Does anyone here pay to have electrical upgrages installed?

JandDGreens

Adventurer
I think learning about it and taking it very slowly may be my best bet. That way if a problem occurs I know exactly where to look. Thanks to all!
I am in the same boat as you. Building my camper trailer and the only thing that I am weary of is the electrical work. I do my electrical on my house so I think with some research I can figure out the trailer. I know it is a little more complicated though.
 

dreadlocks

Well-known member
I'd suggest you guys start off on your journey installing a master disconnect switch if you dont have one already, its the amps that hurt/mame/kill and your battery bank <--> fuse box is the big source of power thats hard to shut off.. you can shut off engine and unplug from shore power easy and pull fuses on 12v side, but disconnecting battery cables can create a spark and they tend to be heavy duty enough that they can be hard to bend out of the way.. once thats on there you can confidently work on wiring, adding new circuits/fuse boxes, etc and plus you probably want one anyhow for storing your vehicle and not worrying about parasitic drain.

Ive completely rewired my trailer since getting it a few months ago, battery disconnect was first thing I did.. then I put new batteries in, new fuse panel/charger in, low voltage disconnect to protect my new battery, battery monitoring system, hardwired ac/dc fridge, 120v wall mounted heater, bunch of LED lighting, a few radios.. all while planning on a rather large solar setup and inverter w/transfer switch down the line.. man I'd hate to think what I'd of paid someone else to do all that rather easy work.. wouldn't of been cheap.

If there's an art to any of it, its wire routing/pulling.. this is where experience comes in very handy, if you simply cannot figure out how to get a wire from A to B safely and out of sight then look in your local classifieds for a low voltage contractor.. they have the tools and experience and you can usually get any wire ran to anywhere you want, terminated on both ends for $100-150 nice and easy.. its paying someone to design the system and hookup all the wires that will start to get out of hand when you have alot of electrical work to do.

Id be weary about car audio installers, im sure there are some good ones out there but damn ive seen a ton of hackjobs performed too.. they just know how to hide the butchering where the customer never sees it.
 
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VanIsle_Greg

I think I need a bigger truck!
12v wiring (as others have mentioned) is reasonably simple. It can be very basic as in a couple of lights and a USB charger, or complex with dual batteries, power inverters, solar charging systems and so on. The great thing is there is a TON of good information online about the do's and DO NOT do's for these types of builds.

There are some very informative threads on this forum and others about how to plan out and wire up your system. I would start with the basics, what is your ideal end state. What do you want to (or need to) install and where do you want to install it? You can then start designing it and asking LOTS of questions along the way. I have learned almost everything I know from others online and in person. There is usually some local folks who are more than willing to show you the basics for a nice steak dinner and a couple of beers (me for instance but I am way far away from you). heh

The things noted above by others and the things you will find on this forum will help out a lot. I agree with what has been said above, RV shops are not a place you want to go for work. They are usually more concerned with speed and profitability than quality or attention to detail. With few exceptions sadly. A 4x4 shop or a local electrical guru is likely your best bet (that whole steak and beers thing will go a long way to finding someone). Learn the basics like how to solder, how to make proper linesman splice, how to use shrink tube and what gauge of wire to use for the length and AMPS needed. Also what fuses you should be using and you are well on your way to a killer DIY job.

Some helpful links above. Happy wiring projects sir!
 

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