If you’re planning on living a more nomadic lifestyle or just want to learn a little about solar power this guide will be a great launching point! We’d like to note that we are not electricians but we’ve gathered all of the information while building a solar system for our own converted van. You can see our build here.

Let’s get started!

What is solar power?

Solar power is the ability to convert the sun’s rays into electricity.

There are different ways to use the sun’s rays to create electricity; the main one we will be focusing on is creating solar energy with photovoltaics.

Ok, and what are photovoltaics? 

Well, to put it simply they are substances that have the ability to convert solar rays into usable electricity.

What are the basic elements of a solar powered electrical system for a van or RV?

There are a few basic pieces to every solar setup. Your solar needs can be very complicated or very simple but in all cases you will always require the following items to get started:

Solar Array

Buy on Amazon

Charge Controller

Buy on Amazon

Battery Bank

Buy on Amazon

Wiring

Buy on Amazon

MC4 Connectors

Buy on Amazon

Ring Terminal Mounts

Buy on Amazon

Breakers or Fuses

Buy on Amazon

DC to AC Inverter

Buy on Amazon

Battery Monitor

Buy on Amazon

Proper solar power installations can include inverters, breakers, kill switches, various sizes of wiring and many other items based off of your power needs. You’ll have to source the necessary parts so you can build a system that can handle the amount of electricity you plan on consuming.

In some cases your power needs outweigh your personal budget for the solar power setup so you may want to consider a generator if your power needs are high and your budget is low.

Let’s learn some basic terminology about solar power & electricity.

Here are some basic definitions as defined on Wikipedia.

Watts

Power is the rate at which energy is generated or consumed and this can be measured in a unit called a watt.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Volts

Volts are the unit of measurement that tells us the amount of electrical potential something has. One volt is defined as the difference in electric potential between two points of a conductive wire when an electric current of one ampere dissipates one watt of power between those two points.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Amps (Ampere)

An ampere or amp is the base unit of electrical current.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Ohms

Ohm’s law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

How do I calculate all of these things?

This is Ohm’s Law Triangle. Ohm’s Law states the relationship between voltage (V), current (A) and resistance (Ω).

And the Watts Law Triangle. Watts Law states the relationship between power (W), current (A) and voltage (V).

Series Circuit

This is a type of wiring technique that creates a circuit where current goes through every component of the setup. All components in a series connection carry the same current.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

The basic takeaway here is that if one of the lights dies in this circuit the whole circuit will be interrupted. A great example of a series circuit is old Christmas lights. When one light dies you have to find which blub popped and replace it to get all of the other lights to turn on again.

Parallel Circuit

If two or more components are connected in parallel, they have the same difference of potential (voltage) across their ends. The potential differences across the components are the same in magnitude, and they also have identical polarities. The same voltage is applied to all circuit components connected in parallel. The total current is the sum of the currents through the individual components, in accordance with Kirchhoff’s current law.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

With a parallell circuit we don’t have quite the same concerns as with the series circuit. If one of the lightbulbs stops working it won’t turn off the others.

AC Power

AC stands for alternating current, which means the electrical current frequently reverses direction. AC electricity is measured according to its cycles, with one complete cycle being counted each time a given current travels in one direction and then doubles back on itself.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

To use the AC power in your solar setup, you’re going to require an inverter – we’ll cover what those are a bit further down in the guide. All houses use AC power to energize your appliances and other electronic accessories. When you plug your toaster into the wall at home you’re drawing AC power to heat up the elements. All modern homes are connected to the main power grid to use AC power.

DC Power

Direct current (DC) is a unidirectional flow of electric charge. A battery is a good example of a DC power supply. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even through a vacuum as in electron or ion beams. The electric current flows in a constant direction, distinguishing it from alternating current (AC).

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

DC power is the primary type of current you’ll be working with when setting up your solar system. From our experience, we’d also suggest using DC power for as many items in your system as you can.

Why should I use DC powered appliances in my camper van or RV?

The main reason is because your battery bank is already putting out power in a DC current. When we convert our DC powered battery to AC using an inverter we actually lose a bit of power in the conversion which makes AC appliances and electrical items a little less efficient to run.

It is highly advised to use electric accessories for your van or RV that are DC powered. Having the option to use AC power in your home on wheels is great but relying on AC power will drain your system more quickly. You can find almost every appliance and device for your RV that can run on DC including your fridge, lights, fans, and even your furnace. Even your phone is a DC powered device and that little brick you use to plug it into the wall actually converts the AC power from your home power socket to DC to charge the phone. It’s easy enough to install a few marine style USB ports in the wall of your van or rv and you’ll never need the little power brick again.

