CAMPERVAN CONVERSION GUIDES
Campervan electrics, water and gas: plan the systems before the fit-out
The most expensive part of a campervan system can be changing your mind after the cupboards and wall panels are finished. A battery, water tank or gas appliance is not an isolated item. It takes space, adds weight, needs access and changes what can be built around it. Even if a specialist will design or install part of the system, the owner still needs to decide what life in the van should be like.
This guide helps you prepare those decisions. It is a planning guide, not a set of installation instructions. Electrical and gas work can present serious hazards, and the correct design depends on the actual vehicle, equipment, current standards and how the system will be used. Use it to form a clear brief for Steve and for the competent people who will design, fit and check your own van’s systems.
Begin with a day in the van
Picture a normal day away. When do you wake, cook, wash, charge devices and drive? Are you on a campsite with electric hook-up or somewhere without it? Is it summer, or are you travelling in cold and wet weather? If several people are using the van, what happens at the same time? The answer changes the demand on every system.
Make a simple diary of what you expect to use rather than starting with products. A light used briefly is different from a fridge running through the night. A kettle may be convenient at home but can change the electrical plan dramatically. A sink for occasional handwashing calls for a different water arrangement from regular cooking and washing up. A gas hob brings other decisions about storage, ventilation and inspection. Write down what is essential, what is a preference and what you can comfortably do without.
The list should describe the people, too. How many cups of tea, meals, showers or phone charges do you expect? Where will everybody sit while cooking? How often can you refill water or reach a hook-up? Avoid designing for an imagined extreme trip if most of your travel will be weekends near facilities. Equally, do not assume you can live comfortably with a tiny system because it fits neatly under a seat.
Put the services on the layout drawing
Mark the location of appliances, lights, switches, sockets, taps, tanks and any control panels on the measured layout of the actual van. Then check them with the bed made and stowed, doors open and closed, and storage filled. Can you reach a switch from bed? Is a socket still useful when the table is in place? Can the water tank be filled and cleaned without removing furniture? Would a future repair mean dismantling the kitchen?
Think of the space behind each fitting. Batteries and electrical equipment need locations suited to their design and manufacturer instructions. Water connections need access and protection from accidental damage. Gas equipment has specific installation and ventilation considerations. Their locations cannot be chosen solely because there is an empty corner in the drawing.
Before lining walls or building cabinetry, agree the routes and access points with whoever is responsible for each installation. Keep photographs and a record of what will be hidden. That record is useful for later maintenance and for anyone who works on the van after you.
Electrical planning starts with loads and charging
List each electrical item you intend to use: lighting, device charging, fridge, water pump, heating controls and any additional equipment. Note how long you expect to use it, and whether it runs when the engine is off. You do not need to guess a battery size from a social media post. Your intended use gives a competent designer a starting point for choosing suitable equipment and an appropriate charging arrangement.
Ask how the system will be charged in your real pattern of travel. Driving, campsite hook-up and solar can play different roles, and each has limits. A van that moves every day may have a different practical solution from one parked for several days. Season, shade and location affect what solar can contribute. A system should still make sense on the less convenient days, not only in an ideal demonstration.
Decide which appliances, if any, truly need mains power. The distinction between low-voltage equipment and mains equipment affects the design, protection and professional work required. If you want a hook-up point, inverter or fixed mains circuit, discuss the full arrangement and its testing with a competent electrical professional familiar with leisure vehicles. Do not assume that a domestic extension-lead idea becomes suitable because it is inside a van.
Ask how the system will be protected, isolated, monitored and maintained. You should understand how to use the finished installation safely, what signs of trouble to look for and what records or test results will be provided. You do not need to become an installer to ask those questions. A clear explanation is part of a good handover.
Water planning is about use, access and disposal
Start with what the water is for. A simple sink used for drinks and handwashing may be enough. Cooking, washing up or showering increases the demand on storage, refill frequency and waste handling. Water is heavy, and both clean and waste containers must be considered in the weight and layout plan. Remember that a container can be full when you set off or when you return.
Think through an ordinary refill. Where will you fill clean water, and can you reach the opening without dragging a hose through the living space? Can you remove or clean the container if needed? How will you know when it is nearly empty? Now follow the water after use. Where does waste go, how will you know it is full and where will it be emptied appropriately? The waste side of a pleasant sink is easy to forget until the first trip.
Placement matters for more than convenience. Ask how pipework and tanks will be protected from movement, abrasion and cold conditions. Consider what happens if a fitting needs attention after the furniture is complete. A leak should be discoverable and fixable, rather than concealed behind a permanent panel. Make sure components and materials are suitable for their intended use and follow the makers’ instructions.
If you hope to add hot water or a shower, talk about it early. The equipment, power or fuel demand, ventilation and drainage may change the whole conversion. You can still decide not to include it, but that is easier when you understand the space and system it would require.
