Electrical has never "made sense" to me, but this vid was beyond helpful! Thanks so much! .. I feel more confident when I know more, and I surely know more after your help! Ill check out your website, appreciate you!
Great job explaining everything. The demo layout and diagrams helped a lot. I purchased most of the components a while ago, but other projects kept getting in front of my van electrical build of the "to-do list". Last month our lead-acid golf cart batteries crapped out & I started shopping for LiPO4 batteries for it. Being a 48 volt cart, I needed to buy a purpose-built 48V golf cart battery or connect 4 12 volt batteries in series. A 48 volt battery is $1500-2000 which seems crazy, so I ended up finding 12 volt 100 amp hour LiPO4 batteries for $130 each on eBay, Humsienk brand. The golf cart project jump-started me back toward getting the van done too. Thanks again, 👍👍
I found it very helpful that you showed the actual components then showed the graphics picture. I am confident now in being able to wire my system. And I agree, having the AC outlets all over the place is overkill! Great video!
Cheers mate. Straight forward, simple to grasp and good Victron alternative 😂...was looking really looking for such a content. I feel confident now to build my own setup ,👍
Thank you love it! So glad you included charging while driving schematic I do currently have 110 fuse panel and 110 outlets i would like to know if you have schematic for wiring a 110 panel
Thank you for this great video. I do not have solar…yet. My batteries run in parallel will be charged with a lifepo4 80amp charger. On the system you built in the video how would you connect the 80amp charger ? Would it be connected to the battery or to the busbar ? Do you need the system on/off switch off while charging?
Thanks for your videos. They're very helpful. I'm using only a Vtoman 1000 for my setup. Do you have any videos on how to wire a switch for my LED puck lights. Do I need a 2 pin or a 3 pin? Thanks again for your awesome videos.
I’m a bit confused about your wire size from your battery to the inverter. You said you’re using #4 from the battery to the inverter. That’s ( if it’s thhn) only good for 95 amps. A 12 volt battery feeding a 2000 watt inverter could produce 166 amps (2000/12=166.6). sounds like #4 would be inadequate. Why would a person use a 200 amp fuse with wire that’s only rated at 95 amps? Maybe I’m missing something.
You're not wrong. 4AWG is going to warm up the cable at 2000W. There's a chance he may be thinking he won't hit 2000W ever for very long. Even then, realistically he should be using 2 or 1 gauge. Also, if he is going 4AWG he should reduce the distance from the bus bar to the inverter as much as possible. But I guess that's just a bit of wood he's screwed stuff into for demonstration purposes. So yeah, be careful who you take your wire gauge advice from!
Einstein...You need a Mains or Catastrophe Fuse ("AT") the POS battery Post FIRST then the wire. Not half way into the system! The Catastrophe fuse is sized to protect the "WIRE" carrying the load of the system from the POS post to the POS buss bar. That wire is sized to carry the whole load.. Then EVERY single other circuit needs to have it's OWN fuse from the POS buss bar! Go POP the hood on your VAN and take a look, there will be a fusable link (MAINS-CATASTROPHE FUSE) at the POS battery post or within a few inches! The way your wiring the system your gonna BURN the Van down if a Short should ever occur with no fusing at the battery POS post!
is it possible to have two different ways of charging the house battery combining altogether at the same time? Like the first charger is the car battery using DC to DC charger to charge the house battery and the other is the solar panel to charge the house battery as well. . Both altogether charging the house battery at the same time? thanks.
Looks like in his nicely laid out first diagram that he included a shore power converter/charger. He didn't appear to discuss this and weather or not you can safely plug into shore power AND charge battery at the same time the solar panels were also charging. Does the system shut down charging from solar panels if plugged into shore power?
@@Vankookz thank you for the response. I found that the best way was to ground via the camper to truck's 7 pin wiring harness (which also charges the batteries while driving). I then added an isolator to ensure that while connected, the truck bed camper never drains my trucks battery.
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to put it up. If I’m planning on charging the battery with ac because I will be traveling to sites with pedestals periodically and don’t have solar do I need to disconnect all of the dc components while charging or will the master switch handle that in the off position? Thanks again for the help.
Everything is good as long as I don’t put an on/off switch on the wires coming from the fuse box. Once I do, the wires get hot instantly or the fuses blow instantly. Lights will stay on constantly once you remove the switch, but the wires are no longer hot or blowing the fuse and not being able to turn your lights on and off via switch is a no go.
