Give the inverter its own supply
A dedicated battery circuit feeds a Phoenix inverter, while a separate fused branch keeps the cabin lights independent.
Follow the circuit
01
Keep the heavy feed short
The inverter gets a direct battery circuit rather than a small accessory fuse-block output. Short conductors reduce voltage loss under load.
02
Switch the inverter separately
Opening the inverter switch leaves the lighting branch connected. Each branch retains its own cable protection.
03
Include the chassis bond
The protective chassis connection is separate from the negative power return. The AC outlet, neutral arrangement and protection need their own design.
The source and this example
Rebuilt from Victron’s Inverter VE.Direct battery-connection instructions and appendix connection overview.
Crimp selects the legacy 12/800 model, an AGM battery, a DC switch and a lighting branch. This example stops at the inverter’s DC input and chassis bond.
- Victron Inverter VE.Direct installation ↗
Sections 3.2.1 and 3.2.3: battery connections and chassis conductor.
- Victron connection overview ↗
Section 7.2 shows the battery, DC input and earth connection.
Before you build
- Check the exact inverter generation: this example is 800 VA / 650 W.
- Confirm battery surge capability for the intended appliance.
- Have the AC side and chassis bonding reviewed for the vehicle.
This is a planning example. Cable sizing uses Crimp’s ABYC-based method; the drawing does not certify an installation.
Cable sizes and connections · 7 conductors
Lengths are one way. Sizes and currents come from the same Crimp model as the drawing. Each drop value covers one drawn conductor; the full circuit includes its supply and return. AWG values are approximate counterparts to the metric areas.
| Connection | Length | Wire | Design current | Fuse | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 · Renogy 200Ah AGM Deep Cycle + → Main Battery Switch A | 20 cm | 25 mm²AWG 4 | 60 A | 100 A | 0.07% |
| C2 · Main Battery Switch B → Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/800 DC + | 80 cm | 25 mm²AWG 4 | 60 A | 100 A | 0.28% |
| C3 · Renogy 200Ah AGM Deep Cycle − → Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/800 DC − | 1 m | 25 mm²AWG 4 | 60 A | — | 0.35% |
| C4 · Renogy 200Ah AGM Deep Cycle + → Cabin lights + | 3 m | 1.5 mm²AWG 16 | 2 A | 3 A | 0.58% |
| C5 · Renogy 200Ah AGM Deep Cycle − → Cabin lights − | 3 m | 1.5 mm²AWG 16 | 2 A | — | 0.58% |
| C6 · Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/800 Chassis PE − → Ground symbol − | 50 cm | 16 mm²AWG 6 | 0 A | — | 0.00% |
| C7 · Renogy 200Ah AGM Deep Cycle − → Ground symbol − | 50 cm | 16 mm²AWG 6 | 0 A | — | 0.00% |
A dash means no fuse is assigned to that conductor; upstream protection may apply. Recheck the exact device, holder and placement after edits.
Equipment · 5 components
- Renogy 200Ah AGM Deep Cycle
12 V · 200 Ah
Crimp-selected AGM bank and assumed lengths. A 100 A terminal fuse supplies the dedicated inverter branch and the separately fused lighting branch; exact fuse interrupt capability remains unverified.
- Main Battery Switch
Single-pole disconnect on positive bus.
- Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/800
60 A load allowance · 650 W
Legacy Phoenix 12/800 VE.Direct: 800 VA / 650 W continuous, 1500 W peak. The newer 800 W product is different. AC sockets, RCD/neutral arrangements and loads are outside this DC example.
- Cabin lights
2 A load allowance · 24 W
5m warm-white strip, ~24W total.
- Ground symbol
Vehicle chassis bonding point, not an operating-current return. Both DC power conductors are drawn separately.
Crimp checks · 2 findings to review
These are the current engine findings for the saved example. They remain visible when you open it in Crimp.
- warning: Check fuse suitability: 200Ah AGM
- warning: No charging source
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Two parallel roof panels charge a house battery through a Rover controller. The fan and lights each have a separate fused circuit.
See what shore charging puts back
A Blue Smart charger and SmartShunt share one house battery. Both charging and lighting current pass through the monitor.
Crimp for AI agents · public beta
Ask your AI. Check the plan in Crimp.
Connect ChatGPT, Codex or Claude Code to look up components, calculate wire and DC-DC charger sizing, or build a small draft you can inspect and edit. Missing facts and assumptions stay visible.
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