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Before every trip, I plug my van into the garage outlet overnight. By morning, the battery is at 100% and I leave with full autonomy. All you need is a proper shore power charger — not your car's alternator, not a trickle charger from AutoZone.
A dedicated lithium battery charger (Victron Blue Smart 12/15, NOCO Genius 10) connected to your leisure battery charges at 10-20A via a standard 120V/230V outlet. For a 200Ah LiFePO4 at 50% charge: 100Ah to fill × 12V = 1,200Wh. At 15A charge rate: ~7 hours to full. Plug in after dinner, unplug at breakfast.
⚡ Expert tip
Install a 30A shore power inlet on the van even if you don't use it often. That $40 inlet means you can top up at any campsite with electricity, at a friend's house, or in your own garage. It's the cheapest range extender you can add to your electrical system.
Example calculation for your setup
Results based on a typical use case
| Appliance | Power | Usage/day | Wh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression fridge | 45W | 24h | 1080 |
| LED lighting | 20W | 4h | 80 |
| Water pump | 30W | 0.5h | 15 |
| Phone charging | 15W | 2h | 30 |
| Daily consumption | 1205 Wh | ||
Recommended LiFePO4 battery
126 Ah
(80% depth of discharge)
Recommended AGM battery
201 Ah
(50% depth of discharge)
Adjust these values with the calculator below
VANPOWERCALC PROYOUR ENERGY PROFILE
YOUR ENERGY PROFILE.
This document contains the sizing of your future electrical installation, calculated based on your appliances.
Minimum Daily Consumption
0 WH / DAY
Inventory:
SYSTEM SIZINGPage 2
Battery
To guarantee 0WH without damaging your bank (80% max discharge):
0 AH
LiFePO4 12V
Solar
Minimum power required to recharge your consumption:
0 W
via MPPT
220V AC
Maximum power (with 25% safety margin).
0 W
No Need
Safety & CablingPage 3
12V Cable Sizing Guide
Use this professional reference table to select the correct gauge (mm²) for your cables. For 12V in a van, the maximum tolerated voltage drop is 3%. Always use multi-stranded flexible automotive wire.
| Current (A) | Round trip < 2m | Round trip 4m | Round trip 6m |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5A (LEDs, USB) | 1.5 mm² | 2.5 mm² | 4 mm² |
| 10A (Fridge, Pump) | 2.5 mm² | 4 mm² | 6 mm² |
| 20A (Heater) | 4 mm² | 10 mm² | 10 mm² |
| 50A (DC/DC Booster) | 10 mm² | 16 mm² | 25 mm² |
| 100A (Inverter) | 25 mm² | 35 mm² | 50 mm² |
Fuse Sizing
The fuse protects the wire, not the appliance. Always place it as close to the power source as possible (battery or busbar).
- Wire 1.5 mm² → Max fuse 10A
- Wire 2.5 mm² → Max fuse 20A
- Wire 4 mm² → Max fuse 30A
- Wire 6 mm² → Max fuse 40A
- Wire 10 mm² → Max fuse 60A
SCHÉMA ÉLECTRIQUE
PANNEAUX SOLAIRES
0W
REGULATEUR MPPT
BATTERIE AUXILIAIRE
0 Ah
Lithium LiFePO4
FUSIBLE
FUSIBLE
BOÎTE À FUSIBLES 12V
Pompe, Leds, Frigo...
CONVERTISSEUR 220V
NON REQUI
PRO GEARPage 4
SHOPPING LIST
Where to find this equipment? Here is the community-approved selection.
12V 6-way Fuse Box
Mandatory protection
Digital Multimeter
Test your connections
Heavy Duty Crimping Tool
For perfect lugs
Heat Shrink Tubing
Insulation and safety
GENERATED BY VANPOWERCALC PRO - UNLIMITED.
About this tool
The simplest setup: a shore power inlet (Marinco or similar) on the outside of your van, wired to a battery charger inside. Plug an extension cord from your house to the inlet. The charger does the rest — proper voltage curve, current limiting, temperature compensation. Don't use a car battery charger or jump starter — those are for starter batteries and don't have the correct LiFePO4 charge profile (14.6V, no float). They'll either undercharge (stuck at 14.4V AGM profile) or overcharge if they don't cut off properly. The Victron MultiPlus combines this with an inverter — when shore power is plugged in, it charges the battery. When unplugged, it inverts from the battery. Automatic switchover. That's the premium solution. The budget approach: a standalone charger ($80-150) with clips that you manually connect to the battery terminals before plugging in.
Frequently asked questions
What charger do I need to charge a van LiFePO4 from home?▼
A lithium-compatible battery charger with a LiFePO4 profile (14.6V charge, 13.6V float). Victron Blue Smart IP65 12/15 ($120) or NOCO Genius 10 ($80) are solid choices. Avoid generic car battery chargers — they use AGM profiles that undercharge lithium.
How long to charge a 200Ah battery from empty?▼
At 15A: about 13 hours for a full charge from empty. At 30A: about 7 hours. In practice, you rarely charge from empty — topping up from 50% takes 7 hours at 15A. Overnight charging handles it easily.
Can I just use an extension cord and a charger?▼
Yes — that's the simplest approach. Run an extension cord to your charger inside the van. For a permanent solution, install a shore power inlet on the van exterior wired to an internal charger. Looks cleaner and you don't leave the van door open.
Do I need an RCD for shore power charging?▼
Yes, if you're wiring a permanent shore power inlet. The RCD protects against ground faults on the 230V/120V circuit. If you're just using a standalone charger plugged into a house outlet, the house's own breaker panel provides protection.
Can I charge while driving AND from shore power?▼
Yes — the DC-DC charger (driving) and shore power charger work independently. Most setups have both connected to the battery bus bar. The battery accepts charge from whichever source is active. Just don't run both at maximum on a small battery — though in practice this rarely happens.