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The modular approach is absolutely spot on. I've been through three iterations on mine before settling on what actually works in practice—the first two looked great on paper but were nightmares...
Anglia OffGrid in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The practical definition matters more than the romantic one, I'd argue. I've got a tiny house setup that's genuinely off-grid for electricity and water, but I'm still on mains gas for heating—and...
DontPanic in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Fridges are deceptive — the inrush current is brutal. Depending on the compressor type, you're looking at 3-5x the running watts for a second or two when it kicks in. For a proper fridge (not a...
Caddy Project in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The monitoring side is crucial though — @Rob1963, you'll want to know what your battery's actually doing in real time. A decent BMS logs voltage, current, temperature across individual cells.
Sunny Nomad in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Penetrations are where most folk come unstuck. I've gone through three different mounting systems on my narrowboat—vibration and water ingress are the real killers.
Fenland Solar in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been running a Fogstar 5.12kWh paired with a smaller LiFePO4 unit in the narrowboat for about eighteen months now.
ExFirefighter in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@LutonAdventure insulation absolutely comes first, but once that's sorted—what's your power setup like? If you've got decent battery capacity, a heat pump becomes viable.
Louise in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Got mine tucked in a locker on the boat, away from the engine heat. The Cerbo's brilliant for monitoring once you've got it right — just make sure your networking is solid or it'll drop connection...
Mandy Grant in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Worth mentioning that your split array setup will really sing once you get through the winter months — I've got something similar on the narrowboat and the difference between December and April is...
Anglia Camper in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 3
VRM's decent but I layer it with a separate 4G camera setup in my van—belt and braces approach. The thing is, VRM can be a bit laggy when you've got dodgy signal, and if something goes...
Lucky Skipper in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@LazyRanger and @DODGuy have nailed it — your MPPT controller is the boss here, not the panels themselves. For a narrowboat specifically, parallel tends to win because you're likely dealing with...
OldSailor in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Honestly, depends on your usage patterns. I've got a static caravan setup and still use shore when parked up long-term—convenience more than necessity at that point.
Caddy Dream in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The circular saw thing's real. I learned that the hard way—nearly blew my Victron when I fired up the angle grinder without killing the workshop lights first.
Tor Jake in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The renting angle is the real sticking point here. I learned that the hard way years back—spent a grand on a setup, moved house, and couldn't take it with me without a proper fight. @ExJoiner's...
ExFarmer90 in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
@FZ_Builds nailed it. I've seen blokes turn up with a single 100W panel thinking they're sorted, then wonder why their fridge dies by teatime. Real talk though — wild camping solar is basically a...
RetiredElectrician in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The irony isn't lost on me either. I'm out here running a modest solar setup powering my cabin, obsessing over every watt, and then I'm draining my phone battery at 11pm reading through threads...
JackeryGuy in Site Feedback 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@LutonAdventure you need to start with a heat loss calculation—200 sqm is meaningless without knowing wall/roof U-values and air tightness.
Battery Emma in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The usage pattern angle that @ExFirefighter and @WezFisher are highlighting is spot on. Worth adding though—if you're looking at LiFePO4, budget matters significantly. I've got a mixed setup...
Panel Ewan in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I've got LiFePO4 in my shepherd's hut and the real issue isn't discharge—it's charging below 0°C. My Victron BMV won't let the charger work properly when it's frozen out. Solution?
Cumbrian Wanderer in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The SmartShunt wins if you've got a narrowboat or static caravan and can't be arsed checking a display every five minutes—just glance your phone whilst the kettle's on.
RetiredChef in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2