Last Updated on 14 January, 2026 by Robyn Dockendorf

Wiring your campervan is intimidating, especially if you’re not an electrician. But don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a seasoned vanlifer or just beginning your journey, understanding how to wire your campervan can give you the independence and freedom to roam wherever your heart desires (and have power!).

In this campervan wiring guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about setting up a safe and efficient van electrical system. From the basics of planning your layout to the specifics of wiring each component, I’ll break it down into simple, easy-to-follow steps.

Remember that the examples and instructions here are based on our campervan’s setup, so there might be some differences in your project. No two vans are exactly alike, but the principles remain the same.

Ready? Let’s go!

Disclaimer: I’m not a professional electrician or certified installer. The information in this article is based solely on my personal experience wiring components in my own van and the research I did along the way. Every van build is different, so please double‑check specifications for your components and consult a qualified professional if you’re unsure about any part of your electrical system.

This post includes affiliate links, but rest assured that we only recommend items we would use ourselves. If you choose to make a purchase, we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. There are no sponsorships; this is just the truth about our favorite finds.

Planning Your Electrical System In 3 Steps

One of the worst things about wiring your own campervan is that you have to know every single electrical component before you start. You have to assess where you plan to put every switch, component, and electrical item, and you have to know the total wattage and amps to choose the size of your battery bank.

Once you wire your van and put up your walls, changing the position or adding wiring is very difficult. So, take some time to figure out your electrical system. Believe me, it’s worth it!

So, to get started, you need to assess your power needs, create a blueprint for your electrical layout, and gather your essential tools and materials. On a side note, this guide won’t discuss shore power or a shore power inlet.

1. Assessing Your Power Needs

Before discussing a campervan wiring diagram or step-by-step guides, let’s determine your power needs first. This step sets the foundation for a reliable and efficient electrical system.

Let’s break it down into simple terms so you can make an informed decision.

Understanding Voltage Systems: 12V, 24V, and 48V

Most campervans use either a 12V, 24V, or 48V system. Each has pros and cons:

12V Systems:

• Advantages: They are the most common and widely used in campervans. Compatible appliances and accessories are easier to find. Due to lower voltages, they are generally safer to work with.
• Disadvantages: Larger wires are needed to handle higher currents (amps), which can be bulkier and more challenging to install, especially in tight spaces like a campervan.

24V Systems:

• Advantages: They are more efficient than 12V systems because they allow smaller wire sizes and less voltage drop over long distances. They are great for medium-sized setups.
• Disadvantages: It is less common, so finding compatible devices can be trickier. It is also slightly more complex to set up compared to 12V.

48V Systems:

• Advantages: It is highly efficient, requiring even smaller wires and allowing for long runs without significant power loss. It is suitable for larger setups with high power needs.
• Disadvantages: It can be more expensive and complicated to install. Not as many compatible appliances are available.

Choosing the right voltage system depends on your specific power requirements and how much space you’re willing to dedicate to wiring and components.

I recommend going for the 12V system for those unfamiliar with van electrical systems. It’s easy and has a lot of vanlife-compatible components.

Volts vs. Amps: The Basics

Now, let’s discuss volts and amps, two key terms you’ll encounter when dealing with electricity.

• Volts (V): Think of volts as the pressure pushing electric current through the wires. Higher voltage means more force behind the electrons.
• Amps (A): Amps measure the flow of electric current. Imagine it as the amount of water flowing through a pipe.

In simple terms, volts = pressure, and amps = flow. Both are crucial because they help determine the size of wires you need. Higher amps require thicker wires to safely carry the current without overheating.

What Does This Mean for Wire Size and Power Output?

When planning your van’s electrical system, you must balance volts and amps to ensure everything runs smoothly. For instance:

• Higher Voltage Systems (24V or 48V): These systems can use thinner wires for the same power output, making them more efficient for long wire runs. They also tend to have less voltage drop, meaning more power reaches your devices.
• Lower Voltage Systems (12V): These systems might need thicker wires to handle the higher amps required for the same power demand. While this setup is more straightforward and widely used, it can be bulkier due to the larger wires.

Most camper van builds use 12V. Choose your van’s electrical system carefully and stick with it!

2. Creating Your Electrical Layout

Creating a solid electrical layout is one of the first steps in your campervan wiring journey. This plan will serve as your road map, guiding you through each step of the installation process.

Don’t worry if you’re not an expert; we’ll walk you through it in simple terms. I drew mine on an old cardboard box with markers, so you’re probably miles ahead of where I was anyway!

Why You Need an Electrical Layout

An electrical layout helps you visualize where every component will go and how everything will connect. This enables you to figure out where each component will go in your campervan electrical system. It’ll give you a solid idea of how much wire you need.

From experience, I recommend grouping all switches together (lights, dimmers, inverter switches, DC-DC switches, on/off switches, etc.).

Then, spread out your charging ports across the front and back of the van. We separated our switches into two different sections and regretted it.

Different Ways to Create Your Layout

1. Paper and Pencil: This is the classic approach! Grab a notebook and sketch out your van’s interior. Mark where your batteries, inverter, solar panels, lights, and outlets will be. This hands-on method is excellent because you can easily adjust your drawings as you go. It’s also fun to get creative and personalize your campervan wiring guide.
2. Software Programs: If you’re tech-savvy, several software programs can help you design a detailed electrical layout. Programs like SketchUp or AutoCAD allow you to create precise diagrams. There are even specialized campervan wiring guide tools that come with pre-designed templates to make your life easier. These programs let you drag and drop components, making it simple to see how everything fits together.
3. Online Tools and Apps: Many online tools and apps are designed specifically for vanlife enthusiasts. Websites like VanSpace and DIY Van are user-friendly options that provide templates and guides tailored for campervans. These tools can be particularly helpful if you’re looking for inspiration from other vanlifers’ setups.

