Campervan 12V Electrics Install (We Have Power!) | Transit Van Conversion E22

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We've been looking forward to this one for a while! It's time to install our campervan 12V electrics system and actually get some power into our van! 🚐
We had already run wires around the van as part of our pre-wiring so this time we just needed to make a board to house our 12V van electrics setup, which includes our MPPT charge controller, Lynx Distributor, DC-DC charger and 12V fuse block (and a few switches). In the video we run through the simplified version of our wiring diagram.
Our van electrical system uses 2x 100aH LiFePo4 batteries wired in parallel to double the capacity, paired with 525W of solar panels on the roof.
The moment of turning on the main switch for the first time will forever be one of our most satisfying moments of the entire van build 🙂
Disclaimer: We're not electricians so everything we've put together for our campervan electricial system is the result of research from various different resources - always do your own research on how to install electrics in your own campervan and consult an electrician in your locality if you're in any doubt :)
Thanks for watching! Any comments or questions? Let us know below!
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Blue sea voltage drop chart: assets.bluesea....
Products used in this video (includes affiliate links *):
↠ Victron Lynx Distributor - geni.us/BRX0 (Amazon)
↠ Victron MPPT 100/50 - geni.us/0JE2o (Amazon)
↠ Victron Orion 12/12-30 - geni.us/6u2CH (Amazon)
↠ Victron BMV 712 Battery Monitor and 500A Shunt - geni.us/4PxBFN (Amazon)
↠ Renogy 175w Solar Panels - geni.us/YfXF (Amazon)
↠ Blue Sea 6006 Battery Switch - geni.us/KNpAfSd (Amazon)
↠ Blue Sea Fuse Hub - ebay.us/82Ohou
↠ Battery Terminal Fuse - geni.us/9uLRK (Amazon)
↠ Lithium (LiFePo4) Batteries - www.ksenergy.c...
↠ Wire Strippers - geni.us/9v1Bs (Amazon)
↠ Ferrule Crimp Tool - geni.us/qaqN (Amazon)
↠ Wire Ferrules - ebay.us/2SRaoE
↠ Heat Shrink Crimp Tool - geni.us/cL4uFP (Amazon)
↠ Adhesive Lined Heat Shrink - ebay.us/Ap6huk
↠ Heat Shrink Crimp Terminals - ebay.us/dQYD0Q
↠ Heavy Duty Crimp Tool - www.12voltplan...
↠ 100A Red Isolator switches (we bought from eBay, similar listings ebay.us/zHqIzS, or www.12voltplan...)
↠ Wire/Cable - mostly from ebay.us/WtL24D and www.12voltplan...
↠ Nylon P Clips - ebay.us/beXZQr
Disclaimer: Some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you choose to click on them we may earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
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Support Us
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If you're enjoying our videos and would like to say thanks you can buy us a tea or coffee here!
☕️ www.buymeacoff...
Resources
------------------
You can download our diagrams and power audit spreadsheet here:
↠ www.buymeacoff...
🚐 Follow Us
------------------
🔔 Subscribe on RU-vid: www.youtube.co...
↠ Follow us on Instagram: / selfbuiltstories
↠ See our full van conversion playlist: • Transit Van Conversion
Filmed with:
↠ Sony ZV1 - geni.us/LW73Jx (Amazon)
↠ GoPro Hero 8 - geni.us/PsIIH9 (Amazon)
↠ Zhiyun Crane M2 - geni.us/WhUBT7I (Amazon)
↠ Rode VideoMicro - geni.us/tzPbJ (Amazon)
Disclaimer: Some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you choose to click on them we may earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
***************************************************************************************
All our videos are for entertainment and show our process of converting our campervan. They're not intended to be tutorials and we may make mistakes along the way, so always do your own research and if in doubt about anything then make sure to get advice from a suitable professional
***************************************************************************************
#vanconversion #campervanconversion #vanlifeuk

Опубликовано:

30 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 869

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

All the different bits of kit and products we used in the video should be linked in the description, thanks for watching! 🙂

@cackleberryfarm4598 2 года назад

Great, GREAT video guys!! Loved watching it going together. You guys do a REALLY nice job of explaining. But also willing to stop everything your doing to shoot the video for us is REALLY time consuming when you just want to crank this thing out!! So Thanks for taking the time to film and edit!

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thank's a lot! It is definitely really time consuming and makes the whole build a lot slower to film and edit it like you say, so we really appreciate your comment as it makes it all worthwhile when people are enjoying the videos 🙂

@owenparker6651 2 года назад

I've watched many of these solar install demos, many from the 'solar gurus' of YT, but if I could only have access to one, I believe I might choose yours for comprehensiveness, detail and simplicity. Well done, indeed!

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Wow, thank you for the kind words, really glad you found it helpful 🙂There are lots of great resources out there that were really useful to us, so if we can give something useful back that's great 😊

@SeanBarron38 2 года назад

Agree. This and your pre-wring video are really helping me out! Anyway tp get that hand drawn schematic emailed??

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

@@SeanBarron38 Hey, yeah sure if you message us on instagram we can send it to you 👍

@kbs7340 Год назад

❤

@normm.7265 2 года назад

Once again, I must compliment you two in your teamwork and gentle, cooperative spirits. Your videos offer information and inspiration. I pray God will bless you both in this new year. It seems he already has. 😊

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thank you 😊 We're hoping this year will see us finishing the van and taking it out for some adventures 🙂Happy New Year to you! 🎉

@sevennguyen6907 9 месяцев назад

Hi.. I want install my van ram promaster 2023 same to this video .. please help me estimate how much…thanks so much

@SelfBuiltStories 9 месяцев назад

Hiya, cool. All the bits of kit we used should be linked in the description so you can get an idea based on what we used. Good luck with it 🙂👍

