Van Life 101: How to Charge Your Batteries While You Drive 

I've been doing electrical and mechanical installations on cars, trucks, vans, and RV's for 40 years and this is still the best "how-to" video for beginners I've seen on RU-vid when it comes to setting up a method of charging your house battery. Well done Bob! As for those saying it was overkill, or too complex: WRONG! The wiring is so big for a reason. Basically, the larger the wire is, the more efficiently it will charge the battery. Voltage loss on a long run of wire is the bane of all low voltage systems. The large wire size minimizes this. The large fuses are to protect against a direct short to ground of the positive (red) wire. A 12 volt battery can put out over 600AMPS in a direct short situatuion! If you don't think it can happen, just look for the RU-vid videos showing how to arc weld using a 12 volt battery and a set of jumper cables! Then imagine that happening inside your vehicle...

Brian is a smart guy! He wired up my 200 watt solar power system on my cargo trailer camper and did not charge me a cent! All he wanted was a thank you and the promise to pay it forward down the line! I didn't understand a third of what he did, but it works GREAT!! Thanks Brian!

A great bunch of people. That’s what we need more of people helping others

i watched it twice . the 2nd time around was the key to me. really not that complicated after all. Bob , you and Terry are constantly helping people with stuff like this. iv watched several videos of you guys doing things like this for people. you guys are great! nice job!

For anyone out there trying to grasp their head around this, watch the video 5 or 6 times. You will pick up more and more each time you watch it. I followed this video religiously and my house battery is always charged now! It’s worth the work’

One great way to route the cable on the frame is to attach a piece of ENT ( Electrical NON Metallic tubing) 1/2" blue, 3/4" orange conduit on the frame first using either cable ties or clips from battery location to motor compartment.. easy to fish and leaves a path from front to back of van for future need...Coat with undercoating paint if you like and protects the cable and no need for loom.. Thanks for sharing!!!

Gosh, the world needsmore ppl like you all, with all the help, know-how, and muscle to help her out. Well done you guys, you rock! Thanks Bob for sharing, i learned a lot from this very detailed step-by-step video! Happy trails to you.

This is the best explanation on house battery installation I've seen so far. I appreciate the detailed explanation. Kudos.

I was a mechanic for many years. I can certify that this information is true and accurate.

I've watched this a few times, what really makes me smile about all of this is the tribe in action. People doing things for each other. I hope to be able to help others myself sometime soon, and beer and pizza works just fine for me. :-D

Excellent video Bob. I'm an electrical engineer and learned much from this video. One question for you...does this approach care about they type of batteries at all? Since AGM batteries run higher than typical coach batteries, or even Lithium Ion batteries, which run even higher.

I love hearing all the birds in the background.

Just what I needed, I've got the same van too. Thanks for making it dead simple.

watched many a video of younger folk , explaining how to wire up a battery. As hard as I tried...I just couldn't understand .I am a very capable woman , I pride myself on that, .Thanks to you gents...I get it , I can do it , and I thank you , so very much. Stormy

People helping people. That is what brings true joy.

So glad you re-posted this video! This is something I still have to do to my van, and I plan on using this video as a reference guide. Cheers to you Bob!

thank you for reposting this video. I am about to be homeless and putting all my assets in a van to live in. your channel has been a huge inspiration for me. thank you for your hard work and talent.

This is a cool video. I thought it was super nice of you guys to install it for Debra!

Great video. I learned a lot about fusing for protection against hot shorts and also about not working with hot wires, and, selecting the proper gage to minimize voltage drop and heat build up during charge.

Have you guys ever thought about holding a seminar where interested folks could purchase the necessary stuff off a parts list you provide, then do a meet up where you can park everybody in a circle and do this together? I learn by doing, and then if anyone hits a snag like Debra's battery placement, you could help them troubleshoot. Just an idea.

Bob, I would like to thank you and Brian for making this so, so, so, soooooo Simple. I was able to install the same setup this password Saturday, and it works like a champ. Thanks again.

Good job Bob. Thank you for being so helpful . And thanks to the other guys too for being so generous with their time .The world needs kind people like this .

Very nice was going to use a battery isolator now I am going for the selenoid Nice to see people helping each other too!

