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Editorial policy

By Frank Zale · Last updated

This site gives guidance on high-current DC wiring, where being wrong has real consequences. This page explains how the content is produced, so you can judge how much weight to give it.

Who writes it

All content is written and maintained by Frank Zale, who built his own camper van from scratch. There is no anonymous content and no outside contributors.

To be explicit about what is not claimed: no professional electrical or engineering qualification is asserted, and the content is not currently reviewed by a second qualified person before publication. The site's case rests on transparent method, not on credentials. That is why every formula, constant and source is published on the methodology page for you to check.

How figures are verified

  • Every calculation traces to a named standard or a stated formula. Nothing is a rule of thumb picked up from a forum.
  • The computation core is covered by automated tests that run on every change. A change to a formula fails the build unless its test vector is updated deliberately.
  • Cable sizing follows ABYC E-11 rather than the household NEC table, because the two give different answers and only one is written for vehicle DC.
  • Where sources disagree, the site states which one it follows and why.

Corrections

Corrections are welcome and are treated as the most important messages the site receives. A reported error is checked against the source standard. If it is real, it is fixed and the change is recorded in the project changelog rather than edited away silently.

Email hello@vansolarcalc.com. Including the page, your inputs, and the figure you expected makes it much faster to resolve. See contact for the full procedure.

Advertising and commercial relationships

  • The site carries advertising, which is what keeps the calculator free. Ads are clearly distinguishable from content, and no result the tool produces is influenced by an advertiser.
  • Products named in the content (Victron, Renogy, Battle Born and others) are mentioned because they are what people actually ask about. Naming a brand is not an endorsement, and no brand has paid for a mention.
  • The cost estimates use representative market prices to give a planning range. They are not quotes and are not linked to any seller.
  • If affiliate links are ever introduced, this page will say so before they appear, and they will be disclosed on the pages that carry them.

See the privacy policy for what advertising cookies do and how to opt out of personalised ads.

How content is written

Drafting tools are used, as they are almost everywhere now, but every figure, formula and safety claim is checked against the source before publication and the site owner is accountable for all of it. Nothing is published unread.

Limits

VanSolarCalc sizes systems. It does not design, certify or inspect an installation, and it cannot account for the specifics of your vehicle. For a high-current build, have a qualified installer review the plan before you wire it.