How to Install a 110 Volt AC Electrical System in Your Stealth Van Dwelling

The Stealth Van Dwelling lifestyle is one of a minimalist nature. Often life on the road simply doesn't include many of the conveniences found in other forms of daily life. With space at a premium, most converted cargo vans require only a simple house or living space, electrical system.

Your factory built RV will likely have voltage converter's, numerous outlets, lights, microwaves, multiple TV's, air conditioner, and so on. All hard wired into a circuit breaker box requiring a heavy duty power cord with a special plug that can only be plugged into a certain 30 amp outlets. Like what is found at most commercial campgrounds.

The average van dweller spends little or no time staying at campgrounds as they often charge at least $30 a night. They may also have length of stay restrictions that may or may not comply with your intended schedule.

This presents two serious problems when it comes to laying out and installing a regular Class "B" Recreational Vehicle electrical system. The first stumbling block is the expense. You can spend many hundreds of dollars trying to duplicate what is offered in commercially built vans. If you don't have the skill required to build such a system and must hire the work out, you could run the bill up into the thousands of dollars.

The Second stumbling block is for the average van dweller all this effort isn't necessary. Living a much simpler lifestyle doesn't require such an extensive electrical system. When you consider a Current Bush is a fictitious shrubbery that doesn't really exist, the only place you will find a 30 amp outlet is where you will have to pay dearly to use it.

There is a more economical way to bring 110Volt AC power into your simple cargo van home. By mounting a Leviton Motorbase Receptacle on the exterior of your van, wired through to the interior into a standard household GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter) 110Volt AC outlet you will have a simple yet functional electrical system.

To complete your electrical system a simple protected power strip available almost anywhere will supply you with multiple outlets all protected by a single circuit breaker that is part of the power strip.

Your power cord will be a standard 3-prong extension cord, one of at least 14 gauge wire would be recommended. You can now plug into any exterior wall outlet on any building you may be staying near.

This article is not intended to suggest you should make use of electrical power without prior authorization from the property owner, it is intended to provide you with a better quality of life when you happen to be staying somewhere that power is legally available to you.

This simple system will allow you to run a computer, a TV, even a smaller wattage microwave. It won't handle an air conditioner, though a small portable electric heater probably won't pop the circuit breaker if it is the only thing your using at the time.

For a very small investment you can have many of the conveniences that make life more enjoyable.