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What kind of solar/electrical system do you need in your camper van? Some tips below!

 

If you get stuck or have questions, our team is here to help! Email us a service@vanlifeoutfitters.com or call us at 754-444-8704 extension 2.

Step 1: Figure out your needs with a load calculation. We have a detailed blog post including sample load calculations you can use for this step. This exercise will really help you with the next two steps!

Step 2: Make a foundational decision on the type of system you'll be building. We've narrowed this down to three basic approaches/architectures - all of which use lithium-type batteries, and each one has a detailed blog post, free example wiring diagram, and, for the Victron-based systems, a corresponding kit/bundle of products that you can configure to your specific needs. You'll save a bundle with our bundles! You can think of this as the primary components and the products in the bundle are specific to the architecture/system design you've chosen.

Step 3: Add on the "accessories" that you need for your particular system with our best price accessories bundle that includes everything from shore power inlets to circuit protection and wiring, and our solar components bundle that includes everything from mounting brackets to solar extension cables and charge controllers. These are the products that will tie everything together into a fully functional power system but are not specific to a particular example wiring diagram/architecture.

Example: in this blog post, where we compare a "traditional" Victron-based system to an EcoFlow Power Kit, we have some video screen captures from our store product pages showing how we configured our internal BMS bundle and our accessory bundle to get a close comparison. These screen capture videos are helpful to see how versatile our bundles are and how you might configure them.

 

12-Volt Secondary Alternator Electrical Bundle

Original price was: $2,775.00.Current price is: $2,409.25.

  • Our bundles are always the LOWEST PRICE available and we can match anyone's price.  Call at 754-444-8704 or email us for the best price.
  • Why Buy From Us? Vanlife Outfitters has been helping vanlifers since 2016. Besides having the best prices, fast and free shipping, we provide our customers with the best technical in the industry (reviews).  Installing an electrical system can be intimidating, but with Vanlife Outfitters helping you along the way, you'll have the confidence to do it right the first time and get the help you need.
  • The easiest and most reliable way to source the components needed to install a powerful secondary alternator electrical system in your Sprinter, Transit or Promaster van.
  • This bundle corresponds to this example wiring diagram, our blog post that introduces the system and outlines the benefits, and our other post that dives into how to install it.
  • Includes all the main components you need that are specific to this system (scroll down toward the bottom of the page for a detailed list). We also have an accessory bundle for the more “universal” components used in a complete electrical system such as shore power components, fusing, wiring, load center, etc. For little things like lugs, heat shrink, wire management, etc. we have this list of recommendations.
  • We also have a 48-volt secondary alternator blog post with it’s own product bundle.
  • Free shipping to the continental USA.
  • World-class support. We’re here for you when installing, configuring and using your system!
  • This system is like having a generator bolted onto your engine to rapidly and reliably recharge your house batteries. In our testing the charge current is between 120 and 150 amps at idle and around 200 amps or higher when driving.
  • Scroll down to see customer reviews!
  • We have a list of installers of the secondary alternator and/or entire electrical system near our shop in Sarasota, FL (and even some nationally). Please email us for more information.
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Description

What’s Included

Nations Secondary Alternator with Wakespeed WS500 Regulator

You’ll choose the correct alternator for your vehicle when adding the bundle to your cart. The alternator comes with everything you need to install including custom brackets, belts, etc. The Wakespeed regulator includes the required “van harness”, Victron to Wakespeed crossover cable, and CAN bus data terminator.

Most kits include a 280 amp alternator. If you have a Ford Transit van (2020 or newer with the 3.5L Ecoboost engine), that has the factory, secondary alternator, you can replace that with a Nations kit (see options above when adding to your cart). This kit includes an even higher capacity, large case Denso Hairpin 300 Amp XM alternator rated for 300 amps. If you order the “Transit w/ Factory Dual Alternators” option, you’ll need to take the vehicle to a Ford dealership with an FDRS Scan Tool so that they can change the van’s configuration from “dual alternator” to “single alternator” mode.

**A quick note on Mercedes Sprinter N62 bracket.  The general consensus (Nations, our installers, reports from the internet) is that the 3-belt system that is used by Nations in their kits for Sprinters without the N62 “factory secondary alternator bracket” are better than the N62 version. In fact, we’ve heard of reports from Nations that some people who paid at the dealership for the N62 bracket have taken it off in favor of the 3-belt option.  If you haven’t ordered your Sprinter yet, you might consider NOT purchasing the N62 bracket and going with the Nations 3-belt which is ALL the Sprinter options we offer except those that explicitly say “N62”.

