Electric wires are in EVERY camper van conversion. But with more than 15 different wire sizes, it can be confusing to know which sizes you need to build your van’s electric system. Choosing too thin of a wire can be a fire hazard, but selecting too thick of a wire is money down the drain.
In this post, we review the best wire sizes for each section of a camper van’s electric system. The wiring sections we will go over are:
- Battery & 12v System
- Solar 'PV' System
- Inverter System
- Charge While Driving
So if you’re ready, let’s get to it!
Not what you need? Check out our “Electrical System” category page for more similar content.
Wire Size Summary Table
The TL;DR...
Different parts of a van conversion’s electric system requires different size wires. Below, we put together a helpful summary table help you quickly locate the wire sizes you need.
Though you can find online calculators to help you find the PERFECT wire size, we like to keep things simple so that you can build your system as quickly and conveniently as possible. These are the sizes we recommend.
Section | Wire Size | Learn More |
12v Wiring | 2/0 AWG Wire & 14 AWG | |
Solar Wiring | 10 AWG* | |
120v Inverter Wiring | 2/0 AWG & 12 AWG | |
Charge While Driving | 8 AWG |
*10AWG will most likely be the size you need for your solar PV system. But read our solar wire size guide to double check.
In the rest of this post, we list the recommended wire sizes from THICKEST to THINNEST and explain for which part of the electric system to use these wires.
Wiring Batteries, Bus Bars, & Inverters
2/0 AWG Wire
2/0 AWG wires is a common wire size to use when building the 12-volt section of a van conversion’s electric system. These wires are be used to wire multiple 12v batteries together, and connect the batteries to the power distribution bus bars and 120v inverter.
We recommended the 2/0 AWG wires from EWCS because of their unmatched flexibility for their thickness. This wire is made up of hundreds of tiny copper strands and so it is easy to bend the wire to connect all your components in a tight space.
The wire jackets are also water, oil, & corrosion resistant, making them ideal for use in a camper van.
These wires are also made in the USA, which we love.
Recommended 2/0 AWG Wire Accessories
Product | Purpose | Where To Buy |
Wire Cutter | Cuts through 2/0 stranded wires. | |
Blade | Strips thick 2/0 wire jacket. | |
3/8" Lugs | Attaches to 2/0 wire ends for easy connections. | |
Lug Crimper | Crimps lugs onto 2/0 wires | |
Heat Shrink | Covers exposed wire strands after attaching lugs. | |
Heat Gun | Activates heat shrink on 2/0 wires. |
Related Reading
Drive While Charging
8 AWG Wire
8 AWG is the recommended wire size when building a system to charge your camper batteries while driving. This assumes you are using a proper DC-DC battery charger, like the Victron Orion.
Recommended 8 AWG Wire Accessories
Product | Purpose | Where To Buy |
DC-DC Charger | Manages charging between vehicle and camper batteries. | |
60amp Circuit Breaker | Protects wires and devices from surges. | |
3/8" Ring Terminals | Connects 8AWG wire to breaker and bus bars. |
Solar System Wiring
10 AWG Wire
For most people, 10 AWG wire is the ideal size to build a solar system in a camper van. However, we recommend reading our solar wire size guide for a complete information breakdown so that you get the wiring size right.
But whichever wire size you need (10 AWG or otherwise), the marine-grade Ancor wires are some of the best for solar installation.
That’s because we’ve found that their tough wire jackets do a great job at protecting the copper wires from the outside elements, like rain and UV light.
After 3 years, the Ancor wire jackets that are on our roof still look new while the cheaper wire jackets that came with our solar panels are already faded from the sun.
Is ‘Marine Grade Worth It?’
Our solar wires take quite a beating on our van’s roof. Though the wires that came included with our solar panels are faded (from UV exposure), our marine-grade cables still look like new. So we think these wires are worth the extra cost.