Steps to Create Your Layout

1. Measure Your Space: Start by measuring your van’s interior dimensions. Knowing the exact size will help you plan where to place each component without overcrowding.
2. List Your Components: Write all the electrical devices you’ll be using, such as lights, USB chargers, fridge, and any other gadgets. This list will be the backbone of your campervan wiring guide. It’s a good idea to include the watts and amp draw of those components at this time – we placed ours in a Google Sheets file.
3. Plan Your Power Sources: Decide where your house batteries, solar panels, and DC to DC charger will be located. These are the heart of your electrical system, so make sure they are easily accessible for maintenance.
4. Map Out Wire Routes: Determine how you’ll run wires between components. Shorter routes are generally better to minimize power loss. Use different colors or labels to distinguish between positive and negative cables.
5. Create a Diagram: Finally, draw your layout. Whether using paper, software, or an app, ensure your diagram is clear and easy to follow. Include all connections, fuses, and switches to ensure nothing gets overlooked.

Creating an electrical system guide like this might take some time, but it’s well worth it. It will help you plan for wiring needs and can help you figure out how large your battery bank needs to be.

3. Essential Tools and Materials for Wiring Your Campervan

When we wired our campervan, we relied entirely on my dad’s supply of tools. He was a boilermaker, so he had no shortage of tools!

Here are a few essential tools you’ll need to wire your campervan:

Wire Crimpers and Strippers

If you want to wire your own van, you’ll become an expert in stripping and crimping wires (believe me!).

A high-quality pair of wire strippers and crimpers is worth the investment, given how often you will use them. I recommend getting wire strippers that can navigate from 6 AWG to 20 AWG, which might mean buying two different wire strippers.

But again, it’s worth it based on how much you will be using them. By the way, finding wire strippers for heavy gauge wire like 6 AWG can be challenging to find. You may have to rely on Amazon instead of department stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Wire Lugs

As you wire your campervan, you’ll become very familiar with lugs. They go on the end of a stripped wire to connect it to a terminal, such as on your batteries, fuse panel, or circuit breakers.

Lugs come in all different sizes. Be sure to size your lugs according to your wire size. When we first started, we made the mistake of not pairing lug size with wire size because we didn’t know any better. You can read more about the mistakes we made while building our van here to avoid them!

A lug is also sometimes called a ring connect, FYI! We bought some of our lugs at big chain stores like Home Depot, and others we bought from Amazon if we needed a specific size.

Shrink Wrap & Heat Gun

Shrink wrap (or heat shrink tubing) is a must-have for insulating your connections. Once you’ve crimped your wires and attached the lugs, slide a piece of shrink wrap over the connection and use a heat gun to gently apply heat.

The tubing will shrink, providing a snug fit that protects against moisture and other elements. This step is essential for preventing short circuits and keeping your wiring safe.

Shrink wrap and heat guns are easily found in most hardware stores.

Wiring

Speaking of wires, you’ll need A LOT of it! You’ll use different wire gauges for various components depending on your electrical layout.

Thicker wires (lower gauge numbers) are used for high-current connections (MPPT and DC-DC chargers). In comparison, thinner wires (higher gauge numbers) are suitable for lights and USB chargers. Be sure to get wires rated for automotive or marine use—they’re designed to withstand the vibrations and conditions you’ll encounter on the road.

Our van is a Ram Promaster 2500 high roof, 14-foot long. To give you an idea of how much wire you’ll need, we used somewhere in the ballpark of 600-700 feet of wire.

The most common wire sizes we used (discussed in more detail later) were:

• 6 AWG: DC to DC, MPPT.
• 10 AWG: Solar Panels
• 12 AWG: much of our lighting or smaller components (charging ports, toilet fan, 12V socket plugs, etc.)
• 2/0 AWG: Connecting battery bank

We bought all our wire from Lowe’s because it was convenient (we were there for wood anyway). Lowe’s and Home Depot also offer specific lengths of wire that can be helpful for very short connections, such as between batteries.

Fuse Box and Fuses

A fuse box or panel and appropriate fuses protect your electrical system from overloads and short circuits. The fuse box is a central hub where all your circuits can be safely managed.

Each circuit should have its own fuse, rated according to the maximum current it will carry. In this campervan wiring guide, always remember: safety first!

All of our fuses and the fuse box were purchased on Amazon. Ensure you buy one rated for the voltage you’re running in the van.

In-Line Fuses and Circuit Breakers

In addition to the central fuse box/panel, you’ll likely need a few in-line fuses and circuit breakers. These are used for individual components like your solar charge controller or DC-to-DC charger. They add an extra layer of protection and make troubleshooting easier if something goes wrong.

As a good rule of thumb, every positive wire should have a circuit breaker before it reaches the fuse panel or the positive bus bar. Don’t worry; I’ll break this down even more a little later!

Because we needed specific sizes that varied between our components, we found the easiest place to find fuses and circuit breakers was Amazon. Just be aware that almost all of them come from China, so they are cheaply made. That said, after three years of traveling with them, none have broken!

Multimeter

A multimeter is an indispensable tool for anyone working with electricity. It allows you to measure voltage, current, and resistance, helping you diagnose issues and ensure everything is wired correctly.

Even if you’re new to electrical work, a basic multimeter can be incredibly helpful and easy to use. These can be found at any hardware store.

Cable Ties and Mounts

Finally, remember organization! Cable ties and mounts help keep your wiring tidy, preventing tangles and making it easier to follow your electrical layout. This not only looks better but also simplifies future maintenance.

We skipped out on this while wiring our van, but I wish we hadn’t. We used gorilla tape to secure all our wires, which worked for about a month. Then, as the summer temperatures soared, the sticky backing began to melt, and the tape started coming loose.

Small corrugated piping is a great way to organize your wires. You can use saddle brackets to hold the piping in place. Cable ties are perfect for tying together multiple wires going to the same place.

Understanding Electrical Components

Understanding the key electrical components is essential when wiring your campervan. Each component has a unique role in keeping your van powered and ready for adventure.

In this section of our campervan wiring guide, we’ll break down four crucial elements: the DC-to-DC charger, solar panels, inverter, and house batteries.

DC to DC Charger

A DC-to-DC charger is like the middleman between your vehicle’s starter and house batteries that power your van’s amenities. Its main job is to ensure that your house batteries are charged efficiently while driving.

