How to Wire 12V Campervan Lights (Ultimate Guide)
- Shane Monks O'Byrne
- Oct 1, 2022
- 19 min read
Updated: May 15
In this guide, you will learn how to wire 12V campervan lights, including campervan LED strip lights, LED puck lights, and LED lamps. We'll also talk about Bluetooth control of lights and dimmer switches. By the end, we'll have a beautifully illuminated van.
Index
Shane, the founder of The Van Conversion, is a campervan professional and NCC-certified electrical installer. Since 2020, he’s lived on the road full-time, completing several van builds along the way. He’s the author of Roaming Home and the creator of The Van Conversion Course, which have helped thousands build their own vans. Shane also writes The Van Conversion Newsletter, where he shares hands-on tips and practical insights. He’s passionate about empowering others to make their vanlife dreams reality.
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Supplies List
 | 12V campervan switch panel with USB sockets We typically wire lights with integrated switches |
 | Individual 12V rocker switches An alternative option if you want to switch your lights separately |
 | For connecting wires |
 | For splicing one wire into another |
 | For insulating wire connections after crimping |
 | For compressing heat shrinks on crimp connections |
 | 12V fuse box We typically fuse our lights along with our other 12V appliances in a common fuse box |
 | Dimmer switch for the roof lights |
 | |
 | |
 | Bluetooth controlled LED lights |
 | For wiring strip lights in your van |
 | For crimping wires |
 | For stripping wires |
 | Cable ties and adhesive mounts For sticking wires to roof |
 | To connect puck lights together |
What is an LED Light?
LED lights are efficient, low-voltage lights that are perfect for 12V DC campervan systems. Their long lifespan, full colour range, and compact size make them far better suited for small spaces and low-power systems than traditional lightbulbs.
What Types of LED Lights are Used in Campervans?
There are three types of LED lights typically used in campervans:
In this article we will look at wiring LED lights to a 12V battery for each of the three types above. We will also examine how to wire campervan LED lights to a switch and look at a 12V light switch wiring diagram.
LED Efficiency & Power Consumption Data
Let’s take a detailed look at the key factors behind LED efficiency and how it impacts your campervan’s energy consumption.
Power Consumption of LEDs in Campervans
The primary advantage of LED lighting is its low power consumption. LEDs typically require 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs while delivering the same light output. An LED produces around 80-100 lumens per watt, whereas traditional incandescent bulbs may only produce 15 lumens per watt. In a campervan, where every watt counts due to limited battery capacity, this energy saving is critical for extending battery life and reducing the frequency of recharges.
To give you a practical idea, here’s a comparison of typical LED light types used in campervans and their power consumption:
LED Light Type | Power Consumption (Watts) | Lumen Output | Energy Use Over 8 Hours (Wh) |
LED Puck Light | 3W | 200-300 lumens | 24 Wh |
LED Strip Light (1 meter) | 7W | 600-800 lumens | 56 Wh |
LED Reading Lamp | 5W | 400-500 lumens | 40 Wh |
For comparison, an equivalent incandescent bulb would consume 240Wh for the same duration.
LEDs and Campervan Battery Performance
In a typical campervan electrical system, lighting is usually powered by leisure batteries. Because LEDs draw very little current, they help conserve battery life.
A 100Ah battery can theoretically provide 1200Wh of energy. Running 10 LED puck lights at 3W each for 8 hours will consume 240Wh of energy, which is only 20% of the total battery capacity. This leaves you with plenty of energy for other appliances.
I recommend you check out our battery sizing calculator to pick the perfect battery for your needs.
This efficiency is one of the reasons why LED lights are perfect for campervans, where off-grid living often depends on the solar and battery system's ability to provide consistent energy.
LED Lifespan and Durability in Campervans
Another major advantage of LED lights is their lifespan. The average LED light can last between 25,000 to 50,000 hours, compared to only 1,000 hours for incandescent bulbs. In campervans, where maintenance opportunities can be limited and convenience is key, this longevity is invaluable.
If you run your campervan LED lights for 5 hours a day, they can last up to 27 years (based on 50,000 hours). This dramatically reduces the need for replacements, making LEDs a more sustainable choice in the long run.
Voltage and Efficiency Considerations
When your electrical system comes under high load, such as when turning on your inverter, you may notice your lights flicker. This is due to voltage drop, which happens when a large power draw is introduced in an electrical system.
The low energy draw of LEDs means they can handle moderate voltage drops without affecting performance. For optimal efficiency, keeping your wiring short and choosing the appropriate wire gauge helps minimize voltage drop. Read more about voltage drop here, and use our wige gauge calculator to properly size your wires.
