ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ม.ค. 2025
- I wanted to revisit camper van 12v electrics. This how to video is to help new comers get started with a cheap, simple and easy to maintain system that would provide you with everything you need to get started and off grid. From this base knowledge you can massively expand your system to be more and more complex, there is so much more you can add to a 12v setup like this. Please remember to be safe around electrical items, I am not a qualified electrician and I would advise you get one to check over your system before use or even have one fit your system if your very un sure.
PARTS:
CABLE: www.autoelectr...
CABLE ABOVE 70A: www.autoelectr...
FUSING: www.autoelectr...
TERMINAL KIT: www.autoelectr...
OR
bit.ly/36GnRPe
ROCKER SWITCH: bit.ly/3iFDYPl
VSR: www.simplyspli...
240V KIT: www.jacksonsle...
CONDUIT TUBE: Google 'cable conduit tube'
LED: I use www.wholesalel... BUT most are good
Most other parts just search for on ebay, Auto Electric Supplies or google to see different styles and prices etc.
Camera Kit Used Throughout My Series:
BODY: Panasonic GH5
LENS: Panasonic 7-14mm 1:2.8
OTHER: My Phone
Please like share and subscribe as this will be a series of videos showing the full transformation and use of my camper van!
For more info about what I am up to subscribe to my channel! Get on board with my VanLogs and keep up to date with all my progress.
Website: www.hugh-tube.com
Instagram: hughtubevlog
As an auto electrician of 30 years experience.. I can tell you that's the best video on camper electrics I've seen. One "camper Conversion specialist" I watched was advacating disconnecting the positive terminal of the battery first ..... 😂
Loved how you instantly reverted to a 6 year old boy when the ice cream van arrived.
I was an Electronics engineer, but van wiring confused me because I saw way too many ways of wiring a system in. This video made me realise the best way to wire things up. One thing I noted. Don't suggest all those extra switches to isolate devices. Unnecessary. Use the breakers. I would NEVER use a wire-fuse in a van, because when they trip in the middle of the night! Who's got a spare and how do you get to it? Just use 12VDC thermo-breakers and disconnect the offending device when tripped and reset afterwards. That way you can worry about it in the morning! Vans are subjected to an enormous amount of 'jiggling' on the road, so I would crimp AND solder connectors where possible. If you go off road, I would put a drop of Loctite on the main connectors.
Thank you so much Its clear easy to understand even for a french 57 years old blond woman as me :)
This is exactly how I'm building mine. I was going to go down the road with an automatic transfer switch. But as my inverter is IT grounded and new regs on bidirectional protection devices, I popped my head into the rabbit hole and thought stuff this. Without making the system to test each possible fault and protection for safety I thought it was better just to keep the two systems separate.
Good to see you have a 2 pole MCB 💪🏼
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant. And again, Brilliant........
I love how you paused to get ice cream 😁 Your channel has been very helpful and I just found it and subscribed today
Absolutely outstanding information , a huge huge Thank You for putting together a very comprehensive detailed video , this must have taken quite a bit of thought and effort to organise - we have all benefited from your experience and knowledge and definitely deserves a round of applause 👏👏
Thank you for making this so darn simple! Everything else is like a darn physics lesson
By far the most useful video I have come across to help me install a DIY 12V solar system
I am.a newbie to DC/DC charging; your video is the #1 in terms of explanation. A BIG thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to make this, very helpful.
Hey "HugeTube" your electrical set up videos are the best I've seen on TH-cam. The detailed explanations you give and the time, effort and cost of your easy to see and understand board layouts are the dogs doo dahs. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Keep them coming and best wishes for the future to you Hugh.
Probably the most helpful camper electrics video out there. Thanks.
Thanks!
YES I LIKE HOW YOU HOOK THINGS AND ORGANIZING THINGS UP FANTASTIC! JOB SIR
Thanks for taking the time to run down everything... Awesome job!! Just surfing the web for the fun of it. Now, you make me want to play with my toys... hehhehe
Thorough and clear with well paced explanations.
This my pedigree chum was friggin awesome. Thanks bro lot of knowledge gained. Hefty amount of time you put into this I can imagine. Thank you 🤘🤙🍀
Clear, concise,detailed and extremely well explained. I will definitely be using this during my van build. Many thanks!
You explain and demonstrate brilliantly. Thankyou so much Hugh. Am doing my first 12v project of upgrading my caravan from just 2 x 100Ah AGM and 2 x 100watt solar panels as it came to:
Adding 2 x 300W solar and replacing the batteries with 4 x 100Ah LiFePO4 a new extra MPPT solar controller a new 40A lithium programmed AC to DC plus a new DC DC to feed from cars Anderson plug to batteries. Finally a 2000W pure sine wave inverter plus all wires fuses busbars etc.