All the components are in the description here is the switch www.amazon.com/Spartan-Power-Disconnect-Ignition-Protected/dp/B09WZF17KB?keywords=battery%2Bshunt&qid=1679845647&sr=8-3-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE4TllOM1U0UkpYNzkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4MTY1NTcxVUI2VVFMOTY0SUgyJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyODA1MjczUUcwM1NNNjJFOFpDJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=vankookz-20&linkId=782855fee95ee5d2f09c21180c59e1b6&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Nice content , very simple explanation ! I do have a question if you can help me : I also have tht DC to DC Renogy . Also I have 12v 230ah lithium battery . When I driving , this dc to dc charger will stop automatically sending charge to the battery once reachs the voltage ? How do I know if this thing will not overcharge and damage my battery ?
Hey Kookz! Thanks so much for y'all's time and energy in producing these videos as they've been helping me a lot with my old T1N I just bought... I'm compiling my electrical system list and wondering about the 4 stud bus bar, as I plan to power my van with shore, solar, and alternator. Would you recommend going with 600a 4 stud bus bar or a 300a 6 stud bus bar? (as it seems this is all i can find on amazon) I was advised to not put 2 cables on the same stud of the bus bar, hence my inquiry about going with a 6 stud bus bar? I'm wondering if you had a take? Thanks! (Happy to venmo you for a cup of coffee) - Alé
Hey dude! I usually go over amperage because we can always add more fun stuff to our power stations as we go. Either will work fine but with the 600A you can will know that you are going to be ok no matter what. I usually try to not put multiple cables on the studs but it’s ok if you have to and it shouldn’t be an issue, I’ve done it many times. Just make sure you keep it all clean and separated (red/black) so if you are working in a tight space it can be easy to short the wires on the bus bar while you are putting everything together. It sounds like the T1N is coming along nicely dude! Venmo is @TheSourceFN. Thanks dude 🤙🏽
Hi! Van, Assume it is a dark day that we cannot produce solar power, and what parts should I used to power automatically my bulb/motor using direct AC power ?
new subscriber. question.....i am designing a system now for a boat. 300AH house bank - thoughts on 2000 watt renogy? now my question is if i am using 30 amp shore powers or a 2000 watt generator on shore power outlet...do i need to do anything special? I had a person say "Then you just have one problem to solve that is how to wire the inverter so that when the generator or grid is active, the N-g bond in the inverter is out of the picture" - and I am unsure what they mean?
Can someone help me with cable sizing and bus bar ampacity for my off grid system? I have (4) 100A 48v solar charge controllers connected in parallel to a bus bar, 10kw 48v to 120/240v grid tie inverter connected to the bus bar, 60A 48v DC Motor connected to the bus bar, (16) 100A 51.2v lifepo4 batteries connected in parallel to the bus bar, individual connection to the bus bar not to each other. If I max out the charge controllers and inverter what do I need?
I don’t understand that fuse placement?? If you turn the switch to off the positive bus bar is still hot through the fuse, and if your fuse blows it’s anyone’s guess if the switch is on or off? I’m new sorry if I’m mistaken
Why would you run your batteries through the engine? If I run a basic 50watt inverter through my lighter just to keep my phone, tablet, honey badger, and occasionally my dremel, drone, or Nikon mirrorless camera, after 6 months my battery fails, followed by my alternator. My past 3 cars, same show, currently running through a mercury grand marquis which in theory should be the best equipped but has failed the most sudden and dramatic whereas the other cars I had warning
cant you in theory just run the 120v inverter plug to a 30 amp female plug and just plug it into your 30 amp connector on your RV? this way it runs through the RV fusing and provides 120v to all the outlets? thats how we plan on setting our off grid RV.. or is there reasons why this isnt a good idea..
That will work but you need to trip the breaker to the converter before you connect your RV to the inverter. Also consider tripping the breakers to the AC and the microwave depending on how much battery you have you can drain the battery quickly or trip the inverter on overload. Good luck and remember to reset those breakers before you connect to shore power so your batteries will change up from the converter. Note: Please do not use a male to male plug from the inverter to an outlet in the RV. Extreme safety hazard.