LEDs in Solar-Powered Campervans
For those relying on solar power, LEDs are a game-changer. Because solar setups typically provide low power outputs, the minimal wattage requirements of LED lights allow you to maximize your solar energy.
A standard 100W solar panel can generate around 400Wh of energy on a sunny day. If you're running 10 LED strip lights at 7W each for 4 hours, that will consume only 280Wh, leaving 120Wh for other uses like charging devices or running a water pump.
This makes LEDs a critical component of an efficient off-grid power system, allowing you to stretch your solar energy further.
I recommend you check out our solar panel guide for more information. You can also use our solar panel calculator to figure out how much solar wattage you will need for your van.
Environmental Impact and Sustainability of LEDs
Beyond their electrical efficiency, LEDs are far more environmentally friendly than traditional lighting. They are free of hazardous materials like mercury and produce far less heat, which reduces the cooling load on your campervan in warm climates. This, in turn, lowers the overall energy consumption for maintaining a comfortable temperature inside the van.
Furthermore, due to their long lifespan and lower energy consumption, LEDs help reduce the carbon footprint of your campervan setup. A study by the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that widespread LED adoption could cut lighting energy use by 50% by 2030, resulting in major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Heat Management in LEDs
While LEDs are highly efficient and produce much less heat than traditional bulbs, they do still generate some heat. In a confined space like a campervan, it’s important to ensure that this heat can dissipate properly, though it's not typically a major concern due to the low wattage of most campervan LED setups.
Most LEDs used in campervans, such as puck lights and strip lights, come with built-in heat sinks that effectively manage the heat they generate. As long as you choose high-quality LEDs and avoid installing them in fully enclosed, airtight spaces, the heat management will largely take care of itself. Simply allowing a bit of airflow around the fixtures will help ensure that your LEDs run efficiently and last a long time.
Wiring 12V Campervan Lights in Series vs. Parallel
A puck light has two wires extending from it: a positive and a negative.
There are many different ways to wire up puck lights, and while there is no right way, wiring lights in parallel is generally preferred over wiring them in series. There are two problems with wiring puck lights in series:
If one light breaks, every light after that one will also turn off.
Wiring LED lights in series can cause a difference in brightness between the first and last lights in the circuit. The effect is amplified as we add more lights.
One nifty device you can use to wire up all your lights in parallel is a DC 8-way splitter. It connects 8 wires into 1. You can just snip off the heads and wire them up to your lights.
However, while wiring campervan LED lights in parallel is preferred, it comes with a lot of extra wiring. Because of this, most people opt for a mixture of parallel and series wiring.
Campervan Lights Wiring Diagram
In the above campervan lights wiring diagram, the two LED puck lights in each set are wired in series, while the sets themselves are wired in parallel. This means that if the first light of the first set blows, the second light in this set will also blow, but the last two sets will stay on. We thus save ourselves a lot of wiring for a minimal reduction in redundancy.
As we can see from the diagram, we will be installing a dimmable switch for the puck lights. You will want to purchase dimmable LED puck lights and a 12V dimmer switch.
How to Wire Campervan LED Puck Lights
Step 1: Lay the cabling. Laying wiring is one of the very first things you do in a van conversion, before touching any insulation or carpentry. Before laying the cable, you need to know where in the van you are going to put:
The fuse box
The switch panel
The 12V lights
After you have decided where these things will go, go ahead and lay the wire. Some people choose to run the wiring through conduits or split looming to keep it neat, others will keep the wires exposed. You can attach the wires to the metal surface of the van with cable ties and cable tie adhesive mounts.
It is common to install 6-8 LED puck lights in the ceiling of the van. We run a positive (red) and negative (black) wire out to all the lights. We can use T-tap connectors in two places in order to wire the puck lights per the wiring diagram provided. The T-tap connectors will allow us to wire the LED lights in parallel. You can learn all about how to cut, crimp, and use T-tap connectors in this article on crimping.
Step 2: Wire the LED puck lights. We can attach the puck lights to the wire using crimp connectors.
Strip back the wire insulator half an inch on both the puck light and the wire
Add a male crimp connector to one wire and a and female blade crimp connector to the other wire
Crimp the connectors down with a crimping tool
Add a heat shrink on top of the connection to insulate the connection
In a set of two puck lights in series, the negative of the first puck light runs into the positive of the second puck light.
Step 3: Wire the switch. Most people will want a 12V dimmer switch rather than a simple ON-OFF switch, so that's what we will look at here. 12V light switch wiring is quite simple: positive and negative IN (from the battery) are on the one side of the dimmer switch, and positive and negative OUT (to the puck lights) are on the other.