The DC-to-DC charger takes power from your vehicle’s alternator and converts it to the correct voltage needed to charge your house batteries. This is particularly important for modern vehicles with smart alternators that don’t always provide a consistent voltage.

We’ll go over how to wire a DC to DC charger a little later, but for now, we have a fantastic step-by-step guide to wiring a DC to DC charger here if you want to take a look!

If you’re not sure what a DC-DC charger is or if you need one, our DC to DC Charger article explains everything you need to know!

Solar Panels

Solar panels are a fantastic way to harness renewable energy and keep your campervan off-grid for longer. They convert sunlight into electricity, which can be used to charge your house batteries.

Solar panels are a must if you want to vanlife in remote areas and conserve gas. We use two 200-watt solar panels for our setup, and it works well.

Types of Solar Panels:

There are a few different types of solar panels for vanlife. We went with rigid monocrystalline panels, the most common type for vanlife. They typically come with a higher price tag, but they’re the most efficient, which is essential when you want to live off-grid.

• Monocrystalline Panels: Known for their high efficiency and sleek appearance, these panels perform well even in low-light conditions. They’re a bit pricier but worth it for their performance.
• Polycrystalline Panels: Slightly less efficient than monocrystalline, but they’re also more affordable. They work well for those on a budget.
• Flexible Panels: Lightweight and easy to install on curved surfaces, though they may be less durable and slightly less efficient than rigid panels.

Inverter

An inverter is a must-have if you plan to use any household appliances in your van. It converts the DC power from your batteries into AC power, which is what most home devices run on.

When we first designed our van’s electrical system, we didn’t plan to install an inverter charger. We decided to run everything on DC to keep things simple. However, when we decided to use Starlink for our internet, we needed an inverter to power the router.

Our inverter is small, at only 700W, but it can run the Starlink router and a small Ninja blender that we use for smoothies. It’s not powerful enough to run a hair dryer, air fryer, or anything like that.

Types of Inverters:

• Pure Sine Wave Inverters: These produce a smooth and consistent wave of power, similar to what you get at home. They’re ideal for sensitive electronics and provide the best performance, though they come at a higher cost. This is what we use.
• Modified Sine Wave Inverters: These are more affordable and simpler, but they produce a rougher wave that might not be suitable for all devices. Great for basic appliances and tools, but not recommended for sensitive equipment.

House Batteries

House batteries are the backbone of your electrical system. They store the energy your alternator and solar panels generate and provide power for all your electrical devices when you’re not driving.

Choosing the size of your house battery bank will depend mainly on what appliances you decide to run in your van. Knowing all the appliances you plan to run in your van is helpful before deciding on a battery bank size.

Types of House Batteries

Choosing the type of house battery is another huge decision. There’s really no wrong answer. One type of battery may be better suited to your specific van’s setup.

We went with lithium-ion batteries from Renogy because AGM batteries have to be replaced more frequently than Lithium batteries. We decided to spend more money upfront in exchange for longevity. So far, so good!

Here are the two main types of batteries for vanlifers:

• AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) Batteries: A type of sealed lead-acid battery that’s maintenance-free and performs better than flooded batteries. They’re more expensive but provide good value.
• Lithium-Ion Batteries: The top-tier option, offering exceptional performance, longevity, and weight savings. They’re the most expensive but can be a game-changer for serious vanlifers.

Fuse Panel

A fuse panel, also known as a distribution panel, is essential to your van conversion’s electrical system. Think of it as the control center that protects all your electrical circuits from overloading.

Each circuit in your van—like lights, fans, and outlets—is connected to a fuse in this panel, which acts as a safety barrier. If too much current flows through a circuit, the fuse will blow, cutting off the power and preventing damage or fire.

Here’s a quick rundown on how a fuse panel works:

• Connections: The fuse panel connects to the positive and negative bus bars in your electrical setup. These bus bars act as the main highways for electricity, distributing power from your batteries to various parts of the van.
  • Positive Bus Bar: This bar connects directly to the fuse panel and distributes power to each individual fuse. From here, the fuses channel power to different devices and appliances.
  • Negative Bus Bar: This is also connected directly to the fuse panel. It works in tandem with the positive bus bar, ensuring that all circuits have a return path to complete the electrical loop.
• Functionality: When you turn on an appliance, electricity flows from the battery, through the positive bus bar, into the fuse panel, and finally to the device. The negative bus bar completes the circuit by providing a return path to the battery.

In essence, the fuse panel ensures that each part of your electrical system is safely powered, while the bus bars keep everything organized and efficiently running. This setup safeguards your van and makes troubleshooting easier when any electrical issues arise.

Step-by-Step Wiring Guides

It’s time to get to the wiring side of our campervan wiring guide! It’s why you’re here, right? I’ll walk you through how to wire all the components most vanlifers use, such as solar panels, MPPT chargers, DC-to-DC chargers, house batteries, lights, and more.

The diagram above gives a basic overview of how to wire your van. It includes two sources of power:

• DC to DC charger (powered by your van’s batteries)
• Solar Panels (powered by the sun)

The power from these sources is then delivered to your house batteries, sometimes called a battery bank.

Power is delivered from the batteries to your inverter and fuse block. The fuse block powers all your 12V (DC) components, such as your lights, USB chargers, switches, fridge, toilet, etc. Your inverter charges all the AC components, like those you would plug into a wall outlet (blenders, Starlink router, etc.).

This overview is very basic and does not include all the circuit breakers and other components involved. But it gives you a good idea of how the overall power grid will work in your van. We’ll get into more details below!

Wiring a DC to DC Charger

Before we begin, I want to reiterate that the wire and circuit breaker sizes are for our specific setup, based on how far away our 40-AMP DC-DC charger is from the van and house batteries.

Always use wires and breakers appropriate for your setup. Measure the distance you need for your wire before cutting it, and give yourself a little extra slack.

Check out our YouTube video below for guidance on wiring a DC to DC charger!

Now, if you’d like a basic overview of how to wire a DC-DC charger, follow the steps below:

Positive Wire

The positive wire is much more complicated than the negative wire. It must run through several circuit breakers to ensure checks at each level of the wiring process to prevent melting wires and dangerous electrical fires.