WOW!! You guys your Super Heroes for helping Debbie ♥️👍🏼& taking care of Each Orher 💖🥰♥️ Dave you have totally helped create a RU-vid RV/Van/Car Living Community 💖🥰👏 Thank You For All Your Love & Compassion & All The Other Nomads That Take Care Of Each Other 🥰💖♥️ I Love You All So Much! Much Love & Many Blessings CherokeeGrandma 🥰🪶

A tip for anyone doing this type of work, use two wrenches. One on the terminal and one on the nut. Using a single tool to try and properly torque a connection is a good way to ruin an electrical component is a way you might not be able to easily see. No worries though. Once you put some amperage through it you will know for sure.

I have been viewing isolator install videos all week. Yours by far is the most comprehensive as well as showing all the steps involved. I will be installing mine tomorrow. Thanks! Subscribed!

Great job guys! Enjoyed the fact that you gave your time and knowledge to help someone else! Great people, hope to meet people like YOU in my life!

Thank you for this video/demo! I now understand more about electricity and battery charging than ever before. I really like that you did this on a table so it was easy to see (not poking around in the engine compartment where everything is a jumble). You guys are great!

Here's a trick for a manual switch reminder: Put one or two irritating diode lamps in so when the battery is charging there is bright light over the bed. You pull in, you're tired, you turn the van off and go back to go to sleep--you'll be reminded to kill the switch pretty quickly! lol.

Really nice video, guys. You are doing noble work--both for Debbie and the rest of us. Thanks.

Bob you are still my hero and quite an inspiration! I try to tell as many people as I can who are considering a departure from the rat race about you and your channel(s) / website that I can. Hope your days are happy and full of adventure..happy travels!

Congrats on the new channel Bob! That was a very cool thing to do for Debra. This is absolutely one of the most in depth videos on RU-vid on setting up and charging an auxiliary battery. This is a very common thing they do in Australia and South Africa for expeditions. Just a thought- if you were to adjust the title to something with "Dual Battery" not only would it hit your audience, but Offroaders, Overlanders, as well and anyone who might work out of their car who needs an extra battery for laptops or accessories.

This is such a beautiful and complete explanation. I was teaching electricity and electronics for more than 20 years. So now i am seeing for the first time this application in the world of trucks and RV.

Thank You Bob for putting this video together. I was unsure what type of set up I wanted to use in my van , your system was exactly what I was looking for. I completed my van today just has you showed in video. Thanks again!

I have scoured the interwebz for information about how to best connect a battery bank to my alternator. This video is, by far, the clearest and most informative source I have found, including major websites, blogs, "guides", etc. Well done.

Thank you all for making this very informative video🚐👍😁✌

I like the smart solenoid I use on my semi-truck to charge my hotel batteries. Bank one is four group 31 starting batteries, bank two is four deep-cycle AGM group 31 batteries. With engine off, all eight batteries are connected until voltage drops to 12.7 volts which then opens the solenoid and disconnects the two groups. Once engine is restarted, solenoid does not close until starting batteries have reached 13.4 volts at which point the hotel batteries begin charging. It's automatic and something I don't have to think about. Alternator is 14.6 volt / 200-amp.

THANX SO MUCH ALL OF YOU GENEROUS AND KIND HEROES. I JUST WENT ONTO YOUR AMAZON LINK BOB AND BOUGHT THE ITEMS YOU HAD LISTED AND A NICE SET OF 12 OF THE SMALLER INLINE FUSES AND WIRES YOU GUYS USED IN THIS MOST EXCELLENT VIDEO. I KNOW I CAN HANDLE THIS INSTALL DUE TO YOUR TEACHINGS. I THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

I have been trying to wrap my head around this all week and can't believe it seems so simple after watching this video. Thanks so much for the clear and useful info!

Excellent instructions!, Keep up the good work Bob, Great job Bryan! Soon, you will have the whole world happy and living in their vans!

The BEST explanation of House Battery Charging from driving or "Key's On" to charge it. The Solenoid simple explanation was brilliant. Fantastic Job.

Love the manual option. Put the switch inside the dash. I have a lanyard on my keys so i can hang them on a hook when I walk in my house. Put a hook on the switch and attach the lanyard to the switch. Then you can't leave the vehicle without checking the switch

Awesome video! I followed it and successfully installed my own continuous-duty solenoid in my Chevy G20. I couldn’t have done it without your help!

