New here? Welcome! This blog post houses all of our DIY solar and electrical tutorials for campers, vans, truck campers, and RVs.
Been here before? Welcome back. The page has a new look. There was SO much information here it was getting messy, so the topics have been broken up into individual topics so they are easier to find and gives a better user experience.
Our interactive solar wiring diagrams have been a real hit, but most of you want to know more about the ‘why’ behind the interactive diagrams. Perhaps you’re building something completely off the wall and are looking for some more, general learning about solar and mobile solar systems. You’re in the right place!
Keep reading to see our step-by-step guide for how to install a mobile solar and electrical system in a camper, van, truck camper, or RV.
DIY Camper Solar System Guide
This DIY Camper Solar System Guide is a multi step, complete educational series that by the end, you will know what all of the parts of a solar system do, how they work together, what you'll need for YOUR specific system, and what to expect during the build. These lessons go in order so I recommend starting from the top.
Basic Parts of a DIY Camper Solar Setup
This post outlines all of the main parts and components of a DIY Camper Solar setup.
How Many Batteries are needed in a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This blog post will teach you how to size the battery bank in your camper according to YOUR needs.
Choosing a Solar Battery Bank for a DIY Camper Van Conversion
Lithium vs AGM. As technology gets better, the prices get higher. Is the added cost worth it? Here's our thoughts:
How Many Solar Panels are Needed to Power a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This tutorial will instruct you on how many solar panels you need for your camper electrical system based on YOUR needs.
Solar Panels - Series vs Parallel
Series vs Parallel: The great debate. Well... not really a debate as there is a clear choice for 90% of builds:
How-to Choose a Solar Charge Controller for a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This guide & calculator will help you accurate select the proper solar charge controller for your campers electrical build.
How-to Choose an Inverter for a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This blog post & calculator will teach you how to properly size an inverter for your camper based on YOUR needs.
How-To Add Shore Power to a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This guide will teach you how to add shore power to your camper to charge batteries & power devices when you've got access to on-the-grid power.
How-to Choose a Battery Isolator for a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This blog post will teach you how to choose the proper battery isolator for your camper electrical system.
How-to Charge a Camper Van Electrical System with the Alternator
This guide will teach you how to charge your camper house batteries with your engine alternator.
How-to Install a Battery Monitor in a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This article will teach you why you need & how to wire a battery monitor in your camper electrical build.
How-to Choose Wire Sizes DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This blog post will teach you how to choose the proper wire sizes for your camper electrical build.
How-to Size Fuses in a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This guide will instruct you how to accurately size fuses for your camper electrical build.
How-to Wire 12v Accessories in a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
This tutorial will teach you how to wire 12v accessories & plugs in your camper electrical build.
How-To Wire Lights & Switches in a DIY Camper Van Electrical System
These wiring diagrams will show you how to wire 12v lights & switches into your campervan. 2-way switches too!
Interactive DIY Solar Wiring Diagrams for Campers, Van's & RV's
First things first, check out these solar wiring diagrams to get a good feel for where all of these parts are located in the overall camper electrical setup:
David Campbell
Friday 30th of July 2021
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julia
Wednesday 28th of July 2021
Hey! Do the solar panels need to be grounded up on the roof? I'm seeing conflicting advice online. Thanks!
David
Friday 23rd of July 2021
What Solar charge controller should I get, for two 100W 18V solar panels. Used to charge 12v battery on travel trailer.
Brian Whalen
Thursday 17th of June 2021
Curious about being able to charge an electric truck like the F-150 Lightning. The most limiting component would seem to be solar panel square footage/capacity unless one duplicates Matt Damon in "The Martian" with trailer dedicated to supplemental solar panels. Cnet guessed the batteries would be 110kwH or 150kwH for either the 230 mile or 300 mile battery. Ford can provide an 80amp at home sationary charging station and a 32amp portable "shorepower" charger when on the road. What are your thoughts? Was thinking a aux. generator may need to be considered as charging source if the RV solar system can only trickle the truck batteries.
Nate Yarbrough
Friday 18th of June 2021
Most of those require 120V/240V split phase to charge, so you'd need a setup that could put out that kind of power, which would be something like this: https://www.explorist.life/24v-6000w-120v-240v-split-phase-camper-solar-wiring-diagram/ but potentially even larger. At this time... a generator would definitely be necessary to recharge 'in the wild' as you'd need 18,000W of solar panels to recharge a fully depleted 110kWh battery in 6 hours of solar charging time.
Jeff
Tuesday 25th of May 2021
Hi Nate,
Thanks for putting this together. One part I’m not clear about with these parts and also referred to in the diagrams, which have been very helpful also.
I think you’re assuming a starting point of no electrical components installed in a travel trailer or van. And no wires. Is that right?
My travel trailer has a factory installed battery, the wiring to the lights and microwave, and breaker box as well. There are a handful of 110 volt AC outlets also that are wired (work when on shore power).
When I install lithium batteries, solar panels, and charge controller, how do I connect the existing wiring to the inverter? Do I need to run new wiring? I would think not unless they’re not the right gauge for some reason. I would think I could use the existing wiring.
That’s why I think I’m missing something basic in what I have now, where I want to get to, and all your great diagrams and information. Thoughts?
Thanks.
Jay
Nate Yarbrough
Friday 18th of June 2021
I have both a 30A and 50A OEM RV upgrade wiring diagram and parts list here: https://www.explorist.life/solarwiringdiagrams