Step 4: Wire the switch to the fuse box. From the switch, the positive and negative IN will run to the 12V fuse box, which in turn runs to the bus bars and on to the leisure batteries.
How to Wire LED Strip Lights in a Campervan
The second type of LED light we can use is campervan LED strip lights. I have two sets of LED strip lights in my van, wired to turn on together. I also have a bluetooth dongle that allows me to control the colour and brightness of the strip lights from my phone. Let's look at how to wire that system up.
Like the puck lights, we will run positive and negative wiring from our fuse box out to where we expect the campervan LED strip lights to be.
How to Wire 12V LED Lights to a Switch
Step 1: Cut the strip lights to length. You will need to cut the campervan LED strip lights to the desired length, which you can do at one of the cut points on the strip.
Step 2: Add strip connectors. After you have cut the LED strip you will need to add an LED strip connector to the end of it so that it can be wired up. These strip light connectors can easily be bought online.
Step 3: Install the connector dongle. We will be adding a Bluetooth dongle to the end of each LED strip light so that we can control the colour and brightness from either a remote control or our phone. Plug the Bluetooth dongle into the strip connector we just added at the end of each LED strip.
Step 4: Install a switch. We install a simple non-dimmable switch after the fuse box and then wire up the strip lights to the switch in parallel. The Bluetooth controller will handle dimming functions.
Step 5: Wire the Bluetooth dongle. Snip the end of the Bluetooth dongle off and rewire it. Run the positive end to the switch, and run the negative end back to the fuse box. We can splice the positives and negatives of multiple strip lights together with T-tap connectors.
Step 6: Stick the strip lights to your van. The strip lights have an adhesive strip along the back which allows us to stick them to almost any surface. I chose to install mine under my overhead cabinets.
How to Wire LED Lamps
I installed two LED lamps in my campervan; one in the kitchen, and one by the bed for reading. These are very straightforward to wire up.
Run wire from the fuse box out to where the LED side lamps will be. We are wiring these lights in parallel, so splice the wires together using T-tap connectors near the switch panel. We can then simply connect each side lamp to the wire using quick disconnects. Be sure to heat shrink the connection afterwards to secure it.
Advanced Bluetooth and Smart Lighting Integration for Campervans
Integrating Bluetooth and smart lighting in your campervan can elevate your lighting setup from simple illumination to a fully customizable, interactive experience. With smart lighting systems, you can control the brightness, color, scheduling, and even lighting effects right from your smartphone or through voice assistants like Google Home or Amazon Alexa. These advanced systems not only add convenience but also allow for creative uses of lighting that can significantly enhance your living space on the road.
Customizable Lighting Zones
One of the most effective ways to use smart lighting is by creating customizable zones in your van.
You can divide the interior into separate areas, such as:
Sleeping area: Set soft, warm lighting for reading or winding down.
Kitchen: Use brighter, cooler lights to enhance visibility while cooking.
Work/Relaxation zone: Adjustable lighting for daytime work or evening relaxation.
With smart lighting systems like Philips Hue or LIFX, you can control each zone independently via Bluetooth or a smartphone app. This setup allows you to adjust the mood and functionality of each space with the swipe of a finger, making your small campervan feel much more dynamic.
You could also do this with individual strip light circuits set to different colors and tones. Use Bluetooth control to switch between different colors for various purposes:
Warm whites for relaxing in the evening.
Cool whites or bright colors for energizing morning routines.
Color-changing effects to create fun, party-like atmospheres when parked with friends.
You can even match the color temperature of your lights to outdoor conditions, setting them to mimic daylight or sunset hues, helping regulate your circadian rhythm while living off-grid.
Automated Lighting Schedules
Smart lighting apps let you create custom schedules for your campervan lights, which is especially useful when transitioning between different lighting needs throughout the day.
For example:
Automatically dim your lights at night to wind down before sleep.
Gradually brighten the lights in the morning to act as a gentle wake-up call.
Set "arrival lighting" so the van lights up when you return after dark.
By scheduling your lights, you not only add convenience but also reduce energy consumption, ensuring that your leisure batteries last longer, especially when relying on solar power.
Voice-Controlled Lighting
For added convenience, integrate voice control into your smart lighting setup using Amazon Alexa or Google Home.
By pairing your smart lights with a portable voice assistant, you can control your campervan’s lighting entirely hands-free. This is perfect for late nights when you’re already in bed or during busy times when your hands are full. Voice control is especially useful in a compact campervan space where accessing physical switches might be inconvenient.
