The Top 7 Cable & Wire Mistakes for Van & RV Power Systems

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Tools shown:
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Cables shown:
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About me:
My name is Ross and I've worked with many students around the world on their van and RV power systems since 2015. I enjoy building, teaching, and learning about world class power systems that will help you get off the beaten path and see some of the incredible places out there. Be sure to subscribe and join me on this adventure!

[@TheGuntar]

Nice video. 30+ year electronics technician here. You really hit on some key points. One I think that was missed was tie downs. I have seen it on ships, cars, trailers, and RV's/Campers; People not attaching a length of wire down so it doesn't rub or vibrate (or drag on the road) against things or create a hot spot. These wires are not meant to float free no matter the length. They should be attached with proper wire/cable tie-downs. If not they can rub or cut through their insulation and short out, create a hot spot, or worse yet cause a fire. Thank you for putting these videos out. I always come away better informed.

[@rosslukeman]

Hey there, thanks for this additional insight! I know there are a lot of hot pipes and spinning drive shafts that these cables often route around. I'm glad you brought that up, thanks for tuning in!

[@shawncrittenden6216]

35 year former Maintenance tech now a old broken down bench Tech here, Tip #10 install Some type of service Length at termination Enough to strip/replace termination connector twice and still be able to reconnect. (Difference between 10years later a Tech wanting to thank you versus strangling you)

[@JohnSmith-zk5pq]

GREAT video! I refer a lot of people to your videos on various RV forums. Mistake #8 - not using the same length cable between batteries when installing a battery bank.

[@rosslukeman]

Hey there, thanks a lot for spreading the word! I appreciate that. Also your Mistake #8 sounds good, definitely a rule that can screw up the batteries if not followed. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments!

[@tooeasy5394]

Agree, mistake 8

[@Dan_H_MT]

You make some of the best videos for van and RV solar and electrical on YT. They are easy to understand, and your cabling displays make it so what you are saying sinks in.

[@rosslukeman]

Hey there, thanks for tuning in and for the kind words. I am trying my best, good to hear it's coming through clearly! More to come, thanks for stopping by-

[@daninbenson]

Excellent video! I'm a military avionics technician and I appreciate your experienced knowledge with mobile (RV, marine) applications. Very informative and insightful! Thanks!

[@rosslukeman]

Thank you Dan, good to hear that was useful for a pro! Thanks for tuning in-

[@christopherwilliams4647]

Great video! You learn something new everyday! I’ve used a balljoint press clamp on the hammer crimp tool it worked perfectly !

[@rosslukeman]

Thanks for tuning in, I"m glad that was helpful! Interesting to hear about the balljoint press clamp method. Sounds good!

[@billfriend4675]

Ross is a good guy

[@rosslukeman]

Thank you Friend!

[@herb7877]

110% agree with your comments on using the correct color codes and using the same color as in your example of the purple wire. Even though our travel trailer is an upscale make & model I found when wiring some dimmer switches that the "ground" wire was not always constant let alone in other areas a color was used that I had no idea what standard color code was being used. a little trail and error (read frustration & several splices) .

[@rosslukeman]

Thanks for tuning in and for the corroboration that the wire color thing is important! Sometimes it makes sense on the day you build it, but it can be a nightmare when coming back to troubleshoot or upgrade. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!

[@westmc45]

I find these videos very useful I don’t have an RV but use all your information for my catamaran also people can follow ABYC rules for RV living as well

[@rosslukeman]

Awesome, glad you're finding this info useful for you catamaran! I agree on the ABYC. Thanks for tuning in!

[@timsteinkamp2245]

I have a couple issues. First you said 4/0 wire is 430 amps and I see 230 most everywhere. Hooking up a 4000 watt 48 volt inverter they may say minimum in free air #4. Then it goes #1 in conduit, 5-10 feet #1/0 and 10 to 15 in conduit #2/0. For free air after the minimum size of #4, 5-10 feet is #2 and 10-15 feet is #1/0. I can see using the big wire for distance and the main power cable but hooking up the 4 batteries in the battery bank should be able to use #4 as that is the minimum wire size for the inverter. Most people tell you to have all the cable the same and it seems a waste of money and time making up all of those large cables from #2/0 cable. I also think battery interconnects should be able to have metal buss bars. The next thing they talk about is terminals having one connection and all of these charts show multiple connections.

[@krackour]

Hope ya had a good Christmas and new year's. Great video, well explained thanks

[@rosslukeman]

Thanks Gary, Happy New Year to you as well! Thanks for tuning in, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@user-lt6og7rx5t]

Excellent overview. Thanks for producing these videos!

[@rosslukeman]

Thanks for tuning in Ken, great to hear you got something out of it!

[@dmwi1549]

Excellent Information. Thank you!

[@rosslukeman]

I'm glad that was helpful, thanks for tuning in!

