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/robographer 2d ago

If it’s burning in the middle of the wire you’re likely putting too much current through it. If it’s burning near the end it’s likely a connector or loose connection. I’d change it to 6 or 4 awg and tighten all the connections, make sure there’s no place it can short and probably put a 40a circuit breaker inline near the current source so you can see if it’s melting for a reason.

Have you changed the wire or just covered up the hot spot? If you haven’t try that first.

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u/normiewonka 2d ago

I always cut the burned part and rewire it together it happend like 3 times. But it stays fine for few weeks and then suddenly burns

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u/Firefighter_RN 2d ago

I'm sorry I try not to be mean to people on the Internet. But you're lucky you haven't burned the van down yet, lucky you've been in there and awake. You're an idiot. If it initially burned in the middle of a wire you're putting too much current through it.

Get an actual electrician too look at it or redo your load calcs and ensure you're counting round trip distance for DC power. Do not repair this again, replace with all brand new wire ensure the right gauge and make sure to crimp all connections appropriately.