Actually, the polarity of wires to the coil may matter because the solenoid is running from direct current. Reversing the polarity would also reverse the electromagnetic field and cause the solenoid coil to push rather than pull (or vice versa) the plunger, unless the solenoid has a built in rectifier for use with alternating current. Whether a solenoid is "intermittent duty" or "continuous duty" has no bearing on polarity. Second, it would be beneficial (even if difficult, if it's on the dashboard) to install a switch between the fuse block accessory terminal and the solenoid coil so that the solenoid doesn't turn on to charge the house batteries unless the switch is also on, when the engine is running. As it is now, it's possible for the solenoid to be on even when the engine if off, just by turning the ignition key. If the house batteries are discharged, they will draw from the starting battery, discharging it. That may mean that the engine can't be started. A switch would provide an extra measure of safety. Third, all lead-acid batteries emit hydrogen when charging. A hydrogen-air mixture poses an explosion hazard, so build-up should be prevented.

Thank you for addressing the difference between this and a battery isolator because i watch tons if these vids and I've only seen one solenoid and dozens of isolators.

Thank you for dumbing it down for me. Now I totally understand. I have watched so many videos on this and yours was the first one that was easy to understand. Again thanks for making this easy to understand. The other videos they just want to hear themselves talk.

I'm so glad I found this video! I'm planning for a solar system later when I can get the money for it, but for now (or at least soon!) I can set up this system in my Ford Van, and be able to have some power while I wait. Thanks so much for this great video, I think I can manage it, if I can find a helper for the under-the-van bits. :)

Thank you every much for going though the steps of the wiring and getting the right parts to install a battery in back of the Van, thing about installing a inverter at the same time. enjoy watching your change - lots of think to thing about before spring time

You truly have a wealth of knowledge, I'm learning so much. Keep up the awesome work!

Hi! Bob and Terry. It's been nice watching your videos, particularly this one of very a clear demonstration of how an alternator charging of the start battery be extended to the house battery with the use of a continuous duty solenoid. If you may entertain a relevant question: Does it matter in this circuit if the house battery pack have higher voltage than the start battery? and which (in a sense) we are then connecting in parallel ? Thank you very much for sharing your very helpful knowledge, expertise.

This video is very very instructive. Until now, I did not even know what a solenoid was, but now I strongly believe I can do this easily. My only issue might be to find a place in the engine compartment where I can easily install the solenoid and probably running the cable from the solenoid to the "house" battery(ies). Thanks guys. I have the same van.

Brian is THE MAN! Well, all of them are, really!

this is very imformative. step by step. you know mechanic would charge hundreds. knowledge is power!!!

Thank you so much for making this video! I am converting a school bus and want to add a solenoid to charge my battery bank. This helped me so much!

My Ford Transit has the starter battery under the driver seat. At first I thought that was weird, but now I'm grateful. This install will be much easier. Thanks for a complete explanation of this installation.

Excellent video! Very well explained and each step of the process was shown. Thanks to all the guys for installing and explaining what may be otherwise very confusing to some folks. Truly enjoyed this video!

Wow great job guys explaining things simply, I feel like I could do this myself after watching, thank you for taking the time to share this information, God bless.

Thanks guys, just what I needed. My house battery is a Bluetti power station.

Thank you, guys. Short, informative, and on point. Now I have guts to wire my small camper using one or two aux batteries.