The 40amp breaker is supposed to go between the charge controller and the postive bus bar in case of a malfunction in the controller, so it doesnt dump more thsn 40amp into the system. You also want a dc breaker as a shut off between the panels and the controller
Those are both in place and all on the wiring diagram. It’s actually pretty difficult to film and build. But I also added a 40am fuse at the battery terminal as well on the starter battery. But yes! Valid points and thank you.
Yes you can put a fuse before the switch as well as an inline fuse on the solar panel. They make nice mc4 in-line fuses. Since it is a moving vehicle I recommend people fuse as much as they want. Don’t forget to strap those batteries down too!
Yes you can do that. It's funny you mention this I've been going back and forward with a student in our masterclass about their system and they keep having issues with the chinese diesel heater and we finally just hooked it up to the battery and it started working! So yes that is fine to wire things directly to the battery.
I had to do this with my overland trailer after failed starts running it through the 12v supplied with the trailer. Ended up just running straight off my 12v 200ah lithium. Never a failed start since
More complicated than my needs. I came looking to see if it was safe enough to connect a cigarette lighter to a 12v 200ah battery directly to run my freezer.... that's all I want my system to run... solar to charge up the battery...
You can. Just put an inverter between the battery and the refrigerator. You have to know how many amps the refrigerator draws and whether or not it has a max draw on start up.
@RobertSommers-d8n nope. No inverter needed. My freezer draws only 40 watts and has an attachment that is compatible with a cigarette lighter. Ultra efficient. It's been up and running for 6 months now. Had only 1 goof up, and that was during a testing phase: plugged in a bunch of fans to see how fast they'd drain the battery. Got my answer and it wasn't pretty. Those are on their own battery bank now.
I think there is something to be said a out the "protection " of your system. Touching lice terminals isn't a great thing to teach people with no knowledge as they might tough both bus bars at the same time. Additionally, when you pull the fuse out it would be a "open circuit" not a short. A short is what your shunt is. Also, your shunt was shown as a parallel connection to monitor voltage but you said it should "interrupt thr connection" so one might take that as wiring in series to measure current. Overall, not terrible. But definitely lacking a lot on the basics. This is the wiring of "not knowing what will hurt you".
Yes I agree. It's hard to get everything into one quick video. But this comment is great and I love it. I learn a lot on this channel just through comments! Thanks, yes open circuit is correct it's also hard to get all your words out correctly. I appreciate all the insight, I will now routinely remember to add in to be aware of what can hurt you.
That’s the kook way. Life is simple… people make it complicated. Of course you can build some complex system that you don’t need and spend thousands or dollars or. You can keep it simple and make your life easier. 🤙🏽
@@Vankookz Could I use your video and Just change the inverter for a 3000w and have like 5-6kwh in batteries? Or I would need to change other stuff? Batteries would be linked in series. Thanks and keep it Kook!!!
@@synos0202linking your batteries in series increases voltage, not capacity. If you take 2 12v 100Ah batteries and link them in series, you have 24v 100Ah, if you take those same 2 batteries and link them in parallel, you will have 12v 200Ah. Does that make sense to you?
@@shanepitzer4323 That’s pretty cool we’ve built plenty of vans ourselves but decided we’d rather live van life than build vans. These videos are for ordinary people that don’t have the money to get their van built. This is a budget friendly DIY channel for people that just want to get out and live life like it’s meant to be. I mean the name of the channel is Van Kookz!!! This is a fool proof DIY 12V system that any one can replicate. I don’t see how it’s amateur. If the people watching this had the money to get cookie cut vans they would never watch this video and they would call you. I know my audience because I was once in their shoes. So I create content that I learn and pass on that I wish I knew earlier. It’s all experience based knowledge. I’m not trying to start any drama but we get very little hate on here so I just want to clear it all up.
