[orton]

I'd use a ESP32 and a 8 channel relay board (or maybe a 16) and wire everything off that. I'd mount that beside the new house fusebox. I'd use momentary "normally open" switches to trigger the ESP based upon a "change of state" of the switch. I'd write the code so the ESP32 Inputs triggered by a ground signal. That way every switch would only need one very small wire to it from the ESP because I'd ground each one to the body locally to supply the ground. I could have used as many switches as I wanted to for every single device. If I would have done that, I could have controlled everything from my phone over a WiFi access point on the ESP and even used timers in the code if I chose to. Temperature sensors and photocells could have been implemented as well. Manual switches could have been grouped together and wired using just one cat 5 wire allowing 8 switches to be wired with just one small cat 5 wire. The sky would have been the limit and the costs would have been far less. There would have been no need for 3 way or 4 way switches and all that 14 gauge wire. Better control, centrally located components, less wiring, less voltage drop and less chance for a malfunction! The boards are only a few bucks and the 32's are inexpensive. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess!

I am confused. How would I use a ESP32 and a relay board? What would I control?

I have the following 12 volt switches:

1. On/off switch at the ceiling at rear doors for the rear LED light.
2. On/off switch high on shower wall for the shower LED light.
3. On/off switch on side of sink cabinet for two LED lights over sink counter.
4. On/off switch on wall above the sink counter for the water pump.
5. On/off switch on bottom of right side overhead cabinet for LED light string under passenger side upper cabinet.
6. On/off switch on bottom of left side overhead cabinet for LED light string under driver side upper cabinet.

Light switches are placed where I will be located when I want that particular light.

I have two shore power 120 volt AC selector switches:

1. A 3 position switch to select shore power or " shore power" from the vehicle powered inverter or off.
2. A 4 position switch to select charging or water heating or air heating or off. In charging position that charges house battery and powers the 120 volt AC duplex outlet string.

No other controls. All 12 volt loads powered by Blue Sea fuse blocks.

One string of 120 volt AC duplex outlets.

All DC and AC wiring done with "SOOW" cords. 14/3 for AC, 12/2 for 12 volt plugs, 14/2 for Maxxair and water pump and 16/2 for LED lights.

 

[orton]

I'd control all the lights with the ESP. That way I could put "control panels" in different places that would allow control of any light from any location. I'd probably use regular blank household wall palates and drill holes in it for the switches. Then just run a cat 5 wire to each panel. Buttons could be programed to allow dimming and/or count down to off. It could even be programed that when the TV is turned on, the lights dim. A "one button" "all off" or "all on" would be easy too. If you always had a hot spot, it could even be Alexa controlled.

The way I did my NON-ESP wiring added a lot of complicated wiring and larger switches. I have one LED strip set that can be turned on or off from 4 locations (drivers seat, countertop area, sliding door and above the bed), that required two 3 way switches and two 4 way switches with wiring between all the switches. I bet there's 40 feet of wire just for that. With a ESP, I could have ran one wire from the relay to the LED's and used cat 5 to all the panels. That one cat 5 ran back to the ESP would control 8 devices. Then anytime I wanted to I could add, change or remove a switches function in each panel. There would never be a need to rewire anything if I wanted to change or add something. Just reprogram the ESP. I could do that "over the air" while the van is in the driveway.

I'd also like to be able to turn the Van PC on from in the house. Sometimes I download videos to the hard drive and have to go out and turn the inverter on. The PC fires up anytime it has power so a ESP on the WiFi and a relay would allow me to turn it on remotely.

The only drawback would be there would be a very very very small power draw from the ESP. It would takes months and months to wear down a battery.

I understand your description. My conversion is much simpler so no need for automation. I reduced the number of lights and refined the switch location from the Sprinter build for the Transit build. Putting the switches in the location I would be located was a big improvement compared to the Sprinter build with switches in the wrong locations and too many lights.

I hate TV so no need to think about that. One reason for the van is to escape TV.

We all have different requirements so what I built would not be what you would want.

 

[orton]

NOTE: Solid state relays might sound good but they don't like to switch DC voltage. They switch on (or off) when the AC wave form is at the zero cross over point. (See below) DC current has no cross over point. If you're switching AC they're a good choice.

When I installed my vehicle 12 volt powered inverter I wanted to delay the inverter start so inverter would start after the engine was running. I uses one of the user defined switches for the engine run signal. The user defined switches are powered in the accessary key position before engine starting so without a delay the inverter would have started before the engine started.

Bought a solid state DC time delay relay. Purchased relay did not delay the inverter start. Thought relay was defective so got a replacement relay. Second relay also did not delay the signal. Had to replace the relay with a relay with mechanical contacts. The third relay with contacts worked. A solid state relay used on 12 volt DC has enough leakage that the 12 volt signal to start the inverter was present through the relay with or without the delay.

 

[orton]

Just for information the 2015 OEM optional LED lights work fine powered by a 12 volt DC house battery.

I did not buy any lights. Reused the four LED lights that came with the van.

 

[orton]

@orton would love to know if something like this would work:

https://intellitec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/53-00629-000.pdf

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I thought I had a faulty solid state time delay. Had the supplier sent me a replacement but it also did not provide a time delay. Obtained the phone number of the relay manufacturer from the supplier. Explained my installation and he stated that a solid state relay has a small amount of output at all times. The inverter remote contact only requires a small input so was starting from that input. The relay manufacturer said I needed a relay that has mechanical contacts to eliminate any output before the time delayed output. Changed to a time delay relay with mechanical contacts which solved the problem. Now inverter will not start until after the time delay.

 

[orton]

Awesome to hear that you got this working! Do you have a link / product number for the relay thar you used? Much thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dayton # 21EP67. Manufacturer is Macromatic and their part # is THR-3816U

Further Information is on this web page:

Vehicle Inverter | Orton Travel Transit (ortontransit.info)

 

[orton]

Thanks for the info as it had me rethinking the RedArc Redvision system again but it’s too limited. Now I’m looking at something like the RCR Force-12

RCR-FORCE-12 - Switch-Pros

www.switchpros.com

Do you really need that many switches? $980 is expensive.

In my conversion I have 6 switches. 5 located where I am standing or sitting when I want to turn on a light. 1 switch behind sink to turn the water pump on/off. The fan, refrigerator and microwave are operated with their controls.

I have learned it is much more convenient to operate a function from where I am located than it is to walk to a central switch panel and then walk back to where I was.

 

[orton]

Maybe three sets of indoor lights, an outside light or two, water pump will need to be controlled in two areas, air compressor.

I had too many lights in the Sprinter build. Thought about where I actually needed lights in Transit build.

Removed the four Ford LED lights reused them powered by the house battery.

One above the rear doors with switch next to it. One above shower with switch up high on shower wall. Two above the sink with switch on side of sink accessible from front of sink and from outside the slider door. No lights turn on when slider door is opened. Only other lighting is two LED strips inserted in bottom 80/20 slot in upper cabinets above the bed. LED on/off switches located on bottom of cabinets reachable from bed or when standing in the aisle.

Instead of a high amperage DC permanently mounted air compressor I bought a less expensive portable 120 volt AC compressor powered by the house 1000 watt inverter. Instead of piping air I just carry the compressor to where I want it.

1 Gallon 135 PSI Ultra Quiet Hand Carry Jobsite Air Compressor (harborfreight.com)