
This blog post is going to teach you how to add an Inverter, Alternator charging via DC-DC Charger, and Solar charging to your OEM camper or RV that came factory installed with 50 amp shore power hookups.
This setup will allow for 120V appliances/devices to run on shore, generator, OR battery power. 240V appliances will run on Shore/Generator only (and will need a 120V/240V compatible breaker box (Not shown below).
This diagram features:
- 3000W Inverter Charger
- 400+ Amp Hours of Battery Storage Capacity
- 400W-1200W Solar Array Capacity
- Alternator Charging
- Shore Power Charging/Passthrough
50 Amp OEM Camper Electrical Upgrade Wiring Diagram

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE HI-RES PRINTABLE PDF OF THIS DIAGRAM
50A Camper – Inverter w/ Solar & Alternator Charging Upgrade Shopping List
The following list will show you 98% of the items you need to install this system on your camper. If you need clarification on where something goes, please refer to the ‘Detailed Parts List’ below this consolidated shopping list. Also, you will need to refer to the solar array wiring diagrams at the bottom to add the appropriate solar array parts to your system below.
A NOTE ABOUT QUANTITIES
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.
Qty 8 – 2/0 x 5/16″ Wire lugs means you need 8 wire lugs… not 8 packs of wire lugs.
50A Camper – Inverter w/ Solar & Alternator Charging Upgrade Parts Detail
Choosing your Solar Panels & Charge Controller
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 – 12V Battery Bank (Click to Expand)

600 Watts – 6x100W Solar Panels – 12V Battery Bank (Click to Expand)

600 Watts – 3x200W Solar Panels- 12V Battery Bank (Click to Expand)

800 Watts – 4x200W Solar Panels- 12V Battery Bank (Click to Expand)

1000 Watts – 5x200W Solar Panels- 12V Battery Bank (Click to Expand)

1200 Watts – 4x300W Solar Panels- 12V Battery Bank (Click to Expand)

How to Integrate a DIY Camper Electrical Upgrade with the OEM Wiring
The following section of this blog post will teach you how to integrate the wiring diagram and parts list above with your RV’s OEM electrical system.
Here is how the typical camper with 50A shore power hookups is wired:

