 1 Mbps upstream and .6 Mbps downstream bandwidth for “high quality video”, 2.6 Mbps/1.8 Mbps for 720 HD video and 3.8 Mbps/3.0 Mbps for 1080 HD video. So, the “throttled” 5 Mbps should be good enough for even the highest quality video. For some real world context, I just completed a one-hour Zoom call with two other people from the van where I had “3 bars” of signal in an urban setting. During the call there were two brief periods of time, each about 15 seconds in length, that I saw the dreaded “your internet connection is unstable” message appear. Another limitation is that there can only be one device connected to the phone’s hotspot. However, if you add a router to your setup, as I did, you can get around this limitation since the router is considered the single device but provides a WIFI network that all your devices can connect to. In all cases it appears Visible traffic is a bit slower and has higher latency than plans using Verizon directly and are subject to “network management”. In my first three weeks I used over 44 GB of data! Perhaps even more impressive is that I have had a strong signal literally everywhere I have camped so far. I don’t expect that will always be the case but I’ve covered a lot of ground without any signal issues whatsoever. The Mango router is also impressive and the USB tethering has been super reliable. So far I’ve only had to “reset” it’s USB tether connection twice in many months and thousands of miles across the USA. In other words, the USB tether between the Mango router and the phone was stable for weeks at a time and, if it did stop working, I simply unplugged the USB connection from the phone, reconnected it and then went into the phone’s settings to “turn on” the USB tether again. So, the bottom line is that this is a very affordable and solid solution for people who need regular, reliable data connections in their van and are willing to take the “slow but steady” route where the speeds are capped but the total bandwidth is not. It’s also a good idea to have your personal mobile phone service be with a different provider so that you have that secondary network as a backup that you can use if your primary option (Visible in my case) isn’t working in your location. Eliminate Throttling? In this video created by Jake & Heather, they discuss a way to use Visible from a hotspot by “repairing” the IMEI number on the device which, apparently removes the bandwidth speed throttling on the hotspot, and allows multiple connections like my router that is tethered, because it’s treated as a “phone”. I have not tried this but it just might work! Update – September 2022: some folks on the Promaster Forum report that some changes to the computer you’re tethering or the router that you’re using to tether can be used to work around the bandwidth throttling. If you want to dive deeper into mobile internet, the Mobile Internet Resource Center website is fantastic and their post on Visible is worth a read.
Learn more
Webasto Heater Tech Talk Interview Video
Want to spend an hour nerding out about Webasto heaters with a Webasto tech – like the guy who actually trains certified installers and knows these things inside and out? Well, you’re at the right place! We talk maintenance, high altitude adjustments, altitude limits for the Air Top 2000 STC heaters and how it compares to the bigger EVO40, differences between gasoline and diesel version, how to make your heater last for 10,000+ hours instead of only 70 hours and tons more. While you’re here, you might be interested in our Webasto Air Top 2000 installation post or checking out all the Webasto products we sell in our store!
Learn more
Installing Lonseal Marine Vinyl Flooring In Camper Van
Adhesive Note This blog post details how to install Lonseal flooring using the company’s recommended 650 epoxy adhesive. That adhesive is the highest performance option but it’s also significantly harder to work with and much easier to screw up largely due to its epoxy nature including the relatively short (30 minute) working/pot time. While we can’t recommend NOT using the officially recommended product, we can warn you that it is not an easy project and any mistakes you make tend to be highly visible. In other words, it is not forgiving. Meanwhile, I’ve been installing Lonseal into my camper vans long before we were started selling the products (going back to 2017). In those vans I used Roberts 2310 vinyl adhesive which is substantially easier to use, can be purchased locally, and is less expensive. My current van (as of May 2022) has held up very well for about three years now in all conditions from extremely hot (120 degrees or more) roasting in the Florida sun to extreme cold (-20 degrees) in Colorado along with the radical swings in humidity between these two very different locales. I’m sure there are some applications where the extra high performance of the epoxy adhesive are needed – perhaps something harsh like the deck of a boat – but, in my camper van, I have not personally seen a need for something more substantial than the standard adhesives. Your mileage may vary! This short blog post is a high-level overview of Lonseal installation. I recommend that you also read through Lonseal’s own documentation including their Interior Flooring Installation Guide and Vehicle Installation Guide. Why Use Lonseal Flooring In Your Camper Van Lonseal is a heavy duty sheet vinyl designed for marine environments. As such, it’s incredibly durable and tough which is perfect for a camper van environment. It comes in a wide variety of patterns/finishes including wood look and “coin” style. One piece of general advice for flooring in your van is to avoid materials that will have cracks or seams which, over time, will trap dirt or allow water/liquids to seep in. These “plank” floors also tend to develop uneven gaps with all the constant movement and expansion/contraction in a van. In addition, vinyl is environmentally friendly. Its primary raw material is obtained from the nearly inexhaustible supply of sodium chloride (salt). Its manufacture has a smaller impact than other plastics, produces virtually no dioxins, and relies on fewer oil by-products than rubber. Vinyl is naturally fire retardant, highly recyclable, and products can be easily manufactured