[@johnplyler7054]

Great video!

[@rosslukeman]

Thanks John!

[@davyp2993]

You did a video on wire strippers a while ago, what do you use to strip 2/0 (70mm) cable.? I'm about to upgrade and move the batteries etc in my van and I am going to be using flexable cable. Keep up the good work,!

[@rosslukeman]

Hey thanks for tuning into this video and that old stripper showdown video! On the big cables, you just use the cable cutter as the stripper. These are mine but they are not the cheapest: amzn.to/3RUHxEY Hope that helps, thanks again for stopping by!

[@Dan_H_MT]

One thing I'm confused on is that "the positive and negative leads from the battery should be the same length". So they are talking about the same length from where to where? Thanks for doing these very informative videos. I've watched them all.

[@rosslukeman]

Thanks for checking out my videos and leaving another comment. To answer your question, the positive/negative leads from the battery do not need to be the same length and often are different lengths. If you look at the circuit, you can think of it like a racecourse, making a stop at the battery. The lead up and exit from a single battery don't need to be the same length. However, with multiple batteries, the links between them should be the same (and come in at different ends of the battery bank) so that each battery gets charged/discharged approximately the same amount. If each battery is going to a central bus bar, then all positives must match, and all negatives must match (to even out charge/discharge between batteries), but again on positives vs. negatives, no they are often not the same length. Hope that helps, thanks for stopping back in-

[@mikev5012]

I was just about to use this SJOOW cord to run from my shore power plug to my WFCO, about 6 feet. Feeling all great because I'm running stranded wire but now trying to find a way to route it to get it out from behind the wall as quickly as possible. Is this recommendation to not run this wire behind the wall universal, or is there a way I can read the rating on the jacket and get a better understanding for my use case? Thicker gauge or shorter run, less heat, less issue? The wire serving the outlets will run about 6 feet inside the wall before being exposed in a wire channel along the roof. I'm disappointed because I spent a lot, but at least it's not already installed. Just found your channel and really appreciate your insight in these videos.

[@rosslukeman]

Hey Mike, sorry to throw a wrench into your plans. It is my understanding that these SOOW cables are sometimes routed through enclosures for short distances. It's not a huge deal. I was trying to tell people the "proper" type. If your cable gauge is sufficiently sized for your load (right gauge for the amperage), then that in itself will keep your wires cooler under load. Beyond that, just have the right breaker rating on each leg of the circuit. I think it should be okay.

[@KimFieldstad]

What do you use for a 50 amp service wire-6awg and 4 conductors? I like the 6/3 you showed, but I need 6/4.

[@rosslukeman]

Hi Kim, great question. For cables enclosed inside the wall, I have used 6/3 + 8/1 from Pacer Group. It's not listed on their website but if you contact their sales team they have it in stock. In some applications you can get a 50-amp shore cord and cut the plug off if needed. That seems to be the most economical way, but I am not sure if those cords are rated for use inside walls. Hope that helps, thanks for tuning in!

[@jeremyfogt6798]

I get the fuse with a LA battery but the LiFEPO4 batteries have the BMS that limits the discharge current. Is the BMS something that fails that the fuse is needed?

[@rosslukeman]

Hey there, thanks for tuning in. Yes, the BMS's fail sometimes. You have to fuse all of your lines. It's a separate job than what the BMS does.

[@jameslehmann6452]

I thought the cables from the battery had to be the same length

[@sunroy1]

I’m right in the middle of redoing the dc wiring in my rv and came across a black cable with red shrink wrap. Not sure if it’s positive or ground. Now I have to find where it ties into. What a pain.

[@rosslukeman]

Good luck tracking it down and thanks for sharing your experience with this! Thanks for tuning in-

[@sunroy1]

@@rosslukeman Thanks, its my hobby rewiring and turning my 1995 trailer into an up to date machine. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much because I was the one who used a black cable with a red shrink wrap. I should have said that up front. 😂😂😂

[@rosslukeman]

@@sunroy1 Ah ha! The plot thickens! 😂😂😂 Sounds like a fun project!

[@sunroy1]

@@rosslukeman yeah it is! Hey thanks for replying

[@silvanocometta9760]

Thanks for clarifying. However, the use of black conductors in tipp nr.8 is really mindboggling for us Europeans... How on earth did that happen?

[@rosslukeman]

Hi Silvano, yes I suppose Europeans don't have black in their 230V conductors. That's why I use the Safety Duplex cables here in the U.S. as it makes it a non-issue. Thanks for tuning in and for sharing your thoughts!

[@SuperSushidog]

IMHO, if you find yourself needing to run 400 amps through a wire, you need to build a higher voltage system.

[@MOSI66]

Volkswagen uses yellow wire for repair, so when you see a yellow wire, you know it's a repaired wire. 😉⚡

[@rosslukeman]

Interesting! Thanks for checking out the video-