Ok-Where do we start-re doing complete electrical-but specically to run plug in to hook up at campgrounds....

[Jana Furzer]

This site is fighting me-but I was asking about what we put in the camper van, along with batteries and wiring etc to run in a plug in for outside voltage. A switch box-a specific kind? ASK ME ABOUT PAINT-I KNOW PAINT! THIS MAKES ME FEEL DUMB!

[Jana Furzer]

This site is fighting me-but I was asking about what we put in the camper van, along with batteries and wiring etc to run in a plug in for outside voltage. A switch box-a specific kind? ASK ME ABOUT PAINT-I KNOW PAINT! THIS MAKES ME FEEL DUMB!

[Jimco_W001]

Hi Jana,sometimes the outside AC cord goes to the DC converter,fuse box,or a juction box.

[Tony durfey]

Hi Jana,
Tony and Joy here. In a RV you have two electrical systems. The first being a AC system like your house and the second being a 12VDC system like your car. The AC plug from outside should run to a breaker box like in your house, and then feed whatever plugins you put in. If your putting an air conditioner in, it would need it's own breaker. As well as a converter box if you are adding one of those . (Converter box takes the AC coming in and puts out DC voltage for lights ect. when your plugged in to AC.) They make really small breaker boxes. The marine industry also has ready made breaker panels that are nicer than a house box if you what to have the breakers where you can see them. As far as how to wire it. You-Tube or the library. Lots of books on how to. And it really is simple. If you get stuck send a mess, and I can help. Typing is hard, wiring is easy. Fair winds, Tony and Joy

[Jana Furzer]

Thank you so much Jimco and Tony. This is what I was suspecting and my hubby can do most of this but then you get to "cookin" o it at odd times and question things. The camper is so small that we are trying to keep weight etc down. I like the idea of the marine box, I was also looking at solar vents they have for your boats and wondering about using them by mu so called kitchen....This will be a completely new system-electronically. All new wiring, lights,boxes etc, so if you have any other suggestions....

[Tony durfey]

Hi Jana,
You have probably found these places already but, West Marine and Defender are the two big marine parts people. I.E. good online wish books and idea places. RVs and boats are really about the same. Hope this helps. Fair winds, Tony and Joy

[John "T" Nordhoff]

The first requirement is about 25 to 30 foot or so of 10/3 30 amp flexible rubber RV Cord with a standard 30 amp 120 Volt 3 prong RV receptacle and a place to store it all. Usually the RV end is hard wired permanently into a junction box. From that RV junction box you run three No 10 wires (1 Black Hot, 1 White Neutral, 1 Green/Bare Equipment Grounding Conductor, to a small 3 or 4 circuit breaker distribution panel that also has a place for the incoming White Neutral and Black Hot and the Green/bare ground. If you had an AC one of the breaker outlet branch circuits would feed it via a 20 amp breaker in the panel and then 3 No 12 wires (Hot, Neutral, ground) (like flexible Romex 12/2 with ground cable) to the AC. Id run one 20 amp branch circuit (via a panel 20 amp breaker) to the Kitchen area where I would install a Ground Fault (GFCI) Protected 120 volt 20 amp duplex receptacle for say a coffeee pot or toaster or microwave etc. Id run another 20 amp branch circuit to the bath area and another GFCI 120 volt 20 amp duplex outlet. One last branch circuit for convenience with maybe one standard duplex outlet in the bed area and a second duplex receptacle in the front living area. This assumes a small camper van like you said, if it were a bigger RV my input would be different like a circuit dedicated for a microwave and more outlets etc. The main thing I would do is to use GFCI ground fault protected outlets within 6 ft of a kitchen or bathroom sink. Im pretty sure the breaker box in the RV DOES NOT re bond the Neutral and Ground (like so in a residential main breaker panel) as they are already bonded at the RV parks outlet box where you plug in your cord but I been retired (electrical engineer) for years and rusty as an old nail on the latest NEC.

Many RV's have a 120 VAC/12 VDC converter/charger/panel thats used to power up interior 12 volt lights and appliances plus charge the coach 12 volt battery when youre plugged in and setting at the RV park. They can serve as a combination unit that has the 4 AC circuit breakers as needed above PLUS thay have fuzed 12 VDC circuits that you can run your 12 VDC circuits from like interior 12 VDC lights and a circuit to the coach batery to charge it when youre plugged in I WOULD LOOK AT THAT OPTION FIRST BEFOREEEEEEEEE YOU RUN OUT AND BUY A BREAKER PANEL ALONE FOR THE AC CIRCUITS ONLY. Of course if you dont need any 12 volt circuits or a built in coach battery charger then you can get by with the AC panel first described above

John T