Gas deserves an early, specific conversation
Gas can be useful for cooking or heating, but it should never be treated as a small final detail. An LPG installation affects appliance selection, cylinder storage, routing, ventilation, access and checks. Plan it at the same time as the kitchen and the rest of the services. An attractive cabinet is not a safe design merely because a cylinder fits inside it.
Decide first what you want gas to do. Would it power cooking, heating, hot water or some combination? How often will you use those appliances, and what alternatives suit your trips? Give that brief to someone competent to advise on the actual vehicle and equipment. For work covered by gas safety law, use a Gas Safe registered engineer with the relevant LPG competence, and confirm their scope before work begins. The Gas Safe Register’s motorhome and caravan gas safety information is a useful starting point for owners.
Ask what the installation will include, how it will be checked, what documentation you will receive and how it should be maintained. Follow the appliance and vehicle guidance for use. Gas equipment and ventilation should not be altered casually after fitting. If you smell gas or suspect a fault, stop using the system and seek qualified help; do not attempt to diagnose a live leak by experimenting with fittings.
Steve’s knowledge covers gas as part of the wider conversion, and students do hands-on gas work during the course under his guidance. A local gas engineer will inspect and sign off the gas installation on the training van the group converts. That experience helps you understand how the system fits with the kitchen and the rest of the van. Ask Steve what specific work is planned for your week and what professional installation or checks your own vehicle will need. A training exercise is not a substitute for any required inspection or certification on your own van.
Work out where the systems meet
The services rarely stay in separate boxes. A water pump needs power. A fridge may affect the electrical demand and the cabinet layout. A kitchen unit may contain water connections and sit near cooking equipment. Heating can change the power plan, storage plan and ventilation needs. Consider these connections together before deciding that one component has a permanent home.
Walk through a few awkward scenarios. What happens if you arrive at a site late and need light, heat and a meal? How will you reach a shut-off or isolation point if the bed is made? Can you remove a failed pump or inspect a connection without taking apart a wall? Is there room for the people using the van as well as the equipment serving them?
The goal is a layout that makes ordinary use easy and faults manageable. A service hatch, spare clearance or accessible control can seem less exciting than another cupboard, but it may be the decision you are happiest with later.
Make safety part of the design brief
Safety is easier to build in than to add at the end. Ask the relevant specialist about electrical protection and testing, gas installation and checks, appliance instructions, ventilation and the placement of suitable alarms. The design and requirements depend on the vehicle and equipment. Avoid copying a diagram for a different van or following an old list without checking whether it applies to yours.
Consider how people will use the van when tired, cold or distracted. Can they identify the controls? Are there clear instructions for shutting down a system? Is there a plan for routine checks? Keep the manuals and handover documents together, and share them with anyone else who will drive or sleep in the van.
If you are buying a partially converted van, do not assume the visible finishes tell you what is behind them. Ask for evidence of what was installed and checked. Where records are missing or work looks uncertain, get an appropriate professional assessment before relying on the systems.
Leave enough room for weight and maintenance
Systems use payload. Batteries, cylinders, tanks and appliances all contribute, and a full water tank adds more. Keep a running weight estimate with the rest of your conversion plan, then check the actual van at sensible stages. Weight distribution matters as well as the total. Seek vehicle-specific advice where heavy items or structural changes are involved.
Think about the van five years after it is built. Filters may need cleaning, an appliance may need service and a battery or pump may eventually need replacing. Can those jobs be done without damaging furniture? Can the owner see the relevant labels, instructions and test records? A conversion that can be maintained is more useful than one that only looks finished on day one.
Keep the drawings, photographs of hidden routes, component details, manuals, certificates and receipts in one place. When something needs attention, you will have a much clearer picture of what is fitted and who did the work.
Questions to bring to Steve or an installer
- What will we actually use in a normal day, and what is optional?
- Which decisions must be settled before roof, lining or cabinetry work?
- Where can each system be installed so it remains accessible?
- What parts of the work require a particular competent professional?
- What testing, records and instructions will I receive?
- What changes if I use the van in winter or stay away from hook-up?
- How will the finished installation affect weight and storage?
- What should I maintain or check after the conversion is complete?
These questions are more useful than asking for a generic shopping list. They give Steve or a specialist enough context to discuss your actual project. Bring a measured layout, a list of appliances you hope to use and your typical trips. If you have already bought the van, bring its details too.
See the whole conversion in the workshop
Electrical, water and gas decisions make more sense when you can see the van around them. On Peak Campervan Training’s five-day conversion course, Steve guides a small group through the wider conversion process using his training van. Students work hands-on with all three systems under his guidance, as well as the body and interior. Ask him which specific tasks are planned for the week you are considering and what follow-up your own vehicle will need.
You do not need to arrive with every technical answer. Start with the way you want to travel, the van you have or hope to buy, and the choices that currently seem tangled. See the course dates and ask Steve how the week could help you turn that brief into a workable build plan.