OMG…I bought a Van

[Goodmojo61]

Hello , first time in a forum , first time in a Van , who have I become.
After a few years of watching Insta stories bout VanLife … I got tired of wishing and fantasizing myself doing this.
So I sold my Honda Element and bought a Ford Transit 2016 60k miles Super Charge Diesel
Just installed a Subfloor and about to put up my Thinsulate … Electrical is on my mind
I know nothing about Electrical and I’m wondering if anyone else hit a wall when at this point.

 

[bullfrog]

Many do just start researching what your electrical needs will be and once you have an idea of your bed placement before putting anything in permanent decide where you will need outlets and then where the shortest wire runs to power will go. There are many videos and threads on the internet or you can rough it in till a van builds or go to a gathering and ask as well as look.

 

[Carla618]

Welcome Mojo! Sounds exciting.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Welcome to the forum!

If you think you might be full-timing eventually then you will need some basic electrical knowledge to install, maintain, upgrade, and repair your system. We can probably help you along the way with any questions you may have.

If you think you want to start out with weekend camping trips and/or 2 week vacations (for example) then you can probably get by for a while with a minimal setup, possibly including a portable power pack (like a Jackery) and a few solar LED lights, an ice chest, etc.

When you want to ask specific questions about electrical, solar, etc, we have a section of the forum where you can post those questions:

https://vanlivingforum.com/forums/electrical-batteries-generators-solar.18/
Good luck and let us know how its going!

 

[Username]

Hello , first time in a forum , first time in a Van , who have I become.
After a few years of watching Insta stories bout VanLife … I got tired of wishing and fantasizing myself doing this.
So I sold my Honda Element and bought a Ford Transit 2016 60k miles Super Charge Diesel
Just installed a Subfloor and about to put up my Thinsulate … Electrical is on my mind
I know nothing about Electrical and I’m wondering if anyone else hit a wall when at this point.

Have you considered just getting a portable solution rather than wiring the van? (on edit: previous poster suggested)

 

[maki2]

First start ...get good quality pairs of wire strippers and crimper and also a good quality, side cutters. Do not get the cheap electrical tools from the auto parts store. The good quality tools make it vastly easier to do a perfect job. Then do some practice by stripping wire ends and crimping on terminals. A lot of installation failures are related to making inferior quality connections.

So that is a first step that will not overwhelm you but will increase your confidence level as well as get you on the road to achieving a very good quality wiring job.

 

[jacqueg]

If you can get to Arizona for a week or so this winter, there will be a lot of people who would help you with all kinds of build stuff, including electrical. In the meantime, I echo the idea of getting something like a Jackery. Personally, I didn't need solar or anything like it until I decided to get a refrigerator instead of a cooler. Even if you do wind up getting solar, you will still find a portable power station handy to have.

It's ALWAYS a good idea to start minimally. Start going camping now, with the stuff you have. A series of 2- and 3-night trips will teach you everything you need to know about how YOUR van should function. After each trip, ask yourself what is the ONE thing you missed most which you can easily address. Rinse and repeat.

Hope to see you on the road.

 

[Ravella and X]

It's ALWAYS a good idea to start minimally. Start going camping now, with the stuff you have. A series of 2- and 3-night trips will teach you everything you need to know about how YOUR van should function. After each trip, ask yourself what is the ONE thing you missed most which you can easily address. Rinse and repeat.

OP, Jacque has posted this same advise a gazillion times— and it’s the BEST advice for those new to this way of camping/living. It’s easy to get carried away thinking you need to have everything that others have put into their build. I think most of us have spent on and later shed plenty of stuff we thought we’d need.

Congrats on your new van and welcome to the forum!

 

[eDJ_]

If you want 12 volt power from a "House Battery" (and leave your starter battery for just starting the van) watch this video.

How to Install a Continuous Duty Solenoid in a Van

 

[eDJ_]

If you want 12 volt power from a "House Battery" (and leave your starter battery for just starting the van) watch this video. (in this you would likely use a Marine "Deep Cycle Battery" like a motor boat would use)

How to Install a Continuous Duty Solenoid in a Van

You could buy & install one of these "weather proof boxes" at the back end of your Van for 110 AC (shore power) if you are staying in a Park where you can get a camp site with an electrical hook up. An Electrical Supply company may be able to supply you with one with the pins an extension cord would fit onto. So you extension cord could plug into the hook up and the other end plug onto the pins in the weather proof box.

Weatherproof Electrical Outlet Box, Box Cover

This way you could wire your 12 volt service in from the engine of the Van and then wire a 110 AC power strip (with fuse) in from the back of the Van.

12 Volt Traveler com

This would be a low bucks way to have electric power in you Van.

I would advise using LED (light emitting diode) lights as they use very little power.

There are many 12 volt DC equipment suppliers. Some such appliances exist, where some are dual voltage being 12 vdc/ 110 vac. An electric Skillet or electric Wok can be a handy way to cook one pot nutritious meals. There are books in Libraries that describe
what all you can do with those appliances.

Good luck.

 

[RoamerRV428]

More power to you!!! Rock out that life ya wanna follow now, go all in and enjoy!!