@anyjimblogs Год назад

Hi There, I love your videos. So informative and it's great to see your journey through the van build. Can I ask how you came to choose 70mm2 cables between your batteries and from the batteries to the fuse board? I very much appreciate that you are not electricians ( neither am I) and that we must all make our own decisions for our van builds so the cable sizes I choose are my own for sure. I was just thinking that 70mm2 cable is very big as it can take up to 210 Amps in Victrons Wiring Unlimited Guide, its very expensive and from your chart your total amps draw from all of your devices looked to be about 26 Amps. I am just wondering if I am missing something that's all.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thank you very much! And sure, there's a few reasons we decided on 70mm^2 cable for the battery bank. The first is that our batteries have a peak surge current of 150A, and our 1000W inverter we're using also has a surge rating of up to 2200W, so on a 12V system that could potentially try to draw ~180 amps, discounting inverter efficiencies and things. Then looking at voltage drop tables, for that kind of amp draw to stay within 3% drop puts us around that range of 50-70mm^2 (assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/newsletter/images/DC_wire_selection_chartlg.jpg). We also have a theoretical max of 80A that can flow into the batteries from solar and dc charging. But, our expected use will obviously be a lot lower than that in practice. So the other reason is that we chose to over spec the battery bank wires slightly from what we might need as because it's such a short run for us, the cost to do so wasn't great, and we like the fact that we can upgrade for example our inverter in the future without having to redo any of that wiring. It gives us peace of mind that we'll have an efficient and hopefully somewhat future proof system 🙂

@anyjimblogs Год назад

@@SelfBuiltStories thank you for your reply. It makes sense and is also really appreciated. I hope You are getting close to your dream of travel in your beautiful home on wheel!

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

You're welcome! And we actually started life on the road in our van yesterday! 🍾🚐 Very rewarding and humbling after the huge amount of work to build it. Our videos are quite a bit behind as we haven't had any time to edit them recently, but hopefully we'll start to catch up soon 🙂

@mikesgarage394 24 дня назад

Negative and positive length only need to match on multiple battery interconnections, At any other time it is just adding unnecessary resistance and voltage drop.. Great job on the setup.

@SelfBuiltStories 13 дней назад

Cheers, yeah we're really happy with our set up, it's been working out great so far! And yep, we wanted to make the batteries as balanced as possible and went with the diagonal method as we figured it was the simplest for what we needed. But you're right we didn't need to make the +ve and -ve from the board to the batteries the same length, only the ones between the batteries (www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html ). We found that on another resource at the time but as you say, it's not necessary and adds extra resistance. All the other wires in the van are of course just whatever the shortest and most convenient run was. Extending the -ve a bit did allow it to tuck neatly by the wall though so it worked out well in the end! 👍

@lesblack413 Год назад

Hi, I enjoyed watching you both work on the project. Nice to see!! A question to you is why are you using an MPPT controller when you already have a DC-DC charger in the circuit. Is there something I have missed here. Nice work and thanks for posting.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thanks a lot! :) And we wanted to have both solar and alternator charging and we like the Victron kit with all the connectivity and the app. From what we've seen so far they don't have a combined MPPT/DC-DC like some other manufacturers so we went for both separately 👍

@robtheplod 2 года назад

I've never seen such neat work. Absolute perfectionists! You need to encase it in plastic and charge an entrance fee for people to admire it!

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Haha cheers! Would help keep the dust off from it too 😀

@pinkbsl7972 Месяц назад

Wonderful and helpful video as always, thank you. Is it ok to put two lugs on a single 'pin/connector' on the 12v fuse box, (as long as below 30A as that is specification for my fuse box) save splitting the wires if I want. For instance, I would like to have two reading lights and have them on a separate circuits rather than connecting the wires into one. Is there any issue with doing this please?

@SelfBuiltStories Месяц назад

Thanks 🙂 And it might be tricky to physically stack two of the ring terminals in the 12v fuse boxes to ensure good contact as there is limited space, especially once the cover is on. I would probably run them to separate slots on the box or join them into one with a wago or something. But in general it's okay as long as the fuses and wires are all sized correctly. I wouldn't have a problem combining two lower power reading lights onto one circuit, but I wouldn't combine say a reading light and a pump for example, I'd keep those separate. HTH 👍

@veronicamunoz9109 Год назад

You two did an amazing job putting everything together and explaining it in detail. I loved watching a female working in various tasks including electronics. Will you please provide us with a diagram of your setup. I would love to implemented on my van conversion, electrical planning, which I'm currently working on. Thank you so much!!

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thanks a lot, yeah we like to both get involved and do every project together, it's our rule for the build 🙂 And if you message us on Instagram we can send you the the diagram 👍

@joeridbnr3483 Месяц назад

Thanks for your video, one question , why 2 x 100AH batteries instead of 1 x 200AH ?

@SelfBuiltStories Месяц назад

No problem 👍 And we liked the idea of having redundancy in case one failed, and we did actually experience something similar when one of our batteries had to be sent in for maintenance and we could still use the other one on its own in the meantime. Depending on the battery having two individual ones might mean you can have a higher charge/discharge rate as well. Having just a single large battery though simplifies the wiring and is probably lighter overall, so worth considering especially if it comes out cheaper than two smaller ones 👍

@parkervarin 7 дней назад

Great build. Also, 3:05 it's best to have the pocket screws coming in from the outside of the box so it has more wood to hold on to. It makes it much stronger, but a lot of the time it doesn't really matter.