Having watched this video I feel I can cautiously proceed and will rewatch video.
Wayne from sunny South Australia
Oh wow a hell of a setup there Wayne! And thanks for the nice comment! Best of luck but please remember that if you’re feeling unsure please consult an electrician.
Hugh! From the Netherlands, well done! for the first time in months it is completely clear how this system is supposed to work! Keep it up!
Thanks so much!
Good video, gives me ideas for my Sprinter stealth van. Already ordered some stuff for next upgrade on electronics. Here in Finland we call these white terminal blocks 'suger cubes'
What an absolute brilliant video, suuuper useful! Thank you so much for investing the time to explain it so well!
Excellent video. Ideal for someone starting out. Many thanks for your work in educating us.
thank you too Gareth!
Absolutely brilliant video. So much covered in a simple ,informative format. Concise,without repitition.
The backboard layout is brilliant,as its easy to see,without the business of a van layout.
When you cover 'wires', could you add a basic arrow graphic pointing at the wire, that says the size of wire- gauge size, especislly battery wire etc. Thank you so much.
THIS! I don't know which guage cable to go from switch to 12v/lighter port. The cable I have isn't wide enough and doesn't supply enough power to the fridge.
@@4RingsRetro Don't think I'm violating any 'laws' by forwarding this - in the notes below vid there's a dropbox chart - th-cam.com/video/rVkDPzrA-zw/w-d-xo.html - props to Greg Virgoe.
Not sure if there's a B.S. advising the size against power used (amps) or if it's advice from the cable manufacturer?
I'm starting a build so I need info too. Don't want to be frying cables or worse, the van 🤔. Cool is cool, hot is not 👍
Thank you first video that really explains every detail
Thank you for such a clear and simple video, I am literally following it step by step at the moment, till I go to my friends to get everything checked and finally connected. It is very empowering to feel I have done 'most' of my electrickery myself.
Thank you very much. Your video was very informative and I will apply this to my enclosed trailer build.
Great video. Really appreciate you doing this for me and others in the process of converting a van
Excellent, very comprehensive video. Thank you.
The best video I've ever watched you explain everything in simple terms
Thanks a lot Hugh 😊
Hi Hugh! Dare I say it but this most excellent 'simplicity ' vlog of yours has given me multiple light bulb moments of inspiration as a newbie with that normal fear of electrics. Many thanks. Be safe, Be well my friend.👍👍
Thankyou Hugh very responsible and informative video x Delica owner in Bunbury western Australia x
Great video- I’ll be referring back to this a fair bit once I start running cables👍
Maybe an add on video about actual location of all the components in an ‘average’ van?
Hi . Fantastic clear understandable video. Helped me immensely. Thankyou.
Cheers John
Thanks dude, just what I was looking for. Great info.
The blue shore power socket is correct. The extension lead to a bollard has male and female at each end. The bollard has the flap too. It's so that the cable when attached to the mains does not have exposed pins.
Great explanation nice and easy, keep it simple 👍
New here.... But I love love love the commitment to only spreading good safe information. That's dedication man. Subbed and followed good day
Very good video definitely 1 of the best Ive seen thank you
Thank you. The most detailed explanation yet a level directed to the layman.
This is exactly the video I was looking for. The CTEK dual charger is also exactly what I wanted but until you know the name of something it’s nearly impossible to find! 😅 Thank you
Great video. As I do commercial electrical and don’t touch auto electrical it was good to see how basic it was. I think good kit is a must. Ty.
Very helpful and clear to understand. I have been searching a long time on internet wondering if my 240 hook up was charging my leisure battery or not.. I bought the camper van privately and I was unsure. I think this is very helpful you have covered so much for me who has little knowledge about the electrics but a bit more savvy now. Thank you
Utterly brilliant...nice one Hugh, great video. I'm just a keen viewer tempted by the vanlife/perhaps forced following covid times, and while the topic was timed perfectly, I absorbed it which is key so thank you. Absorbed it as in listened, just don't test me! ;) I don't supose you do consultancy/supervised builds or full conversions by chance!? Wow that progressed fast from being a keen viewer to asking about builds...haha! Thanks again for making the video
thank you so much, for any custom work or info contact me at contact@hugh-tube.com
Great intro into the topic, thanks!
Fantastic video, very clear and practical
Big thanks Hugh, great video - so straight to the point and clearly done.
Thanks!
@@HughTube hey maybe u can help me i have a 200ah batterie i have 100ah fuse braker but when i connect mt lights the small fuse blow 30ah i dont get it thanx
Hi Hugh , quick point. The best way to isolate your solar is to use a DC rotary isolator to interrupt pos and neg between your panel and your solar controller. Please advise people to check is their Circuit breaker (MCB) is DC rated as many are not..
