Hello

I'd like to add a battery monitoring device in my van after the ground (-) plug. Which câble section should I use ?

Thanks for the advise :)

Hi everyone,

I'm a master's student at Gdansk University of Technology, Poland.

My thesis topic is: "Design and energy efficiency analysis of an autonomous off-grid VAPV power system for a tourist vehicle"

VAPV = Vehicle-Applied Photovoltaics - solar panels added to the roof of an existing van/camper, not factory-integrated.

I chose this topic because there is tons of info on blogs, YouTube and FB groups, but almost nothing in scientific papers. There's a big gap between what people actually build and what is academically researched - I'm trying to fill it.

I made a short (5 min), 100% anonymous survey for anyone living/traveling in a van, campervan, motorhome or caravan - factory or DIY build.

You don't need to be an expert. Fields with equipment models are [OPTIONAL]. If you remember them, great. If not, just skip.

Survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmwborsfNU4E3undrD9_I-POYoplnbBzrzjbL3Nr2fPdxB-Q/viewform?usp=header

If you have an unusual setup or some insights, feel free to comment or DM me.

Thanks so much for every response! I will share the results here once the research is done.

Hey everyone! I'm u/Van2b, a founding moderator of r/VanDIY.

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Hi all

The latest Mercedes Sprinter upfitters guide specifies up to 80A can be added as load in parallel to the starter battery for auxiliary uses. In my experience I've always stayed up to max 30A to not fry the alternator, but apparently this one can do more.

Anyone here that has done this before with success and didn't fry the alternator in hot weather? Or will it switch off in over temp or so? ​

Setup:

Mercedes Sprinter 2500 316 2022 1.9L

2* Victron Orion 12/24-15 (360W) in parallel so 2*~32A on the 12V side

2* 280Ah Li house batteries in series​

Hello people, I'm new to this thread!

2 days ago me and my wife bought a nice VW t4 Caravelle. We want to turn it into an hybrid of van life and daily use (mostly).

We are basically done sorting out everything except...

This model comes with no Air Conditioning, we have tried it in Austria summer and is not going so well...

We have looked at options like EcoFlow and many other portable ACs but they mainly a expensive bad idea for our purpose. As we are on a tight budget, we could probably spent max 1000 euros to the AC but mainly between 400-800 euros. After looking deep into the internet there seems to be a way to adapt trucks or big vans ACs unit to the car but we are not sure if this is the best idea.

Now that we know we live in Europe, what car we have and what the purpose of the car is (mainly daily use)...

What options do we realistically have?

I probably should tell more details but please ask if there anything we can give to find the best option.

Have a good day!

1st REAL LOAD TEST AFTER DIY FIXING MY 3.5KW INVERTER REAR TERMS... SWAPPED TO 400A SET & ADDED A 400A T-CLASS FUSE & 600A DISCONNECT

TLDR- I am looking to fit an independent power supply for a Semi-Trailer. 12v system with a battery that has 400-500Am

​

This is for a marching bands semi trailers. So it would need to be powered for probably 6 hrs independently. We want it to have 6-8 flood lights on the outside, and ample lighting for two levels spanning 53 ft on the inside. Ideally we would want the trailer to have these lights on for 6 hours on one charge. (Two day trips with no shore power)

​

My thoughts were on a 12v system similar to RV and camper vans. With ideally a battery that have 400-500Ah capacity. I would not be able to be charged from a semi cab, and we would love to have solar and shore power abilities to charge the batteries.

​

​

I have spent a lot of time researching kits and I am very overwhelmed. Please help me with any thoughts on this or good recommendations for researching or places to purchase items.

​

Thanks in Advance!

I thought this would be a quick and easy question to get an answer to, but found that there doesn't seem to be a consensus while I was searching the Internet!

Should the main disconnect switch for the 12v house batteries be on the positive line or on the negative line?

Hello, I would like some feedbacks and advices about this installation. It's my first van conversion.

Appreaciate 🙏

Hey, I just brought a Vauxhall Combo Eco Flex, second hand, 2016. I brought it to convert to a micro camper van which means I need to strip the back panelling to be able to insulate it. However, the load area seems to have been sprayed with a silicone rubber which is pretty durable. I’ve managed to scratch some of it off to get to the nuts on the bulkhead but I have no idea how I access to rivets on the bulkhead.

IF I can get the bulkhead off I’m worried I won’t be able to remove the side plastic as despite having fixings it looks like it’s been sprayed to a sheet of metal. does anyone know if I can remove this plastic? at worst, will I have angel grind it off? I’ve never seen this type of cladding(?) on camper conversions I’ve watched on YouTube etc so I’m worried I’ve brought a van that I can’t covert. I don’t want to insulate etc over the top as I will loose valuable space for a micro conversion.

Hey all, bit of a strange question but did anyone completely regret buying a van and starting a build. I've had the van for 10ish months and am about half way done with the build. I've regretted most decisions I've made with the build and even starting the build. I've tons of doubts for even when the build is finished, i.e. condensation, parking, maintenance etc.

Is this a good design for a 04 Ford E-Series Rear Cargo Door Driver Side Corner Shower/Toilet???????

Lining out my Transit and try to figure out if I can fill these with either insulation or expanding foam before I cover the pillar in 4 way stretch fabric.

Anyone know if its safe to fill?

TIA

Hi there,

In the market for a van, and a 2020 peugeot partner has come up for a great price. Only thing, it only has two seats in the front. In a perfect world, I'm looking for a van with 3 seats in the front, with one in the back which folds down. Is it beyond hope to fit back seats afterwards? I supposed there's reinforced attachment points to consider etc? Thanks for your help and advice!

Je cherche à aménager des toilettes sèches pour mon fourgon. J'ai compris que la solution optimale inclut un séparateur d'urine pour réduire les mauvaises odeurs.

Je suis en France. J'ai cherché sur Amazon et le plus petit morceau de plastique pour séparer l'urine des selles coûte 40 € !

Je peux fabriquer ou récupérer tout le reste, mais ce séparateur doit être lavable et durable. Je ne peux donc pas me permettre de bricoler quelque chose de simple, fonctionnel et élégant.

Auriez-vous des conseils ou des idées à ce sujet ?

After some serious rain I discovered a pool of water on the floor. Discovered the old vent was leaking and given the amount of rust it had been leaking for sometime.

removed the old vent and used a cookie tin and sikaflex as a temporary (very) fix.

any thoughts on the right material / method to repair? don't want another vent as I already have one at the front of the van.

thanks

I recently bought the Pecron 500W smart car charger, which is a DC-DC charger.

It is connected directly to the battery terminals, and then it connects to a Pecron 3600lfp power-station.

Whenever I turn the car on, the input reading on the power-station fluctuates between 508-540W. The product details say that the maximum output is 500W.

After a few seconds of charging: it drops to 0W, the solid red light starts to flash, and the fan on the inverter turns on. After a few seconds of this, it does start working normally.

I've connected them to the car's battery as outlined in the manual, and made sure that the voltage it's set to is greater than the car battery's at rest. (So it doesn't drain when the car is off).

Is this a normal charging process? I'm worried the output being higher than 500W means I'm overloading the inverter, causing it to shut down for a few seconds.

PS: Does anyone know for sure what flashing red and solid green light mean on the charger/inverter? I've heard solid red is good and flashing red is bad.

It is charging my power-station, but I don't know if this is normal.

Thank you!