to meet strict indoor air quality (IAQ) requirements. Lonseal Antique & Ivory Wood Look flooring in my Miles Van Camper. Sizing Lonseal is sold in sheets that are six feet wide and you determine the length by specifying how many linear feet you need. In most cases 10-15 feet is plenty for a cargo van. However, some cargo vans (like the Promaster) are slightly wider than six feet. Often there is cabinetry or other “stuff” in the van that covers the subfloor so the fact that the flooring doesn’t quite go “wall to wall” isn’t a problem – you simply put the flooring where it’s seen. If your layout requires you to join two pieces of Lonseal resulting in a “seam”, there are two ways to “weld” the seam together – one uses heat and is considered more difficult and the other is a chemical process. Importantly, Lonsealer is not compatible with Lonseal’s recommended 650 epoxy adhesive because Lonsealer requires seam tape (double face tape) to be used in the seam area to keep adhesive out of the seam. The Lonsealer has a chemical reaction with the adhesive (both the #650 and #813) and requires that the seam be free of adhesive residue. Lonseal recommends using a simple butt seam or heat welding instead. Lonseal makes a product for the chemical sealing. It sells for $38 and one tube should be plenty for a small space. I have never had to do this myself but this (strange but informative) video details how to cut the flooring using an “overlap cut” and use the Lonsealer product. Preparation According to Lonseal, your subfloor must be at least 5/8 in. (15.9 mm) thick. They recommend “exterior grade plywood”. Also, the temperature where you store and install the flooring should be “maintained between 65 – 85 °F (18.3 – 29.4°C) for 48 hours before, during, and 48 hours after installation” and “relative humidity level extremes should also be avoided because of their influence on proper drying and curing of substrate preparation materials and adhesives. General recommended humidity control level is between 35 – 55%.” Finally, the substrate/subfloor should be totally clean and as smooth as possible prior to the flooring installation. Make A Template & Cut To Size I typically make a template using “kraft paper” or the heavier duty Ram Board. Once you’re happy with the shape of your template you can trace that outline onto the flooring with a pencil. Be sure to triple-check your orientation! The Lonseal cuts easily with a razor blade and I find that sharp scissors work best for curves and contours. Lonseal flooring cut to size, ready to install. Choosing Adhesives & Laying The Flooring OK, here comes the tricky part… Lonseal recommends their 650 Epoxy Adhesive for horizontal applications in vehicles (floors) and their 400 Contact Adhesive for vertical surfaces. Many people will use coin flooring on walls/vertical surfaces in places like their “garage” area under a platform bed which is an example of a vertical installation. If you really don’t want to use Lonseal adhesives, they have a list of alternatives (PDF). However, they do caution against using off-the-shelf products such as Roberts 7350 “universal” adhesive because they are typically intended for environments where the temps are between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. During hot weather the temps inside your van can be well above that which could result in slipping or shrinking of the vinyl. Installing With Lonseal 650 Epoxy Adhesive Lonseal’s 650 Epoxy Adhesive is a two-part epoxy and they recommend you mix the entirety of both parts (part A and part B at once in order to ensure the correct proportions. The directions specify that you should use a mechanical mixer at low slow speed (less than 375 RPM) until you achieve a smooth homogeneous mix and to avoid getting any air trapped in the mix which will shorten the working time. That said, I was able to mix it by hand. I highly recommend that you have someone helping you with the installation. Once you start mixing the epoxy, you only have about 30 minutes of time to use the adhesive (the “pot life” at 73°F is approximately 30 minutes) so do not mix more adhesive than can be used in a 30 minute period and be prepared to move fast and have everything ready to go once you start mixing the epoxy. Immediately after the epoxy adhesive is mixed, one person can pour it onto the subfloor and begin troweling with a 1/16″ x 1/32″ x 1/32″ u-notched trowel while the other person manages the flooring which can started rolled up and then placed into the “wet” epoxy. After the flooring is laid, you should use a roller to smooth it out and push it into the adhesive. Lonseal’s installation instructions tell you to use “a minimum 100 pound, three-section roller” which is impractical in a small van. Instead you can use a “three-section laminate roller” making sure you put enough weight behind it to ensure strong, positive contact. After 2-3 hours you should roll the floor again. You can use ethyl alcohol applied to a clean, dry cloth to wipe up any adhesive residue from the surface of the flooring while still wet. Do not apply ethyl alcohol directly to the material. It’s often a good idea to place some heavy objects on the floor during the curing process. They recommend that you avoid any traffic on the floor for 24 hours. The complete cure time is listed as 72 hours. Installing With Lonseal 400 Contact Adhesive If you’re using Lonseal on a vertical surface, they recommend you use their 400 Contact Adhesive. First you should make sure that whatever you’re attaching the flooring to is totally clean and free of oil/dirt/grease/etc. Then uniformly coat both surfaces (flooring and whatever you’re attaching it to) with the adhesive with a paint brush or non-shedding, 3/8 in. nap roller and wait until the adhesive to become “tacky” to the touch and then then attach the flooring to the surface. Importantly, this stuff is SUPER sticky. Once you attach the flooring to the surface you will not be able to adjust it’s position so be very careful when applying to make sure your positioning is accurate. Here’s a great time lapse video of someone installing Lonseal Loncoin flooring for a Sprinter van. They did this with the floor outside the van but the process is the same. They use some kind of tank instead of a roller!