That said, it’s pretty easy! It’s just a few extra steps and offers you peace of mind, knowing that your circuit breakers will trip far before your wires are hot enough to melt or damage.

Here’s your step-by-step campervan wiring guide for the positive wire of your DC-to-DC charger:

1. Connect a 6-AWG wire to an open positive terminal on your van’s batteries. Avoid any spots that already have fuses on them.
2. Add a 50-amp in-line fuse on the positive wire close to the van batteries.
3. Run the positive wire through a 60A circuit breaker. The wire should first run through the “BATT” side of the circuit breaker and then come out on the “AUX” side.
4. Run a positive wire from the “AUX” side of the breaker to the DC-DC charger and insert it into the positive input terminal.
5. Next, run a positive 6-AWG wire from the positive output terminal to the “BATT” side of a 50A circuit breaker.
6. From the “AUX” side of the breaker, run a 6-AWG positive wire to your positive bus bar.

Negative Wire

The negative wire is much easier than the positive wire since you don’t have to run it through any circuit breakers. It’s nice and straightforward!

1. Connect a 6-AWG negative wire to an open negative terminal on your van’s batteries.
2. Run the negative wire directly to the negative input terminal on the DC-DC charger.
3. Next, run a 6-AWG negative wire from the negative output terminal to your negative bus bar.

D+ Ignition Cable

The D+ ignition cable can be confusing. It’s not explained well in the Renogy manual, and the internet isn’t very helpful either.

The D+ ignition cable is just a small wire (16-18AWG) that runs from the DC-DC charger to a source of power that only turns on when your van turns on. For example, this could be the ignition circuit of your van’s startup system, the USB charging ports, or the 12V cigarette lighter port.

You may have to remove some coverings on your dashboard to access the necessary wires and splice them together. The purpose of the D+ ignition cable is to avoid draining your vehicle’s batteries when your vehicle is off. This cable signals to the DC-DC charger to turn on. So, if you have it hooked up to something that only turns on when the van is on, it won’t drain your batteries.

We opted to run the D+ ignition cable through an on/off switch first before connecting it to a USB charging outlet on the dash. This way, if our batteries are at 100%, we can turn the DC-DC charger off even when driving, which helps with the charger’s longevity.

Here’s your campervan wiring guide for how to hook up your D+ ignition cable:

1. On the side with your output terminals, locate the D+ Ignition terminal.
2. Insert a 16-18 AWG wire into the terminal.
3. (Optional) Run the wire through an on/off switch.
4. Connect the wire to an ignition source in the van. This can be a USB outlet or ignition circuit. It must only turn on when your van turns on (otherwise, your DC-DC charger will continually drain your van batteries).

Wiring Solar Panels

We used two 200 Watt Renogy solar panels wired in parallel for our van setup. You always want to ensure your solar panels do not outpower your battery’s capacity. We have two 200 Ah lithium-ion batteries, which match our solar panels perfectly.

We used a 40-amp Renogy MPPT charge controller, which worked for our system. MPPT charge controllers come in various sizes, so choose the correct size for your particular setup. Solar charge controllers are required to convert the power from your solar panels into usable energy for your house batteries.

Our Vanlifer’s Guide to MPPT Charge Controllers goes into further detail about choosing the correct size and the different options available.

Here’s your campervan wiring guide for how to wire your solar panels in parallel:

Positive Wire:

1. If you use the Renogy solar panels, they come already connected with a positive and negative wire. Connect both positive wires to one MC4 connector.
2. Run a 10-AWG wire from the single outlet of the MC4 connector, through the roof of your van using a cable entry gland, and down to a 32-amp mini circuit breaker.
3. Insert the 10-AWG wire into the positive input terminal of the mini-circuit breaker. This is located at the bottom of the breaker.
4. Next, run a 10-AWG wire from the positive output terminal of the mini circuit breaker (located on top) to the positive solar terminal (labeled PV+) of the MPPT charge controller.
5. We need to increase the wire size from here because the MPPT charge controller will convert the solar power into maximum efficiency.
6. Use a 6-AWG wire and run it from the positive battery terminal (labeled BAT+ on the controller) into the “BATT” side of a 60-amp circuit breaker.
7. Finally, connect a 6-AWG wire to the “AUX” side of the 60-amp circuit breaker and run it to one of the terminals on your positive bus bar.

Negative Wire

Similar to the DC-DC charger, wiring the negative wire is much simpler than wiring the positive wire. However, there are still a few tricky parts.

Here’s your campervan wiring guide for the negative wires of your solar panels:

1. Like the positive wires, you’ll want to connect both negative wires of the solar panels to a single MC4 connector.
2. Then, connect a 10-AWG wire to the single output of the MC4 connector, run it through your van’s roof, and into the negative input terminal of the 32-amp mini circuit breaker located on the bottom of the breaker.
3. Connect a 10-AWG wire from the negative output terminal of the mini circuit breaker to the negative solar terminal of the MPPT controller (labeled as PV- on the charge controller).
4. Connect a 6-AWG wire from the negative battery terminal (labeled BAT- on the charge controller) to your negative bus bar for the last step. That’s it!

When you first power on your MPPT solar charge controller, you should set the battery type immediately. For a Renogy MPPT Controller, this is done by holding down the right arrow for 3 seconds and then using the up and down arrows to set your battery type (lithium, AGM, gel, etc). If using a different controller, the instructions may be different.

You’ll also need to tell the MPPT charge control what kind of voltage system you have (12V, 24V, etc). Do this by holding down the right arrow key again for 3 seconds. Use the up and down arrows to cycle until you find ‘USE.’ Press the right arrow key to get to the voltage system settings. Then, use the up and down arrows to cycle to the correct voltage system you operate in your van.

Wiring an Inverter

Wiring an inverter is relatively straightforward. The most challenging aspect is that you must decide where you want the inverter remote control to go before you start wiring to ensure you have enough wire.

