Introduction

Obviously in our modern world, we need electricity to power so many different things. Vanlife is no different. While I don’t need power most of the time, it makes my life easier and more convenient. Some people opt for huge solar-powered systems on their vans, something I looked into pretty seriously when figuring out my needs. The reality was that my biggest power need was refrigeration and I couldn’t get enough juice to keep my fridge going from the solar panels I was looking at. Once I switched my ideas on refrigeration to propane, my electrical system became far less complex and far more manageable. I chose two very good house batteries (one probably would have sufficed), and since I am driving every day they always have plenty of power to take care of all of my electrical needs. Here are some of the different aspects of my electrical system.

House Batteries

My house batteries power everything in my living compartment and are completely separate from the battery in my engine compartment. I have two monster house batteries which can serve all of my electrical needs for weeks at a time. They are connected to the alternator, so they charge when I’m driving and would also charge if I were plugged into shore power (at home or a campground), which I almost never am. Each of these batteries is a 100 amp-hour deep-cycle marine battery which basically means they have a lot of juice in them and they are designed to run down pretty far and then charge back up again (deep-cycle). If you are looking for house batteries, I would definitely recommend these in particular, or a similar version to fit your needs. I would personally avoid using a regular automotive battery as they just aren’t built for this purpose. Since my stove and refrigerator both run on propane, my electrical system is rarely taxed and stays pretty full most of the time.

Fantastic Fan

My rooftop-mounted Fantastic fan is definitely one of the best things in the whole van. Since it’s purpose-built for use in RVs it doesn’t use a lot of power, but it sure does deliver. In order to maximize its efficiency, the key is to open windows only in one part of the van – usually the sleeping compartment when I’m in bed. This way the fan and the windows create a draft and you get a cool breeze blowing over you while it’s on. Mine has a built-in thermostat so I can set it before bed and it will go off if it cools down below the point where it’s needed. Likewise it will go on again if it warms up too much. The thermostat makes it great for saving power and for keeping cool on those warm summer nights.

Lights

I have a LOT of lights in my van, seemingly one in every corner, and they all come in handy at some point. These lights all run off of my house batteries and use minimal power. I do have a battery-powered headlight on board as well, in case of an emergency or if I need to check something in the middle of the night. You really can never have too many lights and if you’re doing your own build I would recommend too many as opposed to too few.

Outlets

There are a lot of outlets in my van as well, but none of them work unless I’m plugged into shore power. I do have two “hot” 12-volt (cigarette lighter-style) sockets in the back of my van though, in case I need to plug something in or charge it. These run off of my house batteries and therefore work when my van is off, unlike the front socket which doesn’t (which is heavily dependent on what make and model your vehicle is). At this point, most of the things I own can be plugged into these 12-volt outlets, including my computer with the right adapter. I do have a small inverter which allows me to plug in a standard plug into my 12-volt socket which I use mainly for my coffee grinder and a few other small appliances. I also have several external USB port battery-packs which come in very handy sometimes, especially if I’m off on an overnight hike.

Air Conditioning

Shadow Catcher does have a rooftop mounted Dometic air-conditioner and heater, but it will only work if I’m hooked in to shore power so it doesn’t see a lot of use. It’s a good unit and can really cool down my van which is a nice option if I hit a really hot patch and decide to pull into an RV park and hook up. I’m a warm person but I’m usually just fine if nighttime temperatures are 75 or below with just my windows open and Fantastic Fan creating a draft. If I were building a van, I would skip the air conditioner altogether.

Generator

Shadow Catcher doesn’t have a generator, although she’s wired for one if I ever decided to add one. It would definitely be a handy thing to have, but I just can’t justify the $2000 price tag. The only two things I would really need a generator for are the a/c unit and the microwave (which I recently removed because I just wasn’t using it often enough to justify the space it took up). If I had a generator, I would definitely use the microwave and I could see using it to turn on the a/c on a hot afternoon when I wanted to catch a nap or get some work done, but I’ve adjusted to life without and it hasn’t been much of a stretch.

Television

Shadow Catcher came with what I’m sure was a top-of-the-line-in-1998 TV/VCR combo which actually worked just fine. I kind of liked having it because it was so retro, but I never, ever used it so eventually just took it out to create another small storage area. I do watch some television, but do so on either my phone or my tablet. I generally try and download some shows when I’m connected to wifi and then I’m not using my data when I’m watching. I know some people are used to big-screen TVs, and there are plenty of places I could mount one but I’m just not that concerned with it.

Those are the main elements to my electrical system. In addition, I have plenty of little gadgets which make life on the road easier but I’ll save those for another day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the link below or drop a comment and be sure you subscribe to my blog for all of our latest vanlife adventures.

 Below are some links to some great RV/Vanlife electrical products available on Amazon. The Universal Power Group house battery is the absolute bomb and I couldn’t recommend anything higher. The Fan-tastic Fan is also a must-have in any mobile home space. There are cheaper ones available, but I love the thermostat control of this model. I do earn a small commission from purchases made through these links, but your price is the same whether you use the link or not. Please help support this project through your purchases!