DIY Camper Electrical System Installation Made EASY (START to FINISH TUTORIAL)
This video will show you, start to finish how we installed our full Victron off grid electrical system in our VW Crafter 4motion Long Wheel Base Van.
In this video, I walk you through the process of building and wiring a 660-ah full off grid Victron electrical system from scratch for our 4x4 VW Crafter DIY van conversion. I cover every step, starting with constructing the electrical cupboard and organizing all the components, including the Victron Multiplus 2 inverter, batteries, fuse boxes, wiring all the components up, using lug crimpers, mounting the solar panels, running key wires and cables in the van, and more. This system includes two 330Ah batteries, a 3000W inverter, Lynx Distributor, Victron Orion, Smart Shunt, Smart, Cerbo GX Battery Protect and various other key components necessary to power our van off-grid.
Full Material List Below
I explain how I mapped out the layout using a CAD design and took the build step by step—mounting the components and wiring everything together. I really dive into the wiring, showing how I routed cables and connected each part. I talk about the wire gauges, lugs, and tools I used, such as crimpers and hydraulic crimpers for the 35mm and 70mm cables.
Throughout the process, I explain why it’s so important to choose the right cable thickness and connectors, like bootlace ferrules, ring terminals, and the Mega/Midi fuses for safety. I also share tips I learned along the way, like using string to measure cable lengths accurately and conduit to protect wires in tight spaces. I even discuss practical challenges I faced, such as routing cables in confined spaces and getting the right components in the right spots.
There were definitely a few tricky moments, like having to reorder parts and figuring out the best ways to manage the cable runs. But I show how I overcame these issues—getting help from Ginny and finding solutions for each challenge. Once the Mega fuses were installed and I wired the ignition live, the system was starting to take shape, and I could see the progress happening.
This video serves as a detailed tutorial for anyone looking to build a similar van electrical system, covering tools, techniques, and practical advice on van electrics.
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Thanks for watching and we can't wait to share more pf our build and adventures with you.
Our van is a VW Crafter Long Wheel Base LWB 4 Motion (4x4/AWD) Van.
Materials List:
2x 330 Victron Batteries https://amzn.to/3BYjSzg
Victron Lynx 1000 https://amzn.to/4e06LuF
Victron Orion 12/12-50 https://amzn.to/48kbxSB
Midi Box
Mega Fuse Holders x2 https://amzn.to/4flSsBE
Battery Isolator 2 way https://amzn.to/3YtKksi
Thermal Breaker https://amzn.to/3Ylim1x
Victron VE BUS
Victron Smart Shunt https://amzn.to/3NG5U7H
Victron Smart Battery Protect https://amzn.to/3BZrvW5
2 x 12v Fuse Board https://amzn.to/40eKXZ8
Victron MPPT 150/70 https://amzn.to/3Um5sze
Victron Multiplus 12/3000
Victron Cerbo GX https://amzn.to/40fNRNe
Victron Touch 50 https://amzn.to/40kYrm1
3 x 80amp midi fuses
Mega fuses 3x80 amp 1x300 amp 2x200 amp
Useful Links for tools and parts:
Best Scissors ever https://amzn.to/489IZek
Wire Strippers https://amzn.to/4h2M2sS
Heavy Duty Wire Cutters https://amzn.to/404wK0P
Small Screw Drivers https://amzn.to/3BOZLn8
Electrical Screw Drivers Set https://amzn.to/3NrXeSt
Boot Lace Crimping Tool https://amzn.to/3Y93Slw
Electrical Crimping Tool https://amzn.to/4faVJnA
Hydraulic Crimping Tool https://amzn.to/40dMezK
Electrical Tape https://amzn.to/3BPLI0F
Ring Connectors https://amzn.to/3YqA313
Twin and Single Ferrules https://amzn.to/48a85d0
Wirefy (this brand are good but pricey) Butt Connectors https://amzn.to/3BY1MgE
Heat Gun https://amzn.to/4dOjhxf
Heat Shrink https://amzn.to/3Y4USOa
0:00 Intro
2:04 Building the electrical cupboard
17:19 Installing the electrical components
26:04 What electrical tools are required
28:58 Wiring up the electrical components and what cables and lugs we used
58:33 Installing the electrical cupboard
1:07:21 Installing the batteries and the big switch on
1:16:43 Installing the Solar Panels