@SelfBuiltStories 4 дня назад

Cheers 👍 Yeah for the battery tray they're not under heavy stress, just keeping the batteries from moving around so no issues with that. We preferred the aesthetics of not having visible pocket holes 🙂

@Glockers76 Год назад

You guys really work well together. Best instructional video I've seen yet. Thanks for sharing.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment and glad you found it useful 🙂

@luisbethencourt6593 6 месяцев назад

Great tutorial, I'm building my van here in Sydney Australia, what mega fuse size are you using in your Linx Distributor, thank you, Luis

@SelfBuiltStories 6 месяцев назад

Cheers, and we used 60A (MPPT), 80A (12V hub), 40A (DC-DC) and 100A (inverter). That works well for our set up with the kit we have but obviously depends on your system 👍

@MrSergov 6 месяцев назад

Hello. Very nice video. How did you calculate de size of the battery fuse (200Ah)? Thanks

@SelfBuiltStories 6 месяцев назад

Hey, cheers :) We went for 200A as with our batteries in parallel the max discharge for the combined bank is 200A. So you have to check what the specs are of your own batteries and make sure the fuse is rated correctly for that, your expected load, and the wires you're using 👍

@lorisnunlist7096 8 месяцев назад

Looks so good! One little Question i have, why you use the Isolated DC-DC Charger and not an Non-Isolated? Thanks for answer.

@SelfBuiltStories 8 месяцев назад

Cheers :) And sure, we have a bit about the isolated vs non-isolated and why we went for it in our DC-DC charger video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P31zeKtFCGs.htmlsi=WdRA98i0QFFCn3O1&t=590 👍

@Tom-le2px Год назад

Hello, great video, thanks for taking the time and to share. I am considering the Lynx Distrubitor to keep things neat and tidy, can you share what mega fuses you used for each sub system. Thanks

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Yeah it's a really nice bit of kit. And for most things they recommend a fuse size in the manual, so we're followed that for the most part. For the 100/50 MPPT we have we used a 60A fuse, 40A for the DC-DC charger, 125A for the fuse hub (all we had at the time, since bought 100A) and at the moment 100A the inverter. That fits our system but yeah be sure to work out what's appropriate for yours 👍

@wilbearworks Год назад

Hi, Great video. I have been looking for some 230-volt sockets like the ones you have, could you tell us where they came from, please?

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Cheers :) And yeah we spent a while trying to find some that weren't the standard chunky beige motorhome ones. The ones we have are from Berker, and we got them from here: www.furneauxriddall.com/collections/berker-switches-sockets 👍

@onemanandhisdog Год назад

Very well planned and executed guys. My set up is a little smaller in load but your video is possibly one of the best on here I've seen! I will definitely be revisiting when I'm at that stage of my own build! Priceless, thank you🙏

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

You're welcome, thanks for watching and for the comment! Hope your build is going well 🙂

@dougbartlett9719 10 месяцев назад

Hi Great work guys. Do you have a link for the clamp ammeter you used when checking to fit DC to DC charger. Doug..

@SelfBuiltStories 10 месяцев назад

Hiya, cheers :) And there should be a link to it in the description of the DC charger video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P31zeKtFCGs.html 👍

@peterpreen 2 месяца назад

its such an imformative video you have made me to Subscribe to your channel .... well done you 2

@SelfBuiltStories 2 месяца назад

Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

@masonswandale 7 месяцев назад

loving your detailed video's, question. What size wire are you guys running from your lynx to the fuse box?

@SelfBuiltStories 7 месяцев назад

cool, glad to hear it! And sure, we used 16mm2 for that one 👍

@scoularmum 11 месяцев назад

Great set of videos guys 👍🏼. Did you leave your starter battery in its original place, under drivers seat? Any problems accessing it? 🙏

@SelfBuiltStories 11 месяцев назад

Cheers, and yep they're still in the same place. On the Transit It's not the most convenient place to access but we can still get to it fine if we need it, we just need to move the driver seat forward as much as it can and tilt it forwards 👍

@NevContractor1 Год назад

Qn: How do you connect the 3 pairs of cables from the 3 solar pannels into the single pair of connectors on the MPPT please? Do you solder the 3 negatives and 3 positives from the 3 pannels into 1 pos and 1 neg and then insest these into the MPPT? Thx in advance.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

The panels came with MC4 connectors already wired onto the ends, so all we had to do was clip them together in series and then we had a single positive and negative wire from the whole 3 panel array. Then we bought a pair of extension MC4 cables that clips on to those, pass through the roof, then come out as bare wire right by the solar disconnect switch. We wired those two into the disconnect, and then two more 16mm^2 cables out from the disconnect and into the MPPT using ferrule ends to keep the wires tidy. HTH 👍

@kirklacut 2 года назад

Your power panel is a thing of beauty; beautifully planned and beautifully executed. Fabulous job! Super video and explanation; thank you for taking the time to shoot this!

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

No problem, thanks for watching! 🙂

@AJ-wo5nf Год назад

Hello. Really enjoyed your video. Your presentation was brilliant in terms of clarity ,and how comprehensive the detail. Your layout of the circuit board is so well planned and constructed. You made it look effortlessly simple..which I know it is not. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, time and efforts for us to learn from. 😊

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

You're welcome 😊 It took a lot of research and planning that's for sure, but it turned out really well and we've been really happy with it 🙂

@onlindedrumclub Год назад

Thanks for a great video. Would this system work with one battery and one solar panel?

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Cheers, and yes it would work fine with one battery and panel, it would just not generate or store as much power. You''d just need an MPPT controller that's appropriate size for the panel, and all the wiring and fuses sized correctly for it 👍

@ADKOverlandNY 5 месяцев назад

I just came across your video on RU-vid and watched the 12v electrics install! Super precise, very well thought out & simply explained & demonstrated! Awesome - great job!

@SelfBuiltStories 5 месяцев назад

Thank you very much! 😀

@jacquesdutron9954 2 года назад

Wow, what a wonderful couple working together awesomely! Congrats! Enjoying the fruit of your labor

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thank you! 🙂

@SpikeyOfficial 2 года назад

This literally makes my van build look like a poundland van

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Haha, thanks but surely not! There is some decent stuff to be found at poundland sometimes too!

@GITMachine 9 месяцев назад

I caught myself smiling right along with you as you powered it up for the first time. Well done, folks. Cheers from Canada.