Cheers
Nice video Hugh really good and well priced where did your prices come from for equipment many thanks I will look at it again great watch thanks for sharing 🍻👌💡💯👍
Great informative video. I had a very similar setup in my first build, nice to see a few extra options and the information about the new alternator types is priceless. Thanks
Cheers mate, understood all things hopefully got me sorted
FANTASTIC video, very informative and I didn't even realise how long it was, great work 👌. ONE QUESTION to clarify......having a CTEK unit for my smart alternator van means that I DON'T need to purchase an MPPT charge controller?¿?¿ Cheers 🙏🇦🇺
Loved it. Very clear. Thx man
That was a very tight, squeaky fart at 33:16. Took Hugh totally by surprise.
3:46 Can you make the nagative for this additional battery the car body? It means I wouldn't need to run a negative cables back to the fuse board.
Like, on a foglght the negative lead need only to be 3 inches long, bolted onto the van body. The charge circuit is wired that way afterall.
A great way to connect wires are the American wire nuts, fast, secure and used extensively on everything electrical. Don't know why we haven't accepted them on this side.
Not sure are they secure, as in how much tension can be put on the lines before pulling apart?
Awesome video. Great stuff. Thank you.
This is a superb video mate. Thank you
Nice edit...👍🏴
Hi, connect the neg terminal to the body and put the cut off on that cable. Ground all the earth wires to the body
How do you determine the fuse size coming off the starter battery?
You need to know what is the amperage that the leisure battery will be charged with. You will probably see that on the DC to DC relay documentation. Also, remember that the main job of the fuse is to protect the cable/wire, so it must be little 'weaker' then the cable itself. All appliances should be protected by their own fuses. I guess that this is your question here :)
Unless you are actually asking for a fuse on a battery that goes to the starter...this is whole another story. these can vary from 250A to even 500A fuses and sometimes starters are connected directly to avoid any additional connections in the circuit (only in really big or power demanding engines though)
So helpful! Thank you 😊😊
Couldn't work out where the positive is going from the relay. It goes into the cut off switch but which terminal in the switch. Also could thag same cable not just go straight into the battery
Excellent tutorial. Thank you so much!!
This may have already been covered and I’ve missed it. How do you add a second battery to the 12v relay set up? Thanks for the video very helpful 😊
Hi brill video but do I have to earth the battery isolation switch I'm hoping to install it all on a wooden panel but do I need to Earth the isolation switch many thanks for any help
Excellent really helpful video. Thank you mate
Brilliant video. My only recommendation would be to use a fully insulated terminal for those rocker switches. Nothing wrong with the ones you've used but I just feel they give you that little bit of extra protection. Like I say great video and I'm in no way criticising you 👍
Cheers Moose no you're totally correct, not sure which timestamp you're referring to but I add about insulating the terminals to prevent potential shorts etc.
Very simple and helpful 🙏🙏👍🏻
Hi ya! Loved the simplicity of your video, BUT, any mains work should be done by an electrician as the mains board connections must be tightened up to the correct torque and Rcd must be tested to ensure safe operation.
Also the cable from your 12v board to the neg bus bar is not rated for the 20a fuse.
The battery fuses also need to be as close to the batteries as close as possible. Your set up has no safety fuse between the leasure battery and switch, so if there is a fault between this battery and the solar charger you have a fire in your van/boat/caravan.
Hi David, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge!
Top level information Hugh. Easy to follow through for first time novice to competent diy’er needing to take on this work in their van conversion. Definitely recommend this as a go to source for all. ✅
Thanks so much Andrew!
Excellent video! Simple, clear and easy to follow 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Hi, thank you for a great insight into this. We are in the process of upgrading the living in a horse truck. How would I overcome the 24v charging system to allow a 12v leisure battery. Thanks in advance!
great video, super helpful and possibly the best one out there currently.
Very good video !Grtz Belgium
thank you!
ok Hugh...i have a stupid question...maybe i am missing something...i have a battery...connected to a bus box...then i added a switch panel with 6 rocker switches and usb and 12v plug. If i then want to hook up my led lights...do i hook it up to my bus box or to my switch panel or both. Whatever i did...i seem to have power to the led lights but they are always on and not able to turn on and off with the rocker switch. Any help is greatly appreciated. Your video was simply awesome!
I’m just about to wire my van conversion, and I’ve brought a kit and with is was a pre made control panel with what looks like built in fuses on the back. So in theory I don’t need the distribution board you wired into. Just a bit confused how to do it as most videos only show it by using the distribution board 🙈
I think I know the panel you're referring to with red fuse holders at the back. in this case you need one larger fuse on the positive in but yes each switch has its own fuse so no need for distribution board
Great videos I am on my first van build and your videos are a must go to. The electrics was explained so simply. Never even heard of smart alternators till now so an education.