DC Powered Lights

Buy on Amazon

DC & Gas Powered Fridge

Buy on Amazon

DC Powered Fan

Buy on Amazon

DC USB Ports

Buy on Amazon

DC & Diesel Powered Furnace

Buy on Amazon

DC Water Pump & Tap

Buy on Amazon

Breakers & Fuses

Breakers

An automatic device for stopping the flow of current in an electric circuit as a safety measure.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

These are very important to any electrical setup as they can stop overloads in your system from happening. Different breakers come with different strengths depending on how much electricity you want to flow through a specific connection. These breakers are set up in between a connection between two points where electricity will flow and can “break” to impede the flow of electricity if the current is overloaded.

In our van, we used breakers instead of fuses for our solar installation. We made this decision because we’re not always close to a store where we can buy new fuses. If our system ever overloads then the breaker will pop and disconnect the electrical current. All we have to do is check to see where our issue is, fix it and then re-engage the breaker.

Fuses

Similar to breakers a fuse is an electrical safety device that operates to provide overcurrent protection of an electrical circuit. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts or breaks when too much current flows through it, thereby interrupting the current. It is a sacrificial device; once a fuse has operated it is an open circuit, and it must be replaced or rewired, depending on the type.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Just like breakers, these come in different strengths to allow systems to safely stop without causing a fire or a major system overload. Fuses get placed in the same areas that breakers are connected in a circuit. Unlike breakers, fuses actually destroy themselves to protect the system. If a current becomes large and your system is overloading the fuse will break and halt the electricity from flowing through the connection. We find the only downfall to having fuses is that they’re not always available so you have to be sure to keep a supply of them with you on your travels. Fuses used to be used in home electrical setups as well, but we now use breakers because they are easier to reset and don’t require you to purchase new ones every time the power overloads.

Using fuses or breakers are important safety measures that you have to think about while creating your solar power setup.

Breakers

Buy on Amazon

Fuses

Buy on Amazon

Fuse Panels

Buy on Amazon

Wiring Sizes

Similar to breakers a fuse is an electrical safety device that operates to provide overcurrent protection of an electrical circuit. Wiring comes in many sizes and types. To properly determine if the wire you’re using is safe, you should make sure your wire size is able to handle the amount of amps you will be placing through it. The main way to determine wire sizes and their ratings is to use the American Wire Gauge system (AWG). Most wires you purchase from the store will have a rating on them depending on their size. Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts or breaks when too much current flows through it, thereby interrupting the current. It is a sacrificial device; once a fuse has operated it is an open circuit, and it must be replaced or rewired, depending on the type.

Here are some common sizes for wiring and how many amps they can usually handle:

• 14-gauge wire: 15 amps
• 12-gauge wire: 20 amps
• 10-gauge wire: 30 amps
• 8-gauge wire: 40 amps
• 6-gauge wire: 55 amps
• 4-gauge wire: 70 amps
• 3-gauge wire: 85 amps
• 2-gauge wire: 95 amps

To learn more about wiring sizes check out this great article.

Solar Panel Wires

Buy on Amazon

Battery Wires

Buy on Amazon

Other Wires

Buy on Amazon

Solar Panels

Solar panels are made of an array of photovoltaic solar cells. These cells are wired together to create a desired watt rating for the panel. Generally you buy your solar panel already assembled but for those people out there that are a bit more adventurous, you can build your own solar panels from scratch. Unless you’re quite clever with a soldering iron, we’d highly recommend buying pre-built solar panels.

150 Watt Square Solar Panel

Buy on Amazon

100 Watt Solar Panel

Buy on Amazon

160 Watt Solar Panel

Buy on Amazon

Types of Solar Panels

Monocrystalline

These are the most commonly used solar panels and they are made of monocrystalline silicon. Monocrystalline panels generally have a high-efficiency rate, they are less sensitive to high temperatures and they last a long time.

Polycrystalline

Polycrystalline solar panels are easily distinguished by their random triangular looking patterns in the panel. These panels are created by melting raw silicon and are generally less expensive and not as efficient as a monocrystalline panel. Polycrystalline panels can also be more sensitive to higher temperatures and they’re often not that efficient at producing electricity.