@@Vankookz I have no issues (without digging in deep) on your 12V set up. I do have issues with vapor barriers, framing and other areas you recommend to people. Because it is DIY and budget is an issue it’s important to give people accurate information that has been proven in the industry. There is a difference in building a van or two for yourself vs having others put 100,000 miles on it and give feedback combined with talking to other builders. I can respect your side hustle. But it’s hard to bite my tongue when I see your channel recommending methods proven van builders do not follow. People trust you and that’s a lot of responsibility. Good luck and hopefully people do their research and not just blindly trust all UA-cam information. 🤓
Yeah I’ve lived in my van for 6 years now that I built this way it has 225k miles on it now. I have replaced my walls and ceiling to change up the style and everything (insulation, framing, and walls) were immaculate. I’ve torn apart factory built RVs and the “industry” uses shit materials. In one rig made by Winnebago all the wood was rotten and some of it disappeared 👻. They even used soild core romex and maybe 1 x2s to frame the whole rig. It was literally held together by sticks. This works everyone does it. You have a lot of work to do going around to every van channel and cringing. This isn’t a side hustle this is a lifestyle some people chase money, others chase dreams. I’m just trying to help a few Kookz along the way. We’ve met countless people on the road that tell us our videos helped them build their rig. But you actually have to be living this lifestyle to be a part of the community. We all know a fraud when we see one on the road. Thanks for putting out more cookie cut vans on the road! Maybe I’ll see you out on the road but… I doubt it!
@ChrisTewkesbury the wire needs to handle your current requirements and then the fuse needs to be able to protect your wire. So for example if your current is 5 amps, use a 10 amp cable and a 7.5 amp fuse. That's simplified but the gist of the approach.
@tomalophicon I have over sized my cables to future proof the van for ant additional panels, batteries needed in the future. I have a 170ah lithium, 2000w inverter and a 50a mppt dcdc.
So Simple & Self explanatory!! Love the diagrams too!!
Thank you! You will enjoy our Masterclass as well. vankookz-van-conversion-masterclass.teachable.com/p/vankookz-van-conversion-masterclass
This is one of the best DC how to videos I have seen. So simple to understand. The diagrams were perfect. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! We have so much more in our Van Conversion Masterclass!
I totally agree - now... how can I use this to wire an off-grid house?...
Electrical has never "made sense" to me, but this vid was beyond helpful! Thanks so much! .. I feel more confident when I know more, and I surely know more after your help!
Ill check out your website, appreciate you!
I've watched so many of these videos and still been confused. This cleared it up perfectly. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Great job explaining everything. The demo layout and diagrams helped a lot. I purchased most of the components a while ago, but other projects kept getting in front of my van electrical build of the "to-do list".
Last month our lead-acid golf cart batteries crapped out & I started shopping for LiPO4 batteries for it. Being a 48 volt cart, I needed to buy a purpose-built 48V golf cart battery or connect 4 12 volt batteries in series. A 48 volt battery is $1500-2000 which seems crazy, so I ended up finding 12 volt 100 amp hour LiPO4 batteries for $130 each on eBay, Humsienk brand.
The golf cart project jump-started me back toward getting the van done too.
Thanks again,
👍👍
This is exactly what I need to watch. It's perfect, thank you.!!!
Thank you for the information! I’m building a camp/hunting trailer out of an old truck bed and this is perfect for my setup!
I found this video incredibly helpful! thank you so much!
I found it very helpful that you showed the actual components then showed the graphics picture. I am confident now in being able to wire my system. And I agree, having the AC outlets all over the place is overkill! Great video!
you got this we also have a lot more info on our website. This will help a lot www.vankookz.com/12-volt-masterclass
Cheers mate. Straight forward, simple to grasp and good Victron alternative 😂...was looking really looking for such a content. I feel confident now to build my own setup ,👍
Quality video. Thank you very much for doing that
Awesome glad it helped. We have a lot more where that came from inside our DIY van conversion masterclass available on www.vankookz.com
FInally an explanation that´s easy to understand! Thank you so much!
Glad it helped!
This was great you are a great instructor.. Thank You very Much ❤❤
Amazing video. Thank you
Glad you liked it!
excellent presentation
Best video explaining this i have found after searching for days. Thanks guys. You got a subscriber comment and like which is rare from me
🤙🏽
Agreed
Great video. Super straight forward and well explained. Cheers bro!
This video slaps you’re the man for doing this
Hell yeah baby!
best video
Thanks
good demo very nice/thanks much
Very informative, Thanks for sharing.
Thank you love it! So glad you included charging while driving schematic
I do currently have 110 fuse panel and 110 outlets i would like to know if you have schematic for wiring a 110 panel
Not at the moment but students in the masterclass have been asking for it so I should add one here soon. 🤙🏽
Don't forget your low voltage disconnect switches, save your batteries!