Learn more
Why You Should Download The Vanlife App
There are lots of great apps for vanlife that I have recommended but the Vanlife App is becoming my favorite and may replace them all soon enough! It’s free and available for iOS or Android devices. The Vanlife App has been around for a few years but has really hit its stride recently with the latest versions, offering tons features and a great user experience. Many of the other similar apps out there tend to be more targeted to RV’ers and most have outdated-feeling user interfaces. I’ll share a few things that I love about the app and why I think you should download it and sign up! By the way, this is not a sponsored post. I am genuinely excited about the app and its potential to get even better. Everything In One Place As you read through this post you’ll see all the things the app can do – from finding a campsite to messaging people to making connections on the road. Having all this functionality in one single app is a game changer and so much easier and more fluid than jumping around a bunch of different apps. Community-Centered The Vanlife App is designed from the ground up to support the vanlife community. It was founded by Breanne Acio (@theladiesvan) and Jessica Shisler, Ph.D. (@van.there). Yup, it was literally created by vanlifers for vanlifers and you can see this DNA reflected in the app as you use it. So, while you can certainly use the app just to find a place to camp or fill up your water tank, the real magic is how it allows you to make connections on the road. Connections Using the connections feature you can search for people you might know and add them as a connection. Once you do (and they accept), you can message them from the app or even create “groups” of people similar to how you might with other messaging apps like WhatsApp. Every user can add things like their interests, social media links, vehicle type and even travel style (part-time, full-time, dreamer, etc.) to their profile. Near Me One of the most unique features of the Vanlife App is the ability to find other vanlifers in the area and, in turn, allow yourself to be “discovered” by others. By default, when you create your account you’re only discoverable to your connections (the people you’ve already connected with) but you can adjust this to be completely private or discoverable to anyone on the app. Your initial geography is set to your current GPS location but you can search/browse other areas. If you’re in an area with other “discoverable” vanlifers, you’ll see an orange button at the top right of the interface that shows the number of these individuals (“3 People Nearby” for example). If you press on that button it will list those folks and you can review their profile, send them a message or request to add them as a connection. Best of all, this feature isn’t limited to your present location. Most of us are on the move so it’s great to see who might be around where you’re heading. As you explore areas on the map for camp sites or use the other features, you also have the ability to see who else is vanlifing it around there. For many of us, meeting interesting, like-minded people is a highlight of the lifestyle and this feature creates tons of opportunities for that. Gatherings Another community-centric feature I’ll highlight is the ability to add a “gathering” and promote it through the app. Unfortunately, we’re still in the midst of a historic global pandemic so this functionality doesn’t seem to be getting a lot of use but I can imagine it being amazing in the post-Covid future – from small impromptu gatherings for vanlifers who find them in the same place around the same time to epic gatherings where the larger tribe comes together. In the ghastly meantime, they are organizing virtual meetups on the first Monday of every month. Finding What You Need Of course, finding a place to camp is an essential feature and the Vanlife App does this very well. In most places I’ve searched there were at least a few spots and the majority of them were free overnight boondocking spots, which is my preference. Camp sites are identified on the map view with clear icons that vary based on the type of spot (overnight parking, free camps, paid camps, etc.). You can get a quick overview of the spot by pressing on the icon or dive into the full details by pressing on the overview bubble. The details for each listing include the features such as water station or showers as well as reviews and, in many cases, info on the all-important cellular data connectivity/strength. You can also save/bookmark listings for easier access or trip planning. Any saved listings appear along with places you’ve reviewed or have history with when you press on the “saved” button. I also love that when you press the “get directions” button it gives you a choice of which app you’d like to use (Google Maps, Waze, Lyft or simply copying the GPS coordinates). I often find myself preferring Waze in some areas or circumstances and Google Maps in others. Finally you can “share” the listing with others through email/etc. that includes a special link that will open that listing if they have the Vanlife App, which is really helpful when planning camp spots with others like your traveling companions. Not Just Camp Spots In addition to places to camp, you can use the Vanlife App to locate all sorts of other things you might need on the road including water fill locations, propane, dump stations, trash/recycling areas and more. Each of these types of listings have their own icon so it’s easy to scan the map or you can filter what appears by type (i.e.: free camps only) or by the specific utility you need (i.e.: wi-fi, laundromat, dump station, etc.) and more. Camp Shares Another really awesome feature of the Vanlife App is the Camp Share directory. If you have a place to host someone (your driveway, etc.), you can add that spot to the directory as a Camp Share. When you add your listing you can describe the place, what types/sizes of vehicles it can accommodate, add photos and you can even choose to charge a fee for that listing similar to listing your house on Airbnb. The app takes care of all the reservations and payments making it super easy for a host to monetize their spot if they choose. This feature is very new at the time I’m writing this post but the Vanlife App crew tell me that over 70% of Camp Shares are free! I love the Camp Share feature because it opens the door to so many more camp sites in interesting places where there may not normally be much available and it’s yet another opportunity for building community and meeting each other. Sustainability I am grateful that the creators of the Vanlife App share my values of vanlifing respectfully, sustainability and leaving no trace. In their own words they are committed to “making vanlife synonymous with sustainability through education, financial contributions and action” and “as a Public Benefit Corporation, a portion of all sales are donated to non-profit sustainability initiatives.” In my opinion these values are critical to the vanlife movement and all the amazing people in the community. We hope to support their efforts and continue to work toward these common goals. So, Please Sign Up & Share The Love One last thing… all the “data” in the app is user generated. From your individual profile to the camp spots and reviews all the way down to where to find a toilet or some water. Because of this, the more we all use the app and contribute the better it will become. So, I encourage you to check it out and share!
