Whats your take on using 12AWG stranded for everything? (Except for inverter, solar, and other high amp/volt items) I found it was much much cheaper to buy one roll of 12AWG marine wire and the appropriate connectors than multiple gauges and connectors.
I think you’ll be fine with 12AWG for all of your circuits. You would probably be fine with 14-16 also. The only drawbacks I can think of when using oversized wire is the extra cost, weight and ease of installation. Cost and weight may be negligible. When I think of installation I think about running multiple fat wires through small openings and channels and trying to terminate large wire into small device terminals. If you end up squeezing several wires tightly together through a channel they could potentially heat up. Smaller gauge may reduce that issue. I also think about using lever nuts that may not have the range to accept both 12AWG from your fuse panel and very small wire (18-22) connected to devices like 1 watt LED puck lights. That said, I might go with 14-16AWG for a one size fits all approach. And like you said, not including higher amp devices.
@@TheVanTeacher You give a lot of good advice and I like your desire for simplicity, but electrical work is all about the details. For the sake of others, here are a few ... Wago connectors work fine for 24-10 AWG stranded wire, in fact they are good for connecting wires of different sizes. (I prefer terminal blocks and ring terminals in a boat or vehicle, especially since they keep your wiring more organized.) Wago makes some holders that can help secure their connectors to a surface or within a junction box. Bundling is fine (cars are full of tightly bundled wires), just use the derating rules for DC circuits. 4/0 wire is not necessarily required for batteries, it depends on the load. If you're using just one gauge of wire for all DC circuits, it should be the size that supports your largest DC branch load ... not a random choice among 12, 14, and 16. Gotta do the math. Just some food for thought.
