I recently bought a vintage trailer and I'm aiming to convert it to run on solar power to ditch propane altogether. I get the general idea of how the setup works: solar panel > charge controller > battery > inverter. However, I'm curious about setting it up just for 12V DC. Is there a specific hub or setup that I need to connect everything from the battery without relying on an inverter? I've only found guides focused on using an inverter so far.
4 Answers
Check out this site: [mobile-solarpower.com](https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/). They have a ton of resources about building solar setups, especially for campers and RVs. It's a good starting point to understand what you’ll need.
Try to stick with 12V as much as you can. We built a campervan with a similar setup: 400Ah of battery storage, solar, and shore power charging. We placed multiple 12V sockets throughout for things like USB chargers and small appliances, which helps avoid issues with anything falling out. We hardwired our refrigerator and other key appliances to their own circuits for safety. Using marine wiring and fuse boxes can make your installations much safer and easier to manage.
This is exactly my plan! I struggled to find the right resources but found Explorist.life. I'm swapping my propane fridge for a 12V one right now and want to add those sockets. Do you have a control panel for your circuits?
You’ll want to set up a 12V circuit breaker box to manage all your 12V connections. This box will connect directly to your battery through a switch. Just make sure to check the max output of your battery to avoid overloading it. Many people use an amp meter in their breaker box to easily monitor current usage, and color-coding (like green for good, amber for caution, and red for overload) can help you keep an eye on things.
Thanks for breaking it down! I'm still grasping the electronics side, but wiring directly to the fuse block sounds clear. Can I wire standard 12V cigarette sockets to this box for things like 12V coolers?
Absolutely! That setup works well for connecting items with round connectors.
You might also want to check out the video series at Explorist.life. They go over building or upgrading electrical systems for vans, which is similar to your trailer setup. You're right about the inverter being optional; you just need solar components, a battery converter/charger, and a breaker panel for your lights, fan, and water pump.
Yes, we used a control panel for our circuits, similar to what you see in overlander builds. It really helps keep everything organized!