Learn more
Vanlife Respectfully
There’s Nothing Like Traveling In A Camper Van For the most part, I’m thrilled to see vanlife becoming increasingly popular. There is nothing like traveling in a camper van! There is real magic in the alchemy of adventure, discovery, freedom and challenge that you experience living on the road and deep in the wilderness. With a van you can go just about anywhere – from culturally rich cities to wonderfully desolate deserts enjoying the excitement and novelty of travel right along side the the secure comforts of home. However, I’m one of many people who are deeply concerned about how some vanlifers are behaving and the consequences of that for all of us. Camping Respectfully We all need places to camp. That is the most fundamental requirement of vanlife – even more so than the vehicle itself! If we are not respectful of where and how we choose to camp we will no longer be welcome. The potential combination of increasing numbers of vanlifers with a reduction in available places to camp is a catastrophe in the making for all of us. So, this post is going to dive into some things to consider when camping. These are just my thoughts which are centered around respect. Ultimately, how you live and your decisions are entirely yours. The storyteller makes no choice soon you will not hear his voice his job is to shed light and not to master – Robert Hunter, Terrapin Station Advocating for Vanlifers We hope to help galvanize the vanlife community around these issues and also advocate for more places to camp with Together We Van, the non-profit we’re starting up. For instance, we think it’s time to make public lands public again – even after dusk! There are tens of thousands of public spaces that “close” at night despite being paid for and maintained by public funds. These range from beach parking lots to recreational areas to hiking trailheads to marinas and more. In many cases these “closed hours” are established specifically to prohibit overnight camping in what would otherwise be a perfect place to overnight. However, it’s essential that, as a community, we don’t trash the places we’re asking to be welcomed into. By the way, if you’re interested in helping to get this effort off the ground, we’d love to hear from you. Don’t Camp Where You’re Not Welcome So, We’re Welcome More Places There are great apps like the Vanlife App and iOverlander that can help you find places to camp just about anywhere – from paid campgrounds to reliable boondocking spots. I wrote another post about these apps and others. And, the longer you live vanlife, the better you will become at spotting potential campsites. The key is to only camp in places where you’re welcome. I certainly struggle with this as you can see my earlier “rant” about making public spaces public again. But, the bottom line is that we have a better chance of advocating for being welcomed into more places if we only camp in places we’re already welcome. Be A Good Neighbor The Golden Rule applies here. Wherever you camp treat it as if it was your town, your lake, your driveway, your parking lot or your anything. Also, try to fit in. Don’t be loud when everyone else is quiet. Don’t put out an awning and camp chairs in the Walmart parking lot. Definitely don’t leave any trash or, eh, fluids of any kind (grey water or worse). If you have a generator, only run it when it seems appropriate. Be kind! Support Businesses That Support Vanlife It’s well known that many businesses are welcoming to RV’ers and, by extension, vanlifers. Unfortunately, many of us have sort of taken this for granted and some of these stores are being forced to put up “no camping” signs because of people leaving trash and being disrespectful. Others are overstaying their welcome. A Walmart or a Crackle Barrel is a great place to camp overnight but it’s not a place to stay for many days for you or the store. If you do find yourself overnighting at these businesses please consider going into the store and purchasing some things. Leave It Better and Leave No Trace Whenever possible and ALWAYS when I camp in the wilderness, I try to leave the camp spot in better shape than when I arrived. It’s easy to pick up any garbage that is laying around or to address any damage any previous campers have done. When I’m doing this I often imagine what an impact we could have as a group if every vanlifer did this simple thing. I encourage you to learn about the seven principals of Leave No Trace which provide guidance to enjoy our natural world in a sustainable way that avoids human-created impacts. The principles have been adapted so they can be applied in your backyard or your backcountry. Matty Van Halen Talks About What Happens If We Don’t Get Our Act Together
Learn more
Step-By-Step DIY Camper Van Conversion Process
One of these “common questions” is “how should I approach this build” or “what do you work on first” and many other versions of this same question. I refer to this as the sequencing of the build. So, in this post I’m going to walk you through my step-by-step approach to converting an empty cargo van into a capable tiny home on wheels. I’ve written many other posts about these various steps so there will be plenty of links to those. It’s somewhat specific to my Miles Van Camper build and your specific layout or approach may require you to shuffle these around a bit but hopefully, this is helpful to anyone making their own camper van for the first time. I’ve included 10 photos in at the bottom of the post that shows this transformation. I normally spend about three months on the process. After building out many vans ourselves, Josh and Zach launched our store to help other DIY and professional van builders find the very best parts. We’ve done the work of researching (and road testing) the best products for camper vans so you don’t have to. Our catalog of products is carefully curated so you can have confidence you’re getting the best stuff for your van. Learn more here. Phase 1: The Infrastructure In my builds, it’s actually quite a while before there is any building at all… 1. Cutting Holes! That’s a nice van you have there. Why don’t we start by cutting some giant holes in it! I like to jump right into the fire and start off the adventure with all the holes in the exterior of the van. For me it’s good to get this out of the way and, practically speaking, it’s much easier to clean up all the metal shavings when there isn’t anything in the van which you definitely want to do so they don’t stick around rusting away. By the way, there is another word for this stuff: swarf. Metal Swarf. I’ll be adding that to my ever-expanding list of rock band names. Anyway, in go the windows, vent fans, shore power inlet, water fill/city water inlet, and so on. Part of installing the Maxxfan vent fan is making a simple wooden frame for it. 2. Grey Tank/Drains The van won’t be getting any lighter (or higher off the ground) during the build and every millimeter matters when you’re spending a day underneath your van so I’ll tackle the grey water tank next. This is one of my least favorite projects. These days it’s easier with a Promaster because of our awesome Promaster grey water tank. 3. Shower Pan Full-size showers/wet baths are controversial in camper vans – many think it’s a waste of space. Personally, it’s one of my favorite things in the van. Having a dedicated space to shower and do your toilet business in privacy is pretty great in my book. But, if you’re a pull-out-a-toilet-with-no-walls-around-it kind of person, you can skip right over this and wave to the other shoppers in the Walmart parking lot while sitting on your throne. At this point in the build, I will install my shower pan (on it’s platform) and plumb the drain into the grey tank. I like having this shower pan assembly directly on the van floor instead of on top of the subfloor to save that tiny bit of headroom. Plumbing the grey water tank vent is part of this process as well and requires yet another hole in the van. If you’re like me you’ll become increasingly comfortable with making holes in your van through the process – going from traumatic to just deeply uncomfortable. 