There are also Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon & Concentrated PV Cell Solar Panels but these won’t really apply to creating a good solar power system for your van or RV.

Which solar panels should I choose?

This question is a difficult one to give a straight answer to. The type of solar panels you choose will depend on your budget, how much power you need, and the amount of surface you have available to mount the solar panels. For most general purposes people will choose monocrystalline panels.

Hard Solar Panels or Flexible Solar Panels?

A hard solar panel will require a bit more effort to ensure they are stable and well secured to your vehicle’s roof but these panels are strong and can handle the most ware and tare. Going with a flexible panel can be a great option if you have an uneven roof but from our research, we’ve found that these panels can start to warp over time and the surface can be easily scratched if you’re driving into places with low hanging trees or objects.

A hard solar panel will require a bit more effort to ensure they are stable and well secured to your vehicle’s roof but these panels are strong and can handle the most ware and tare. Going with a flexible panel can be a great option if you have an uneven roof but from our research, we’ve found that these panels can start to warp over time and the surface can be easily scratched if you’re driving into places with low hanging trees or objects.

Solar Mounting Brackets

There’s not much here to explain! Mounting brackets are used to attach your solar panels to the top of your RV or van. The way you mount your solar panels will depend on what type of panels you choose and if you want to build or use an existing roof rack to attach your panels. There are many ways to mount your solar panels; some folks use mounting brackets that will allow you to angle the panels toward the sun and others will just mount their panels flat on the roof. Mounting your panels flat will be the least amount of work but will be the least efficient way to mount your panels. A panel that is tipped and pointing directly at the sun all day will net you the most electricity from your solar panels.

Adjustable Solar Panel Mounting Bracket

Buy on Amazon

Corner Bracket Mounts

Buy on Amazon

Z Bracket Solar Panel Mount

Buy on Amazon

Batteries

There are so many types of batteries out there it’s hard to know what will work best for you. Buying batteries is one of the most important decisions you need to make when setting up your solar power system. Your batteries store all of the electricity that your solar panels collect during the day. Ideally you want to be able to use your electrical devices and appliances during the day and still be able to charge your batteries so everything still works when the sun goes down. This will require you to have enough panels to collect light but also enough battery power to run everything.

Lithium Ion

Pros:

• Longer lifespan
• Up to 80% safe discharge
• Faster charge times

Cons:

• Very expensive

100AH Lithium Ion Battle Born Battery

Buy on Amazon

100AH LiFePO4 Lithium Ion Battery

Buy on Amazon

Lead Acid

Pros:

• Cheap up-front cost

Cons:

• Short life
• Require regular maintenance
• Should only be discharged to 50%
• Have to be vented
• Need to sit upright at all times
• Longer re-charge time compared to Lithium Ion

Trojan T-105 225Ah Deep Cycle

Buy on Amazon

Trojan T-1275 12V 150Ah Deep Cycle

Buy on Amazon

Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM)

Pros:

• Can be placed on their side
• Don’t require ventilation

Cons:

• Shorter life
• Should only be discharged to 50%
• Longer re-charge time compared to Lithium Ion

VMAX 12V Deep Cycle

Buy on Amazon

Renogy 100Ah AGM Deep Cycle

Buy on Amazon

What is an amp hour?

An ampere hour or amp hour (symbol Ah; also denoted A⋅h or A h) is a unit of electric charge, having dimensions of electric current multiplied by time, equal to the charge transferred by a steady current of one ampere flowing for one hour, or 3600 coulombs.

Still want to know more? Here’s a link to wikipedia.

Essentially, it’s a way to give us an idea of how long a battery will last based on a 1 amp discharge of your battery over time.

For Example:

We want to run some LED lights that are rated at 1 amp.

If your battery has a capacity of 100 amp hours then theoretically, your lights will stay on for 100 hours. This calculation isn’t 100% accurate and will change depending on the type of batteries you use and the current temperature of your batteries. Weather can dramatically change how your batteries operate and should be taken into consideration when choosing the right batteries for your system.

Inverters

In order to convert your battery’s DC power to AC power you’re going to need an inverter. Any devices or appliances you have that require a standard wall plug will need a higher voltage of electricity to operate. Inverters take a standard 12 volt DC current and can convert it to usable 120 volt AC current.  Be warned that converting power from DC or AC or back the other way can result in some power being lost and most of the time results in having your batteries drain faster. We feel like you should plan to use AC power as little as possible when planning a solar power system.

