This blog post is going to show you step-by-step how to install solar, lithium batteries, an inverter, and all of the wiring on a ground up renovation of a 1976 Airstream Argosy. This camper is a project of Andy Rawls, an incredibly talented woodworker and YouTuber out of the Hill Country in Texas.
This is an in-progress project and this blog post will change and evolve as the project nears completion and will change based on ‘things we could have done better’ after the project is complete. The goal of this blog post and all of the wiring diagrams within are going to be a ‘here’s what we should have done’ and not necessarily ‘here is what we did’. So if something in this blog post seems ‘off’ compared to the videos found on this page; it’s because I’ve found a better way or better/newer parts have come on the market.
Click Here to Expand the Changes made to this blog post:
August 7, Blog Post Published.
Table of Contents
Airstream Solar Wiring Diagram
The core of this Airstream electrical install will revolve around 400Ah of Battle Born Lithium Batteries, a 3000W Victron Multiplus Inverter/Charger, and 800w of Solar. The system will be able to charge via solar at a rate of approximately 66 amps under peak conditions or from 120V 30A shore power/generator providing up to 70 amps (at 12V). Andy DOES, indeed, plan on using his air conditioner but understands the system limitations mean that if extended air conditioner usage is wanted, shore power or a gas generator will be necessary.
Airstream Solar Wiring Shopping List
This shopping list is the comprehensive list of all parts used in this build. It includes all components, wires, lugs, heat shrink, etc. The only thing that is missing is small items like wood screws, zip ties, and such that you will likely have laying around if you are DIYing a project like this.
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.
| Product | Qty | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2" Black Heat Shrink | 8 | |
| 1/2" Red Heat Shrink | 2 | |
| 1/4" Black Heat Shrink | 9 | |
| 1/4" Red Heat Shrink | 3 | |
| 10 AWG Black Wire | 50 | |
| 10 AWG Ferrule | 12 | |
| 10 AWG Red Wire | 50 | |
| 10 AWG Triplex Wire | 10 | |
| 100 Amp MEGA Fuse | 1 | |
| 100Ah Battle Born Lithium Batteries | 4 | |
| 100w NewPowa Solar Panels | 4 | |
| 150 Amp MEGA Fuse | 1 | |
| 2 AWG Black Wire | 4 | |
| 2 AWG Ferrule | 2 | |
| 2 AWG Red Wire | 2 | |
| 2 AWG x 1/4" Wire Lug | 1 | |
| 2 AWG x 5/16" Wire Lug | 3 | |
| 2-to-1 MC4 Combiner | 1 | |
| 3/4" Black Heat Shrink | 18 | |
| 3/4" Red Heat Shrink | 14 | |
| 30A Shore Power Cord | 1 | |
| 30A Shore Power Inlet | 1 | |
| 4/0 Black Wire | 25 | |
| 4/0 Red Wire | 15 | |
| 4/0 x 3/8" Wire Lug | 2 | |
| 4/0 x 5/16" Wire Lug | 24 | |
| 400 Amp ANL Fuse | 1 | |
| 400 Amp MEGA Fuse | 1 | |
| 50A Square D HOM AC Breaker | 1 | |
| 6 AWG Black Wire | 10 | |
| 6 AWG Ferrule | 8 | |
| 6 AWG Red Wire | 10 | |
| 6 AWG Triplex Wire | 10 | |
| 6 AWG x 5/16" Wire Lug | 2 | |
| Din Rail Breaker Box | 1 | |
| Heavy Duty ANL Fuse Holder | 1 | |
| Lynx Adapter | 2 | |
| Lynx Distributor | 1 | |
| Master Disconnect | 1 | |
| MC4 Connectors | 6 | |
| MultiPlus 12/3000/120-50 120V VE.Bus | 1 | |
| Roof Entry Gland | 1 | |
| Solar Disconnect Breaker | 1 | |
| Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor | 1 | |
| Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150|70 | 1 | |
| Victron VE.Bus Smart Dongle | 1 | |
| WFCO AC-DC Distribution Panel | 1 |
Airstream Solar Wiring Parts List
This list is the detailed breakdown of each of the items from the shopping list above that shows you where, in the system, each part actually goes. If you are purchasing parts to mirror this system, buying the parts from the consolidated list above is the most accurate way to get correct quantities.
