I could not find anything on the market that checked all the boxes for me. I launched my YouTube research into custom power stations and 30 days later I had a plan and a full Amazon shopping cart. When I was researching I had to go to a ton of different places to pull all the info I needed and that was frustrating and confusing. I am creating this to try and pull things together without being it being too overwhelming. I ran the system for a year before even thinking of posting a video or blog on the project. after using it a year I decided to expand things a bit and that was the perfect opportunity to release the plan to the world. If you are just starting or just looking for ideas check this out. I tried to pull the different key ideas together for people just learning about how to do this. I hope it helps you out. This blog is just a companion for my YouTube video, so make sure you also check that out. It turned out way longer than I thought, but I build chapter markers in to make navigation easier. You can check the comments to see the different breakouts and jump around as needed. The link for the spreadsheet mentioned over and over in the video is located at the bottom of this blog.
Plan
The first roadblock I ran into was trying to figure out just what I needed for power and outlets. My needs required two remote power hubs (Awning area & Roof Top Tent), power to the bed of my truck for a fridge and lighting, be chargeable via car, be chargeable by solar, and it had to do all of this while being weather resistant. The one thing I stayed away from was installing any sort of power inverter. I created a spreadsheet to help me out with planning and was a way to help organize things in one place to make sure I was building something that would meet my needs with enough power and flexibility to keep my working a 9-5 job while out on the trail. Knowing how much power things actually used was also a pain to figure out. I ended up plugging things in and testing everything after I make the system. I left those finding in the spreadsheet in case anyone else needs them. Just delete anything out in the grayed section and put your stuff in there if you need to. You will find the link to that spreadsheet at the bottom of this blog..
Design
This was one of the most difficult things for me since I started off knowing very little about making a custom 12V system. I was scared I would mess things up and end up burning my vehicle to the ground. If you see additional fusing that is probably not needed, that is the reason. When I was in doubt I just upsized the wire and added a fuse. Sounds king of funny I know, but believe it or not wiring and fusing are the two biggest things that cause fires. I built an extra tab into the power calculator spreadsheet to in case anyone else wanted to copy anything from my design. The biggest concept I want beginners to understand is that wire needs to be big enough to carry the current you will pull through it and the fuse is designed to protect the wire from overheating by pulling more current than it is rated for. The best website I found for wire capacity and just good trustworthy information was the Blue Sea website. They sell marine grade components and that was just what I was looking for.
Helpful Links:
http://circuitwizard.bluesea.com/# - Quick way to check a circuit.
https://d2pyqm2yd3fw2i.cloudfront.net/files/resources/reference/20010.pdf - I lived by this wire and fuse size chart for everything and loved it. If you use this for your wire make sure you get the same type of wire and insulation that they list. That is VERY important.
Build
I am not an electrician and I don't have an extensive array of tools for working with 12v wiring. I bought the minimum of what I needed and tried to stick to a small budget. I am sure there are tons of things that work better than the tools I used, but I was trying to save money where I could. I included content in the video on the steps building things as well as making the basic wire connections. I included a tab with my build list items to help people with their purchasing decisions. Sorry no links are included. If I get time later on and there is enough interest, I will set things up with that addition.
Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet included the actual power usage for my items. I measured everything out and added a little buffer. Please note that your power usage may differ for similar items. I hope the excel spreadsheet helps. I know it was very useful for helping me wrap my head around things. Download link at the bottom if you want to use it.
Summary
I am not the smartest person in the room. I was overwhelmed by the technical aspects at first and by taking things one piece at a time I was able to complete the project safely. Have confidence in yourself and your ability to learn new things. Break things down to bitesize chunks and complete things out one step at a time. If I can do it, then most other people can as well. I am not an expert electrician, but if you have questions feel free to email me (info@overlandcalling.com) and I will answer what I can. If I don't know something and have not tested it myself I will let you know. If any pros out there notice that I have put out bad info please let me know.
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