 

Victron Energy Smart Lithium Batteries

State-of-the-art lithium batteries featuring high-capacity, small form factor and CAN bus communication with the Wakespeed regulator for fast, reliable and safe recharging. Your choice of two or more 200 or 330 amp hour capacity batteries. Note that you need at least two of these in your system to take advantage of the high charging current of the Nations alternator. This is because the recommended continuous charging current rating of the batteries is 100 amps for the 200Ah batteries and 150 amps for the 330Ah batteries. Also you must use Victron Smart batteries with this system – other brands/types are not compatible.

Your choice of MultiPlus Inverter/Charger 

Your choice of MultiPlus inverter/charger – the original 12/2000/80, the newer 12/2000/80, the original 12/3000/120, the newer MultiPlus II 12/3000/120 or the dual phase/240 volt capable MultiPlus II 12/3000/120. Please feel free to contact us if you’re not sure which one to choose! The most popular options are the original 12/3000/120 or the newer MultiPlus II 12/3000/120.

1x – Victron Energy Lynx Power In (battery side)
1x – Victron Energy Lynx Distributor (loads and charger side)

Victron Energy Lynx Smart BMS

Victron Energy Cerbo GX-S (or upgrade to Cerbo GX)

Victron Energy GX Touch 50 (or Upgrade to GX Touch 70)

Wakespeed to Victron RJ45 Crossover Cable & Terminator

1x 250 Amp Terminal/MRBF Fuse Holder & Fuse Holder (for each battery)

Note: we purchase many of the Blue Sea Systems products in bulk with minimal packaging since we must repackage into boxes to ship to you. This allow us to supply our customers with the highest quality products with the least impact on the environment and packaging waste.

Shipping Details & Lead Times

This bundle ships for free to the lower 48 states!

All of the Victron Energy components will be shipped in one box from our warehouse in Florida. This part of your bundle order will typically ship out around 2-3 business days after your purchase.

The Nations alternator, Wakespeed regulator and various Wakespeed wiring components will ship directly from Nations Alternator in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Current lead times are approximately 5-7 days.

Since the Victron Energy equipment will arrive first, we recommend that you install the majority of your electrical system while you’re waiting on the alternator kit to ship and then you can install the alternator and Wakespeed regulator to the system once it arrives!

System Installed In Transit Van

Customer Reviews

I would like to start out saying that I am beyond happy with the performance of the second alternator package. I did a lot of homework on options for our energy system. We had a few goals we needed to meet. 1) we wanted to be able to be off grid for an extended period of time. 2) we wanted to incorporate an air conditioner and be powered by batteries. 3) we wanted a quick recovery on the batteries. 

We converted a 2021 Mercedes sprinter cargo van with a 170 wheel base. The van infrastructure (plumbing and electrical)  design was paramount in meeting our goals and being able to support our lifestyle for an extended period of time away. 

After doing all the power consumption calculations for our needs it became abundantly clear that we would need a minimum of 600 ah battery bank. We are from Florida and plan on a lot of boon docking in the summer. It seemed like using solar panels and requiring full sun , which further heated the van, was not very efficient. Since we installed the second alternator package we can keep the van cool and still have power for our water heater, cooking, etc.

When it comes time to recharge the batteries, it happens in just a couple hours, just driving to our next destination or just turning on the engine to give the batteries a boost. We have never gotten to a point where we have run out of battery power. We just thought that with the unpredictability of solar charging, the second alternator charging is just more reliable. 

The installation of the components was fairly straightforward. I did not feel comfortable enough with the mechanical installation of the second alternator on the engine so I had Vanlife Outfitters do that part. They did a great job. During the startup and shake down, I had a couple question about software settings and Vanlife Outfitters walked me thru the issues. 

We feel really good about the direction we went for our needs.   I cannot say enough about the second alternator performance and the support we received from Vanlife Outfitters. 

– Ted Milburn

Electrical/Power System Products
When purchasing electrical system components, the customer acknowledges that they are responsible for installing the products safely according to the manufacturer's guidelines and using the correct wiring and configuration. Any damage caused to products, vehicle or person is the sole responsibility of the customer. The team at Vanlife Outfitters is happy to answer any product questions and we'll do our best to help you design and troubleshoot your system. We also offer a wide range of example power systems and other informational content. If you need help understanding power systems, designing your particular power system or troubleshooting complex issues on systems we did not provide/sell, we offer consulting services for camper van electrical systems. We highly recommend that you have your electrical system installed by a qualified ABYC or Victron Energy certified technician.

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