Bluetooth-Controlled Outdoor Lighting
Extend your lighting control to the outside of your campervan. With Bluetooth-controlled exterior lights, you can easily illuminate the surrounding area when camping in darker locations or remote sites. These lights can be installed under the awning, around the perimeter of the van, or even at entry points for added security and convenience.
Imagine:
Motion-activated smart lights that brighten when you step outside.
Adjustable outdoor LEDs that help create a relaxing evening ambiance around your campfire.
Smart outdoor lights not only add functionality but also boost security by allowing you to light up the area if you hear a noise outside. For a more advanced setup you could integrate door sensors that automatically switch on lights when you open the campervan doors.
Automatically Trigger Campervan Lights When the Door Opens
Imagine how cool it would be if the lights turned on when you opened the door. It could trigger interior lights turning on, or an exterior floodlight above the back doors for easy loading. You can do this in two ways:
Install door sensors
Tap into the existing courtesy light circuit
Turn On Lights with Door Sensors
Step 1. Choose the right door sensors. You’ll need magnetic door sensors or reed switches, which are commonly used for smart lighting systems. These sensors detect when the door opens or closes, triggering the lights.
Look for sensors compatible with 12V systems, as these will easily integrate with your van’s electrical setup. Some popular options include Z-Wave sensors (for smart systems) or basic magnetic switches that you can wire directly.
Step 2. Select the type of lighting. Decide which lights you want to activate when the door opens. Common choices include:
Overhead LED lights in the living space.
Step lights or under-cabinet lights for better visibility when entering.
Exterior lights near the sliding or rear doors for added security.
Step 3. Wiring the door sensors. Attach the magnetic door sensor to the frame of the door and the magnet piece to the door itself. When the door opens, the magnet moves away from the sensor, breaking the circuit, which will trigger the lights.
Connect the door sensor to your 12V lighting circuit. You’ll need:
Positive (red) wire from the sensor running to the positive terminal of the light.
Negative (black) wire connected to the vehicle’s ground or negative bus bar.
Wire the sensor in series with the light circuit so that when the door opens, the switch closes the circuit, turning on the lights.
Step 4. Integrating with smart lighting systems. If you want to integrate this into a Bluetooth-controlled system, you can use Z-Wave or Zigbee door sensors compatible with a smart hub (such as SmartThings or Philips Hue Bridge).
Power Considerations
Make sure the sensor can handle the 12V power supply used in most campervans. Many sensors are designed for home use with higher voltage systems, so check the voltage rating.
Installation Tips
Position the sensor carefully so that it doesn’t interfere with the door’s movement or become misaligned over time. It should be mounted securely on a surface where the door and the frame meet.
Test the system after installation by opening and closing the door to ensure the sensor reliably activates the lights every time.
Waterproof sensors: For exterior door sensors (e.g., sliding or rear doors), consider using waterproof or weather-resistant sensors.
Override switch: Install a manual override switch inside the van that allows you to disable the door sensor lighting system when you don’t need it.
Turn on Campervan Lights Using the Courtesy Light System
Modern vehicles have a built-in courtesy light circuit connected to the door sensors. These sensors send a signal when a door is opened, triggering the dome or cabin lights. You can tap into this circuit to control additional lights in your campervan, such as overhead LEDs or step lights.
Step 1. Locate the Door Sensor Wires
In vehicles like the Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter, the door switches are already wired to the interior lighting circuit. The van’s electrical system uses negative switching: when the door is closed, the circuit is open, but when the door is opened, the switch closes and completes the circuit, turning on the lights.
You’ll need to find the wiring for the door switch. This is usually behind the interior light or connected to the body control module (BCM).
Step 2. Tap Into the Courtesy Light Circuit
You can use a relay to control your additional campervan lights. The relay will be triggered by the signal from the door switch, turning on your new lights in sync with the van’s interior lights. Here’s how to wire it:
Locate the positive and negative leads from the existing courtesy light circuit (connected to the door sensor).
Use a relay (e.g. a 12V automotive relay) to switch your LED lights on. Connect the trigger terminal of the relay to the courtesy light circuit.
The relay’s output will connect to your additional lights, and the power supply will come from your leisure battery or electrical system.
Step 3. Using the Body Control Module (BCM)
Modern vans have a Body Control Module (BCM) that manages the electrical systems, including the courtesy lights and door sensors. You can access these circuits and use them to trigger additional lights.
Consult your van's wiring diagram (available in service manuals) to locate the appropriate pin for the door sensor within the BCM. You can connect your additional lights or relay to this pin, so when the door opens, it triggers the BCM to turn on your campervan lights as well.
