A complete guide to choosing and wiring interior lighting & switches in your campervan.
Lighting is one of the most important parts of any campervan conversion. It affects comfort, safety, battery consumption, and overall usability. This guide explains the different types of 12V lighting, recommended cable sizes, how to wire switches, and how to avoid common mistakes.
Low power use (typically 0.2–0.4A per light)
Very bright, clean light
Easy to mount into wooden ceilings
Best for main cabin lighting.
Great for ambient lighting
Flexible and easy to mount
Perfect for under-cupboard lighting, toe-kicks, bed surrounds
Choose 12V strips NOT USB strips.
Built-in switches
Useful for reading lights, bedsides
Very low power use
Each light has its own on/off button
Great alternative to running separate wall switches
Awning LEDs
Load-area lights
Step lights
Must be IP-rated for weather resistance.
| Temperature | Look | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Warm white (2700–3000K) | Cosy, homely | Living areas, bedroom |
| Neutral white (3500–4000K) | Natural daylight | Kitchens, bathrooms |
| Cool white (5000K+) | Bright, clinical | Work vans, garages |
For campervans, 3000K–3500K looks best.
As a rule of thumb:
Small van (Berlingo / Transporter): 4–6 downlights
Medium van (Vivaro / Transit Custom): 6–8 downlights
Large van (Sprinter / Ducato): 8–12 downlights
Plus:
LED strip under cabinets
Bed reading lights
Boot/storage-area lights
Lighting uses low current, but cable runs are long — so voltage drop matters.
| Number of Lights | Max Distance | Recommended Cable |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 downlights | Under 4m | 1.0mm² |
| 4–8 downlights | 4–8m | 1.5mm² |
| LED strips | Any distance | 1.5mm² |
| Exterior LEDs | Any distance | 2.0–2.5mm² |
Avoid 0.5mm cable — it’s too weak for van use.
Always wire lights in parallel, not series.
Each light receives full 12V.
If one light fails → the others stay on.
All lights have equal brightness.
Voltage divides across lights.
A failed light turns them all off.
Brightness varies.
Never use series for campervans.
Mounted near:
Side door
Rear door
Bed area
Easy to wire and durable.
Available in many styles (toggle, rocker, push-button, etc).
Usually built into the light
Good for reading lights
No extra wiring needed
Perfect for evening lighting and saving power.
Choose a 12V-compatible PWM dimmer.
Off-grid friendly
Good for strip lights
Use RF or Bluetooth
Avoid WiFi dimmers (they waste power).
LEDs cannot be dimmed with household dimmers.
Use ONLY:
12V PWM dimmers
Or lights with built-in dimming buttons
Or dimmable LED strip controllers
Protect the circuit:
Lights circuit fuse: 2–5A
LED strip circuit: 3–5A
Cable: 1.0mm² or 1.5mm²
Place the fuse near the battery or fuse block.
❌ Running lights in series
❌ Using household 230V light switches (wrong rating)
❌ Using cheap Amazon flexible LED strips (burn out quickly)
❌ Running too many lights on one thin cable
❌ No strain relief on ceiling panels
❌ Overloading the dimmer controller