- The diagram above shows the typical bare-bones OEM RV/Camper with 50A shore power service.
- Shore power flows into the breaker box, powering the breaker box protected by a 50A breaker where 240v power is divided up into 2 legs of 120V power to power both sides of a breaker box
- One circuit is generally the Converter. The converter is usually built into the same enclosure that houses the breaker box (as shown) but is sometimes external. Either way, it’s wired in the same method.
- The converter converts the 120V AC power to 12V DC power which feeds the DC Fuse Block which powers the various DC devices around the camper (Lights, Fans, Etc..).
- From there, a positive and negative wire continues on to the house battery bank; usually two 12v batteries wired in parallel. These wires charge the batteries from shore power, and allow 12v devices to run when not connected to shore power.
- At the batteries, there are usually 2+ additional positive and negative wires heading off under the RV somewhere that are going to power additional DC circuits around the camper. These may be slide-outs, powered leveling jacks, and other ‘chassis’ items like that. These wires will likely have fuses in line to protect these wires coming from the battery.
- One of these wires is also likely the wire coming from the alternator to charge the house battery bank.
When the camper is NOT plugged in to shore power, all of the 12V DC appliances will run due to them still being connected to the batteries, but the 120V AC appliances will NOT operate because the converter is a one-way-street and will not convert 12V DC back to 120V AC. The charging from alternator is typically very slow (less than 10 amps) and should, generally, not be relied on to provide adequate power for recharging deeply depleted house battery banks.
In addition to wiring the components together, here is a breakdown of how the flow of power to the above diagram works.
WIRING THE INVERTER/CHARGER To Shore Power.
When connected to shore power or generator, power flows from shore power (or generator) to the inverter charger. This charges the batteries which feeds the DC fuse block and allows 50A shore power passthrough to power the 120v appliances. You will take the 6/4 wire that goes from the shore power inlet to the back of the AC distribution panel and instead, run that wire from the shore power inlet to the input of the Victron Multiplus.
Wiring the Inverter/Charger AC Distribution Panel
The 6/4 Wire from the AC Out of the Inverter/Charger will go to the same place that was just mentioned in the above step.
Wiring the Solar Panel Array to your Camper Electrical System
When charging from solar, the solar panels & charge controller charge the batteries. The batteries are connected to the DC fuse block allowing use of the 12v devices around the camper. The Inverter takes the 12V DC power stored in the batteries and converts it to 120V AC power to power the 120V AC items around the camper.
Replacing Stock Camper Batteries with Busbars
A positive and negative busbar take the place of the stock batteries in the stock battery location (assuming that upgrading batteries means you will not be able to store your new battery bank in the stock location). From the Lynx Distributor, power flows to these two busbars where power is then sent to all of the OEM installed components like the DC distribution block, power jacks, slides, etc.
50A Camper Converter
The OEM installed converter must be completely disconnected. It can remain installed, but the wires must be disconnected from both the AC and DC side of the power distribution center. These wires can usually be bundled up and stuffed next to the converter.
50A Camper Alternator Charging
You will likely have a wire charging your OEM batteries from the alternator. This wire will likely be somewhere in the 12 AWG range. This will either run directly from your starting battery isolator if this is a motorhome or from your 7-pin connector if this is a trailer. This needs to be disconnected completely. This diagram uses a 30A DC-DC Charger and the OEM installed wire will be too small. The 6 AWG wire in the diagram will take the place of the OEM wire you are to remove. In the case of a trailer, 6 AWG wire will need to be run all the way to the truck starting battery if alternator charging via DC-DC Charger is desired and disconnected by the hitch by means of an Anderson connector. If you do not wish to charge via the Alternator… this entire leg of charging can be omitted without ill effects.
Larry
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
Can the disconnect and shunt be directly bolted to the Lynx distributor? Look like the hole in the Lynx would need to be drilled out slightly.
Bob Bishop
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
I just purchased your 50A retrofit system diagram. Is there a way to select everything in your list without individually selecting each one. Then go back and edit? What crimpers do you suggest for the cables? Can I go with 4 BB batteries instead of the 6. Will this change anything else?
John Hoover
Tuesday 16th of February 2021
Hi Nate,
I am a subscriber at your website and YouTube channel and am finishing up my RV Solar project.
I have been using your wiring diagrams and have everything in place but when I went to change out my 2 OEM Lead Acid batteries for 3 Lithium batteries
I found that there is a wire coming form the front of the RV that I believe is connected to the front Truck Battery..
In the original wiring setup, this wire was connected directly to the +Positive Terminal of one of the batteries and there isn't any -Negative wire.
In your 50 Amp OEM Camper Electrical Upgrade Wiring Diagram you show a wiring run (both Positive and Negative) from the Alternator to the Victron Orion Smart 12|12 - 30A then into the Victron Distributor.
I was wondering if I can leave this connected directly to the Battery Bank or is it necessary to have the Orion Smart 12/12 and hook it into the Victron Distributor? If I should run it as in your diagram and since there isn't a -Negative wire do I just pull that off a Chassis Ground? Additionally I see that Victron has a new item the Victron Orion Tr Smart DC Charger 12/12, is this the same and can it be used in place of the one you list.
Thank You!
Sean
Tuesday 16th of February 2021
Hi Nate, Question on the "50 Amp OEM Camper Electrical Upgrade Wiring Diagram". I have been researching the magnum inverter and found that it can only support boosting power on L1 and L2 when L2 IN is not connected. In your diagram I see no switch to cut L2 so for the common case of a 50amp RV plugged into a 30amp shore power (or any 120 ac source) using a "dog bone" the Magnum will not boost L2 and more importantly it will not monitor L2 and thus your system will avoid drawing too much power. Does this align with your experience and if so is there a reason you didn't add a switch on L2 IN to cut it when on 120v?
Jude
Monday 15th of February 2021
Hey Nate,
I just came across your YouTube channel last week while watching Andy Rawls Airstream remodel. I really appreciate your videos and all of the information you posted on here! I'm currently remodeling a old Argosy Airstream and I'm planning on putting a 50A service in it with 5 Go Power Overlander-E 190W Solar panels ((Vmp)19.11V,(Imp)9.3A,(Voc)22.78A) on top running the Victron 3000 and 500ah Battle Born lithium. Do you think that I could get by with the Victron SmartSolar Charge Controller 150V 70A Tr? Not sure if I calculated everything right but this model is on sale right now for $470 so I was hoping it would work.
Just started the planning phase for the electrical system and are working on my diagrams. After I get those together would I be able to hire you to look over everything and to make any needed corrections?
Thanks Jude
Nate Yarbrough
Tuesday 16th of February 2021
Hey Jude! Here is how to size a charge controller. This should get you on the right path: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxziHKvTRh8
If your diagrams are based around my designs, I can indeed check over them in my private group. More info here: https://community.explorist.life