@SelfBuiltStories 9 месяцев назад

Thank you! It was a very rewarding moment for sure! 😀

@peterjones3806 2 года назад

Hi guys... You two have done a fantastic piece of work installing the electrics...if I looked at the panel for the first time I would have thought you had brought in a sparky...loving you channel 👍👍👏👏😁

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thanks 😀It was quite fun putting it all together, there's just something quite exciting about turning on the power! Glad you're enjoying the channel 🙂

@steppe21 Год назад

Hi, very nice Channel. Thanks for showing that...I have only a few questions, have you connected the DC to DC Charger directly with the Distributer, or straight to the Leisure Baterie and is there a fuse (Size?) between. Also good to know would be the cabel dimension for it. Sorry for my broken English. Best reagards from Berlin, Germany. Steppe

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thanks a lot, and no problem! We have connected it via the Lynx Distributor with a 40A mega fuse on that side, and it's fused with a 60A fuse on the input (starter battery side). We used 16mm^2 cable for all of it, which is the largest that can fit inside the Orion and what we needed as the distance from our van starter batteries to our leisure batteries is quite long, being at opposite sides of the van 👍

@steppe21 Год назад

@@SelfBuiltStories Thanks a lot👍

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

@@steppe21 You're welcome :)

@insomniasessions-pt2dz Месяц назад

Good idea, a RCB... But it only works if your inverter supports neutral to ground bonding. If your inverter doesn't support a neutral to ground bonding you can use an isolation monitor like the Bender Isometer combine with a relay. They are horribly expensive though, but a RCB without an earthing pin or a earthing bond to neutral just doesn't do anything, as the method of checking for electricity leakage can not be done by a RCB without earth available... An Isometer constantly measures the resistance between line and neutral, if you or something shorts this route a very low resistance will be measured letting the device know there is an event where the RCB should normally trip when having earth available and the Isometer will shut of the relay. (Isometer is a brand name, I have no idea what the correct terminology is for this device in English)

@SelfBuiltStories 21 день назад

Yep 100%, an RCD only works with a neutral-earth bond in place. The Phoenix inverter we have has a jumper that you can move to make that bond. We did everything for our 230V setup in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-bshTXtq3x2I.html 👍

@insomniasessions-pt2dz 20 дней назад

@@SelfBuiltStories Good! I'll watch the video for fun! Thank you!

@SelfBuiltStories 13 дней назад

@@insomniasessions-pt2dz No problem! 😀

@michaeldavies2947 10 месяцев назад

great vid guys and well done. I am still trying to pluck up the courage to do the electrics myself as I cant seem to find anyone local to do it for me.

@SelfBuiltStories 10 месяцев назад

Thanks 🙂 It is a daunting job at first but once you break it down it's not too bad to get a basic system setup. Good luck with it either way 👍

@nilruparelia 7 месяцев назад

Hi! Excellent Video. Where did you get the blue drill attachment from ? Is there anyway you can share the link for that please. Thank You

@nilruparelia 7 месяцев назад

I got it Thank You

@SelfBuiltStories 7 месяцев назад

@@nilruparelia Cool, guessing you meant the right angle drill bit, yeah it's a handy bit of kit! 👍And thanks!😀

@FreedomSailing 8 месяцев назад

love a copy of your wiring drawing? great video

@SelfBuiltStories 8 месяцев назад

Cheers! And there should be a link to it in the description 👍🙂

@tsetendorjee9040 Год назад

We really love your RU-vid about Campervan 12V Electrics Install (We Have Power!) | Transit Van Conversion E22!!!❤👍

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thank you, glad you like it! 🙂

@whitty132 2 года назад

Thanks very much for this extremely useful video. Impressive attention to detail and so easy to follow.....God bless you both.

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Our pleasure! Glad you found it useful

@Jake-xo1wl Год назад

Hello. Thanks for all the videos. They are very helpful. A question. You used 70mm cable to connect the battery to the distributor, which is rated at 485amps, and then used a 200amp terminal fuse on the battery. Is this because from your calculations you know your system won't draw more than 200amps? So did you overcompensate with the 70mm wire? Thanks!!

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Hiya, yeah so our batteries are rated for 100A max continuous discharge current each, and with two in parallel our battery bank could theoretically have a 200A discharge current. And then from wiring charts taking into account voltage drop (although it's a very short run) puts us in the ballpark of 70mm^2 cable: assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/newsletter/images/DC_wire_selection_chartlg.jpg. In reality our system is unlikely to see discharge that high and we've probably overspecced some of the wires in our system a little, but we prefer it that way for peace of mind. That size cable is chunky and hard to work with, and quite pricey too. But we figured for such a short run as everything is quite compact it was worth doing to minimise voltage drop/better efficiency and yeah mean we know that it is specced to handle any load we can throw at it 👍

@Jake-xo1wl Год назад

@@SelfBuiltStories I see. Makes sense. Thanks for your reply!!

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

@@Jake-xo1wl You're welcome :)

@paulsmart7564 2 года назад

Congratulations. Always a great moment when you turn on the electrics for the first time. Great set up. Cheers 🍻

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thanks, turning that switch was definitely one of the fun moments of the whole build we'll remember 😃

@bradtenbonga Год назад

We love what you are doing, thank you. A wee piece of advice . If you do this again please have both terminals of your batteries covered , rubber grommets until you actually fit. Drop a metal screwdriver, spanner , saw, or your fancy H spanner across both terminals at the same time and the result would be very unpleasant. and even if you had one, a fire extinguisher would not be of much use ...sorry to be the doom one here but years of submarines, planes and vans does teach you safety.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Cheers, and no problem :) And yeah we try to cover them up every time we work on the electrics, we got more diligent at it as we went on. We'll probably get some covers or build a frame over them at some point. Our batteries have built in short-circuit protection too which in theory should disconnect the terminals within a few microseconds safely: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J4wE0NwNiTk.html. Not that we'd ever want to test it like that though 😛

@jlr3636 Год назад

Congratulations, great job! Teamwork

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thank you! :)

@rustythecat2163 2 года назад

Good planning and execution. Work together, learn together! Super job…..the system works, yeah!!!