If you’re going to be using your solar power to charge your sensitive electronics like laptops and cameras then your only option for clean power is a pure sine wave inverter.

Renogy 1000 Watt Inverter

Buy on Amazon

Reliable 3000 Watt Inverter

Buy on Amazon

AIMS 5000 Watt 12 Volt DC Power Inverter

Buy on Amazon

Types of Inverters

Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Pros:

• Very clean power free from other electrical interference
• Works well powering all electrical devices

Cons:

• Generally a little more expensive

Modified Sine Wave Inverter

Pros:

• Generally a cheaper device
• Works well for a lot of general electrical items like tools

Cons:

• Not safe for more sensitive electronics like laptops and CPAP machines

Charge Controllers

This device can be seen as a brain for your solar panels that protect your batteries and charge them correctly. Buying a cheap charge controller isn’t a good idea so spending a bit more money to get a decent charge controller is a wise investment.

The most efficient is the MPPT charge controller as it charges your batteries in stages and it will help you get the longest life out of your battery bank investment.

What does a solar charge controller do?

A solar charge controller limits the flow of electrical energy from your solar panel to your batteries in order to charge them safely and efficiently. Without a solar charge controller, solar panels would be connected directly to your batteries and this could cause serious risks to your safety. If you do not connect a solar charge controller between your solar panels and your batteries you may overload your system and cause fires or your batteries can explode.

Charging your battery bank from your alternator – is it worth it?

Having your house battery bank connected to the alternator in your engine is helpful if you move around fairly often. If you’re planning on staying in one spot for longer periods of time then this wouldn’t be a very effective option for you. It’s also a bit of a daunting task to connect if you have a more modern vehicle, so unless you’re really into digging into electrical manuals and consulting electrical charts we’d say leave this to a pro.

Our van already had the wiring in place to charge our house battery from the alternator. This was the only way to charge your house batteries in the 80’s before solar panels (our van is a 1984 Dodge B250). We decided to upgrade the wiring and add a kill switch so we can disconnect the alternator’s power from the solar charge controller.

We find with our alternator we can fully charge our batteries on cloudy days if we take a long drive. This also required us to purchase a special charge controller that allowed us to have our panels and our alternator to tie into the same system.

CTEK D250S DUAL

Buy on Amazon

Kill Switch

Buy on Amazon

Battery Wiring

Buy on Amazon

Calculating Power Needs

How much power will my items draw?

To do this you need to add up how many watts each of your electric items will draw on the battery and determine how many hours per day you will have to power each item. There are a ton of great solar power need calculators on the web to help you figure out your final number.

Will solar power be useful for me?

Before you start buying all of the pieces for your solar power system you should ask yourself if the amount of electricity you require is worth the price you spend on buying all of the elements you need to put your solar power system together. Your battery bank is where you’re going to spend the most money in the entire setup.

Here’s a helpful list of questions you can ask yourself to see if solar power is right for your situation:

What’s your budget for electricity?

Depending on what your budget is and how much electricity you plan on consuming, you should weigh over all costs of going solar vs buying a generator. Going green and off the grid is great but for a lot of situations, buying a generator and gas will be cheaper. Solar is a large one time expense while a generator costs far less upfront but has recurring gas expenses.

Are you spending a lot of time remote camping?

You’ll have to determine what type of camping you do most. If you’re going to be boondocking (dry camping) in the middle of nowhere often, having solar power can be quite helpful. Running a generator also works and will provide you with more power, but you have to think about noise & gas as well.

Are you a city dweller?

Running a generator in the city isn’t an option if you want to do some stealth camping. In this situation, you should look into building a solar system that will provide you with the power you need to get through the night.

Will you be spending most of your time at paid campgrounds or RV parks?

If you’re spending most of your time at paid campgrounds or RV parks, they generally have electrical hook ups so having a solar system probably isn’t necessary.

Are you staying in areas that you can’t run a generator?

If you are, solar is your only option.

Are you concerned about your carbon footprint?

Using a solar system can cut down on the amount of times you need to plug into the main electrical grid which, in the long run, will be better for the environment. It’s also a far healthier choice than using a gas-run generator.

Do you want to run air conditioning?

This isn’t impossible but you’re going to have to spend a fortune in panels and batteries to handle the load an air conditioning unit will put on your battery bank. Most vans and RVs simply don’t have enough space for the amount of solar panels and batteries you’re going to need to keep your air conditioner running. If you’re dead set on having air conditioning, you’ll probably want to look into staying at places with dedicated electrical hook ups or buy a generator.