4. Floor Insulation & Subfloor I like to get the plywood subfloor installed early into my builds so this happens next atop some insulation on the floor. The subfloor makes it a lot easier to work inside the van compared to the factory metal floor with all the ridges and what have you. 5. Propane? In my first two vans I used an horizontal, undermounted propane tank. Miles v3 didn’t need this since I switched to a Webasto gasoline powered heater instead the Propex propane heaters in the first vans. The tank was bolted through the floor so I wanted to get that done early in the process. I also rough in the gas lines to near where they will connect to the appliances. 6. Solar Panels It’s helpful to get the solar panels up on the roof next before insulating everywhere. If you’re attaching your panels to a roof rack you might do this later in the build but I’ve attached my panels directly to the roof so I need to drill holes for mounting them with either bolts or plus-nuts and bolts. 7. Insulation There are lots of ways to insulate your van but I prefer Thinsulate. It works great, easy to install and has a lot of other benefits. We like it so much we sell it in our store. Officially, we recommend installing Thinsulate with the white side towards the van sheet metal. This provides the best contact for resonance control of the metal panels. We also think this helps move moisture away from the skin should it occur there. Finally, the scrim (black part) helps keep dust/etc. out of the Thinsulate fibers when working through your build process. Some builders will also add Low-E as we detail in our post about insulating a van. 8. Primary Electrical Time to get the van juiced up! The “primary electrical” system is all the main components that make up the heart of an electrical system: batteries, inverter, solar charge controller and so on. It’s basically everything except the branch circuits (below) and the “loads” (things) they feed. I generally locate this underneath the bed area adjacent to the passenger wheel well. This step also includes connecting the van’s battery to a DC-DC charger for charging the battery bank when driving. If you’re daunted trying to design or install your electrical system, you’re at the right place. We have tons of great blog posts including example wiring diagrams. This page is a great place to start. We also have best price camper van electrical system bundles that will save you a bundle! 9. Rough-In Electrical System Branch Circuits I typically use a combined 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC load center like this one. Branch circuits are the wires that run from this load center to the various “loads” like lights, a refrigerator, fans, etc. Each branch circuit has either a fuse (for DC loads) or a circuit breaker (for AC loads). At this point in the build, I’ll run these wires close to where they’ll eventually be “terminated” to the actual device/outlet/thing. I know what you’re thinking – where’s the link to purchase the wire? We got you covered… It’s always a good idea to use protection – wire loom in this case, anywhere the wire might interact with any sharp edges in the van. By the way, this gizmo makes looking wire a million+ times easier. I didn’t know about it until my third build and I sure wish I did. You should also leave a little “slack” at each location so you can fine-tune it later. Finally, consider using conduits in places that might be tucked behind walls or other things to make it easier to upgrade, repair, replace, or add wires in the future. By the way, we have an electrical accessory bundle here that is a great way to get things like wire, shore power inlet, load center, fuses, etc. 10. Ceiling Panels I need to get the ceiling panels up before I move onto the next project of installing the air conditioner onto the roof. I always build a sort of frame to help support the weight of the air conditioner (see below). So that frame is built and then the ceiling panels are installed. The panels are made from 1/4″ luan type plywood that is eventually painted white. I need to add wooden supports/framing to fasten them to at the very front (just behind the cab area of the van) and at the very back in front of the rear cargo doors. Beyond that, they are fastened to the metal ribs of the van but, before I do, I use this foam tape on the ribs as a buffer between the metal and the wood panels. It’s both a small thermal break and a way to prevent any squeaks or rattles which I absolutely cannot stand. More on that later. Anyway, that foam tape is super helpful throughout the build. I also leave a small (1/8″ to 1/4″) gap between the wood panels where they meet. In general, I try to leave gaps between everything which are eventually covered up with some kind of trim or filled in with high-quality flexible caulking. In the case of the ceiling panels, the gaps get covered with trim material I make by ripping the same 1/4″ luan material with a table saw and then glue into place with silicone caulking. The whole idea here is to prevent stuff from smashing and rubbing against each other as the van travels down the road which would make irritating sounds. 11. Maxxfan & Rooftop Air Conditioner I’m revising this post in 2023. These days there are lots of great 12/24 and 48-volt DC air conditioner options. My current van has the Mabru 12,000 BTU unit which is vastly more energy efficient, quieter, and nicer looking than the older-style, 120-volt AC options. We also have this comparison spreadsheet. And, of course, every van needs a Maxxfan (or two). I prefer to have my AC unit in the front of the van and the Maxxfan in the rear, over my fixed bed. Even in the southeast USA, I tend to use the Maxxfan more throughout the year than the AC unit and it’s nice to have that right over the bed. Also, I don’t really like the AC blowing directly on me. Others have exactly the opposite preference! 12. Water Heater Going back to my love for showers in vans, having hot water is the key to keeping the flame alive. So, at this point in the build I’ll install my Isotemp marine-style water heater and connect it up to the engine’s coolant lines. The love-fest continues… This is the very best way to heat water in a camper van! I wrote a post about this water heater and how to install one and compared it to the propane-powered on-demand water heater in my first van build. The short version is that it’s like magic. When you drive – even for a short period of time – your water is heated by simply driving and stays hot for a long time. So in love am I that we now sell these Isotemp water heaters and you can even purchase it with a van installation kit! 13. Webasto Heater As I mentioned before I’ve used both the Propex propane heater and a Webasto gasoline heater. They both work great and are actually pretty similar in most ways but gasoline is much easier to find than propane and the tank is built right into your van (assuming it runs off gas). I wrote about my Webasto heater installation in this post. Probably even better, is this extensive video on tips for installing a Webasto heater. Another chance to get acquainted with the underbelly of your van! 14. Fresh Water Tank & Water Line Plumbing The last major infrastructure project is putting in the fresh water tank and rough plumbing of the lines for all the faucets, etc. as well as connecting up the cold water supply and hot water outlet from the water heater. The water fill door was installed waaay back when all the other holes were being cut. By the way, I hope you’re recovering from the trauma of that by now. I recommend Pex for your plumbing and getting (or borrowing) good tools! WE sell many types of freshwater tanks designed for cargo vans and after installing many different brands and types of pumps, this one and its associated accumulator tank are our favorites. Phase 2: Building Finally the “building” part of the build begins! Generally speaking, I’ll be working my way from the rear of the van toward the front. 