Very helpful man, Thank you very much 👍
Glad it helped
Thank you for this great video. I do not have solar…yet. My batteries run in parallel will be charged with a lifepo4 80amp charger. On the system you built in the video how would you connect the 80amp charger ? Would it be connected to the battery or to the busbar ? Do you need the system on/off switch off while charging?
Thank you
great video
Thanks
Great videos. I’m curious if there should be any fusing at the battery like a terminal fuse or any fuse before the disconnect switch?
Thanks It never hurts to add more protection wherever you want. Crazy shit can happen when you have all this power moving at 70mph!
Helpful, thanks.
🤙🏽
very good video easy to understand. I would like to know how to also charge the battery with normal power outlet 240 V
You will need an Inverter charger
Question, can you wire from a shore power charger to those bus bars or does the power from the alternator vehicle battery have to be disconnected?
Thanks for your videos. They're very helpful. I'm using only a Vtoman 1000 for my setup. Do you have any videos on how to wire a switch for my LED puck lights. Do I need a 2 pin or a 3 pin? Thanks again for your awesome videos.
Thanks! I appreciate it! 2 pin will be fine but 3 pin is ideal if you want a dimmer.
I cover switches and much more in the Masterclass which is about 70% done I'm working hard everyday to finish.
I’m a bit confused about your wire size from your battery to the inverter. You said you’re using #4 from the battery to the inverter. That’s ( if it’s thhn) only good for 95 amps. A 12 volt battery feeding a 2000 watt inverter could produce 166 amps (2000/12=166.6). sounds like #4 would be inadequate. Why would a person use a 200 amp fuse with wire that’s only rated at 95 amps? Maybe I’m missing something.
You're not wrong. 4AWG is going to warm up the cable at 2000W. There's a chance he may be thinking he won't hit 2000W ever for very long. Even then, realistically he should be using 2 or 1 gauge.
Also, if he is going 4AWG he should reduce the distance from the bus bar to the inverter as much as possible. But I guess that's just a bit of wood he's screwed stuff into for demonstration purposes.
So yeah, be careful who you take your wire gauge advice from!
Should use at least 2 gauge, system I am building now I raised that to 1 gauge only because I am trying a 460 amp hour battery.
Welding cable should be used…#2
Einstein...You need a Mains or Catastrophe Fuse ("AT") the POS battery Post FIRST then the wire. Not half way into the system! The Catastrophe fuse is sized to protect the "WIRE" carrying the load of the system from the POS post to the POS buss bar. That wire is sized to carry the whole load.. Then EVERY single other circuit needs to have it's OWN fuse from the POS buss bar! Go POP the hood on your VAN and take a look, there will be a fusable link (MAINS-CATASTROPHE FUSE) at the POS battery post or within a few inches! The way your wiring the system your gonna BURN the Van down if a Short should ever occur with no fusing at the battery POS post!
No fuse or breaker between the battery and the buss bar positive?
is it possible to have two different ways of charging the house battery combining altogether at the same time? Like the first charger is the car battery using DC to DC charger to charge the house battery and the other is the solar panel to charge the house battery as well. . Both altogether charging the house battery at the same time?
thanks.
Good question maybe @vankookz can respond!
Looks like in his nicely laid out first diagram that he included a shore power converter/charger. He didn't appear to discuss this and weather or not you can safely plug into shore power AND charge battery at the same time the solar panels were also charging. Does the system shut down charging from solar panels if plugged into shore power?
How would I ground my truck camper from the negative bus bar if it does not have a metal frame?
Great vid! Thanks
Your vehicle has to have a metal frame.
@@Vankookz thank you for the response. I found that the best way was to ground via the camper to truck's 7 pin wiring harness (which also charges the batteries while driving). I then added an isolator to ensure that while connected, the truck bed camper never drains my trucks battery.
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to put it up. If I’m planning on charging the battery with ac because I will be traveling to sites with pedestals periodically and don’t have solar do I need to disconnect all of the dc components while charging or will the master switch handle that in the off position? Thanks again for the help.
If you are using an inverter with an auto transfer it should be ok
Thank you!
helpful! Thanks!
You're welcome!
Great video Sir! How do size your chassis ground cable from the negative bus bar?
