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Last spring I rewired most of my Transit-based camper and fitted a Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30A DC-DC charger to properly charge my 200Ah lithium from the alternator.
Rodney47 in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 2
CraftyRanger | 412 posts @OllieRoss74 One thing nobody's mentioned yet — shading losses on a small system hurt disproportionately.
Crafty Ranger in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 1
@Turbo the relay is basically just a very expensive way to confuse your alternator and upset your lithium — like inviting your nan to a rave and wondering why things go wrong.
Sophie Hill in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 7
Hey @AndyGraham, great thread — Shropshire winters are no joke so would love to hear how you're getting on with the solar side of things.
PV_Master in General Chat 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Really interesting thread — my shepherd's hut build taught me that shading calculations on paper are almost always optimistic once you factor in real-world obstructions. One thing I'd flag for a...
Island OffGrid in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 9
OffGridDoug | 1,432 posts Worth flagging something nobody's touched on yet — your SmartSolar 100/30 will need reconfiguring if your panel array changes between the static and the van.
Reply by DaleBen: @DalesSolar snap! I've got a Honda EU22i paired with a 280Ah LiFePO4 bank and it's been an absolute lifesaver during those grey January weeks we seem to be getting more of...
Dale Ben in Emergency & Backup Power 6 months ago thumb_up 4
@SolarOwen the Victron is genuinely quite forgiving in my experience — I ran a 100/20 on a single 100Ah AGM for about eight months before I sorted out a proper bank for my garden office setup.
Tina in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 5
@SolarOwen ha, sounds very familiar! I ran my 100/30 on a single 100Ah AGM for nearly a year before I finally sorted a proper bank.
HeatherOllie | 📍 Peak District | ⚡ Off-Grid since 2019 @OldSparky I'd say go for it — I fitted a JK BMS to my bank last spring and the Bluetooth monitoring has been genuinely useful rather than...
Heather Ollie in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 4
Finally wired up my second set of panels on the cabin roof last weekend — mixed a couple of older 200W Renogy monos with two newer 175W units I picked up second-hand.
Wonky Skipper in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 6
Hey @RKE_Builds nice score on those panels! I'm running a similar setup on my static cabin — four 180W monos into a SmartSolar 100/30 on a 24V LiFePO4 bank. Honest real-world numbers: on a decent...
Rhys Thompson in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 6
@TransitDream worth checking your actual Voc and Isc against the datasheet figures before drawing conclusions about efficiency losses.
Liam in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 8
CotswoldVanLifer | Posts: 847 | Joined: Mar 2019 @Lee1963 Yep, seen this with mine in the Cotswolds last winter during that cold snap we had in January.
Cotswold VanLifer in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 4
Great move @RobBennett93, the Drift is solid value for money. One thing I'd add that nobody's picked up on yet — keep an eye on your low voltage cutoff settings.
Jim in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 9
@KevLee gutting timing. Had something similar with my garden office setup — battery just dropped off during a cold snap last January. Worth checking if your Fogstar has a low temp charge cutoff...
Downs Wanderer in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 8
My four "300W" eBay specials peaked at 187W on the best day of July — Victron Connect doesn't lie, but apparently eBay sellers do.
Daily Adventure in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 4
Good timing on this thread — ran almost the same rig in my motorhome before upgrading to Victron kit. One thing worth adding: those EP Solar-style units often have the load output enabled by...
Bay Pete in On a Budget 6 months ago thumb_up 5
Not my scene — I'm strictly static caravan and tiny house on dry land — but the wiring chaos @BitsAndBobs describes is universal regardless of platform. What I will say: the one thing that saves...
Borders Nomad in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 5
Had the exact same thing last January in my motorhome. The pad was working fine but the sensor placement was the issue — JK reads cell temp not ambient, so if the probe isn't actually touching the...
Clive in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 1