Episode 10 - DIY OFF-GRID 12V ELECTRICAL INSTALL - Caravan Build Series | 1978 Millard Mini Pop Top

Welcome back to our Caravan Build Series!
In this episode we:
• Install our electrical system consisting of:
- 200ah iTech World Lithium battery
- 40amp iTech BCDC Charger
- 20amp iTech AC Charger
- 2000W Renogy Inverter with AC transfer switch
- 2x 170W Solar panels
- 12V lights and outlets
We also installed gas struts to our pop-top roof to support the weight of the solar panels.
Stay tuned for Episode 11 where we install our diesel heater along with share tips and tricks to make install and operation a breeze.
Any questions regarding this project, drop them in the comments below or, reach us on our socials @jossandell.
Cheers!
Joss + Ell
Music from #Uppbeat:
uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/great-...
License code: UAU84WTZVHGDCYK3
uppbeat.io/t/pecan-pie/vlog-king
License code: WRKBITXGAS2XL823

[@sayhello2pedro]

Im glad you mentioned the RVD switch, I’ve just learned that these Renogy are “centre tapped” meaning there is 120v between active/earth and 120v between the neutral and earth legs. In short the RCD will not fully function as you can still get shocked even when single pole is open or RCD is tripped. I hope the RVD covers this issue…not sure if it needs to be double polled or what but Renogy should correct their manual and sort out the internals to make these safer. Thank you for all you videos you guys have done amazing work

[@jossandell]

Excellent comment and very well explained. I agree with you in the fact that Renogy should correct their manual. I think we will eventually upgrade to an Enerdrive or even the new iTech inverter that has the RCD built in. In saying that our Renogy inverter hasn’t missed a beat and has worked well so far for the price. Thanks again for feedback! Joss and Ell

[@sayhello2pedro]

@@jossandell glad to hear there have been no issues, I’m hoping to keep mine for a while 🤞

[@brendanlind-uh6cf]

I love the easy way these videos run It’s not over the top Easy to follow Just like anyone normal person giving it ago would film Love the work you both are doing .. thanks

[@BenMitro]

Agreed, he has a knack of speaking plainly.

[@jossandell]

Thanks heaps mate, appreciate your feedback and kind comment. I am definitely not one to overcomplicate. I just try and explain it in the simplest way possible and just show things how they are 👍🏼

[@bezerk1736]

Suggest a seperate solar controller for roof panels, so when your driving you'll get charge from car and panels together, dcdc will just do one at a time.. grab a victron 100/30 smart controller, and if you get a blanket you can run that into the dcdc Mppt input.

[@ozmid40scouple]

100%

[@jossandell]

Thanks heaps mate. That’s a fantastic idea and it’s something we thought about doing however it’ll be a future upgrade at this point 👍🏼 would be great to get solar on top of driving charge.

[@kenlillia]

You have done a great job on the van.

[@jossandell]

Thanks heaps!

[@TheBasementChannel]

The bypass inverter is a great idea. Wish I’d known about those before I purchased my current inverter.

[@jossandell]

It works awesome! Glad we put one in ⚡️

[@79series]

Great cool vid and build guys. Tip,When drilling holes in the van wood floor with a hole saw. Drill halfway through the wood then go to the other side of the wood and drill the rest out. That way it wont splinter your wood when the hole saw punches through.

[@jossandell]

Hi mate thanks heaps. Haha yeah I’ve figured that out and have adopted that after a couple of tare outs from going all the way through in the one go 👍

[@guyparker3864]

Another great video guy’s, thanks for the shoutout for @blueythemillardmini 🤙🏻 I think I’ve got the same inverter so I’ll be looking into how you connected into the ac to run the other powerpoints. Hope your trip is going well and the weather is awesome 👍🏻 Cheers Guy and Skye

[@jossandell]

Thanks mate and anytime! Sounds good! I made sure when we redid the 240V that all the outlets would work from the inverter. I think it would be annoying only having the 2 outlets on the inverter available off grid and having to run an extension lead from it to use it throughout the van. The AC transfer works great and it’s so good having all outlets available off grid 👍 Our trip has been unreal and Sunny is holding up exceptionally well. Starting to get into some better weather now which is good 🙌 hope you guys are well! All the best, Joss and Ell

[@sweefu2]

Looks neat guys - although your positive busbar should be a fuse block - all positive cables should be individually fused. As it sits currently you'd need to pull over 100 amps to trip the breaker, those smaller gauge wires would catch fire well before that.

