Camper Van Electrical System Planner

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Put daily energy use, battery reserve, solar output, and driving charge on the same page before choosing components.

Your inputs

Direct DC use (Wh/day) AC appliance use (Wh/day) Inverter efficiency (%) Inverter standby use (Wh/day) Nominal battery voltage (V) Days of reserve Usable battery capacity (%) Battery capacity margin (%) Peak sun hours per day Expected solar system yield (%) Typical battery-side driving charge (A) Charging hours per day while driving

Results

Daily battery demand
Rated battery bank target
Solar array to cover daily demand
Estimated daily driving charge
Daily demand after driving charge (negative = surplus)

How it works

Add direct DC energy, AC energy adjusted for inverter losses, and any inverter standby draw. Size the bank for the days entered without recharging, then calculate solar watts to cover one average day. Driving charge is estimated at nominal battery voltage.

Reference: Victron’s Wiring Unlimited: DC wiring.

What to check before you use the result

This is an energy budget. It does not size wiring, protection, inverter surge capacity, or charging equipment. Use your travel season’s solar conditions and a realistic number of driving hours.

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Results

How it works

What to check before you use the result

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