The bigger the better. You can’t go wrong with 2 or 4
@@Vankookz thanks for the reply sir! I had spare 2/0 laying around so I used it. I figured you would say that anyway so I used it 😀
Everything is good as long as I don’t put an on/off switch on the wires coming from the fuse box. Once I do, the wires get hot instantly or the fuses blow instantly. Lights will stay on constantly once you remove the switch, but the wires are no longer hot or blowing the fuse and not being able to turn your lights on and off via switch is a no go.
Great video! What is the brand/model of the battery switch?
All the components are in the description here is the switch
www.amazon.com/Spartan-Power-Disconnect-Ignition-Protected/dp/B09WZF17KB?keywords=battery%2Bshunt&qid=1679845647&sr=8-3-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE4TllOM1U0UkpYNzkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4MTY1NTcxVUI2VVFMOTY0SUgyJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyODA1MjczUUcwM1NNNjJFOFpDJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=vankookz-20&linkId=782855fee95ee5d2f09c21180c59e1b6&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Where in your system would family members charge their many USB devices?
Nice content , very simple explanation ! I do have a question if you can help me :
I also have tht DC to DC Renogy . Also I have 12v 230ah lithium battery . When I driving , this dc to dc charger will stop automatically sending charge to the battery once reachs the voltage ? How do I know if this thing will not overcharge and damage my battery ?
It has a voltage cut off. Once your battery reaches its desired SOC it cuts it off.
How come fuses aren't required between bus bar and inverter, or bus bar and solar charger? Thanks for the helpful video
Yes you can and should add them in both places. I like using the 12V breaker switches.
Hey Kookz! Thanks so much for y'all's time and energy in producing these videos as they've been helping me a lot with my old T1N I just bought...
I'm compiling my electrical system list and wondering about the 4 stud bus bar, as I plan to power my van with shore, solar, and alternator. Would you recommend going with 600a 4 stud bus bar or a 300a 6 stud bus bar? (as it seems this is all i can find on amazon)
I was advised to not put 2 cables on the same stud of the bus bar, hence my inquiry about going with a 6 stud bus bar? I'm wondering if you had a take?
Thanks! (Happy to venmo you for a cup of coffee)
- Alé
Hey dude! I usually go over amperage because we can always add more fun stuff to our power stations as we go. Either will work fine but with the 600A you can will know that you are going to be ok no matter what. I usually try to not put multiple cables on the studs but it’s ok if you have to and it shouldn’t be an issue, I’ve done it many times. Just make sure you keep it all clean and separated (red/black) so if you are working in a tight space it can be easy to short the wires on the bus bar while you are putting everything together.
It sounds like the T1N is coming along nicely dude! Venmo is @TheSourceFN.
Thanks dude 🤙🏽
Would it be possible to run a second inverter off the main bus bars if your batteries can handle it?
Yes
What gauge do you recommend for the ground wire?
2
Hi! Van, Assume it is a dark day that we cannot produce solar power, and what parts should I used to power automatically my bulb/motor using direct AC power ?
You will need an inverter charger for this.
@@Vankookz Thank you ❤. And I do not need AC power to charge the batteries.
new subscriber. question.....i am designing a system now for a boat. 300AH house bank - thoughts on 2000 watt renogy? now my question is if i am using 30 amp shore powers or a 2000 watt generator on shore power outlet...do i need to do anything special? I had a person say "Then you just have one problem to solve that is how to wire the inverter so that when the generator or grid is active, the N-g bond in the inverter is out of the picture" - and I am unsure what they mean?
You want an inverter/charger or an inverter with auto transfer something like this will work... shrsl.com/4dzyy
Mine looks just like yours. But I have a buck converter for my lead acid battery
Can someone help me with cable sizing and bus bar ampacity for my off grid system? I have (4) 100A 48v solar charge controllers connected in parallel to a bus bar, 10kw 48v to 120/240v grid tie inverter connected to the bus bar, 60A 48v DC Motor connected to the bus bar, (16) 100A 51.2v lifepo4 batteries connected in parallel to the bus bar, individual connection to the bus bar not to each other. If I max out the charge controllers and inverter what do I need?
I don’t understand that fuse placement?? If you turn the switch to off the positive bus bar is still hot through the fuse, and if your fuse blows it’s anyone’s guess if the switch is on or off? I’m new sorry if I’m mistaken
How do I connect van to battery - through the bus bar or directly from the battery terminals ?