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Cheers! Yep, it was a nice moment when it all came together after all the research and planning! 😃

@thomaslittle9284 3 месяца назад

This is fantastic. One quick question (not so much on electrics, but noticed you did it here): do you treat all of the wood before putting it in the van? I noticed you applying something to the plywood for the electrics board, and the battens used to keep the batteries in place at 3:13. Would be great to know what you're using so I can do the same. Thanks so much!

@SelfBuiltStories 3 месяца назад

Cheers! And yep we treated every single bit of wood in the van apart from the bed and seat slats (because we didn't want anything leeching onto the fabric).If it wasn't on show, like the backs of the cladding, we varnished it (just basic quick dry varnish). And for the visible parts it was either paint or osmo oil depending on what it was. We used the amber tinted oil to give a nice woody colour too, that stuff is great as it's really easy to apply and a tin lasts for ages. There were a few other niche bits too like for the ply floor we used yacht varnish around the edges as we wanted something with more extreme moisture proofing, but generally that was our approach. There should be links to the exact stuff we used in the videos where we did those bits 👍

@thomaslittle9284 3 месяца назад

@@SelfBuiltStories Perfect, all makes sense. Saw that you used the yacht varnish on the ply floor - I did the same!

@SelfBuiltStories 3 месяца назад

@@thomaslittle9284 Cool, good luck with the build 👍🙂

@raesalmon Год назад

Excellent video. My partner and I are just starting our first self build. When we get to this stage this will be invaluable. Thank you

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

You're welcome, good luck with your build! 😀👍

@LittleSimGoesWild 3 месяца назад

This has got to be one of the best build videos you’ve done so far. You made this electrical set up look easy! Well done👏👏👏

@SelfBuiltStories 3 месяца назад

Thank you 🙏 All the best for the rest of your build 🙂

@barbelist 2 года назад

If Carlsberg did Campervan electrics..................

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Haha, not sure about that, but thanks a lot! 😅

@NomaddUK 2 года назад

Hi there guys. Just found your channel. This is looking very good and extremely well thought out. One comment though... If you made that board to be on hinges you could have hidden all of that wiring behind it and opened the board on hinges to work on it. Now I have seen yours I will be doing it with a hinged board to reduce the view of wiring on the front. Can't wait for more videos. Well done.

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Hiya, and thank you 🙂That's a good idea and one we didn't think of at the time. With our setup it would be a bit awkward to make use of a hinge as we have the cables from around the van coming through holes in the board and then fixed in on the front face, but could make the initial setup a bit easier. The board was fairly heavy to hold up while tucking all the wires through and fixing into place 😛Good luck with yours!

@casamorag Год назад

🇬🇧🇬🇧👍

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

🙂

@alexrailton2067 Год назад

This was an extremely well presented video. I've just bought a smaller van to try as my first DIY camper and plan to have a very similar set up, this is my first time looking up electrics and (although I'm still dreading the planning part of this) you did an amazing job of explaining everything involved. Definitely bookmarking this.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thanks! Glad it was useful and good luck with your project! It was daunting at first but all falls into place, and very satisfying when you turn it on for the first time that's for sure 🙂

@vernpasfield3892 2 года назад

Not sure what your qualifications are but you 2 have done a great job of this electrical install, cheers from Australia.

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thanks a lot 🙂 And no relevant qualifications, just a nurse and a software engineer, and lots of research... 😬😃

@simplylovemore Год назад

Best Campervan electrical install I’ve seen. Simply and easy to understand. Thank you so much 😊

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

You're welcome, so happy you found it useful! 🙂

@AdrianSinner97 Год назад

is there a video to show how you dealt with the mains power supply going in? KUDOS for the video, great work

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Cheers! And we won't have mains power hookup/shore power in our van, but will be adding an inverter for 230V to our sockets. There will be a video on that, but we haven't got round to it yet 😛

@jakeliujakeliu 2 года назад

Just find out you don’t have AC inverter build in, is this in future video or going to skip it.

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

That's a future video :)

@jakeliujakeliu 2 года назад

Can’t wait thanks

@eric35red Год назад

Hi guys, love what you're doing. Any chance you could send me your wiring layout setup. Tried to find it on Instagram but couldn't see it there

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Hey, cheers. We don't have it up on Instagram but if you message us there can send it

@eric35red Год назад

@@SelfBuiltStories thanks I did put a message on there but didn’t get a reply 😂😂.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

@@eric35red ah sorry must have missed that one, will check now 👍

@steevs33 6 месяцев назад

Brilliant tidy work, I wonder if you could share the info of size cable you used for everything?

@SelfBuiltStories 6 месяцев назад

Cheers, and we used 70mm2 for the battery connections and to the lynx, 25mm2 for the inverter, 16mm2 for solar, DC chargers and fuse hubs, 6mm2 for the fridge and heater. And 3mm2 or 1mm2 for most of the rest. Those were good sizes for us working out wiring lengths, expected current draw and voltage drop, but obviously what works for us will vary depending on your own setup and what kit you're putting in 👍

@steevs33 6 месяцев назад

@SelfBuiltStories many thanks for that, I've got a very similar setup that I need to wire in. Are you sure you use 70mm for the battery connections, I've watched other videos that have suggested 35mm...I'm confused as hell if truth be told, lol....so grateful for videos like yours

@SelfBuiltStories 6 месяцев назад

@@steevs33 No worries, and yep definitely 70mm2. Our battery bank could theoretically discharge at up to 200A so based on voltage drop charts it puts us in that ball park: assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/newsletter/images/DC_wire_selection_chartlg.jpg. It's very unlikely we'll actually be discharging at that rate, but the only downsides to bigger cable are the cost, weight and inflexibility routing it. We figured for such a short run it was worth it, giving us a nice and efficient setup and with some element of future proofing as well 👍

@marbastworks8519 Год назад

23:26 - "I'm really happy with the way that's turned out" So you should be; that board is a thing of beauty and a tribute to your many hours of research. Really well done. 👏

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thank you! Yeah it was very satisfying for sure. There's lots of graft and groundwork for every project in the van so the moments where you actually get to see the fruits of all the hard work are really rewarding 🙂

@luciebradley3518 Год назад

So helpful thank you! Where can we find the Victron pdf/booklet you mentioned please?