15. Bed Area My builds haven’t had the typical “garage” under the bed. Instead, there are two sets of drawers and a deep storage area that really helps keep things organized (some photos here if you’re curious). Much of the infrastructure that has been installed is also located under the bed including the primary electrical system, water tank and lots of plumbing and wiring. The structure for the bed/loft area is a combination of the IKEA drawer units and wood framing. 16. Shower/Wet Bath Have I mentioned yet how much I love my shower/wet bath? I’ll gush a bit more. I have been traveling in camper vans for quite a long time…well before I had my vancy Promaster. Over the years I owned (and tweaked) three VW camper vans. Each was amazing but none of them had any sort of bathroom setup. There was no space and, in my first Westy, it probably would have reduced the top speed from 55 MPH to 35 making it even more terrifying to be on roads with modern vehicles. Anyway, when the Promaster showed up in my driveway, it was clearly big enough (and well powered enough) for this major upgrade. A clean, private hot shower anywhere you can take your van is a true luxury. OK, OK, enough already. You can read about how I made my wet bath here. If you want a shower but not a dedicated space, you might want to check out this folding shower option. 17. Front Wall Of Shower & Panels With the shower complete (I won’t say a thing) I can install all the panels on the front wall. That includes the inverter control panel Cerbo GX with Touch 50 screen, SeeLevel tank monitoring system. Some folks will also have various switches for lights, etc. 18. Flooring I like to wait as long as I can to put in my flooring so that I don’t have to bother with trying to protect it. For me this is a good time to install it. I’m far enough along but before I continue building stuff. I used Lonseal marine vinyl flooring in my last two builds – specifically the “Antique & Ivory” style. This product makes for a very durable attractive floor without any cracks or seams for dirt and water to get trapped into and it’s easy to keep clean too! Lonseal comes in 6′ wide rolls which isn’t enough to span across the van from driver to passenger side. In my case the galley cabinets cover the area where the flooring didn’t reach but you can seam two pieces of Lonseal together. I really love this flooring but not quite as much as the shower. 19. Refrigerator/Microwave Cabinet Next I turn my attention to the cabinet that houses my large refrigerator/freezer and microwave which is across the van from the wet bath on the driver side. The bottom of this cabinet has a door that allows access to the Isotemp water heater. I use IKEA cover panels to “skin” this cabinet so that it matches the finish of the IKEA cabinets which is next… 20. Galley Cabinets Next up is the installation of the IKEA galley cabinets. I’ve used them in three vans and they hold up remarkably well with some basic modifications. And, if you happen to screw up a drawer front (or other piece) you can stop at the next IKEA and replace it easily with minimal tools. I wrote a post about using IKEA cabinets in a camper van. 21: Wall Panels With most of the building blocks in place, I can now install all the wall panels. Like the ceiling panels, these are made from 1/4″ luan type plywood which is painted a color very similar to the plastic trim in the Promaster cab. The wall panels curve inward where they meet the ceiling panels which I think looks really nice and this material is just flexible enough to accomplish this curve while being strong enough to maintain its overall shape and feel sturdy. Rather than install wall panels toward the beginning of the process, I do this now so that I’m only covering areas that are visible in the build. For instance, there are no wall panels below the bed area or behind the galley cabinets. This reduces effort, materials and a little bit of weight. It also allows for the walls to remain partially open so that they can breathe. Making templates for all these panels can be crazy making but it’s worth the effort to get them shaped correctly. Many of my panels also have cut-outs for outlets and lights which certainly adds to the complexity. 22. Painting This is the moment everything seems to come together and start looking much more finished. All the wall and ceiling panels are painted, sanded, painted again, etc. It really is amazing what a coat of paint will do! 23. Lagun Table & Top Somewhere it is written that every camper van must have a Lagun table mount. See what I just did there? I wrote it… Anyway, mine is mounted on the side of the galley cabinets so when the cab seats are swiveled around the table can be used for eating and working. When not in use it swings out of the way over the top of the galley counter. 24. Cassette Toilet Installation Easy peasy. The Thetford Curve cassette toilet (er, Porta-Potti) can be purchased with a mounting plate which makes this job super easy and enables you to remove the toilet quickly for emptying, cleaning or an even more luxurious shower. How does it work? Way better than you’d ever expect actually. If you put in the proper chemicals and empty/clean it regularly you won’t smell anything even if you do the taboo number two. More on the toilet and recommendations on where to empty it in this post – toward the bottom. No pun intended. 25. Seat Swivels I like to save the installation of the seat swivels for the end. It’s a refreshingly easy project and I have the seats covered with large garbage bags for most of the build. In my first two vans I used the Sportscraft swivel but switched to the CTA swivel in the third build and I prefer it. These days (again, updating in 2023) I prefer the Mobiframe/Vanequipped swivels which are the smoothest I’ve used and also the lowest profile. 26. Trim & Details The build wraps up with all the little details and trim work. Everything from cabinet hardware to cleaning and fine trim work. Phase 3: Shakedown Trip & Slaying Rattles A camper van is never really done but, at this point, it’s ready for the maiden voyage which is often referred to a “shakedown” trip. So, it’s time to move in and hit the road for the first time. I have a post about some of the awesome things that go inside the van and are worthy of the space they take up. Even though I do everything I can throughout the van build to minimize any squeaks or rattles inevitably there are a few to hunt down during the shakedown trip. I am pretty much obsessed with a quiet ride so this process typically involves my girlfriend driving and me wandering around the van like a mad man listening for tiny annoyances that it’s likely only I would notice and then fixing them. Sometimes, we’ll find a bumpy road or gnarly parking lot for this purpose. Normally, there are other small things to repair as well. So, I do what I can on the trip itself and keep a punch list of items to fix or improve when I’m back to where I have the right tools. Given how careful and perfectionist (blessing and a curse) I am during the build process, I can’t imagine what kind of build quality issues you’d have with a factory-built rig like a Winnebago. Anyway, it’s been my experience that even the best built vans need some fine tuning. Thanks for reading. One more thing about the shower… just kidding.
