Cutting a hole in your van to install a solar cable entry gland can be a little scary. However, it's one of the first things you need to do for your van conversion and one of the most important. A solar cable entry gland provides a watertight, durable entry point for your solar panel cables. In this guide I will show you the simple, no-nonsense approach to installing a solar cable entry gland in your campervan. By the end you'll be ready to mount your solar panels and start wiring them up.
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Shane, the founder of The Van Conversion, is a campervan professional dedicated to helping people transform ordinary vans into homes on wheels. He has authored Roaming Home, and teaches The Van Conversion Course, guiding many people through their van builds. Shane also writes The Van Conversion Newsletter, where he shares practical tips and insights. After completing two van builds and living on the road full-time since 2020, he is passionate about sharing his expertise with others.
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Supplies List
 | |
 | For driving and drilling |
 | For protecting bare metal from rust |
 | Sikaflex 522 sealant For adhering the entry gland to your van and forming a watertight seal |
 | For keeping the hole saw lubricated |
 | For cutting circular holes in wood and metal |
 | Metal file For smoothing cut metal edges |
How to Use a Hole Saw
You will need to use a bi-metal (metal cutting) hole saw drill attachment to cut a circular hole in the side of your van for your entry gland.
There are a few things you should be aware of when using a bi-metal hole saw:
Oil: Use tapping and cutting fluid (e.g. WD40) liberally on the metal you're cutting. The high friction will destroy the hole saw otherwise.
RPM: Use the drill on a low RPM (rotations per minute) to keep friction low. This means that you shouldn't press your finger all the way down on the trigger of the drill.
Pulsate: Pulsate the drill while you are cutting. Using a stop and start motion while drilling gives the hole saw a chance to cool down.
Don’t cheap out: Real bi-metal hole saws cost a bit of cash - the cheap ones you find online may not work as well or at all.
Be careful of the swarf:
When using mechanical tools on metal, a lot of metal shavings are produced (known as 'swarf'). It is vital that you remove all these shavings from the van when you are finished. If you don't, they will very quickly rust and damage your vehicle.
Always wear eye protection while using mechanical tools on metal. Swarf can cause real damage if it gets in your eyes.
Learn from my mistakes; the first time I used a hole saw, I destroyed it within 5 minutes because I didn't follow the above advice.
How to Install a Solar Cable Entry Gland
A solar cable entry gland will be needed if you plan on having solar panels on your van. The entry gland provides a watertight, secure channel for the solar panel wires to come into your van and connect to your electrical system.
I personally have 400W of solar power on the roof and it allows me to be completely off-grid most of the year. I use a dual-cable entry gland to bring the positive and negative wires into my van in one place, meaning I only had to cut one hole. Our detailed guide on campervan solar systems discusses solar panels, wiring, and all the other details of a campervan solar setup.
Step 1: Choose a bi-metal holesaw that fits your solar cable entry gland
A 5 cm hole saw should be perfect. You will be cutting a hole in the roof with this holesaw and it's important it's not bigger than the gland.
Step 2: Trace around the hole saw
Place the hole saw on the roof and trace around it with a marker or pencil.
Step 3: Drill pilot holes
Drill a pilot hole in the middle of the traced circle and two more pilot holes close by on either side.
Step 4: Tape some scrap wood
Tape a piece of scrap wood to the top of the van to cover the three holes you just drilled.
Step 5: Secure the scrap wood
Hop on top of your van and screw some self-tapping screws into the piece of scrap wood to secure it to the roof.
Step 6: Use the hole saw
Attach the hole saw to your drill and cut a hole in the roof of the van.
Note: We attached the scrap wood to the van to prevent the holesaw from wandering when we use it. If you use a hole saw on thin sheet metal it is very likely to wander.
Step 3: Treat the cut edges with a file and metal paint
Use a file to file away burrs, swarf, and sharp spots. Then, apply anti-rust metal paint to the cut edges.
Step 8: Stick the solar cable entry gland to the roof
Run a bead of Sikaflex around the solar cable entry gland. This acts as both a sealant and adhesive.
Stick the solar cable entry to the roof, pressing firmly. Alllow the sealant to dry and cure, per the manufacturer's instructions.
Conclusion
I hope you found this guide to installing a solar cable entry gland useful. You are well on your way to a beautiful self-build campervan. Your next steps might be the installation of solar panels or a leisure battery. Check out our guides to learn more.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Van Conversion Newsletter for everything you need to get started with your own van conversion (we'll send you a free wiring diagram when you join).
If you're looking for some guidance with your van conversion, you might be interested in our book Roaming Home, or in our online course The Van Conversion Mastery Course. You'll learn directly from our founder Shane how to convert a van into your dream home - no prior experience needed.
Until next time.