The remote control is optional, but I highly recommend it for vanlife. You don’t have to get into your electrical cubby whenever you need to switch the inverter on. It includes a 5-meter cable, which is nearly 16.5 feet. This gives you quite a bit of wiggle room, but you should still be sure about where you want the remote control before installing the inverter.

The Renogy inverter comes with the remote control, the cable, and two 6-AWG wires for the positive and negative terminals. The 6-AWG wires are only 3 feet long, so again, you’ll have to plan your installation carefully.

Here’s your step-by-step campervan wiring guide for a 700W Renogy inverter:

Positive Wire:

1. Run a 6-AWG wire from the positive DC input on the inverter (labeled with a big ‘+’ and has a red cover) to the ‘AUX‘ side of a 100-amp circuit breaker.
   1. Remember, unlike the components we’ve discussed so far, our inverter will be pulling energy, not creating it. Therefore, we must connect the ‘AUX’ side of the circuit breaker to the inverter, as it is the auxiliary component being powered by the batteries.
2. Connect a 6-AWG wire to the ‘BATT‘ side of the 100-amp circuit breaker and run it to your positive bus bar. Easy enough, right?

Negative Wire:

1. Connect the provided 6-AWG wire to the negative DC input on the inverter (it is labeled with a big ‘-‘ and has a black cover).
2. Run the wire to your negative bus bar. Done!

Ground Wire:

The ground wire can be much smaller than the big 6-AWG wire used on the positive and negative terminals. We used 10-AWG because it’s what we had on hand. However, for a 700W inverter, you can go as small as 18-AWG.

1. Locate the ground lug underneath the negative DC input.
2. Connect your small wire (14-18 AWG) to the ground lug.
3. Run the wire to your vehicle’s chassis to create a ground for the inverter. It should be against bare metal.

Remote Control (Optional)

The remote control is included with the 700W Renogy inverter, but it is an optional installation.

Many vanlifers put their electrical system in an accessible but out-of-the-way area. The remote control allows you to turn your inverter on and off with the remote control instead of having to get into your electrical area every time you want to turn it on.

It’s a small convenience that makes a huge difference. If you run your inverter all the time, you’ll drain your batteries quickly. So, you’ll need to turn it off when it’s not in use, and the remote control makes this so much easier!

Here’s how to install it:

1. Look for the remote control terminal on the opposite side of the inverter from the other connections and plug the provided wire into it. It should click into place. (For those old enough to remember, it looks like an old telephone line plug.)
2. Run the cable to the desired position in your van.
3. Look for the on/off/REM switch on the inverter above the remote control terminal.
4. Rock the switch to the REM (remote) position.

In our van’s setup, we only use the inverter to run our Starlink router and a low-draw Ninja blender for smoothies. The 700W inverter is not powerful enough to run a hair dryer, straightener, or other high-draw components. For us, it works!

Wiring House Batteries

Choosing the size of your battery bank, or leisure batteries, is like choosing the heart of your van. It’s what stores all the power and allows you to run all your electrical components that make vanlife fun and comfortable. It took us a LONG time to decide how much power we wanted for our van.

After much deliberation, we decided to go with two 200-Ah lithium iron phosphate batteries from Renogy. This amount allows us to live completely off-grid with no incoming power for about 2-3 days, even if we run all of our electrical components.

If you have a smaller setup, you may only need a 100ah lithium battery, or maybe you need three 200 Ah batteries – it all depends on how much power you need and how much your electrical components draw in terms of watts.

Another aspect you’ll have to decide is whether to run them in series or parallel. The Renogy batteries we chose can only be wired in parallel, so that’s what we did. We like the Renogy batteries because they come with a battery monitor that tells you your approximate battery percentage level.

I also highly recommend installing a master switch during this step so you can turn off all power (except solar and DC-DC, which generate their own power) when you need to work on your electrical system.

Here’s your step-by-step campervan wiring guide to wiring your house batteries:

Positive Wire To Bus Bar

Surprisingly, both the positive and negative wiring are a little tricky here! Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything step by step!

1. Start by wiring your batteries together. The Renogy Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries we bought had to be wired in parallel, which means connecting positive to positive and negative to negative.
2. Take a 2/0 AWG (2-aught, not 2-gauge) and connect each end to the positive terminal on your house batteries.
3. Connect a 6 AWG wire from your house batteries to a 50-amp circuit breaker. Make sure to connect it to the “BATT” side of the breaker.
4. From the “AUX” side of the 50-amp circuit breaker, connect a 6 AWG wire and run it to a master switch. The master switch shuts off all power to your electrical system that is run on your house batteries (remember that your solar and DC-DC charger can still produce power, even if the master switch is off).
5. Note that the master switch does not have a positive and negative terminal. There will only be two empty terminals because only the positive wire runs to the master switch.
6. Run a 6 AWG wire from the master switch to the positive bus bar.

Positive Wire To Battery Monitor

This is where things get a little tricky. A battery monitor is highly recommended. It indicates how full your batteries are, which lets you know when you need to charge them.

When possible, never allow your lithium-ion batteries to drop below 50%. This will degrade them and make them lose their charge more quickly.

Okay, here’s your campervan wiring guide for wiring your house batteries to the battery monitor, starting with the positive wire.

1. Connect the included 20 AWG wire to the same positive terminal on the battery that you connected to the bus bar. In total, there should be three lugs on this terminal.
2. Run the 20 AWG wire to one of the B+ terminals on the battery shunt. There are two, and you can choose either one.

That’s all for the positive battery!

Negative Wire

Connecting the negative wires between the batteries is straightforward. However, getting to the negative bus bar can be a bit difficult, as you have to go through the battery shunt.

Let’s break it down step by step:

1. Use a 2/0 AWG wire (Don’t make the same mistake we did. 2/0 means 2-aught, NOT 2-gauge! It’s a much thicker wire).
2. Connect one negative terminal of the house battery to the negative terminal of the other.
3. Take a 6 AWG wire and run it from the negative terminal of the opposite battery from which you ran the positive wires.
4. Connect the 6 AWG wire to the ‘B-‘ side of the battery shunt.
5. Connect a 6 AWG wire to the ‘P-‘ side of the battery shunt.
6. Run that 6 AWG wire to the negative bus bar.