Red can go directly to the battery. Black can be grounded to a bus bar.
thank you
@@Vankookz
Why would you run your batteries through the engine? If I run a basic 50watt inverter through my lighter just to keep my phone, tablet, honey badger, and occasionally my dremel, drone, or Nikon mirrorless camera, after 6 months my battery fails, followed by my alternator. My past 3 cars, same show, currently running through a mercury grand marquis which in theory should be the best equipped but has failed the most sudden and dramatic whereas the other cars I had warning
It’s a dc/dc charger or a battery isolator. Its only job is to charge the batteries while driving.
All I want to do is charge power banks. Am I safe just using a solar panel, an mppt & a 12v battery??
You can charge your power bank with just a solar panel that is compatible with your power bank
@@Vankookz That's currently what i'm doing but I have a spare 12v battery & i'm interested in upgrading. Thanks for replying.
cant you in theory just run the 120v inverter plug to a 30 amp female plug and just plug it into your 30 amp connector on your RV? this way it runs through the RV fusing and provides 120v to all the outlets? thats how we plan on setting our off grid RV.. or is there reasons why this isnt a good idea..
That will work but you need to trip the breaker to the converter before you connect your RV to the inverter. Also consider tripping the breakers to the AC and the microwave depending on how much battery you have you can drain the battery quickly or trip the inverter on overload. Good luck and remember to reset those breakers before you connect to shore power so your batteries will change up from the converter. Note: Please do not use a male to male plug from the inverter to an outlet in the RV. Extreme safety hazard.
The 40amp breaker is supposed to go between the charge controller and the postive bus bar in case of a malfunction in the controller, so it doesnt dump more thsn 40amp into the system.
You also want a dc breaker as a shut off between the panels and the controller
Those are both in place and all on the wiring diagram. It’s actually pretty difficult to film and build. But I also added a 40am fuse at the battery terminal as well on the starter battery.
But yes! Valid points and thank you.
why no fuse on the positive side of battery and why no fuse on the outlet side of solar mppt controller thank you
Yes you can put a fuse before the switch as well as an inline fuse on the solar panel. They make nice mc4 in-line fuses. Since it is a moving vehicle I recommend people fuse as much as they want. Don’t forget to strap those batteries down too!
How many hours did it turns off
As long as you have solar coming in it will
Never turn off.
I'm only getting 30 volts coming from the inverter. Can anyone help?
My understanding is the Chinese diesel heater should be wired directly.
Yes you can do that. It's funny you mention this I've been going back and forward with a student in our masterclass about their system and they keep having issues with the chinese diesel heater and we finally just hooked it up to the battery and it started working! So yes that is fine to wire things directly to the battery.
@@Vankookz cool .
I had to do this with my overland trailer after failed starts running it through the 12v supplied with the trailer. Ended up just running straight off my 12v 200ah lithium. Never a failed start since
Your mc4 solar plugs are on wrong. The mc4 male comes from the panel not the controller...
More complicated than my needs. I came looking to see if it was safe enough to connect a cigarette lighter to a 12v 200ah battery directly to run my freezer.... that's all I want my system to run... solar to charge up the battery...
You can. Just put an inverter between the battery and the refrigerator. You have to know how many amps the refrigerator draws and whether or not it has a max draw on start up.
@RobertSommers-d8n nope. No inverter needed. My freezer draws only 40 watts and has an attachment that is compatible with a cigarette lighter. Ultra efficient. It's been up and running for 6 months now. Had only 1 goof up, and that was during a testing phase: plugged in a bunch of fans to see how fast they'd drain the battery. Got my answer and it wasn't pretty. Those are on their own battery bank now.
I think there is something to be said a out the "protection " of your system. Touching lice terminals isn't a great thing to teach people with no knowledge as they might tough both bus bars at the same time.
Additionally, when you pull the fuse out it would be a "open circuit" not a short. A short is what your shunt is. Also, your shunt was shown as a parallel connection to monitor voltage but you said it should "interrupt thr connection" so one might take that as wiring in series to measure current.
Overall, not terrible. But definitely lacking a lot on the basics. This is the wiring of "not knowing what will hurt you".
Yes I agree. It's hard to get everything into one quick video. But this comment is great and I love it. I learn a lot on this channel just through comments!