[@jossandell]

Thank you. I have a fuse block under the other bench seat which also runs through a circuit breaker 👍

[@dylantaylor8931]

Recommend adding an inline fuse at the panels. 30a depending on your configuration. The fuse down at the charge controller wont protect the van from fire if the sun is shining and the solar cables are damaged, which is of course unlikely but very possible given the poptop has to open and close all the time.

[@jossandell]

Thanks mate that’s good advice 👍 can’t hurt to add some in.

[@itechworld1]

Thanks for sharing guys - your setup looks so clean!

[@jossandell]

No worries and thanks heaps!

[@jimokeeffe612]

Awesome video and beautiful van . Thanks for the tips

[@jossandell]

Thank you so much, no worries at all 😀

[@jeffgreaves1559]

Great job looks really professional

[@jossandell]

Thanks heaps mate 👍🏼

[@joshhansen3193]

Great video, loving the build series. Instead of running the ignition trigger wire all the way to the Ute to find an ignition source, you can tap into the positive on the input to the dcdc. Pop the positive out of the Anderson on the dcdc side, cut back some of the sheath then solder on the ignition trigger wire, heat shrink and pop back into the Anderson 👍. I did this in my canopy setup using the same dcdc from itech world.

[@jossandell]

Thanks heaps Josh. That is a great tip! Will be definitely giving that a go as it’ll be much easier than running cabling all the way back to the Ute. Thanks heaps!

[@jossandell]

Hey mate, wanted to let you know that I added that ignition trigger cable this afternoon the way you said to do it and now it’s working perfect. Super easy fix! Thanks so much, saved me a heap of time as I would have tried tapping into something under the bonnet and ran it all the way back 👍

[@joshhansen3193]

Great news! Glad to hear it worked for you. More than happy to help. Keep up the awesome content 👍

[@jossandell]

@@joshhansen3193 thanks heaps again mate and will do! All the best 👍

[@rhondahadjistefanis1377]

Great episode

[@jossandell]

Thank you 🙂

[@johnkhan18]

Once again, amazing. The van looks so smart.

[@jossandell]

Thank you so much, really appreciate your kind comment 😃

[@ourredaustralia3557]

With the 6b&s cable coming from the car I would go 4b&s and 60amp midi fuse because they do speak to over 50amps when first plugged in

[@jossandell]

Hi mate, I was considering running 4b&s however the 6b&s I bought from Home of 12V Mount Barker was rated to 80 amps over 10mtrs which my cable run wasn’t quite that long so thought it’d be fine. I do have a 60 amp midi fuse as well. Cheers 👍 www.homeof12voltonline.com.au/products/13-5mm-twin-core-automotive-cable-6b-s-rated-to-80-110-amps?_pos=2&_sid=7380e0b5d&_ss=r&variant=36540731850911

[@ourredaustralia3557]

@@jossandell I upgraded my to 4b&s and used the old 6b&s for the esc and I now see over 40amps all the time as before I would only see 30amps and I have 2 mppt controllers one for the solar off the roof and the other one for portable solar panels

[@jossandell]

That’s not too bad then. Might have to look at upgrading in future. I just went with the 6b&s as it was rated for what I needed.

[@goodevins9408]

Epic! Come to NSW and upgrade my van ahaha

[@jossandell]

Might want to get a professional to get it done for you mate haha 👍🏼

[@goodevins9408]

@@jossandell professionals are way too expensive 🥴😂

[@1964pmitchell]

Did you use the double pole power points for caravans, hope you have? Great job, plenty of thought and work involved.

[@jossandell]

Yep sure are. The circuit breakers used as well as the GPO’s are all double pole 👍 thanks heaps.