Awesome info lad ✌🏻🇬🇧
Very informative matey. Luckily i am a qualified electrician 😎
He’s very helpful. Also since you are a true Electrician can you top this guy, by being as simply explicative as he has been??? Smarty!
@@mrs.onyango6504 I will be honest, I could. However, I am not as patient as Hugh so i’d make a naff job making it simple most likely. My electrical work was primarily in 3 phase commercial work not 12v electrics but the principle is the same and electricity is electricity. The only main difference aside from level of voltage is this is DC instead of AC. He does a great job of explaining things to be fair though..and I have learnt a good few things from him on carpentry skills, which I am rubbish at haha.
Basically the guy that built our van watched this first. Now, question, when I use EHU my batteries don't charge but the electricity is coming into the van as my 3 pins work. Should it override or should it link in with the system ie same as van engine battery?
@@mrs.onyango6504 no he cant... hes an electrician... he is above everybody else. dont you know?! He can explain the same things but he will have to charge you 200 quid per word.
Great work ! What about a 50 amp fuse between the battery and the battery isolator?
You can add a fuse between the isolator and battery but it would need to be much higher than 50a for a lot of systems, especially if using an inverter. I would suggest more around the 150a range but this is all dependent on your system and usage
Hey do you have a video explaining how to install the ctek?
Hi I'm new to all the camper van life but I defo want to do this instead of getting a sparky it's just way to expensive. We only need proper basic so we'll install puck spot lights into the ceiling. And a few spot lights shining down onto a little work surface. A couple of fans in the ceiling. A few usb sockets around the van. Sockets here and there that's it really and to be able to plug into a hook up when we go onto camp sites what will I need electric wise I love that battery your using just 1 battery I like that. Could you tell me what I'd need thank you for your time and patience
Very useful video. Thank you. I notice you do not have a main battery fuse, so there are some pieces of thin wire potentially exposed to the full output of the battery. For instance the wire going to the solar controller. Maybe the chances of something happening are remote.
Amazing video been looking for a 12v system video for ages, great knowledge and thank you for spending the time to make it.
Can you put more than 1 leisure battery on that fuse board? What is it rated too
Positive from the charger should go to the battery terminal. If not, it'll be supplying the vehicle 12v leisure system
With a DC to DC charger, is it Necessary to run both the positive and negative wires from the starter battery through the DC to DC and to the House battery? Or could I just run the positive through and ground the house battery to the chassis?
Hi Christian, so it depends on whether the dc to dc charger is isolated or not. We have used victron orions and they come isolated or non isolated. We prefer isolated (so you have to run both pos and neg). We prefer this as it gives us a better peace of mind that there is a good connection on the negative side
Once you earthed the battery to the bare metal van do you just add everything to the neutral buzzbar. And that will earth everything else. can someone let me know please
Fabulous explanation and details..thanks.
I’m not a leccy expert but an engineer so educate myself before pressing ahead.
Looking at the 3x different charge input to leisure battery, if all 3 are active is it possible that the battery “gets it from all angles” so to speak voltage wise ?
Great explanations !
Have you a list for cable sizes
Could you fit a victron battery gaurd inbetween the cut of switch and fuse bored ...if so what size (max amp) victron battery gaurd would I need ..plus could thd battery gaurd be earthed to the fuse bored thanks any info appreciated
Massive thanks, this is brilliant !
Do I have to run a negative back to the fuse board? Or could I ground at a local point of the vehicle body?
Thank you for the great straightforward info! Best video on the topic! Did I get it right: if I get the CTEK D250SE I do not need a seperate solar controller? Thanks again!
Hugh I've converted my Campervan. Except for electrics
At the moment all I want to do is use site electrics. No off grid
Ive already put the mains Hook up on van.
And run 3 core flex 2.5mm to a socket. But wanting to put another socket in & some lights. Running off site electrics
Ive bought a busbar 6 way. What do I do with earth wire. There's only live & neutral in box.
Do i need to get. Another small busbar just for the earth
Thanks for showing a 12v setup on a plan layout, rather than in the actual car where its impossible to follow things via video. One question please, the negative terminal on the fuse box, does this have to go back to the battery, or can it just go to an earth somewhere on the chassis?
Hi Hugh would this system your showing now be ok for my build I will have around 8 led touch spot lights which will be on at night. A maxxfan which will be on when it's hot to give us some fresh air. A few usb sockets to charge our phones and tablet. A 12v TV which will be on at night for a couple of hrs if it's raining and we're stuck indoors. A diesel heater that will only be on a couple of hrs when it's cold. Our fan in the toilet. And our water pump. And then our son can have siezures so we have to monitor him.and then a fridge which will be on 24/7