Connecting to the Battery Monitor

The Renogy 500A Battery Monitor comes with an LCD screen and a shielded wire. The included wire is only 20 feet long, so choose the screen’s location carefully.

1. Connect the end of the shielded wire to the battery shunt. As it is a unique plug, there is only one possible place to connect it. When your electrical system is turned on, the battery monitor will turn on automatically.
2. The battery monitor is already connected to the other end of the wire, so mount it where you want it, and you’re good to go!

Battery Monitor Settings

Like the MPPT charger, you’ll have to tell the monitor a few things before it can accurately show your battery percentage. To do so, hold the “OK” button for three seconds to enter the settings menu.

From here, set your CAP, which is the total capacity of your batteries. For example, we have two 200 Ah batteries, so our CAP is 400 Ah. The default is 100 Ah, so change this according to your electrical setup.

You can also set:

• Full V: full capacity voltage – this will display as 100% if you are at the set voltage or above.
• Zero V: zero capacity voltage – you can set a voltage so that your battery monitor will set off an alarm if it drops below this.
• PowOff: If the voltage drops below this setting, the LCD screen and light will shut off to conserve battery.
• Alarm: If your battery’s percentage drops below this setting, an alarm will sound, and the percentage will flash on the screen.
• Atten: This is the battery attenuation ratio, which affects your battery’s capacity reduction. Typically, once a year, you should completely drain your batteries and recharge them to ensure they still hold the entire stated capacity. If the capacity is reduced, you can adjust the “Atten” setting on the battery monitor.

When your batteries are charging, the LCD screen’s default setting is to flash (I wonder why Renogy thought this would be a good default setting!). To turn this off, long-press the << button until the screen stops flashing (you can long-press it again to turn the screen back on).

Lastly and most importantly, you’ll want to set the percentage your batteries are currently at. There are a couple of ways to do this:

• Use the MPPT charge controller to note when your batteries are 100%. Once they are at 100%, hold the ^ (up arrow) until it shows 100%.
• Alternatively, you can drain your batteries to 0% and hold the down arrow until it shows 0%. From here, the readings on the LCD screen will be accurate. Woot woot!

Wiring Ceiling Lights

I know, I know. The diagram looks super complicated, but I promise it’s not. When I started wiring my van, I knew nothing about electrical components.

My dad showed me how to wire a few things, and I grasped the concept and took off with it. But believe me, even without experience, you can do it!

For our setup, we wired two sets of 6 lights each, meaning we have 2 dimmer switches in our van. Each dimmer switch controls 6 lights—6 in the front and 6 in the back. The diagram above shows you how to connect one set of 6 lights, but you can apply it to however many lights you want in your van.

For reference, we used Acegoo RV Recessed Ceiling Lights sized at 2-3/4″ and chose the 12V dimmable LED puck lights. These lights come with a positive and negative wire already attached, so depending on how far apart your lights are, you will need to buy additional 14 AWG wire to connect them.

I’ve labeled the order in which the wiring goes in by identifying “Light 1,” “Light 2,” etc. Light 1 gets wired to Light 2, which gets wired to Light 3, etc. You get the point.

Positive Wire

Here’s your step-by-step campervan wiring guide for the positive wires:

1. Connect your first light (Light #1) to a WAGO 3-connector rated for 12-24 AWG wire, labeled “A” on the diagram. Use the wire provided with the light to do this.
2. Connect another 14 AWG wire to the WAGO 3-connector and run it to the WAGO 2-connector labeled “A” on the diagram.
3. Connect the provided positive wire of Light #2 to the WAGO 2-connector (A).
4. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (A) to your next WAGO 3-connector (B).
5. Connect another 14 AWG wire to the WAGO 3-connector (B) and run it to the WAGO 2-connector (B).
6. Connect Light #3’s positive wire to the WAGO 2-connecter (B).
7. Connect a third 14 AWG positive wire to the WAGO 3-connector (B) and run it to the next WAGO 3-connector (C).
8. Run a 14 AWG wire from WAGO 3-connector (C) to WAGO 2-connector (C).
9. Connect the positive wire of Light #4 to the WAGO 2-connector (C).
10. Connect a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (C) to the WAGO 3-connector (D).
11. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (D) to the WAGO 2-connector (D).
12. Connect Light #5’s positive wire to the WAGO 2-connector (D).
13. Run a 14AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (D) to the next WAGO 3-connector (E).
14. Connect a 14-AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (E) to the WAGO 2-connector (E).
15. Connect Light #6’s positive wire to the WAGO 2-connector (E).
16. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (E) to a WAGO 2-connector (F).
17. Connect the wire provided with the dimmer switch to the WAGO 2-connector (F). For the one we bought (Obeaming 12V Light Dimmer), this was the black wire. It may be different from yours, so check out the wiring diagram provided with the dimmer switch.

Negative Wire

You’ll do the same thing for the negative wire, except it’s slightly different toward the end. Let’s walk through it step by step:

1. Connect Light #1’s negative wire to a WAGO 3-connector (G).
2. Attach a 14 AWG wire to the WAGO 3-connector (G) and run it to a WAGO 2-connector (G).
3. Connect Light #2’s negative wire to the WAGO 2-connector (G).
4. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (G) to the next WAGO 3-connector (H).
5. Connect a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (H) to a WAGO 2-connector (H).
6. Connect Light #3’s negative wire to the WAGO 2-connector (H).
7. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (H) to the next WAGO 3-connector (I).
8. Connect a 14 AWG wire to the WAGO 3-connector (I) and run it to a WAGO 2-connector (I).
9. Connect Light #4’s negative wire to the WAGO 2-connector (I).
10. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (I) to the next WAGO 3-connector (J).
11. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (J) to a WAGO 2-connector (J).
12. Connect Light #5’s negative wire to the WAGO 2-connector (J).
13. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (J) to the next WAGO 3-connector (K).
14. Connect a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (K) to a WAGO 2-connector (K).
15. Connect Light #6’s negative wire to the WAGO 2-connector (K).
16. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (K) to another WAGO 3-connector (L).
17. Attach the appropriate wire from the dimmer switch to the WAGO 3-connector (L). On ours, this was the white wire.
18. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 3-connector (L) to a negative terminal on your fuse panel, as shown in the diagram.

