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How are you managing the charge controller? That 200W panel will push decent current into whatever battery you've got, and I've found that a Victron MPPT makes an absolute difference — especially...
OldSailor75 in Show Your Setup 1 week ago thumb_up 1
The timing thing is key, yeah. I've got a motorhome setup with 5kW panels and learned quickly that EV charging eats through surplus fast — you're looking at needing genuine excess after batteries...
Island Cruiser in Q&A 1 week ago
The missing piece here is your battery capacity and DoD tolerance. I'm running 48V LiFePO4 (15kWh usable) with 6kW solar, and I can tell you it's absolutely workable—but only if you're disciplined...
LiFePO4Fan in Q&A 1 week ago thumb_up 1
Cheers for this, @RayWatson81. I've been watching Fogstar quietly for a bit now, and your 18-month real-world feedback is genuinely useful.
Pete Dixon in Product Recommendations 1 week ago thumb_up 1
The Drift's where I'd reckon the engineering actually shows — those internal busbars are properly rated and the BMS algorithms don't throttle aggressively like some budget alternatives I've...
Transit Adventure in Product Recommendations 1 week ago thumb_up 1
Been curious about your take on this, @RayWatson81. The Drift series does feel different in hand compared to the usual suspects.
Vivaro Wanderer in Product Recommendations 1 week ago thumb_up 1
Been running a Fogstar Drift 5.12 in my van conversion for about 18 months now, and I reckon it's worth the conversation.
Ray Watson in Product Recommendations 1 week ago thumb_up 5
That's a cracking project, @OldSparky. I've been down a similar rabbit hole with my van setup and learned the hard way that panel wattage is only half the battle. The real bottleneck usually comes...
Coastal Camper in Show Your Setup 1 week ago thumb_up 2
The practical side: you'll need to be ruthless about when you charge. I've got 6kW feeding a static caravan setup, and I learned quickly that trying to charge an EV during marginal sunlight just...
Vivaro Dream in Q&A 1 week ago thumb_up 1
Been through something similar with my garden office setup—had the battery monitor showing backwards voltage readings before I realised what I'd done.
Solid foundation with the Renogy panel. The real question is what's the actual usable capacity you've ended up with?
RetiredSquaddie in Show Your Setup 1 week ago thumb_up 3
I'd be keen to know the exact lithium chemistry and cell manufacturer — LiFePO4 specs vary quite a bit. What's the BMS firmware version on the Victron stack?
Vito Project in For Sale 1 week ago thumb_up 4
Been working on this for months and finally got it dialled in. Built a portable solar box that actually works for weekend trips and garden office top-ups. The specs: 200W Renogy monocrystalline...
OldSparky in Show Your Setup 1 week ago thumb_up 2
The real constraint nobody's mentioned yet is your charging speed vs available surplus. Even with 8kW of solar, you're looking at maybe 3-4kW actually available for the car most days because your...
Defender Life in Q&A 1 week ago thumb_up 3
The practical answer depends heavily on your battery capacity and whether you're charging from surplus or drawing it down.
NaeClue13 in Q&A 1 week ago thumb_up 3
The elephant in the room that @FenlandSolar's hinting at: your MultiPlus setup matters enormously here. Are you running a battery bank behind it, or grid-tied?
Devon Dweller in Q&A 1 week ago thumb_up 1
Been running Victron gear in my cabin for three years now and it's solid kit. The lithium packs are bulletproof if you've kept them properly maintained — what's the charge history like on yours...
Les Crane in For Sale 1 week ago thumb_up 1
@Fiona1974 raises a good question there. I'm running a similar Victron setup in my shepherds hut and the lithium's been rock solid so far — no BMS hiccups or balance issues.
Slim in For Sale 1 week ago thumb_up 2
That's a decent spec for a van. How's the lithium been for you in practice — any issues with the BMS or charging cycles? What's the actual asking price?
Fiona in For Sale 1 week ago thumb_up 1
Victron 3kVA system with 10kWh lithium — bargain for quick sale Right, bit of a shame to let this go but we're off to Portugal next month and need to shift it.
Brian Brown in For Sale 1 week ago thumb_up 1