This DIY camper solar wiring diagram and parts list is perfect for ground-up electrical installs into campervans, skoolies, or expedition vehicles. This system is most suitable for systems that do not have a pre-existing house electrical system installed.
This diagram features:
- 2000W Inverter Charger
- 200+ Amp Hours of Battery Storage Capacity
- 200W-700W Solar Array Capacity
- Alternator Charging
- Shore Power Charging/Passthrough
Not quite what you are looking for? Check out other system setups here: https://www.explorist.life/solarwiringdiagrams
History of Changes to this Page (Click to Expand)
Post Published August 10, 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE – VIDEO
This orientation video will show you how to best use this page to build your DIY Camper Solar Setup. It’s a quick watch but I think it’s pretty important.
DIY Camper Van Wiring Diagram
DIY Camper Solar Parts – Shopping List
The list below is a consolidated parts list for this entire system (Minus the solar charging leg, which is listed at the bottom of this blog post).
For the ‘Quantities’ in the below shopping list, each singular component is listed a quanty per each, wire is listed a quantity of feet, and heat shrink is listed as qty 1 = 2.25″.
For Example:
Qty 1 – Inverter Charger means you need to purchase 1 Inverter Charger
Qty 3 – 4/0 Wire means you need 3 feet of 4/0 wire. This may mean you need to buy 5ft from the product page
Qty 5 heat shrink means you need 5 pieces of 2.25″ heat shrink. This means you’ll need 5 x 2.25″ pieces of heat shrink for a total of 11.25″ of heat shrink.
Camper Solar Parts Detail
The section below will tell you where each of the parts from above fits into the wiring diagram. This is quite lengthy, but if you are having trouble seeing the diagram or just want more clarification that the diagram above doesn’t deliver, hopefully this will help:
Solar Charging Parts List & Wiring Diagrams
The following section provides you with several different options for solar charging. The above parts list can remain completely unchanged and the diagram above can remain mostly unchanged except for the alterations noted by the diagrams below, but whatever solar array setup you choose below for your needs, these parts will need to be added to your shopping list. These are broken up by total solar wattage. As a general rule, you want to have twice as many watts of solar as you do amp hours of batteries. So, 300Ah Batteries = 600W solar. 400Ah Batteries = 800W solar. 600Ah Batteries = 1200W of solar. This is just a rule of thumb. Not a law.
400 Watts – 4x100W Solar Panels (Click to Expand)
600 Watts – 6x100W Solar Panels (Click to Expand)
600 Watts – 3x200W Solar Panels (Click to Expand)
Order of Operations for DIY Camper Solar Install
This list is a rough guideline of what order things need to be connected for systems using this wiring diagram. THERE IS MORE TO KNOW about this process, though, in the user manual for each component. READ THE USER MANUAL FOR EACH COMPONENT as this ‘order of operations’ does NOT supersede anything in the user manual.
- Arrange all parts & components where they will be mounted
- Mount & secure all components to the wall/enclosure as necessary (EXCEPT Lynx Distributor)
- Wire battery bank together
- Assemble Lynx Distributor, master disconnect switch & shunt assembly
- Mount Lynx Distributor to wall/enclosure
- Verify Main switch is in the “OFF” position
- Wire Positive wire from Lynx Distributor to Main fuse
- Wire Positive Wire from Main fuse to Battery Bank
- Wire Negative Wire from Shunt to Battery Bank
- Connect negative wires from Lynx Distributor to Inverter/Charger, Charge Controller & 12V Fuse Block
- Install fuses inside of Lynx Distributor
- Connect Positive Wires from Lynx Distributor to Inverter/Charger, Charge Controller & 12V Fuse Block
- Connect Positive Wire from Lynx Distributor to B1 Terminal on Shunt
- Verify dual-pole disconnect switch for solar array is ‘off’
- Connect Charge Controller to Dual Pole Solar Disconnect
- Connect wires going to solar array to dual pole disconnect
- Cover Solar Panels with Cardboard
- Connect solar array together (Order does not particularly matter)
- Remove Cardboard from Solar Panels
- Verify proper solar array voltage at dual pole solar disconnect
- Remove ‘wire bridge’ on Victron Orion DC DC Charger
- Connect positive & negative wire from Orion to Starting Battery pos & neg (as per user manual)
- Adjust Orion Output Voltage Setting as appropriate in Victron Connect app
- Connect 10/3 wire from shore power inlet to Inverter/Charger
- Connect 6/3 wire from Inverter/Charger to AC Breaker Box
- Verify all 120V breakers in breaker box are ‘off’.