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

You're welcome, and it's a free download here: www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/The_Wiring_Unlimited_book/43562-Wiring_Unlimited-pdf-en.pdf 👍

@luciebradley3518 9 месяцев назад

thanks :) @@SelfBuiltStories

@SelfBuiltStories 9 месяцев назад

@@luciebradley3518 No worries!

@SCULPTURAMAplus 2 года назад

So thoroughly well executed and explained. Thank you for the effort.

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

No problem, thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed it 🙂

@ARMY_RUGS 4 месяца назад

Neat work is my obsession!!! Welldone !!! How do I reach you ?

@SelfBuiltStories 4 месяца назад

Haha cheers, we do like everything to be tidy :) We try to respond to all comments and messages we get on here and on Instagram 👍

@ARMY_RUGS 4 месяца назад

@@SelfBuiltStories thnks

@SelfBuiltStories 4 месяца назад

@@ARMY_RUGS 👍

@tourwithmark 8 месяцев назад

This video is exactly what I was looking for. My setup is very similar, just much messier and not complete. Ha! This is great.

@SelfBuiltStories 8 месяцев назад

Cheers 😀👍

@theforsakensoul 2 года назад

Loved this! You did an amazing job. Very tidy!

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thanks a lot! 🙂

@stewreviews9345 2 года назад

By a country mile the neatest battery van build I've seen. Very pretty board. Did you compare to something like a bluetti ac200p? Give you similar capacity in smaller form factor with larger inverter for a lot less money and a warrantee that will actually pay out if needed. I built a LiFePO4 system a couple of years ago and realised I would likely have saved a bit of cash and precious space with a power station, and as the build gets larger that saving gets greater. Not trying to be critical - interested to understand your thinking here..

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thanks a lot! And an interesting question- to be honest, we didn't know much about power stations when we started the build, so it wasn't really something we considered. If we were doing it again we'd definitely add it into the thought process, although it has to be said we do like the satisfaction of building it modular and DIY, and being able to choose very specific components for each area so feel we would still lean to that side. Most of our kit does have decent warranties but yeah for simplicity the power stations look decent, though we don't have any first hand experience

@1943L 2 года назад

A lot of joint planning and hands on here. Excellent result you two.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thank you, we both like to get stuck in with every project 🙂

@Unnter Год назад

Hi, sorry f you've already answered this, I did search the comments but didn't find the answer. Could you tell me the M sizes of the lugs used to link the 16mm cable from the Lynx to the 100 amp switch to the dc fuse box. And the size of the lugs used on the 300 amp switch between the battery and the Lynx. Thank you.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Hiya! Sorry for the slow reply, on the Lynx end it is M8, and for the 100A switch I believe it's M6 (this does vary between switches but you should find it in the specs). The BlueSea fuse hub uses M5 lugs for the positive and negative stud, and the 300A BlueSea switch is M10. It's a bit like dominoes trying to figure out what connector you need on each end, probably one of the most time consuming parts of it! Fortunately most of the branded stuff you can look up online, but it's a good idea to order a few more in common sizes just in case. HTH 🙂👍

@VntrFurther Год назад

Such a helpful video, making learning how to convert my Mercedes Vito a lot easier. Do you have any links to the wires used at all?

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Awesome, glad it was helpful 🙂 We got most of the wire from www.12voltplanet.co.uk/cable.html and a few extra bits from eBay 👍

@DANIEL2X4ful Год назад

Sorry my bad english. I really liked your video, it was very useful, and a pleasure to see you working on your Motorhome. Some questions: 1) having those 3 solar panels and batteries, did it happen that you needed to use the Orion Smart dc dc? 2) have you used mppt charger and orion smart simultaneously? Do both devices get along? Do they interfere with charging the batteries? Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Hiya, your English is great! Thanks, glad you liked the video 🙂 And to answer your questions: 1) Yes, we still use the orion as well. The solar gives us up to 525W of power, but that's very dependent on the weather and how much sun. In Summer the solar generates a lot of power and the orion isn't needed as much, but in Winter and when there's bad weather/cloudy etc we might not generate enough to cover what we're using. So having the orion as well means every drive we do charges them up quickly too. We spent a month in the van with only the solar panels last Summer and that gave us enough power, but we want to take the van up to Norway where there's hardly any sun so for us we need it. It depends on how much solar power you you have, how much power you use, and what climate you'll be using the van in whether it's enough on its own 👍 2) Yes, they work together just fine as long as they're both configured correctly with the battery settings. Although they don't talk together (yet - it's an open feature request with the orion), they both sense the voltage of the batteries and in practice both turn off around the same time. The important thing is that the batteries can handle the combined charging current. Our battery bank can take up to 200A max charge, so the mppt and orion together for us is max 80A, so well within the limits. HTH!

@luisbethencourt6593 6 месяцев назад

Thanks for that, I'm using all same electronics that you are using and everything is almost identical, same brand, same capacity, except the solar panels size which are a little bigger and the lithium battery that I'm using is a single 200 Ah lithium iron unlike your double 100 Ah. Other than that I'm following your tutorial to the letter from the start of my project as I think that it is the best tutorial on RU-vid by far. Thanks again and will be in touch when we start our adventure around Australia now, and who knows, TOMORROW THE WORLD !!!!!!! Cheers, Luis & Susy

@SelfBuiltStories 6 месяцев назад

No problem, and awesome good luck with it all! Haha yeah, many adventures await! 😀

@gvlive 8 месяцев назад

So humble, concise, honest and informative. I've watched at least 2000 RU-vid vids on all aspects of van builds and was cringing at the notion of yet another "van couple." You guys actually gave us something here (and in a few other vids) sans the cringe. Thanks!