| Column A | Column B | Column C | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Bank Wiring | ||||
| This section contains all of the parts necessary to wire the battery bank together. These products include the batteries as well as the related wiring parts that you will need to make the battery to battery connections. | ||||
| Product | Qty | Link | ||
| 100Ah Battle Born Lithium Batteries | 4 | |||
| 4/0 Red Wire | 5 | |||
| 4/0 Black Wire | 5 | |||
| 4/0 x 5/16" Wire Lug | 12 | |||
| 3/4" Red Heat Shrink | 6 | |||
| 3/4" Black Heat Shrink | 6 | |||
Battery Bank to Busbars | ||||
| This section contains all of the parts necessary to wire the battery bank to the Lynx Distributor. The Lynx Distributor itself as well as the shunt for the battery monitor and fuse mounted to the Lynx Distributor protecting the positive wire from overcurrent can be found in this section. The Lynx Distributor is essentially an extension of the battery terminals and allows you to deliver power where it needs to go and houses the fuses necessary to protect the wires leaving the Lynx Distributor. The Battery monitor allows you to know how full your batteries are, know how much power you are actively gaining or losing, and see the historical data of your power usage. | ||||
| Product | Qty | Link | ||
| Lynx Distributor | 1 | |||
| Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor | 1 | |||
| 4/0 Red Wire | 5 | |||
| 4/0 Black Wire | 5 | |||
| 4/0 x 5/16" Wire Lug | 4 | |||
| 4/0 x 3/8" Wire Lug | 2 | |||
| 3/4" Red Heat Shrink | 4 | |||
| 3/4" Black Heat Shrink | 2 | |||
| 400 Amp ANL Fuse | 1 | |||
| Heavy Duty ANL Fuse Holder | 1 | |||
| Lynx Adapter | 2 | |||
| Master Disconnect | 1 | |||
Busbar to Inverter/Charger | ||||
| This section contains the Inverter Charger and all of the parts necessary to wire the Inverter Charger to the Positive and Negative busbars. The Inverter Charger allows you to re-charge your batteries from 'shore power' and also converts the 12v DC power stored in your batteries to 120V AC power like you'd find in your standard household wall outlet. | ||||
| Product | Qty | Link | ||
| MultiPlus 12/3000/120-50 120V VE.Bus | 1 | |||
| 4/0 Red Wire | 5 | |||
| 4/0 Black Wire | 5 | |||
| 4/0 Black Wire | 5 | |||
| 4/0 x 5/16" Wire Lug | 6 | |||
| 3/4" Red Heat Shrink | 2 | |||
| 3/4" Black Heat Shrink | 4 | |||
| 400 Amp MEGA Fuse | 1 | |||
| Victron VE.Bus Smart Dongle | 1 | |||
| This section contains all of the parts necessary to wire 8x100w solar panels into your camper electrical system. This solar array is managed by the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150|70 and remaining products include the wires, solar disconnect breaker, solar disconnect breaker box, lugs, ferrules, heat shrink and everything else needed to make the full solar panel array to busbar assembly. This parts list does not include means to attach the solar panels to the roof as that veries GREATLY from install to install. | ||||
| Product | Qty | Link | ||
| 100w NewPowa Solar Panels | 4 | |||
| Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150|70 | 1 | |||
| 10 AWG Red Wire | 50 | |||
| 10 AWG Black Wire | 50 | |||
| MC4 Connectors | 6 | |||
| 2-to-1 MC4 Combiner | 1 | |||
| Roof Entry Gland | 1 | |||
| Solar Disconnect Breaker | 1 | |||
| Din Rail Breaker Box | 1 | |||
| 10 AWG Ferrule | 6 | |||
| 2 AWG Ferrule | 2 | |||
| 2 AWG Red Wire | 2 | |||
| 2 AWG Black Wire | 4 | |||
| 2 AWG x 5/16" Wire Lug | 3 | |||
| 2 AWG x 1/4" Wire Lug | 1 | |||
| 1/4" Red Heat Shrink | 3 | |||
| 1/4" Black Heat Shrink | 3 | |||
| 3/4" Red Heat Shrink | 2 | |||
| 3/4" Black Heat Shrink | 4 | |||
| 150 Amp MEGA Fuse | 1 | |||
Busbar to DC Fuse Block | ||||
| This section contains the DC fuse block (which is inside of the AC-DC distribution panel) as well as the wires to connect it to the main DC distribution busbars. This will allow you to deliver power to the DC Fuse block for small branch circuits such as lights, fans, usb outlets, etc.. | ||||
| Product | Qty | Link | ||
| WFCO AC-DC Distribution Panel | 1 | |||
| 6 AWG Red Wire | 10 | |||
| 6 AWG Black Wire | 10 | |||
| 6 AWG x 5/16" Wire Lug | 2 | |||
| 6 AWG Ferrule | 2 | |||
| 1/2" Red Heat Shrink | 2 | |||
| 1/2" Black Heat Shrink | 2 | |||
| 100 Amp MEGA Fuse | 1 | |||
Busbar to Chassis Ground | ||||