Considerations:
Power Source: Ensure that the additional lights you add are powered by the leisure battery, not the van’s starter battery, to avoid draining it when parked.
Fuse Protection: Use an appropriate fuse in your circuit to protect the new wiring and lights.
Adjusting Behavior: If you want to turn off the automatic lights at times, consider installing a manual override switch to disable the lights triggered by the doors.
You can also check forums or service manuals for your specific van model to find the exact wiring diagrams to simplify the process.
Geofencing for Auto Lighting Control
Some smart lighting systems offer geofencing capabilities, meaning your lights can turn on or off based on your location. For example, as you approach your campervan after a day of hiking, your Bluetooth lights can automatically switch on when your phone gets within range. This is a great feature for improving convenience and safety, especially when returning to your van after dark.
Optimizing Lighting for Campervan Interiors
When it comes to designing your campervan’s lighting system, proper placement and lighting optimization are key to creating a comfortable, functional, and energy-efficient space. Whether you're cooking, relaxing, or working inside the van, strategically placed lighting can greatly enhance your vanlife experience.
Layered Lighting for Different Zones
A well-lit campervan incorporates layered lighting, meaning you use different types of lights for specific purposes. This ensures that no matter where you are or what you’re doing, the lighting will be suited to your needs.
Ambient Lighting: This is your general lighting, which fills the van with soft, even illumination. LED strip lights along the ceiling or around the walls work well for this. Use warm white (2700K-3000K) lights to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere.
Task Lighting: For specific activities like cooking, reading, or working, you need brighter, focused lighting. Under-cabinet LED lights in the kitchen area or adjustable reading lamps near the bed provide ample brightness where it's needed most. Task lighting should be cooler (4000K-5000K) for better visibility.
Accent Lighting: This type of lighting is used to highlight certain areas or create ambiance. Use color-changing LED strip lights under cabinets or along the van floor to give the space character and depth. This type of lighting is purely decorative but can be a great way to set the mood for relaxing evenings.
How to Fix an 12V LED Lights Flickering Problem
Sometimes, when the inverter (or other appliances) draws a heavy load, you will encounter a 12V LED lights flickering problem. A larger, high quality pure sine wave inverter will help solve this problem due to its sophisticated power balancing systems. If the problem persists, you might consider running the inverter directly from the leisure batteries, rather than from the shared bus bar. This adds a degree of separation from the 12V appliances.
What Size Cable for 12V LED Lights?
Wire sizing in general depends on the amperage of the circuit, the length of the circuit, and voltage drop. We cover wire sizing in depth in this article. Alternatively, we have built a useful wire sizing calculator which is quick and easy to use.
What Fuse to Use for 12V LED Lights
After you have calculated what size cable is needed, you will need to find out what fuse to use for 12V LED lights. We cover fusing in detail in this article, but in brief, your fuse should be rated to the combined amperage of all lights in the circuit, plus a 25% buffer.
Let's say we have eight 12V puck lights which are 3W each. The amperage of each light would be 3W ÷ 12V = 0.25A. We have eight of them: 0.25A × 8 = 2A. We want to give ourselves a 25% buffer, so we will choose a 2.5A fuse for this system.
Safety and Legal Requirements for Campervan Lighting Installations (NEC and BS 7671)
When installing lighting systems in campervans, adherence to safety standards is critical to avoid hazards such as electrical fires, shorts, and improper wiring. Two major electrical standards guide these installations: the National Electrical Code (NEC) in the United States and BS 7671 in the UK. Read our complete guide to campervan electrical regulations (UK, USA, EU) here.
Conclusion
We've covered a lot here, but you should now feel equipped to design and wire a 12V lighting system for your campervan. Make sure you understand wiring and fusing principles before you begin, and consider pairing your lighting installation with a switch panel. If you're still unsure, check out our electrical masterclass for a step-by-step course on campervan electrics as a whole.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Van Conversion Newsletter for everything you need to get started with your own van conversion (we'll send you a free wiring diagram when you join).
If you're looking for some guidance with your van conversion, you might be interested in our book Roaming Home, or in our online course The Van Conversion Mastery Course. You'll learn directly from our founder Shane how to convert a van into your dream home - no prior experience needed. Shane also offers one-to-one consultations, where he'll help you with any aspect of your build in a face-to-face video call. All consultations come with a free copy of Roaming Home and our Diagram Pack.
Finally, our Van Conversion Ultimate Guide lays out the whole van conversion process in easy-to-follow sections with tools, materials, and step-by-step instructions. It's the perfect companion for your van build.
Until next time.