Completing The Circuit

To complete the circuit, connect the appropriate wire from the dimmer switch (on ours, it was the red wire) to a WAGO 2-connector (M). Then, run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 2-connector (M) to a positive terminal on the fuse panel.

Place a 2-amp mini-blade fuse into the fuse panel for safety.

Not so bad, right? Mostly, it’s just a lot of wiring. This was where we used the most wiring in our van because the roof has a lot of surface area! You can repeat this process for as many sets of lights as you want to attach to dimmer switches, which I highly recommend over simple on/off switches.

Wiring Everything Else

The complicated stuff is over…mostly. Now, it’s just time to wire everything else that you want to run off your batteries in the van. This means your fridge, toilet, USB outlets, fans, etc.

The good news is that most of the wiring is straightforward, connecting directly from the item to the fuse panel.

In our van, we have the following items hooked up to our fuse panel:

• Lights (x2)
• USB/PD outlet (x3)
• 12V cigarette lighter socket (x2)
• Nature’s Head toilet
• Fiamma awning LED lighting kit
• SetPower fridge
• Maxxair fan

We opted for a foot pump instead of an electrical water pump, but we ran a cord for it anyway in case we wanted to add it later. So far, we are happy with the foot pump.

Now, let’s move on to our campervan wiring guide for all the other components so you can get your van up and running and ready to travel!

We used 14 AWG wires for almost all our components. I’ll let you know if we switch it up in the step-by-step campervan wiring guide below!

USB/PD Outlet

Most components you connect to the fuse panel will come with a short positive and negative wire. The WAGO 2-connectors are super helpful to connect the included wire to the wire that runs to the fuse panel.

The USB/PD outlets are simple:

Campervan Wiring Guide for Positive Wire:

1. Connect the included positive wire (ours also had an included 10A fuse) to a WAGO 2-connector.
2. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 2-connector to an open positive terminal on your fuse panel.
3. Place a 7.5 amp mini fuse blade for the chosen positive terminal in the fuse panel.

Campervan Wiring Guide for Negative Wire:

1. Run the included negative wire to a WAGO 2-connector.
2. Connect a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 2-connector to an open negative terminal on your fuse panel.

12V Cigarette Lighter Socket

We have one open cigarette lighter socket for our electric blanket when we stay somewhere chilly. The other socket powers our fridge.

Like the USB outlets, wiring the 12V socket is pretty straightforward:

Campervan Wiring Guide for Positive Wire:

• Connect the provided positive wire (ours also had a 10-amp in-line fuse) to a WAGO 2-connector.
• Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 2-connector to an open positive terminal on your fuse panel.
• Place a 10 amp mini fuse blade for the chosen positive terminal in the fuse panel.

Campervan Wiring Guide for Negative Wire:

1. Connect the included negative wire to a WAGO 2-connector.
2. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 2-connector to an open negative terminal on your fuse panel.

Nature’s Head Toilet

While the Nature’s Head toilet is not powered by electricity, there is a fan that helps circulate air that runs on electricity. It is a tiny fan, similar to a laptop.

It is essential to run this fan at all times. It circulates air, which helps with the decomposition process of the toilet’s composting portion. You can read more about composting toilets for vanlife here! We go over the different types of toilets and the best composting toilets.

The Nature’s Head toilet comes with a cord with an end that looks similar to a coaxial power connector. This end plugs into the side of the toilet. The other end of that cord contains the positive and negative wires.

Campervan Wiring Guide for Positive Wire:

1. Run the provided positive wire of the cord to a WAGO 2-connector.
2. Connect a 14 AWG wire to the WAGO 2-connector and run it to an open positive terminal on your fuse panel.
3. Place a 5-amp mini fuse blade for the chosen positive terminal into the slot.

Negative Wire:

1. Connect the provided negative wire of the cord to a WAGO 2-connector.
2. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 2-connector to an open negative terminal on the fuse panel.

Fiamma Awning LED Lighting Kit

Having an awning on the van was the best decision we made. It’s so convenient and provides tons of shade, keeping our van cool on hot summer days.

We got the F80S hand-crank awning and opted for the LED lighting kit so we could turn on the lights at night and still hang out under the awning.

The lighting kit includes positive and negative wires long enough to reach from the bottom of the awning to inside the van. From there, you’ll want to place them on an on/off switch.

You can snake the provided wires from the bottom of the awning through the arms that hold the awning open. Just make sure to leave a little extra wire at the bend so that when you crank it open and shut, the cables aren’t being pulled tight.

Campervan Wiring Guide for Positive Wire:

1. Once you’ve snaked the positive wire into the van, connect the positive cable (provided with the lighting kit) to a WAGO 3-connector.
2. Connect the positive wire from the on/off switch to the WAGO 3-connector. (If it cannot reach the 3-connector, you may have to connect the switch’s positive wire to a WAGO 2-connector and run a 14 AWG cable to the WAGO 3-connector above.)
3. Run a 14 AWG wire from the last slot of the WAGO 3-connector to an open positive terminal on your fuse panel.
4. Place a 7.5 amp mini blade fuse into the slot of the chosen positive terminal.

Campervan Wiring Guide for Negative Wire:

1. Run the provided negative wire of the LED kit to a WAGO 3-connector.
2. Run the negative wire from the on/off switch to the WAGO 3-connector (again, you may have to use a 2-connector so that the wires reach).
3. Run a 14 AWG cable from the final slot on the WAGO 3-connector to an open negative terminal on the fuse panel.

For our on/off switch, we used the DaierTek ON Off Round Rocker Switches. They work and haven’t broken yet, but I wouldn’t recommend them. They’re cheaply made, and the first one I tried didn’t work. But if you’re on a budget, it does the job!

Fridge

There are many fridge options for vanlife. We decided to go with the Setpower 45 Quart RV45D Pro. It was initially $419, but we had an online coupon and got it for $368.