Learn more
DIY Camper Van Electrical System Example (12V Internal BMS Batteries)
Example DIY Camper Van Electrical System This post was originally published in September 2020 and is great for a system up to about 300-400 amp hours of battery storage. We update it occasionally. We highly recommend starting at this page to get a orientation on how to plan and design a mobile power system. You can also reach out to us at support@vanlifeoutfitters.com or call us at 754-444-8704 x2. This post includes a detailed wiring diagram and complete list of materials needed to put together a very reliable and robust electrical system for your camper van that is capable of extended off-grid adventures and powering just about anything you throw at it. FREE Camper Van Power System Resources & Wiring Diagrams If you’re confused about your DIY camper van electrical or solar system, you’ve come to the right place. We have tons of resources including blog posts, videos and detailed example wiring diagrams (see below). Our “choosing a system” page offers some additional advice and includes an example load calculation that you can use. Below are some of our example power systems for camper vans/RVs. The Victron-based systems all have a corresponding blog post, free detailed PDF example wiring diagram, and a corresponding best price product bundle. Ultimately, you’ll probably customize your system to your particular needs and perhaps combine ideas from one or more of the example systems. A baseline camper van electrical system that uses lithium batteries with internal battery management systems (BMS) such as a Victron SuperPack, Battleborn, SOK, etc. This is our most affordable and simple system as well as the most DIY friendly. A more advanced camper van electrical system that uses Victron Smart lithium batteries with an external BMS and a Cerbo GX for monitoring. This system is a bit more complex and more costly, but adds features and allows for more battery storage in the same physical footprint. If you use the Victron Lynx Smart BMS you can upgrade to a dedicated secondary alternator with a Wakespeed regulator in the future. A super powerful (fast-charging) system that uses a dedicated secondary alternator. This system is the most expensive but also the most off-grid capable. We also have a 48-volt version of this system! We also have a power system accessories bundle that has all the circuit protection, shore power, distribution, and wiring you’ll likely need. Please consider purchasing your power system equipment from our store. Our bundles offer great pricing (yeah, better than Amazon), free shipping and you’ll have access to expert support and you’ll be supporting our ability to create more content! Finally, there are a few things that we don’t sell in our store (yet!) that you might need so we keep a list of these products in this Google Sheet of recommended camper van products. Overview: 400 amp hours of lithium battery storage with built-in BMS 400 watts of rooftop solar 2400 watt inverter (up to 6000 watts surge) with 120 amp shore power charging capacity Integrated 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC load center 60 amps of alternator charging when driving/engine is running Optional pre-inverter shore power outlets Battery monitoring with Bluetooth It’s super important to realize that there are hundreds of ways of skinning this cat. How awful. We won’t be skinning cats and neither should you. Anyway, the point is that this information should be considered a guide not gospel. You certainly could build out this system exactly as detailed but I would recommend considering your particular needs and then adjusting accordingly. Also, wire lengths matter. This electrical diagram assumes that there is about a 20′ run from the vehicle battery back to the driver side wheel well where the “primary” electrical system is installed. What I mean by “primary” is most of the stuff you see on the wiring diagram – all the main parts but not the “branch circuits” that power the actual loads in the van like lights and fans, etc. It also assumes all those components are close together – not more than 5 (ish) feet of cable run between them. If your actual setup is different than this you need to adjust the wire gauge (AWG) accordingly. The Blue Sea Circuit Wizard is a great tool for understanding what gauge wire you need. You put in the load in amps, the length of the cable run and how long it will be running in minutes and it will tell you the correct gauge. I favor “over gauging” in general. Wire is pretty inexpensive relative to the other parts. In this wiring diagram I have also over gauged to keep it a bit more simple so that you don’t need so many types/gauges of wires and lugs and so on. Speaking of wiring… you’ll probably use wire loom to protect your wires when you run them in areas they might be damaged by rubbing against stuff. So, let me introduce you to this “wire loom insertion tool“. It’s pretty much a game changer. Why A 50 Amp Breaker?! With most 2000 or 3000 watt inverters you would match the shore power’s 30 amp inlet on the output side. However, Victron Multiplus inverters have a unique feature -they will actually supplement the utility power coming in from the shore power plug with their inverted power – up to 3000 additional watts. So, if you manage to have enough stuff running in your van to exceed the 30 amp service from the shore power, the inverter would actually fill in the gap instead of tripping the shore power breaker. So, while this is not likely to happen unless you’re running some kind of crazy loads in your rig, it’s important to provide circuit protection and adequate wiring “just in case”. Therefore this wiring diagram calls for a 50 amp breaker downstream from the inverter with 6 AWG wire instead of a more “typical” 30 amp breaker with 10 AWG wire. Inverter Wattage If you look closely at the specs of the Victron Multiplus inverters they don’t actually support continuous 2000 or 3000 watts respectively. This isn’t important but it can be a bit confusing because of how they’re named. The MultiPlus 12/3000/120 outputs 2400 watt continuous output at 77 degrees, 2200 watts at 104 degrees and surge up to 6000 watts. The MultiPlus 12/2000/80 outputs 1600 watt continuous output at 77 degrees, 1450 watts at 104 degrees and surges up to 4000 watts. Victron MultiPlus Inverter/Charger Configuation Once you get your system all wired up you’ll need to configure/program the MultiPlus to, at minimum, work with the batteries you’ve chosen and maybe tweak a few of the other settings. We