IT DOESN’T matter what, where or how you drive, if you’re heading offroad in any vehicle for any purpose one of the biggest set of decisions you can make is the type of 12V system you’re going to run. After tyres and suspension, getting your electrics dialled in will arguably be the most useful addition to your vehicle, even more so when camping.
The problem is, unless you have degrees in electrical engineering, astrophysics, an IQ in the 200s, your surname is deGrasse Tyson or are some sort ofTesla-spec savant (no judgement, it’s your time to shine), you’re probably not up to speed on the latest advancements in battery technology, 12V accessories or the myriad ways to set yourself up for off-grid electrickery. And to make things worse, over the past decade or so things have moved on from “huh, that’s a nifty gadget” to “that’s outright bonkers”.
Let’s dive in.
GETTING THE BASICS DOWN
FIRST things first, we should probably get in to some of the terminology used in this guide. Because 12V chicanery is pretty daunting for the uninitiated, let’s get our head around the basics by using the comparison of electricity to water running through a pipe, and the various devices being the things that impact the flow of that water.
For example: volts, amps and resistance – compare the volts to how much water pressure there is or how much you turn the tap on (in this case, it’ll be pretty much always 12V); the amps, or current, would be the water-pipe diameter (or how big your battery is); and the resistance (caused by, say, a 12V LED light) would be a clod of dirt in the pipe that impedes the current. So the more dirt (accessories) impeding the flow (current), the more it drops.
Got it? Cool, let’s get into the nitty gritty.
QUICK GUIDE
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
AGM: Absorbed Glass Mat; a type of lead acid battery
AMP HOURS: Is a measure of charge or current flow over time. 1amp/h is a current of 1amp flowing for 1 hour
BATTERY ISOLATOR: Used to separate the flow of direct current (DC) to more than one branch in a single direction, allowing two batteries to be charged from one alternator without the batteries being connected in parallel
BATTERY MONITOR: Measures voltage and current in and
