Category ELECTRICAL

Camper van and RV electrical systems explained with real numbers: inverters, wire sizing, voltage drop and the faults that get blamed on the wrong component. Written from installations I’ve built and broken.

ELECTRICAL, solar-climate

Why Your Inverter Keeps Shutting Off: 7 Causes and How to Tell Them Apart

Inverter display showing real power draw in a camper van

If your inverter keeps shutting off, it’s almost never broken. In most cases it’s doing exactly what it should: protecting itself because something in the installation isn’t giving it what it needs. Which means replacing it won’t help. What helps…

ELECTRICAL

Undersized Wire in a 12V System: The Symptoms and a 10-Minute Test

Initial messy wiring of the electrical panel in a 2005 camper van conversion, before cleanup

Undersized wire is the most expensive fault in a 12 V system, because it rarely gets blamed. Everything works at first. Then the inverter starts cutting out, the fridge cycles strangely, and the battery seems to be dying — so…

ELECTRICAL

Wire Gauge Calculator for 12V Systems: AWG by Amps and Cable

12V cable of different cross sections for a camper installation

Undersized wire is the most expensive mistake in a 12 V build, and the hardest to spot. Everything works at first. Then the fridge starts cycling oddly, the inverter reports a low battery that isn’t low, and you end up…

ELECTRICAL

Inverter Size Calculator for Camper Vans — Including Surge Power

inversor 1000w instalado en autocaravana historica

Most guides tell you to add up your watts and add 20 %. Do that and your inverter will shut down the first time the fridge compressor kicks in. The reason is startup surge. A compressor, a pump or a…