This list will show you some of the more common parts and pieces necessary to wire all of the 12V branch circuits in your camper.
Duplex wire consists of 2 separate conductors in a single sheath and will be the main type of wire you will use for your 12v Branch Circuits. Size will depend on the load and distance that the wire will need to run. The wire linked is high-quality marine-grade wire with 105° C Insulation ratings.
Triplex wire consists of 3 separate conductors in a single sheath and will be the type of wire you will want to use for 3 way switches.
For DC applications; Red is usually "Positive" and Black is usually "Negative". It's difficult to source triplex wire with the proper wire colors, so the proper way around this is to put a 1" piece of RED heat shrink on the Green and Wire wires at each end of the wire to denote that they are "Positive" wires.
Size will depend on the load and distance that the wire will need to run. The wire linked is high-quality marine-grade wire with 105° C Insulation ratings.
WAGO Lever Nuts are a great way to connect 2-5 wire together. The Wago 221 series can accept wires as big as 10 AWG and as small as 20 AWG and are rated for up to 30A.
This is a 12V Single-Pole-Single-Throw switch necessary for turning 12V circuits like lights or a water pump.
This is a 12v Single Pole Double Throw on-on switch necessary for 3-way switches a.k.a. lights that switch from 2 separate locations.
This fuse holder is used for switch panels where smaller wire is used downstream of the switch panel than upstream of the switch panel. This particular fuse holder holds 4 fuses and is, therefore, able to protect 4 circuits coming from the same switch panel location.
Ian G
Friday 6th of January 2023
Hi Nate, I've seen on Victron Schematics that a Smart Battery Protect 65 is installed between a Smart MPPT and Lynx DC Distributor. I understand the principle of the Smart Battery Protect between the Load and Battery but I don't know why you would have one installed from the MPPT? I'm installing a 100/30 MPPT and Non-Lithium Batteries; is there a recommendation for the settings in VictronConnect App? Many thanks Ian
Nate Yarbrough
Sunday 15th of January 2023
There's no reason to have one between the MPPT and Lynx Distributor. If using the Victron Smart LiFePO4 batteries with external BMS, the Ve.Bus BMS can tell the MPPT that the batteries are in a 'do not charge' state via DVCC.
Carola Perla
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
Hi Nate! Thank you so much for all the useful info! I purchased a 200ah Victron/Battelborn system that we are installing, and with your diagrams, everything makes perfect sense!:) I only have one question that I have scoured the internet to find an answer to, to no avail, regarding lighting wiring: every schematic shows how to wire one type of light, but none show what to do with multiple light setups (puck lights, reading lights, undermount lights, etc.) Do they all need their own circuits or is it ok to link them like puck lights or usb ports? Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question! Any input would be amazing!!
Sean
Monday 25th of April 2022
Just researching now, but great info and I’m learning a lot!
Rich Colestock
Monday 7th of February 2022
Hey Nate - been following you for a while and think your videos are awesome. Looking forward to more as you guys grow your channel. We recently picked up a 2021 Sprinter and wound up taking a low cost approach to our electrical system and purchased a BLUETTI AC200P. Now we are trying to figure out a way to safely get the most charging out of our stock Mercedes charging system and battery when driving from point to point. We are hoping a DC-DC charger is the answer, but it's hard to get straight answers from charger vendors. Basically, what we'd like to do is use a DC-DC charger to mimic solar panel input when we are driving (the solar input is 35 -150 VDC and is limited to 12A) and get a little faster charging than just using the standard cigarette 12VDC output (about 100W). Eventually we'll build a real electrical system for the van, but this is what we for now. Would love any advice you could offer!
Thanks for your time! Rich
Armand
Tuesday 4th of January 2022
Purchased your 12v accessory guide. Really helpful! I wanted to confirm the diagram for a 3 way switch for a 12v light would also be suitable for a water pump? I am using the same SPDT ON-ON switches but rocker style rated for 20a. Thanks!