| This section includes the parts necessary to allow you to ground your negative busbar to the chassis ground. The chassis ground will be connected to the negative busbar on one side and the other side can go to a factory chassis ground or simply anywhere good metal to metal contact can be made between the wire lug and the bare metal of the body or frame of the camper. | ||||
| Product | Qty | Link | ||
| 4/0 Black Wire | 5 | |||
| 4/0 x 5/16" Wire Lug | 2 | |||
| 3/4" Black Heat Shrink | 2 | |||
Shore Power to Inverter/Charger | ||||
| This section includes the exterior shore power outlet and shore power cord that allows you to plug your camper into shore power as well as all of the wiring that allows you to connect the exterior shore power cord to your inverter charger. This will allow you to not only use shore power for powering your devices but also allow you to charge your batteries from shore power. Note: 10/3 w/ ground wire you will find at your local hardware store will very likely have 4 wires in it, which is unnecessary. The link for 10 AWG Triplex Wire below has 3 wires inside, which is correct for the application. | ||||
| Product | Qty | Link | ||
| 30A Shore Power Inlet | 1 | |||
| 10 AWG Triplex Wire | 10 | |||
| 10 AWG Ferrule | 6 | |||
| 1/4" Black Heat Shrink | 6 | |||
| 30A Shore Power Cord | 1 | |||
Inverter Charger to AC Distribution | ||||
| This section includes the wiring necessary to connect the inverter charger to the AC side of the AC-DC power distribution panel listed in an earlier section. A quick note... 6/3 stranded wire is used here because although our shore power is 30A max, which 10 gauge wire is adequate for, the PowerAssist function of the Victron Multiplus Inverter Charger can add up to 3000w of battery power to shore power in the event that more power than the shore power can provide is needed. This much power coming from the Inverter/Charger requires 6 gauge wire feeding a 50A main breaker in the AC distribution panel. Also... the 6/3 w/ ground wire you will find at your local hardware store will very likely have 4 wires in it, which is unnecessary. The link for 6 AWG Triplex Wire below has 3 wires inside, which is correct for the application. | ||||
| Product | Qty | Link | ||
| 6 AWG Triplex Wire | 10 | |||
| 6 AWG Ferrule | 6 | |||
| 1/2" Black Heat Shrink | 6 | |||
| 50A Square D HOM AC Breaker | 1 | |||
Airstream Solar Setup
Completely recharging a 400Ah battery bank in a single day generally takes 800w of solar. Andy took some measurements of his roof and sent them over. I got to work in Sketchup making a to-scale model of the roof to determine which panels would fit out needs the best and came out with the following. The three squares in the middle of the roof are a roof vent, air conditioner, and roof vent, respectively. The four rectangles on each of the sides are 100W Newpowa Solar panels measuring 44.49 x 19.88 inches (1130 x 505mm). These panels will be wired in a series parallel configuration and connected to a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/75. The wiring method can be seen in the diagram above.
How to Install 12V Lights in a DIY Airstream Renovation
This section of the blog post will map out how Andy ran the lights and switches within his Airstream. Andy provided me with a diagram of where he wanted the lights and I came up with a plan for how to run the wires. There are 8 zones of 12v lights in this airstream broken up over 4 branch circuits:
- Bedroom
- Under Bed Utility
- Sleeping Bunk
- Kitchen
- Living Area
- Bathroom
- Dining
- Outside
Here is a diagram of approximately how his Airstream will be laid out in regards to floorplan:
12V Lights & Switches Wiring Diagram
Here is the diagram that shows how the various lights and switches are wired around the camper:
All of the individual rooms have their own zone of lights. These lights are powered by 4 separate circuits coming from the DC fuse box.
The lighting circuit in the middle of the bedroom are simply utility lights underneath the bed that are activated by a cabinet switch that turns the lights on when the bed is raised and turns them off when the bed is lowered.
Airstream 12V Appliances Wiring Diagram:
This Airstream has 7 main DC powered appliances:
- Refrigerator/Freezer
- Water Filter
- Stove (Propane w/ 12V ignitor)
- Furnace (Propane w/ 12V ignitor)
- Water Pump
- Roof Vent Fans
Each appliance will have it’s own dedicated circuit with the exception of the roof fans. The roof fans will share a single circuit. The water pump will have a switch in-line to turn the water pump off when not in use or in the event that the water tank runs empty.