[@Intentionallyhomeless]

This electrical system looks crazy to me but im going to keep on my saved videos as i want almost the same setup except 400ah instead of 200ah lithium. Ide be keen to see how you attached the Bushwakka awning? I was thinking a crossbream behind the cladding to directly bolt it onto. Yoshi

[@jossandell]

400ah of lithium would be ideal. The 200ah battery we have has been awesome but a little bit more would be even better. The way I attached our Bushwakka awning was, I added some aluminium framing under the top of the van and then added some M8 rivnuts through the top of van into the framing and bolted the awning to that 👍

[@jamesbignill2982]

Hey guys loving the videos. I’m looking to do a similar setup with the inverter. Just wondering if you ended up installing the RVD, and if so what one did you guys use?

[@jossandell]

Hey mate thanks heaps glad you’re enjoying them! We haven’t installed the RVD yet as we’ve parked the van up after our travels for a bit. We plan on doing a bit more and that’s one thing I still need to do. ITech have actually just brought out a new inverter that has built in AC transfer and an RCD and is a bit cheaper than the Enerdrive.

[@garrykerrison703]

Thanks for the videos, I really enjoyed your build, That's a great idea with the inverter, We're u going to install an itechworld inverter and then change when u found this one, Just wondering, As u have used the 2 different brands, and is Renogy the only brand u know of making the internal priority switching inverter, Thanks

[@jossandell]

Our pleasure mate thanks for watching. So if I didn’t want the AC transfer I probably would have gone with an iTech inverter. I originally wanted the Enerdrive E-Power 2000W inverter with AC transfer as it would probably have to be the best one out there and comes with a RCD built into the inverter but was just a little out of the budget for the build unfortunately. I think it was around $1200 where as the Renogy one I bought was only like $329 or something like that. It’s been working great, the AC transfer works very well and I’ve had no problems with it at all but definitely would’ve gone the Enerdrive one if the budget permitted.

[@jimmysmithcottrell8714]

This looks great! I'm doing something very similar with similar gear. Do you have a wiring diagram that I could see please?

[@jossandell]

Thanks heaps Jimmy! That sounds good 👌 I don’t have a wiring diagram sorry. Cheers!

[@goodevins9408]

Hey Joss! Question did the i tech world dc/dc charger need a smart alternator isolating or is that built in and you just ran the cable back (fused) to the caravan?

[@jossandell]

Hey mate! Not too sure about the smart alternator isolating to be honest. I just ran my cabling from the cranking battery of the Ute which is fused with a 60amp midi fuse to the rear. I did end up adding the ignition trigger wire which has helped it charge much better than it did without it.

[@goodevins9408]

@@jossandell yeah saw that. I appreciate the reply I’d imagine I must be set up as you Ute is new enough to probably be a smart alternator. Been looking into the i tech and remote stuff as I’d like a system like you all have (without the redarc/victron) price tag. Have you been happy with the gear so far?

[@jossandell]

@@goodevins9408 I think my Hilux has a temperature compensating alternator. I agree, there is some expensive options out there but you can certainly make it work with less expensive gear. The iTech stuff has been super reliable and works great. I’ve had the iTech bcdc 25 amp charger and iTech 120ah lithium in the canopy for nearly 3 years now and has never let me down which is why I went with iTech again for the van 🙂

[@goodevins9408]

@@jossandell thanks for the feedback it’s the way I’m leaning with Renogy also in the mix. Loving the build series. Great content 🥳

[@jossandell]

@@goodevins9408 that sounds good mate! Our renogy gear hasn’t missed a beat either 💪 thanks heaps we really appreciate the support 🙌 Cheers, Joss and Ell

[@peteroliver9042]

I have learned the hard way that those circuit breakers are no good for high amp loads. The internals of them are too delicate and get hot and create resistance and voltage drop under load. If you ever have a problem of your inverter shutting down under sustained load, consider not using those circuit breakers.