Recommended 10 AWG Wire Accessories
Product | Purpose | Where To Buy |
Wire Cutter & Stripper | Cuts, strips, and crimps thinner electric wires. | |
MC4 Connectors | Critical connectors when building a solar system. | |
Solar Wire Inlet | Protects solar wires when transferred through the van's roof. | |
M6 Ring Connector | Connects solar wire to circuit breaker. | |
M10 Ring Connector | Connects solar wire to bus bars. | |
Solar Charge Controller | Controls solar charging process to the batteries. | |
30A Circuit Breaker | Protects wires and solar system from surges. |
Related Reading
Inverter To 120v Sockets
12 AWG Wire
12 AWG wire are the ideal size when building the 120v section of a van conversion’s electric system. This wire thickness is used to connect the power inverter to power outlets and to wire the inverter to a power inlet (if you are using an inverter/charger combo).
Make sure you get “12/3 AWG”. This means that there are three individual 12-gauge wires encompassed in a single outer wire jacket. This is useful for wire tidyness as well as adding an additional layer of wire protection.
We purchased SJOOW 12/3 AWG wires and they’ve worked great for us, no matter what 120v electrical device we’ve used. This is also a very flexible wire, which can come in handy in a cramped camper van.
Recommended 12 AWG Wire Accessories
Product | Purpose | Where To Buy |
Circuit Breaker Box | Holds the 15amp circuit breaker. | |
15amp Circuit Breaker | Protects downstream wires and electrical devices. | |
Power Outlet | Standard 120v socket. | |
Wall Plate | Socket frame. | |
Gang Box | Attaches to socket behind the wall. | |
Wire Splitter | Splits 12 AWG wire into multiple paths. |
Related Reading
Wiring 12v Devices
14 AWG Wire
14 AWG wire is perfect for wiring all the 12v devices in a camper van to the 12v distribution panel. This includes wiring the vent fan, water pump, led lights, and standard 12v sockets.
When shopping for 14 AWG wires, look for “14/2 AWG”. This means that two 14-gauge wires are packed inside an additional outer jacket, like this one from GS Power.
Because of the constant vibration camper van’s experience while driving, protecting the wires with an additional outer jacket is a smart move to prevent short circuits and potential fires.
Recommended 12 AWG Wire Accessories
Product | Purpose | Where To Buy |
Butt Connector | Connects 14AWG wire to each 12v device | |
Twist On Cap | Splices 14AWG wires into multiple paths. | |
12v Distribution Panel | Distributes 12v power from batteries to individual 12v devices. | |
#8 Ring Connector | Connects 14AWG wire to distribution panel. | |
12v Switch | On/off switch for LED lights. |
Related Reading
Tips When Laying Electric Wires In A Van
1. Decide A Wire Origination Point
Before laying out all your electrical wires, decide where in the camper you will build the center of your electrical system. This will be the location of your batteries, 12v distribution panel, inverter, and all other electrical components. All electrical wires should originate from this region of the camper.
The center of our electric system is located above the passenger-side wheel well. You can see how we had all our electric wires originate from this location.
2. Use Split Wire Loom To Protect Your Wires
Regretfully, we did not do this. But putting your electric wires in a split wire loom plays a critical role in protecting the wires.
This is important in a camper van because you’ll be creating lots of vibration throughout the vehicle while driving. And if your unprotected wires happen to be resting next to another object, constant vibration can work to cut through the wire’s outer jacket and expose the bare copper wires inside.
This is a fire hazard.
You can also hold these wire looms in place along the van’s metal frame with these 3M adhesive mounts.
How To Ground A Camper Electrical System
For safety, you should ground your camper’s electric system. But instead of connecting to an actual ‘ground’ point, you simply connect to a designated spot on your vehicle’s chassis.
For information on your specific vehicle’s chassis ground points it’s best to search for these points either in your vehicle’s handbook or by searching on the Internet.
If you have a Ford Transit, like we do, we’re posting an image of all the chassis ground points below. In our electric build, we grounded our system by connecting a piece of 12 AWG wire to point #31 in the below image.
Speed Up Your Electrical Install Process With Our Free Diagrams
Did You Find This Van Life Tip Helpful? We have lots of other useful articles to help you travel better in your camper van or RV. Check out our Electrical System Guide to read more great van life content!
Final Thoughts: Campervan Wiring Is Just The Beginning!
Thank you for making it this far in our campervan wiring post! We hope you learned a thing, or two, about best wire size and placement in your own van conversion.
But buying the right wires and laying them in your van is just the first step. This blog has so many more posts to get your campervan electrics up and running. Check out these posts below for more information.
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