love. how u guys come together to aid each other goes to show that just because ur a road runner dont mean ur not friendly road runners, with kind hearts ,i so eish i could do wat u do ,i live in a colder climate area we do get summer in ohio but we get a good winter with it and im nnot sure weather i can doit in the colder months ive lived in a camper and did ok with it i had water hook up in summer and electricall year but winter the water was cut off so i had to set up a water supply systym and i used a 300 gallon container to store and a 300ngallon to fill with i built an insulated box for it i also added a small 40 gallon i think it was electric water heater i same box i put a 100 wat light bulb in in it with a metal sheild to heat the box to keep it from freezing i used a regular water pump from tractor supply and hooked the plug to a light switch to turn it on and off wen i needed water it worked for 2 yrs no issues b4 i moved out of it ,i also had a gas furnace in the camper wich i used on colder days i had the bigger tank hooked to it lasted the whole 2 yrs no issues but i used electri heaters to a baseboerd heater as they are not as bad to cause fire as long as u use heavy enough wiring from it to ur plug ins i put it own dedicated plug from the electric panal to it as well ,i lived happy and comfortable in the tiny 18 ft camper i wished at times i had more room but i was cool with wat i had my biggest down fall was laundry but they was a laundry matt not more than 2 miles away ,i eventually put a storage shed in 10 by10 that i was planning on setting up with washer and dryer with a small freezer and extra bed rm,area for company with a loft for storage it was actuly pretty comfy little rugged but nothing i could not deal with ,i envy u guys that do wat u do full time i know u give up alot of creature comforts to do ur traveling and i cant imagine how much u have seen while on the rd ,im sure u have seen it all at some point kuddos to b all u nomads, thank u for the videos bob u have shown me away to survive in away i can do if i choose to or have ton,its looking like i may be doing it to ,ive considered a tear drop camper pretty hard ,cause i know i can put it together with the help of my nephew and neices but i got my fears ive got to be honest of hit y ing the rd in it my main concern is finding places to park it that i can afford im on a fixed income and cant afford to do alot of traveling but in my area theys not any free camping close to my family and i hate to be to far from them they are getting older and sickly and i love them all dearly ,so im kinda stuck to a certain area ,any info for ohio parking would be great,thank u i kno u are in warmer climates so u may not can help but maybe ur group can on here

l like all of the cheaprvliving vids but, this was a particularly helpful vid for me. I've done two van builds previously and hope to start a third one soon. However, to this point l have used battery isolators because that was what was recommended by the place l bought the auxiliary batteries. After watching this vid, I am sold on the benefits of using a continuous duty solenoid. Thanks for this vid Bob!

That was a GREAT explanation. I could never figure out how that was done before! Thanks!

Glad to see you got this video back up. I think I had already saved it, but it has a really nice diagram that helps, as I recall.

Hopefully, I will meet up with people like this if I need such technical help. Such generosity and kindness. But honestly, I didn't understand much not because I'm a dummy but because the language of all this is foreign to me. Nonetheless, have a great day! 🙂

Good to see Terry is still around..hadn't seen him since helping with the van builds with Jamie.

This reminds me of some excellent videos I saw done by a Sonoma house painter on "how to paint your house!" After watching this I most definitely won't be trying this myself! But if I watch it a few more times, maybe I will at least be able to communicate what I am trying to get done! So awesome that you guys helped out and did this wonderful favor!

awesome video literally explained to a T of how to install one of these. I have to replace one of these on a 1982 Ford C800 Fire Apparatus and this made it 1000 times easier to wrap my head around.

Beautiful filming of the parts on table. Crystal clear. Made it simple to understand. I’m on a similar project now. Gracias. D🤙🇺🇸😎

I luv seeing good people help good people for free. Amen I say to you and god bless you for helping her. Keep on rockin on man!

This was an Excellent video. So informative. Step by step. Even liked how you went back over and repeated things whenever you got back to that area. Well Done ! I will be adding a Continuous Duty Solenoid to mine asap. And then will be able to assist other nomads in installing theirs. Thank you to all the guys in this vid!! #BeABlessing

Absolutely the best video Ive seen on this! Thank you all for sharing your expertise!

This was very concise and yet thorough. Thanks again for your assistance in figuring this out. I have a question about the application of this Solenoid setup to a travel trailer connection.

excellent explanation of the continuous duty solenoid

I finally found this video, again! We have converted a minivan into a more comfortable way of traveling and would like to do a little stealth camping on occasion to save a few bucks$$$ We need to power a Dometic fridge/freezer and a device or two when we don't have access to A/C. Right now. it is powered just fine in a cigarette lighter in back, while we are running! I don't know whether I should hookup a house battery or buy this battery made by Interstate that will start your vehicle with 800 CCA and has 100 amp hours? It is a AGM battery and would certainly be a whole lot easier than 3 men fora day, although your video was exceptionally clear and I can do that!!! I would like to be a RVer but I would have to get a divorce and we have been together for 40 years and I think I would miss her!!!!!

You have some very smart friends & you help sooo many people. Thanks Bob!

This video just saved me a ton of headaches and time -- thanks!

Thank you Bob, what a great crew you have. After watching this twice and months apart, I know enough to make a decision on this method over getting an isolator. Still can't do the actual job but when the need arises, maybe my superwoman powers will kick in...

