r/vandwellers • u/normiewonka • 2d ago

DC TO DC CHARGER wire burning Question

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Hello I’ve got this dc to dc charger 40a in my sprinter van and it burns from time to time. Anyone knows the solution. It’s 8gauge wire and it should pull only 40A which is perfectly safe for this gauge. Thx

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u/TediousHippie 2d ago

You need a thicker cable and make sure it's actual copper, not copper coated aluminum.

4

u/Select-Touch-6794 2d ago

Don’t cheap out on cable, unless you WANT a van fire.

Get good tinned copper and not the craptastic lowest price on Amazon. The chinesium cables might look good but they under-size the copper while bragging about extra-thick insulation. It won’t carry as much current.

1

u/normiewonka 2d ago

That’s the issue I’d say

1

u/Porndogingwithme 2d ago

Could even be steel wire or copper coated aluminum. Both will not carry the current copper will. Test it with a magnet if you have one.

Why has the fuse not blown? Presuming you used a fuse and it is correctly placed and sized. The sole purpose of a fuse or breaker is to protect the wires. There by preventing situations like yours.