Do you have more questions?

Contact us here!

Ready to get started building your solar system?

Listed below are all the items we used to build our camper van solar system. If you want some more in-depth information about our van build (and wiring diagrams!) you can read our Complete Van Life Solar System article.

DOKIO 150 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel

Buy on Amazon

Renogy 1000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Buy on Amazon

Trojan Reliant T105-AGM 6V Deep-Cycle Battery

Buy on Amazon

CTEK D250S Dual 12V 20A Battery Charger

Buy on Amazon

Solar Panel Wire 10AWG 10′ Wire with MC4 Connectors

Buy on Amazon

15A Inline Circuit Breaker

Buy on Amazon

MC4 Branch Connectors

Buy on Amazon

Battery Capacity Monitor

Buy on Amazon

Mounting Z Brackets

Buy on Amazon

Weatherproof ABS Solar Double Cable Entry Gland

Buy on Amazon

Rotary Power Isolator Switch

Buy on Amazon

USB & 12V Power Ports

Buy on Amazon

This information can be applied to any sort of solar power system that can be installed in any application that requires electricity. However, when creating a solar system for situations where your dwelling is hooked up to your region’s main power grid there are other considerations, like stopping your solar system from improperly discharging into the grid. You would also need to do plenty of research about the rules and regulations of installing solar power on your residence. We won’t be covering any aspects of residential solar power in this guide and we’d highly recommend you get in contact with your local solar power provider before setting up solar on your permanent residence.

Thank you for taking the time to read our helpful guide! We hope it’s been a great resource for you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us on our contact form or Facebook.

*DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS. ALL INFORMATION IN THIS GUIDE IS BASED OFF OF OUR OWN RESEARCH. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL BEFORE EXPERIMENTING WITH ANY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS*

If you’re working while living on the road, you know that electricity is essential to keep your devices charged. Even if you’re just enjoying a quiet weekend in the woods, it’s nice to be able to have access to power without having to run a noisy generator. The answer? Solar power. Putting a campervan solar system into play can seem intimidating and costly but at the end of the day, it’s a worthy one-time investment.

Take, for example, our routine when we first started out. Working long days Tuesday-Thursday meant that we had to pay for a campsite or RV Park in order to plug-in. Sure, you can camp out at coffee shops and other places with wifi, but that only really works when you’re around a city.

This meant that we were essentially paying over $100/week as our “power bill.” This got old real quick and defeated the purpose of us moving out of our apartment to get away from the bills in the first place. So we spent a while researching which components would work best for us and got the wheels turning on our van life solar system.

FULL DISCLOSURE: We are not electricians by any stretch. We had enough research and experience in our holsters to put an electrical system into place that works great and cuts our costs down immensely.    

Solar Panels

For our system, we are using a 150 watt monocrystalline solar panel from Renogy (**we added a second one later on so the wiring diagram shows the two solar panels. See updates below). In a nutshell, polycrystalline is cheaper but monocrystalline is more efficient.

We opted for this one mainly because it’s square so it fits nicely within our roof rack. The best solar panels are those that satisfy your power and space requirements. Also, rigid solar panels are generally more durable than flexible solar panels. We’d advise to only use a flexible solar panel if you absolutely need to. Learn more about the differences here.

We’re fairly light power users so 150 watts is sufficient for us, but take some time to pay attention to how much power you actually consume in a day. Take note of the wattage rating on your appliances too—you’d be surprised how much power some small appliances take. Use resources like Renogy’s calculator to help figure out how many solar panels you need. Getting the right solar panel array is a key component of your campervan solar system.

Wiring Solar Panels

Installing solar panels is a lot easier than you may think! The solar panel is hooked up using two MC4 connectors (wtf are those?! read this). These join the positive and the negative 10 AWG wires that come already attached to the solar panel to the positive and negative 10 AWG wires that feed inside.

Home Depot has a handy guide for understanding wire thickness, or read more in-depth about it here.

As mentioned, we already had a roof rack so we just ran two sturdy metal beams across and used z-brackets to secure it on. Depending on what your roof’s shaped like, you can easily mount the z-brackets directly onto the roof as well. We drilled two holes in the corner of the roof and sealed on a little cable hub, called an entry gland, to feed the wires through while keeping it water-tight.

