Category solar-climate

Solar charging and staying comfortable in a van: how to find a charging fault in five measurements, what air conditioning really costs in amps, and what works instead.

BATTERIES, ELECTRICAL, solar-climate

Has Your Camper Been Sitting for Months? 12 Checks Before You Hit the Road Again

Most campers sit parked for a large part of the year and only get used again when the holidays roll around. The problem is that during those idle months, the battery can lose charge, damp can creep in, the water…

gustavo Moré Sica
September 4, 2026

BATTERIES, ELECTRICAL, solar-climate

Campervan Electrical Troubleshooting: The Faults I Actually See

I’m an electrician by trade. I converted my own van in 2018, and a work accident later turned that van into my full-time home. Everything below comes from faults I’ve measured myself — not theory copied from a manual. If…

gustavo Moré Sica
September 4, 2026
1 Comment

ELECTRICAL, Sin categoría, solar-climate

What Wire Gauge to Use for a Camper Inverter (1000W / 1500W / 2000W)

Choosing the right cable for a camper inverter matters as much as choosing the inverter itself. You can buy a great pure sine wave inverter, a large battery, and the right fuse — but if the cable between battery and inverter…

BATTERIES, ELECTRICAL, solar-climate

How Long Does It Take to Charge a Camper Battery With a Solar Panel?

Charging time depends on panel wattage, battery type, and actual hours of usable sunlight. A 100Ah AGM battery at 50% discharge needs roughly 9–14 hours of useful sun with a 100W panel, 5–7 hours with 200W, and 3–5 hours with…

ELECTRICAL, solar-climate

MPPT vs PWM: Everyone Says PWM Is Fine for Small Systems. I Ran One.

The consensus on this is settled and it goes like this: PWM controllers are fine for small systems. Under about 150 watts of panel, on lead-acid batteries, save the money and spend it on something else. That advice is well…

solar-climate

Can You Run an RV Air Conditioner on Battery Power? The Real Numbers

Search this question and you’ll find the answer is yes. You’ll also find that most of the pages telling you so sell lithium batteries or air conditioners. That isn’t a conspiracy — they know their subject and their numbers are…

ELECTRICAL, solar-climate

12V Fridge Power Consumption: Why the Wattage Isn’t the Number That Matters

Almost every article on this answers the wrong question. They tell you a 12 V compressor fridge draws 30 to 60 watts. That’s true, and it’s nearly useless on its own — because that figure barely changes. A fridge in…

BATTERIES, solar-climate

Solar Panel Not Charging the Battery? Find the Fault in Five Measurements

When solar stops charging, the panel is almost never the problem. Panels are the most reliable component in the system — no moving parts, sealed, and warrantied for twenty-five years. The fault is usually in the twenty feet between the…

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…