@SelfBuiltStories 8 месяцев назад

Haha, thank you! Glad we were able to give something new, there are a lot of builds out there! 😄

@teosimon2363 2 года назад

Great job... Very nice video presentation.. Thumbs up guys

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thank you 🤗

@raimundodasilviamoreira107 Год назад

Good afternoom ! All in peace ? The vídeo execellent ! Is there a way to add Portuguese to your subtitles ? Tank you very much advance !

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Hiya, good afternoon! Thank you very much 🙂 And hmm so we don't have any human translations, but you should be able to turn on RU-vids automatic translations to Portuguese. In the bottom right of the video you can click the CC button to turn on captions, and then click the settings cog and under Subtitles choose Auto Translated -> Portuguese. At least think that should work! Sorry if not!

@StevenDavisPhoto 9 месяцев назад

Great job. I ended up just using a large portable power station to make it easier. I still had to do some wiring and hook up some components, but I wanted less labor. I also like being able to take it out of the vehicle when I have it parked at home. It costs more money though usually.

@SelfBuiltStories 9 месяцев назад

Cheers :) Yeah if you value the portability they look nice. We didn't need that and wanted the flexibility to design exactly the system we wanted. Hope it works out well for you 👍🙂

@bejamtheman Год назад

Awesome video, you really explain everything well! Did you put the switch on the returning end of the current? Doesn't electricity move from negative to positive? Sorry if i'm mistaken, cracking video!

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thanks :) And you're correct that electrons physically move from negative to positive, which is 'electron flow'. Most of the time though conventional current is used for consistency (which flows from positive to negative). For switching off the circuit, putting a switch in either the positive or negative leg will cut the power and turn off the device, but in most all cases the switch is put in the positive. That's both for convention and also because most circuits have the negative side grounded so it's assumed to be at zero volts. If you switched the negative side instead then after turning off the device it would still be sitting at a higher voltage potential and something accidentally coming into contact with it and the chassis could cause a short circuit. HTH

@frasermalcolm8695 Год назад

Where to start? I’ve watched 100’s of van conversion videos as I plan my own project. Most of them are good, several are excellent but yours are the most amazing I’ve seen. Your an engaging couple to start with, and the vids are very professionally shot and put together. Your attention to detail is incredible and I’m definitely gaining a lot of very valuable tips, although whether I can exhibit your level of patience is very debatable and I doubt my partner and I could manage to remain so apparently cheery with each other! Great work - you couldn’t buy a van as well constructed as yours is. One question up to where I’ve watched you have no mains hook up? Did you finally put on in or why did you decide not to?

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Wow, thank you very much! That's very kind of you to say and we're glad you're enjoying our videos 😊 And that's a good question, we figured we wouldn't really need it with the combination of solar on the roof and alternator charging that we have, and also plan to be off-grid a lot of the time where we wouldn't be able to hook up. So we thought the extra cost and complexity to put it in wouldn't be worth as we'd only use it very infrequently. So far we've never felt like we're missing it (and saved a lot of £ on EHU too!) and we've not seen our batteries drop below around 60%. Winter will be more of a test of course, but as we plan to move around a lot we think we'll have enough power from the guesstimating that we've done 🙂

@MrColjm7 2 года назад

Hello, it's probably me,but I can't seem to find video of your B2B being wired in,can you please point me in right direction? Keep up the good work,thank you

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thanks! And nope it's not you, that video is still to come 😀

@skyh1348 Год назад

Your video has been so incredibly helpful, thank you. Just wondering what kind of solar switch you have? I can't seem to find a similar one, only battery switches.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

No problem, glad it was helpful! 🙂The one we have is an IMO SI16-PEL64R-2 Solar Disconnect which we picked up on eBay. If you search for a dual/2pole solar disconnect switch you should find them. HTH!

@cabrosbob5331 12 дней назад

Great job. Is there a fan can work in two modes ( warm and cool) ?

@SelfBuiltStories 12 дней назад

Cheers 😎 And I've seen 12v 2-in-1 hot and cold fans online but have never used one so wouldn't know if they're any good. Check some reviews on Amazon maybe 👍

@cabrosbob5331 11 дней назад

@SelfBuiltStories thanks, I'll see if there is a good one 👍🏻

@SelfBuiltStories 11 дней назад

@@cabrosbob5331 Good luck 🙂

@janetlowe2642 Год назад

Hey guys, great video. What size inverter did you fit in your van to run the hairdryer and any other devices? I'm looking at buying the Victron 12v/1600 to power my hairdryer. Would this be the right size do you reckon? Cheers again for a great vid.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thanks 🙂 And we have a 1000W inverter, which is on the small size but Abi's hairdryer is a tiny travel one that's only 450W so no issues. But basically it depends on how much power your hairdryer uses and what else you want to be able to power at the same time. If your hairdryer is 1600W then that Victron would handle it, but if you wanted to run something else at the same time then you would be exceeding the continuous power rating. The Victrons are usually pretty good and will be comfortable operating at the max rating, and can handle short periods of surge power which go beyond that. So best to check how much power your hairdryer uses, then add to that the watts of any other devices you think you might want to power at the same time, and then go for an inverter that meets, or slightly exceeds that to have a bit of a buffer

@wilradimer7328 11 месяцев назад

I’ve watched many videos on this subject, and yours is definitely one of the best!!!! Thanks!!!!!!

@SelfBuiltStories 11 месяцев назад

You're welcome, and cheers! 🙂

@MrKyzla 5 месяцев назад

Very precise and concise, right down to be use of isopropyl alcohol! I don’t quite have your £’s but it’s a great place to start. Thanks.