have another post on how to do that. A Little Battery Update (June 2021)In addition to the complexity, the other pain point around electrical systems is how expensive they are. In particular, the leading brands of lithium batteries such as the Victron batteries we show in our example and other popular brands like Battleborn are very expensive – about $1,000 per 100 amp hours. It’s a classic sort of “pay for what you get” scenario and there are good reasons to purchase the highest quality components. For example, the are excellent quality, designed to last for many years with 10 year (!) warranties. But, the truth is that not every van build needs the very best batteries and there are well-made alternatives that are just about half the price! In some cases, having more capacity (amp hours of stored energy) may be better than more longevity. You can ask yourself, do I want to run the stuff in my van twice as long for a few years or half as long for a decade? Anyway, Will Prowse made an excellent video testing out well-built but lower cost lithium batteries that is worth checking out. One example is the SOK 206 amp hour battery that is currently selling on Amazon for $1,029. Wiring Diagrams The image below is for quick reference but I recommending downloading the PDF file (below) for much more detail and the ability to print/zoom in. If you have AC loads that should ONLY be powered by shore (utility) power, (not inverted AC power), you can use the “AC out 2” connections on the MultiPlus inverter/charger which is only “live” when shore power is available. One good example of this would be an AC/DC refrigerator. Many of those will “default” to AC power when it’s available. If you wired up an outlet near your refrigerator that was powered by the inverter, the fridge would switch to that source of power anytime the inverter was on (inverting) which is less energy efficient that it continuing to run off the 12 volt DC power. If, instead you wire up that AC outlet that feeds the refrigerator, it will only run off the AC power when you have shore/utility power. V1 – Download Wiring Diagram PDF – BMV-712, 2x Victron Orion 30 Amp DC-DC Chargers v2 – Download Wiring Diagram PDF – Lynx Shunt, 2x, Victron Orion XS 50 Amp DC-DC Chargers If You’re Using a Renogy DC-DC Charger Instead of the Victron Orion Units Unlike some other battery-to-battery charging products that sense voltage and trigger the charging based on that, the Renogy DC to DC charger (or battery-to-battery charger) that I used requires you to connect up a 12 volt positive “signal wire” from the vehicle’s ignition switch so that it only charges from the van (vehicle) battery when the ignition is turned on. Without this ignition trigger on this unit or the voltage sensing on others, the battery-to-battery charger could easily drain the van battery since the battery-to-battery charger would be pulling current without the alternator providing a charge. After some research I discovered that some Promaster vans (2016 or newer I think) have a “Upfitter Connector” on the passenger side “pillar” which is that area just behind the passenger seat where the seat belt connects to the van wall. If you remove the black plastic trim at the bottom of this “pillar” you’ll see a white multi-pin connector (photo below). This is the “upfitter connection” that provides a variety of connection points for the Promaster in one spot. This PDF file (Promaster Upfitter Connector Diagram PDF) details this connector including what each pin on the connector is/does. Turns out that pin #13 is an “ignition feed” that has 12 volt positive when the ignition switch is on. So, I used this to be the “trigger” for the Renogy DC to DC charger. Note: if you have an older Promaster that does not have this upfitter connection you can consider splicing into the cab area cigarette lighter wiring as detailed in this post. Another option is to use a “tap a fuse” type splitter on fuse #31 in the Promaster fuse block (below the steering wheel). The photo shows this location. These things allow you to maintain the fusing for the original circuit but tap into that fuse location for a second circuit. In this case you’d use a 5 amp fuse for each. Close Up Shot of Promaster Van Upfitter Connector with Pin #13 Connected: In order to do this, I had to order the correct, “male” version of this connector (part number 1-480710-0) as well as the “pin” itself (part number 350218-1). The way this works is that you solder the correct wire to an empty pin and then insert that pin into the correct position on the connector thus allowing you to access and wire up a variety of things to this upfitter connector. These parts are pretty inexpensive so I bought a few with the expectation that I’d destroy a few figuring out how this all works. I’m glad I did because I did indeed destroy a few experimenting. Ultimately, it’s not difficult but finding the right parts and how they fit together took some time. So hopefully this saves you that time! Soldering the Wire to the Pin: The wire coming out of pin #13 on the Upfitter Connector runs back to the rear passenger side wheel well where the primary electrical system is installed and is connected to the Renogy DC to DC charger on a terminal labeled “D+”. Below is a photo of this connection: Next I had to configure the Renogy DC to DC charger to correctly charge the lithium batteries using the DIP switches pictured above. The manual for this Renogy DC to DC charger is really bad and the section on setting up the DIP switches is complete gibberish. I gave up on it pretty quickly and called into Renogy support. The correct DIP switch settings for charging lithium batteries with the Renogy DC to DC charger is: Switch #1: Off Switch #2: On Switch #3: On Switch #4: On Switch #5: Off Turning On The LED Lights On The Lynx Distributor There are LED lights on the Lynx Distributor that indicate if each of the circuits is live (the fuse isn’t blown). They light up green when it’s good and red when it’s not. These lights are normally powered when the Lynx Distributor is paired up with the Victron Lynx Shunt but you don’t need that if you use the “better-for-vanlife” (my opinion) BMV-712 battery monitor (listed above) which has it’s own shunt for monitoring. So, if you don’t want to buy that hardware but do want the fancy lights, you can “hack” the lights with a 12 volt DC to 5 volt DC converter and an RJ11 “phone style” connector. This will provide the 5 volt power the LED lights need to fire up. Below is an illustration on how you’d do this – at your own risk, of course.
Learn more