Jorge
Monday 7th of March 2022
Nate,
I forgot one more question: My trailer have a bunker bed and there is a good size storage compartment on the bottom bed. Is it safe to install all of this equipment, including the Lithium Batteries (which I will be installing later) in this storage compartment?
Thank you!
Jorge
Sunday 27th of February 2022
Hello Nate,
I have a 2017 Keystone Hideout that I would like to set it up the way you did on the1976 Airstream with a few minor changes and I have a few questions for you if you could help: 1. I am buying from Renogy the 400 Watt 12 Volt Solar Premium Kit and my questions are: a) What size 2 pole DC breaker can I use between the Solar Panels and the charge controller? b) What size wire and fuse do I use between the Victron Energy Lynx Distributor and the charge controller?
2. I am going to install and wire the whole system rated for the (4) 100AH Lithium Iron Batteries like you did on the 1976 Airstream. I want to use my (2) Interstate SRM-24 batteries which they are about 81AH each and existing wiring (they use #6AWG between the batteries and the power distribution box, wire length about 50FT) in the meantime, because the purchase of the (4) 100AH Lithium Iron Batteries is not on my budget currently. I want to set up the system, so later all I have to do is install/wire in the batteries and changing a few fuses. The questions are: a) Can I use my current batteries and main wiring to install this system with the proper fuses install? b) If yes, what size fuse do I need between the Victron Multiplus Inverter Charger 3000 W 12 V Victron Energy Lynx Distributor to have the proper protection on the existing #6AWG wire? Notes: _I will be using #4/0 Wire. _I will like to use a fuse size that can give me the maximum current that the (2) Interstate 81AH batteries can provide. _The intent of the use on the 120VAC power on the trailer thru the Victron Multiplus Inverter will at night only (I will be using the Generator during the day) with a minimum use of the TV and be able to plug in C-Pap Machine at night which it only draws 1.5amp @ 120VAC. _The power distribution box is Model#WF-8955PEC 120VAC 30AMP. c) What size wire and fuse will I need between Victron Energy Lynx Distributor and the trailer power distribution box Model#WF-8955PEC 120VAC 30AMP, with the (2) Interstate 81AH batteries but keeping in mind on the wire size the use of the (4) 100AH Lithium Iron Batteries that I will be using in the future. d) What size fuse will I need between Victron Energy Lynx Distributor and the trailer power distribution box Model#WF-8955PEC 120VAC 30AMP, once I install the (4) 100AH Lithium Iron Batteries in the future.
3. When purchase in the future the (4) 100AH Lithium Iron Batteries, what brand do you recommend Battle Born or Renogy? 4. If both are the same, what will be better: a) (4) Battle Born 100AH or (2) Renogy 200AH each?
Sorry for all of these questions, but if you can provide feedback at your convenience it will be very appreciated!
Thank you!
Bill
Monday 14th of February 2022
Hi Nate I am following the plan I purchased on the Andy Rawls trailer on our 2022 Grand Design 22MLE. The DC inputs from the battery to this trailer are on the Aframe under the front of the trailer. Both the main chassis ground and a two post breaker for the positive are there. The main pos. and another wire continue on I presume toward the factory battery disconnect then to the main AC/DC panel toward the back of the rig. At that termination the power tongue jack, break away switch and an accessory wire all with separate fuses are wired in. I wanted to get your opinion on connecting the positive from the Lynx Distributor at this point. As well as having the negative and chassis ground going to the same location there. As it is closer to the new power components it would be easier and more cost effective and also prevent having to rewire the other positive components back to the Lynx. Thanks again for all the information Bill
Bill
Monday 14th of February 2022
Hi Nate I am following the plan I purchased on the Andy Rawls trailer on our 2022 Grand Design 22MLE. The DC inputs from the battery to this trailer are on the Aframe under the front of the trailer. Both the main chassis ground and a two post breaker for the positive are there. The main pos. and another wire continue on I presume toward the factory battery disconnect then to the main AC/DC panel toward the back of the rig. At that termination the power tongue jack, break away switch and an accessory wire all with separate fuses are wired in. I wanted to get your opinion on connecting the positive from the Lynx Distributor at this point. As well as having the negative and chassis ground going to the same location there. As it is closer to the new power components it would be easier and more cost effective and also prevent having to rewire the other positive components back to the Lynx. Thanks again for all the information Happy to see Explorist.life growing so much
Daniel
Saturday 22nd of January 2022
Would it be a problem to put a system like this in a second home/off-grid cabin that would freeze up for several weeks at a time in winter? Disconnect the solar input when we leave and turn it back on once it warms up a bit when we're there?