@SelfBuiltStories 5 месяцев назад

Cheers! We like to do a thorough job if we can, good luck!

@mrlberto 4 месяца назад

Y'all are awsome... we are reconfiguring bits of our transit 250 to accommodate a new fridge and some other electric....(never ending). That Victron Distribution box looks like a really great way clean up the wiring... And your total solution is so straightforward. It meets a lot of our needs.. The Distribution box should be here tomorrow. We cant wait to get started rewiring Thank you both.. what a great team effort. Happy trails!

@SelfBuiltStories 4 месяца назад

Cheers! Yeah it's a nice bit of kit, keeps everything really tidy and not that much more expensive than something DIY by the time you've bought all the individual bits to put it together. Good luck with the remodel 😎👍

@leannewalker8679 2 месяца назад

You guys are amazing! I am just in the process of buying all my electrical components, and finding this video has helped enormously. Thank you ❤

@SelfBuiltStories 2 месяца назад

You're welcome, glad it was helpful! 🙂👍

@paulhulley5969 Год назад

Hi, really enjoyed this video, I’ll be doing the same soon, can I ask what size cable wire you used form the batteries to the control panel? Cheers

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Hiya, glad you enjoyed it! And sure, we used 70mm^2 for the battery bank and battery to lynx wiring, which was appropriate for us based on how we sized everything in our setup 👍

@CampervanMan 2 года назад

Great video guys. Really clean set up and instructions, and of course all the right kit :)

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Thanks a lot! Yeah we're happy with the kit we've gone for so far 🙂

@davidoneill7412 2 года назад

Such a well explained video you guys well done. As has been said before there are loads of these types of videos going around but you have done a great job in structuring and presenting the info in such a way that’s so digestible and easily understood. Well done

@SelfBuiltStories 2 года назад

Cheers, glad you think so. It makes the time spent editing it worthwhile 🙂

@NarrowboatLiberty 6 месяцев назад

Really useful. You work very well together - your vlogs are a pleasure to watch!

@SelfBuiltStories 6 месяцев назад

Cheers, thanks for watching 😊

@1anonlyedwiltshire 8 месяцев назад

Nice vid guys congrats. Hopefully we will be switching on soon too...

@SelfBuiltStories 8 месяцев назад

Cheers, and cool good luck with it! 🙂

@JW-rq1ik Год назад

Thank you for the video. What thickness plywood did you use for the electrical board? The layout and wiring, as well as component placement is very clean and uncluttered.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

No problem! And we made it with 2 pieces of 9mm birch ply glued together to make one piece of 18mm (as that's what we had to work with). We wanted it deep enough to be able to get a solid fixing for all the pieces as some have a bit of weight to them. HTH 👍

@bigjim2260 Год назад

Now that's an outstanding video. The product links etc. as well. Cheers, guys!

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thanks a lot, and you're welcome! 🙂

@jobey35 2 месяца назад

This was really informative. I’ve watched a few other YTbrs and was loosing faith as nothing was making sense . Thanks guys

@SelfBuiltStories 2 месяца назад

You're welcome! Glad it was helpful and good luck with your build 🙂

@jordicoppers1544 Год назад

Hey guys, first of all I want to thank you for this very informative and clear installation video! It's very good explained with understandable words but besides that also correct (not that I know much about it, but based on all the knowledge that came together for making my own electrical installation). I was wondering if you made an electrical scheme beforehand (probably you did..), and if it's maybe possible to get it? I'm sorry if it's already somewhere here in the comments or uploaded on a site, but I didn't found it.. Thanks!

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Hiya, no problem, glad it was helpful! 🙂 We did draw some more detailed electrical diagrams but only very rough in our notebook so not something that's shareable at the moment, we'll probably put something up one day but it won't be any time soon most likely!

@selfbuilttravel Год назад

Thanks for the video! Just wondering if you have the link to the Victron printed guide you used? Thank you :)

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Sure, it's called Wiring Unlimited and is a free PDF download here: www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Wiring-Unlimited-EN.pdf

@micwilli10 Год назад

Very nice installation. I do have one very important question. What type of batteries are you using? Are they lead acid? If so, what are you doing to mediate the potential of hydrogen off gassing from the batteries during their charge cycle? Being so close to your electrical distribution, if a small buildup of gas were to happen, an accidental spark or arc from a switch could cause an issue.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thanks! 🙂 And no worries there as our batteries are LiFePO4 👍

@e210dall3 Год назад

Hi Guys. I'm changing over from Lead Acid to Lithium in my Toyota Troopy here in Australia. I've really enjoyed your videos and they are my go to for a detailed, calm explanation of how it's done. I do however, have one advantage over you guys......my hands are warmer in the nicer weather over here. Sorry, had to have a dig at your English weather. I wish you all the best.

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

Thank you! 😊 And yeah, very jealous! The number of times we've wanted to do something outside at the exact moment it decide it wants to rain... 🙄 Definitely make it all take a lot longer...!

@didjhopkins4135 Год назад

Thankyou thankyou!! You have totally untangled this process for me…pardon the pun!! Such a good video!

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

You're welcome! 🙂

@user-px6zb8kk5j 23 дня назад

Great video! I’ve often thought about a van build and you’ve made a very informative and detailed video on the power side. When it all worked at the end I was excited for you

@SelfBuiltStories 21 день назад

Cheers! Yeah it was a great feeling switching it all on for the first time 😀

@andrewhillphotosvideos2909 Год назад

Over my head lol but great watch thanks..... going smaller lol...

@SelfBuiltStories Год назад

No problem, took us a fair bit of figuring out too!

@deirdre444 10 месяцев назад

I'm half way through the video (11:17) and thinking what a beautiful and amazing job you're doing. Definitely at the very top of my list of channels to help me with my build. First the bed, then this. Absolutely amazing.

@SelfBuiltStories 10 месяцев назад

Thank you very much! We do love our bed 😄 Glad you're enjoying the videos 🙂👍