On the positive wire, we’ve used a 15 amp breaker but you can also use a standard fuse. The breakers are a little more expensive upfront but never need to be replaced. 

Charge Controller

The positive wire then attaches to our solar charge controller, which is a CTEK D250S Dual. This box is an MPPT charge controller that allows the battery to be charged by the solar panels and by the alternator while we’re driving—great on overcast days. CTEK is a Swedish company that makes some badass battery chargers for all kinds of different uses.

The negative wire is also attached to the negative terminal on the box. You can definitely opt for a much simpler and cheaper solar charge controller if you don’t plan to incorporate your alternator. That said, solar charge controllers are integral to a well-operating solar power system so be sure to still get something good quality. 

Side note: When we bought the van, we already had a 12V lead acid marine battery in the back that had a wire running directly from the alternator that would charge while we were driving. We didn’t want to cut this power source off so that’s when we discovered the CTEK solar charge controller. You could also install a DC to DC charger. 

Batteries

Next, a thicker 4 AWG positive wire runs from the CTEK charge controller to the positive battery terminal of the house battery. We’ve added a 20A breaker in between. A 4 AWG negative wire runs from the negative terminal of the CTEK charge controller to the negative battery terminal of the house battery.

We’re using the single 12V lead acid marine battery we already had but will eventually upgrade to two 6V batteries. When using multiple batteries, understand series and parallel wiring.

Your battery will probably be the most expensive component of your camper van solar setup so picking the right battery is essential. Determining how much battery capacity you need is based on how much power you’ll go through between full charges. To prolong the life of your batteries, you never want your battery bank to dip below 50%. So, it’s best to overestimate your solar energy needs to have extra power instead of scraping by.

The CTEK box is also equipped with a temperature sensor that sits on top of the battery to maintain an optimal charge.

Inverter

The house battery feeds a couple of different things. First, a separate positive and negative 4 AWG wire runs from the battery to the 1000w pure sine wave inverter, also from Renogy. This is probably the most important area to study before you buy. Understanding the amount of power that your household items use when they first start up versus when they’ve been on for a few minutes is key.

Take some time to understand surge power and sine waves to figure out how hefty of an inverter you’ll need. With a 150A breaker on the positive wire, the inverter converts the DC power coming off the battery into the AC power required for household appliances. You can plug stuff in directly to the inverter or run an extension cord, like we did. When shopping for inverters, read lots of customer reviews because the fan in many cheaper inverters can be incredibly noisy. It’s not an area you want to cheap out on.

Fuses

Next, a 10 AWG positive wire with a 30A breaker runs to our fuse box, where the fuses for all of our DC-powered appliances live. For us, that’s the fridge, lights, and furnace. Again, this was part of our existing rudimentary system when the alternator was hooked up directly to the house battery so that’s why the fuses are the old school glass ones. We recommend a fuse box like this as the hub of your electrical system.

Grounding

Also, there’s a negative 10 AWG wire running from the negative terminal of the house battery to an earthing point to ground the circuit. In our van, this is a big metal bolt that goes into the van’s body. Be sure to choose an unpainted area for grounding.

Alternator Tie-In

On the final mount of the CTEK charge controller, a positive 10 AWG wire runs all the way to the alternator and starting battery in the front. Here, we’ve put a killswitch in between if we ever want to cut the power from the alternator and rely solely on the solar panels. And of course, there is the existing negative 10 AWG wire grounding the starting battery as well.

Battery Monitor

Finally, the battery also has thin 22 AWG positive and negative wires running to a battery capacity monitor that allow us to see the charge percentage and how many volts it’s getting. Like we said above, you want to avoid letting your battery bank dip below 50% at all costs.

SO HOW MUCH DOES A VAN SOLAR SYSTEM COST?

Renogy 150W Monocrystalline Solar Panel* – we paid $200 *Boo, Renogy no longer makes this solar panel but this is basically the same one

Renogy 1000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter – we paid $180 BUT we bought ours refurbished directly from Renogy. A new one will set you back $270

CTEK D250S Dual (MPPT charge controller) – we paid $283

Battery – “free” because we already had one but expect to pay $300-500. This is the one we’re lusting over. **New battery update below

Wiring – we paid $70 (we bought the linked product from Amazon and got the rest bulk at Home Depot)

Breakers – we paid for 4 @ $13 each = $52. Using regular fuses would definitely cost less but always have a few extra on hand.