- Connect AC Branch Circuits to AC Breaker Box if not already connected
- Connect DC Branch Circuits to 12V Fuse Block if not already connected
- Connect RJ-11 cable & BMV-712 Monitor Gauge to Shunt
- Verify proper voltage between main fuse & shunt (Approximately 12V-14V)
- TRIPLE CHECK THAT ALL WIRES ARE CONNECTED, POS (+) TO POS (+) & NEG (-) TO NEG (-) (except series wired solar panels) AND CONNECTED TO THEIR PROPER PLACES IN THE COMPONENTS AS PER THEIR USER MANUAL
- Turn on Master Disconnect Switch
- Turn on Dual Pole Solar Disconnect
- Replace wire bridge in Orion
- Turn Inverter/Charger ‘On’.
- Turn on Main AC Breaker in Breaker box & Branch Circuit breakers
- Configure system charging through the parameters as per user manual of each component
Kirk
Sunday 17th of January 2021
Hi Nate!!!! Finally have the cash and building out my solar set up. The only thing that I didn't order yet is the Lynx distributor. I did a quick Internet search and I see there are two similar parts:
- Victron Energy Lynx Distributor DC Distribution system (you recommend) ~$206 - Victron Energy Lynx Power In ~$137
It LOOKS like the only difference is LEDs to tell you if a fuse is burned out. Is this a feature that you have found a real need for? Is it not obvious that a fuse is blown when you pull the panel. (In my mind I am thinking back to the old screw in round fuses and it was obvious when they were blown.)
THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!! Kirk
Kirk
Sunday 17th of January 2021
@Nate Yarbrough, That was VERY silly of me! I just looked at the photo again and see that there is only one row of of nuts! Thanks so much for helping my lack of immersive vision! ;-)
Nate Yarbrough
Sunday 17th of January 2021
The Lynx Distributor has fuse holders. The Power In does not and is therefore not what is needed.
Gavin
Sunday 17th of January 2021
If I am using a Sterling 1260 as opposed to the Orion, how will that affect my wiring diagram? I'm following the same grounding technique that you show above, so does that mean I just need a positive wire going from the Sterling to the car battery, a negative and a positive from the lynx to the Sterling, and that's it since the Lynx is being grounded where the shunt and lynx connect? Or is some other grounding method required?
Moshe Hagshur
Thursday 14th of January 2021
Dear Nate, hope your safe this days. Im following you since the day I decided to buy a caravan ( not campervan) Thank you for all the information your giving to the community . Most of the electric is the same so no diffrend beide the starter battery ( but its not relevant to my question) Im trying to understand, you never mention this in your videos I think and from your diagram And actually even I emailed Victron and didn’t got clear answer So my setup is very simple 4 x 100 watt pannel – connected to combiner box (cables follow your recommendation) 1x 100 amp gel battery connected in series 2 main bus bars (positive and negative ) 1 victron mppt 100/30 connected directly with fuse to battery 1 2000 watt TBS inverter with smart shunt and 250 amp mega fuse All my connection today(beside the victon charger ) goes to the main busbars So my question finally 😂 is : Now – I’m installing new 2 x100 amp lithium battery What is the rule regarding the solar charger – should the + and – from the vicrton solar charger needs to go to the bus bar or to the battery Thanks And I wish you had more content for cravans also ..
Nate Yarbrough
Friday 15th of January 2021
The positive and negative wires coming from the charge controller CAN go to either the batteries or the busbar. I recommend wiring it to the busbar for the sake of easy wire management. Wherever you wire them... Make sure that ALL loads and chargers (including the negative coming from your charge controller go to the 'Load' side of your SmartShunt.
Terri
Monday 11th of January 2021
For the wiring coming from inverter to AC panel. Is 10-3 acceptable or 6-3 really the only option there? The distance from the two is about 18” max.
Nate Yarbrough
Tuesday 12th of January 2021
10/3 would 'work' but you would be handicapping the PowerAssist function of that expensive Victron Multiplus you've bought. May as well do it right and just do it once.
Noah Garvin
Thursday 7th of January 2021
Hi Nate! I've asked you a few questions before on your youtube channel and on here. I originally made your copper bus bar and have everything set up, but when I saw your new diagram, I decided to not risk it, and just go with the Lynx. Someone else mentioned it, but I guess I just wanted to make sure it was safe. It looks like on this version of the build, the charge controller will be shut off if the switch is shut off, as opposed to the old system where the charge controller was still allowed to charge the batteries. Now I assumed this wasn't safe, because then you'd have a connection between the solar panels and CC, but no connection with the CC and batteries. So if I ever have to turn off my system, does that mean I need to hit the breaker for the panels first? Just so the CC doesn't get fried?
Nate Yarbrough
Thursday 7th of January 2021
You should indeed turn off the solar breaker first, but if you don't, it's not a big deal (at least with Victron charge controllers, I can't speak for all brands). The charge controller will simply cycle on and off until it senses a battery voltage. It won't damage the charge controller though; it's just good practice to turn off the solar array when disconnecting the charge controller from the battery bank.