The SetPower fridge is set up to plug into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter. However, for vanlife, you have to get a little creative! We wired up a 12V socket in our fridge compartment and plugged our fridge into it. It works great!

Campervan Wiring Guide for Fridge:

1. Start by running the positive wire that comes with the 12 V socket to a WAGO 2-connector.
2. Connect a 14 AWG wire to the other slot of the WAGO 2-connector and run it to an open positive terminal on your fuse panel.
3. Place a 10-amp mini-blade fuse in the socket of the chosen positive terminal.
4. Next, run the negative wire that comes with the 12 V socket to a WAGO 2-connector.
5. Run a 14 AWG wire from the other slot of the WAGO 2-connector to an open negative terminal on your fuse panel.
6. Finally, plug in your fridge. Done!

The fridge and freezer compartments will take a while to cool down, so turn the fridge on before you leave to travel so it’s nice and cool.

Ceiling Fan

Every vanlifer knows you need at least one ceiling fan for ventilation and to circulate air. It doesn’t necessarily help cool your van down that much, but it definitely helps circulate stale air out of the van.

I recommend combining one ceiling fan with window vents. The vents sit right on your windows, allowing air to circulate continually in your van while stationary. Just make sure to get vents that have built-in bug netting!

We used a Maxxair 00-05100k MaaxFan. It has multiple speeds and is quiet. The installation process was relatively easy because the instructions were unambiguous. Still, it was involved because you had to cut a large hole in your van’s ceiling.

Campervan Wiring Guide for Positive Wire:

1. Connect the provided positive wire from your fan to a WAGO 2-connector.
2. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 2-connector to an open positive terminal of your fuse panel.
3. Add a 7.5 amp mini blade fuse to the slot of the chosen positive terminal.

Campervan Wiring Guide for Negative Wire:

1. Connect the provided negative wire from your fan to a WAGO 2-connector.
2. Run a 14 AWG wire from the WAGO 2-connector to an open negative terminal on your fuse panel.

Troubleshooting Common Issues When Wiring a Campervan

Even with the best plans, sometimes, things go differently than expected when wiring your campervan. But don’t worry—most issues are reasonably straightforward to fix. In this section, we’ll walk through some common problems and how to solve them.

We ran into several problems while wiring our van:

• Blown fuses.
• The power is not coming on.
• DC-to-DC charger not charging.
• Melted wires (gasp!)

After making a few adjustments and doing hours and hours of research, our van runs smoothly and has never had a problem since.

No Power to Devices

• Issue: You’ve connected everything, but none of your devices receives power.
• Solution: Start by checking your fuse box. A blown fuse is often the culprit and can be easily replaced. Double-check your connections to see if all fuses are intact, ensuring no loose wires or poor crimps. A multimeter can help confirm that power flows through each wire as expected.

Battery Not Charging

• Issue: Your house batteries aren’t charging, even though your engine is running or your solar panels are in full sun.
• Solution: First, inspect the connections between your alternator (or solar charge controller) and your house batteries. Make sure all connections are secure and free of corrosion. If the connections look good, check your DC to DC charger or solar charge controller settings. Sometimes, these devices need a reset or reconfiguration to start working correctly again.

Inverter Not Working

• Issue: The inverter isn’t powering your AC devices, even though it’s connected to your house batteries.
• Solution: Ensure your inverter is switched on and the input cables are correctly connected to your house batteries. If it has an on/off switch, ensure it’s in the “on” position. Check for error codes or indicator lights on the inverter, which can provide clues about what’s wrong. Many inverters come with a manual with troubleshooting steps specific to that model.

Appliances Tripping Circuit Breakers

• Issue: Your appliances keep tripping the circuit breakers or blowing fuses.
• Solution: This usually happens when you’re drawing more power than your system can handle. Verify the total wattage of all devices running simultaneously and compare it to your inverter and wiring capacity. You might need to upgrade to higher-rated fuses or install additional circuit breakers to distribute the load more evenly. Also, check for any signs of short circuits or damaged wires that could be causing overloads.

Solar Panels Not Producing Power

• Issue: Your solar panels aren’t generating electricity, even on sunny days.
• Solution: Clean your solar panels to ensure they’re free from dirt and debris, which can significantly reduce their efficiency. Next, inspect the wiring connections between the panels, charge controller, and batteries. Use a multimeter to check for the correct voltage output from the panels. If everything looks clean and connected, you may need to check your solar charge controller’s settings to ensure it’s configured correctly.

Tips for Maintaining Your Electrical System

Maintaining your campervan’s electrical system is crucial to enjoying trouble-free adventures. Here are some tips that we found helpful to keep everything running smoothly:

• Regular Inspections: Frequently check all connections and components for signs of wear, corrosion, or damage. Catching issues early can prevent bigger problems down the road.
• Clean Components: Clean your solar panels, battery terminals, and other electrical parts. Dust and grime can affect performance, so a regular wipe-down helps maintain efficiency.
• Check Battery Health: Monitor the health of your house batteries using a battery monitor. This helps you spot declining performance early and plan for replacements before they fail.
• Tighten Connections: Vibrations from driving can loosen electrical connections over time. Periodically tighten any screws, bolts, or clamps to ensure solid and safe connections.
• Update Software: If your components have firmware or software updates (like smart chargers or solar controllers), keep them current. Manufacturers often release updates that improve performance or fix bugs.
• Use Quality Parts: Always use high-quality components and tools. Cheap parts are more likely to fail and can cause more significant issues in the long run.

Campervan Wiring Guide: Wrap-Up Session!

Wiring your campervan might seem daunting at first, but with the right campervan wiring guide and a bit of patience, you can create a reliable and efficient electrical system. Plus, you’ll feel proud that you did it all yourself!

Have you wired your own campervan? Got any tips or tricks for those just starting? Drop a comment below to let us know! Your advice could help a fellow vanlifer get on the road to adventure.

Until next time, keep exploring, take in the view, and give your furbags an extra pet from us dirtbags. For more vanlife tips and guides, check out our blog!