Killswitch – we paid $14

Metal beams for mounting + hardware – we paid $32 (you’ll have to go to the hardware store for these)

Mounting Z-Brackets – we paid $10

Rooftop Double Cable Entry Gland with Sealant – we paid $20

Battery Monitor – we paid $15

Cable Organization (wall mounts to keep the wiring tidy) – we paid $7

Grand total: $883
*Note that this pricing is all in US dollars because we purchased everything in the US of A. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

We broke even in 6 weeks not having to pay for RV Parks. We now have so much more freedom to work from wherever we want to and not have to worry about reservations and fees thanks to solar energy!

Taking the time to thoroughly research which components fit your needs and budget is well worth it. Hopefully this helps anyone looking to add a solar system to your camper van or RV…it’s not as scary as it may seem!

Download our visual van solar system guide for a single solar panel here. Download the full-size version with two solar panels here.

Feel free to shoot us a message or leave a comment below if you have any further questions or need clarification on anything. This post is jam-packed with helpful links so click away!!

*DECEMBER 2018 UPDATE: NEW BATTERIES!

We finally bit the bullet and upgraded our battery bank! I wish we could say the whole thing still cost under $1000 but sadly, that is not true. Batteries ain’t cheap but they’re arguably the most important components to your solar setup (other than the solar panels, of course). After careful consideration, we opted for two 6V Trojan T-105 AGM batteries. Trojan batteries are the crème-de-la-crème and are a worthy investment if you depend on your battery bank as much as we do since we boondock 100% of the time. So why these particular ones?

Delaying our battery purchase allowed us plenty of time for research. We found that 6V batteries are said to discharge slightly slower than 12Vs. By having two 6V batteries connected in series, we’d have the correct voltage we need for our system (12V) while still maintaining the same capacity (217 AH).

Alternatively, we could have kept our existing set-up by opting for one single 12V battery or upgrading to two 12V batteries connected in parallel to double our capacity (i.e. 100 AH + 100 AH = 200 AH) while still maintaining the correct voltage.

Trojan’s Reliant line of AGM batteries are sealed and maintenance-free, meaning that we’re safe to keep them on their side without risking spillage as you would in a regular flooded battery. Finally, these AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries perform well in colder temperatures, unlike gel batteries which were our other option.

Here is a diagram of how our new battery bank is hooked up:

So far, we’re noticing a huge difference in battery life. With it being winter, this has been incredibly helpful in allowing us to run the furnace longer and use the lights since it sadly gets dark before 5PM. Even without much direct sunlight, our solar array is generating enough solar energy to stay in one spot for a couple of days.

If all this battery jargon is still a bit confusing, check out Trojan’s guide on where to get started when choosing the best battery for your needs. We bought our batteries at a battery store in Vancouver because we didn’t have an address to ship them to but they are available on Amazon as well.

So what’s our grand total at now?

We paid $884 CAD (including core charge + 12% BC tax) which is about $660 USD. This brings our grand total to $1543 USD. If you’re in America and can buy them on Amazon, it’ll set you back $476 for two, amounting to $1359 USD total.

*JUNE 2019 UPDATE: ADDING A SECOND MONOCRYSTALLINE SOLAR PANEL FOR MORE SOLAR POWER!

After a very grey winter on Vancouver Island, we decided to add an additional 150w solar panel to the roof to maximize every bit of sun we get on overcast days. The wiring is super simple: the solar panels are connected in parallel, which gives us more amperage at the same voltage.

Once you have a second panel, all you need is a pair of MC4 branch connectors and some more 10 AWG solar wire with an MC4 connector on each end. You simply connect the positive wires from each solar panel into the female side of the positive branch connector and the negative wires from each solar panel into the male side of the negative branch connector. All of the van solar panels wires are now coming out of two central MC4 connectors.

Run the positive branch connector’s wire to the positive terminal of the battery and the negative branch connector’s wire to the negative terminal of the battery. That’s it!

Check out the wiring diagram below:

Unfortunately, Renogy doesn’t make their 150w panel anymore so we bought this Dokio panel from Amazon that ended up being virtually the same. We paid $144. The MC4 branch connectors were a whopping $7 and 10ft of MC4-clad solar wire set us back 20 bucks. With an additional set of mounting brackets at $9, this second solar panel addition cost us $180 USD.

This brings our grand total to $1,723 USD but it would only be $1,539 if we could have purchased the batteries in the States.

Like the graphics in this video and post? Keep The Internet Busy can help you build cool stuff for your website too!