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Part 10 — 12 V electrical system
How to Build a DIY Travel Trailer: 12V Electrical, lithium battery (Part 10)
Source: How to Build a DIY Travel Trailer: 12V Electrical, lithium battery (Part 10) · 2019-06-29 · 17:00
What Joe did
- Ran paired 12-gauge positive and negative wires through ceiling framing, with metal plates where screws could reach them.
- Covered exposed wire in rigid or flexible plastic conduit and used ring connectors at grounds and fuse-panel connections.
- Used spade connectors to join the 12-gauge runs to some 14-gauge appliance leads.
- Grouped loads into five labeled circuits, including lights, fan, charging station, and cooler.
- Put a fuse panel, battery switch, solar charge controller, auxiliary light, grounding block, and lithium battery in the battery box.
Numbers
| What | Value | Where in the video |
|---|---|---|
| Main wire | two 12-gauge wires | consisted of two 12 gauge wires with one |
| Appliance lead | 14 gauge | charging station that I am about to connect up are 14 gauge |
| Circuits | five | last two circuits number four and five each power |
| Charging station | 12 volt plug and two USB outlets | it has a 12 volt plug and two USB outlets |
| Battery | Relion RB100; 100 amp hours | that is a rely on RB 100 battery it is a hundred amp hour |
| Battery life | 10 to 15 years | battery like that is that it can last for 10 to 15 years |
| Battery weight | about 30 pounds | it only weighs about 30 pounds |
| Lead-acid comparison | 150 to 200 pounds | probably a hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds |
Materials and parts
| Item | Detail as Joe says it |
|---|---|
| Wire | paired 12-gauge wire; some 14-gauge appliance leads |
| Protection | metal nail plates; rigid and flexible plastic conduit |
| Connectors | ring connectors; male/female spade connectors |
| Grounding | battery grease; stainless self-tapping screws; grounding block |
| Power components | fuse panel, battery switch, solar charge controller, Relion RB100 lithium battery |
| Loads | 12-volt Dometic cooler, ventilation fan, lights, voltmeter, 12-volt sockets, USB outlets |
Tools Joe used
- Wire crimper
- Wire labels
- Drill/driver
Tips and mistakes
- He labeled circuits and placed grounds where they could be reached later.
- He used electrical tape but says he would recommend heat shrink.
- He calls some of his choices unorthodox and does not present the system as an industry-standard plan.
For my build
- Nathan: Start with a written load list and circuit map for the planned off-grid system before buying wire.
- Nathan: Label every circuit and keep fuse-panel, battery-switch, and grounding access practical.
- Nathan: Joe’s 12 V (12-volt) system is a useful layout example, but Nathan needs a separately verified design for his own loads.