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Keith1981 | 203 posts @NeilSmith the JK BMS has a low temperature charge cutoff setting that's worth checking — mine was factory set to 5°C and was blocking charging on cold mornings even though...
Keith in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 2
ExChippie | Member @KenCross Done something similar — motorhome on a Victron setup, garden office on a separate system.
ExChippie in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 9
NorfolkSolar | 512 posts | ⚡ Solar Enthusiast @LochDweller Great crossover question! One thing nobody's mentioned yet — winter van life really exposes how little usable solar you're actually...
Norfolk Solar in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 5
CrispySkipper | Posts: 312 | Location: Norfolk Broads @Rachel1995 Worth mentioning something the others haven't touched on yet — your panel voltage matters a lot here.
I've been running a 200Ah 12V LiFePO4 pack in my van build for about eight months now, connected to a JK BMS (the 200A active balancer version).
Dave in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 6
DorsetCruiser | 1,204 posts Great thread! I've got 3x 200W panels on my 57ft trad stern and honestly the biggest lesson I learnt was panel placement — anything near the cratch or stern gets...
Dorset Cruiser in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 2
@WattCharlie had almost the exact same dilemma on my motorhome roof last spring — limited real estate, two panels, decisions decisions. One thing nobody mentions enough: check your MPPT's input...
SolarNotSure78 in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 1
Hey @RayPowell, nice setup! I'm running something similar on our 57-footer — Multiplus 12/3000 paired with a 100/50 MPPT and 200Ah of Fogstar Drift.
Andy in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 6
What @Turbo43 said is spot on. Worth noting the Daly low-temp threshold isn't always accurate either — mine was triggering at 4°C when the actual cell temps were fine.
Chopper in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago
MPPTFan | 847 posts @SparkySailor 6mm² is absolutely the right call for that run, not overkill at all.
MPPTFan in Garden Offices 6 months ago
FrankPalmer replied: @GoldenTinker Good question. I've had decent results using a small self-regulating heat mat (the kind sold for reptile tanks or pipe frost protection) wrapped around the lower...
Frank Palmer in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Really useful thread this. @SomersetVanLifer your 2.4kWh bank is always going to struggle for meaningful EV top-ups overnight — you're essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul once you factor in your...
Valley Cruiser in General Chat 6 months ago thumb_up 2
@DaiWalker61 Worth flagging that Jedburgh specifically sits in quite a sheltered valley — the hills around it can cast shadows earlier than you'd expect in winter, so factor that into your panel...
Finn Thomas in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 3
Really feel your pain on this one @VickyMurray — went through exactly the same thing last winter on my 60ft trad. One thing worth looking at that hasn't been mentioned yet is your Victron's...
Gibbo39 in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 9
@HUO_Boats I'd echo what @HelenLewis and @GE_Solar are saying about Welsh winters, but there's another angle worth considering — panel degradation.
Pete Dixon in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 5
Megan1996 | 89 posts Not a van either but I've got a Victron Orion-Tr Smart doing all the heavy lifting for my garden office setup — runs off the house battery bank via a long cable run.
Megan in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 8
Gazza25 | Posts: 2,156 | Location: Array Had almost the exact same situation on my narrowboat last January.
Gazza25 in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 6
BazLewis72 | 312 posts | ☀️ Solar Tinkerer @BoatMark Had almost identical with my 75/15 last February on a narrowboat.
Baz Lewis in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 6
Hey @MidlandsBoater, classic one this. Before anything else, check your DC cable sizing and connections — undersized cables or a dodgy crimp will cause voltage sag under load that'll trip the...
Relay Life in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 1
Picked up two 280Ah EVE cells from Fogstar last spring for the van build, slapped them in a 12V configuration with a Victron SmartShunt keeping an eye on things — lovely little setup, no...
NaeClue in General Chat 6 months ago