Another great job Bob. It’s nice to see “neighbors” helping “neighbors” or maybe I should call them tribesmen.

i realize the age of the video, but i still have a thought, what if for some reason the house/back battery is depleted and you turn the key to start the vehicle and the solenoid closes the circuit, wont that automatically draw all the power from the coach/engine battery back to the back/house battery? perhaps using a keyed switch, like lights or a illuminated toggle in line of sight to the driver.great video bob, ill definitely stay away from the battery isolater. and as a side note worthy of mention, a reg oem alternator wont produce enough amps to charge batteries efficiently at idle.

Very well explained, very nice examples, and very good step by step instructions. Very good video!

Excellent video. However, where are the captions? Most of Bob’s videos have them and they are very helpful to us older hearing impaired folks....thanks for everything you do.

I'm sure glad I found this video before I bought a battery isolator from another CRVL video of a guy in his Toyota Senia who had one of the latter. Going to start shopping now.

Absolutely fantastic! Thanks for taking the time to show that is so much detail. I learned a bunch.

Fabulous work on this project, yes I have taken notes for an inverter install as a backup house generator using my car. I have other generators so this will be for if all else fails. Also a mobile device if needed. I personally have decided to run the cable through transmission or heater hose as a little extra protection from rub/elements damage. Again an excellent video on the topic.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!🙂🙂🙂 This is the best how to step by step video on how do this I've watched and I've watched a lot of them! I am a RV Transporter and live in the cab of my 4 door pickup and have been wanting to do this.Thank you again!

Thank you for helping Deborah

Nice profesional install job. Always connectorize cable connections and protect cable runs.

Much love to you ALL!! Some good people!!!! ❤️❤️❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I have used welding leads to connect high amp thirsty components such as winch. The welding lead couplers can also be used as a safe disconnect if installed where the positive lead is the female. I have a winch which I can move from the front of my van to the back. I have welding leads which I use to extend the winches power.

Bob. One of the best videos I seen on installing an isolator. A solar panel system video like this one would be great.

I am a little late to this wiring party. May I share something my eldest son used to do? He found marine grade terminals that were intended for wet locations. If I recall correctly, these terminals had a dab of anti-corrosion compound inside to coat your wire. After the terminal was installed on the wire, you hit the covering with heat and the covering would shrink just as regular heat shrink tubing. These terminals worked super on plow frames, trailers, boats and many other applications. I am sorry I can not suggest any sources other than check with a good auto parts store such as NAPA. Unfortunately, my son passed away a year ago January so I am not able to ask him. Hope this will help someone on a future project.

Great and informative video mr. Bob, as all of your videos are. I'm taking early retirement soon. And hitting the road in a small RV I've been learning about rving full time in preparation of my journey and all of your videos have been very helpful with my preparation.and much appreciated

I know this a year old video but new to me. Awesome information. Great project.

This is my second viewing, slow learner, thanks so much for the tutorial of how to connect a can of dog food to a jar of pickles. Beer and pizza sound really good. Thanks again.

Another awesome video. Just when I thought I watched them all. I found this little jewel. Thank you.

One if the best videos I have seen. Thank you!

AWESOME VIDEO BOB AND ALL HELPERS. Know Debra is so thankfull for your help . I learned from the demo video. JP

Happy that you found this video and reposted it. Do you still have the video where you explain the details to cross the mexicaine border to go get your meds, go to the dentiste and all. Thank you Bob.

Another option if you want to jump start your vehicle or if you're worried about the switch going out, is to use both. Hook up the large switch to the same bolts your larger wires are running to, and you can switch it to jump start your vehicle. You can also run a jumper wire, screwdriver or some other piece of metal between their small red wire and the big wire running to the house battery. That will switch the solenoid back on and allow power to flow between the two batteries. I'd recommend a switch on this new jumper wire if you don't have anyone with you. Cost is about $4 in parts to add that, just remember to shut it back off or you could drain your battery. An alternative is to run the wire into the cab with a momentary switch you would have to hold down until your car is started. Just make sure it's fused to the side connected to the battery, the other side should already be fused.

There's a device called a 'smart isolator' that has the advantages of a relay but uses a smart control circuit to engage the relay after the vehicle is started and starter battery is back up to voltage. It's the best of both worlds.