Thanks, yes open circuit is correct it's also hard to get all your words out correctly. I appreciate all the insight, I will now routinely remember to add in to be aware of what can hurt you.
👏👏👏
FUSING?
N today those batteries are as low as $169
So who is the other GOP candidate?
I'm really don't think much of Dave Riechert
Why is every other van electrical video super complicated and long and your is simple and easy? I don't understand
That’s the kook way. Life is simple… people make it complicated. Of course you can build some complex system that you don’t need and spend thousands or dollars or. You can keep it simple and make your life easier. 🤙🏽
@@Vankookz Could I use your video and Just change the inverter for a 3000w and have like 5-6kwh in batteries? Or I would need to change other stuff?
Batteries would be linked in series.
Thanks and keep it Kook!!!
@@synos0202linking your batteries in series increases voltage, not capacity. If you take 2 12v 100Ah batteries and link them in series, you have 24v 100Ah, if you take those same 2 batteries and link them in parallel, you will have 12v 200Ah.
Does that make sense to you?
As a new person to solar just learning now I must admit this video is too confusing. Needs to be simpler. Way too many details.
It’s broken down step by step in our 12-Volt Masterclass. www.vankookz.com
Nothing like build advice from amateurs. 🤦🏼♂️ Vans don’t need wood framing. So uninspired.
Hey Shane! Thanks! I went to your channel to see how it's all done. But.... Per usual from the haters I found nothing. Thanks for your $0.02!
@@Vankookz as an actual van builder with happy clients I don’t have the time to make UA-cam videos. We are too busy building not just hating. Cheers.
@@shanepitzer4323 That’s pretty cool we’ve built plenty of vans ourselves but decided we’d rather live van life than build vans. These videos are for ordinary people that don’t have the money to get their van built. This is a budget friendly DIY channel for people that just want to get out and live life like it’s meant to be. I mean the name of the channel is Van Kookz!!! This is a fool proof DIY 12V system that any one can replicate. I don’t see how it’s amateur. If the people watching this had the money to get cookie cut vans they would never watch this video and they would call you. I know my audience because I was once in their shoes. So I create content that I learn and pass on that I wish I knew earlier. It’s all experience based knowledge. I’m not trying to start any drama but we get very little hate on here so I just want to clear it all up.
@@Vankookz I have no issues (without digging in deep) on your 12V set up. I do have issues with vapor barriers, framing and other areas you recommend to people. Because it is DIY and budget is an issue it’s important to give people accurate information that has been proven in the industry. There is a difference in building a van or two for yourself vs having others put 100,000 miles on it and give feedback combined with talking to other builders. I can respect your side hustle. But it’s hard to bite my tongue when I see your channel recommending methods proven van builders do not follow. People trust you and that’s a lot of responsibility. Good luck and hopefully people do their research and not just blindly trust all UA-cam information. 🤓
Yeah I’ve lived in my van for 6 years now that I built this way it has 225k miles on it now. I have replaced my walls and ceiling to change up the style and everything (insulation, framing, and walls) were immaculate.
I’ve torn apart factory built RVs and the “industry” uses shit materials. In one rig made by Winnebago all the wood was rotten and some of it disappeared 👻. They even used soild core romex and maybe 1 x2s to frame the whole rig. It was literally held together by sticks.
This works everyone does it. You have a lot of work to do going around to every van channel and cringing.
This isn’t a side hustle this is a lifestyle some people chase money, others chase dreams. I’m just trying to help a few Kookz along the way. We’ve met countless people on the road that tell us our videos helped them build their rig. But you actually have to be living this lifestyle to be a part of the community. We all know a fraud when we see one on the road.
Thanks for putting out more cookie cut vans on the road! Maybe I’ll see you out on the road but… I doubt it!
Why no fuse on the battery positive?
You can add one there. Fuse it up!
How do you size the fuse?
@ChrisTewkesbury the wire needs to handle your current requirements and then the fuse needs to be able to protect your wire. So for example if your current is 5 amps, use a 10 amp cable and a 7.5 amp fuse. That's simplified but the gist of the approach.
@tomalophicon I have over sized my cables to future proof the van for ant additional panels, batteries needed in the future. I have a 170ah lithium, 2000w inverter and a 50a mppt dcdc.