[@jossandell]

Thanks for the insight Peter. Haven’t had any issues yet but I’ll keep an eye on them. Cheers

[@jwoods6585]

Upgrade those cables on the ac charger

[@jossandell]

Hey mate, thanks for your comment and concern. That’s actually the cabling it came with, they’re rated to 20amps and is fused properly and doesn’t get hot so don’t think I really need to change them. Literally the shortest run of cabling around 300mm long and charges fine 👍🏼

[@Noniinthebush]

Hi, do you have a link to that light strip over the sink? Cheers Non

[@jossandell]

Hi, we got it off eBay and I’ll add the link below 🙂 www.ebay.com.au/itm/374297046851?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=inlqm9yuqhe&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=VvC2xmaoS5C&var=643176096875&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[@Noniinthebush]

@@jossandell Hey, thank you so much for the fast reply! I really appreciate that. I’ll order one tomorrow for my own caravan above the sink. Cheers Non 😎👍🏼

[@jossandell]

@@Noniinthebush anytime! Sounds great 😀 it works pretty well for the price. The motion sensor is handy when you get up in the middle of the night 👍

[@Noniinthebush]

@@jossandell Thanks! Yea the motion sensor will be great. I ordered it and now waiting for it to come. Thanks again 👍🏼

[@Noniinthebush]

Hey, I got my light and it’s really good! How did you mount yours? Did you just use the tape on the little metal things? Is under you kitchen cupboard timber? Just wondering how it has lasted ? Thanks again Non

[@andrewmorgan4306]

Do you have a fire extinguisher handy the the cable from your 20 amp charger is way too small it needs to be at least 10 mm2 not that tiny cable you have there, im a sparky that has 25 years experience in wiring c,vans ect ,i dont know where you got advice in wiring you van but i would talking to someone who knows about 12 volt wiring and volt drop issues, warning i would not put 20 amps throught 5hat tiny conductor..

[@jossandell]

Hey mate, thanks for your comment and concern. That’s actually the cabling it came with. I never usually use the cabling that come with things as they are often undersized, this was the case with the inverter. I ended up purchasing 00 B&S cabling to replace the little ones that came with it however for the AC charger it’s the smallest run of cabling less than 300mm and it’s fused accordingly. It charges fine without getting hot. Everything else we went oversize with all our cabling to ensure no voltage drop. We had a sparky do our 240V. All the 12V I did myself. Like I said at the end of the video, I’m not a professional at this and I’m sure there are a thousand better ways to do things but I made sure I did my voltage drop calculations everywhere and it was all safe. We have a fire extinguisher at the door way and a smoke alarm above the dining area 🙂

[@schmonyon]

i really wish people would stop using itech world gear, it really is crap

[@jossandell]

Don’t know what experience you’ve had with iTech but we’ve been running some of their gear for years now and nothing of their stuff has ever failed on us or stopped working. It’s all been awesome for us.

[@schmonyon]

@jossandell hey joss and ell, im an auto electrician and have installed enough of that itech world junk to know how terrible it is, it's gotten to the point where I refuse to install it now, it's not worth the hassle, I always recommend victron gear which isn't much more expensive and far far far superior, along with ATG lithium batteries, not only do they perform as stated, but they also have insurance where if the battery ever fails and caused damage, that damage is covered under their insurance which no other battery manufacturer offers

[@OffGridAussiePrepper]

I see Maltese blood in yas, and i am glad u installed a sub board after the inverter, if the mains rcd trips in some places then u might have to install in addition just a regular c/b and a single GPO so u can have both at the ready and the unprotected c/b & gpo marked with RED labels. Maybe u should have gone with flexi panels and installed 4 of them, Any chance of draw bar measurements from ya so i can replicate that on my dual axle even with ya tool box dimensions inc depth behind the tool box?

[@jossandell]

Hi mate, not Maltese haha. My heritage is Italian 🇮🇹 thanks heaps. Can never be too safe when it comes to 240V I suppose. Good ideas and thanks for sharing. I can’t remember off the top of my head the measurements of the drawer bar. I’ll take some today for you and pop them back in the comments here. The toolbox is 1100mm x 365mm x 425mm and I got it from Supercheap Auto a few years back for the box trailer I built. I purposely left enough space behind the box for my 15L diesel heater tank and so the lid opens up all the way.

[@jossandell]

So I just measured the drawbar. The total length of the 100x50x3mm RHS we used per side is 2600mm long. From the middle of the front of the van to the tip of the hitch is around 1800mm.

[@OffGridAussiePrepper]

@@jossandell Thanks heaps m8, much appreciate it.

[@OffGridAussiePrepper]

@@jossandell how thick is the plate the hitch is bolted to?

[@jossandell]

@@OffGridAussiePrepper 10mm plate 👍🏼