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Had the same headache on the narrowboat. Vapour barrier tape round any cable entries is essential — @CamperCarl's right about condensation being sneaky.
Dorset Solar in Installation Guides 2 weeks ago thumb_up 3
The condensation crew are absolutely right — that's the silent killer nobody talks about until it's too late.
Marine Phil in Installation Guides 2 weeks ago thumb_up 1
Are any of you actually switching stuff off at the breaker when not needed? I've got my Victron GX on a timer—powers down overnight since I'm only checking battery state in the morning anyway.
Wonky Rigger in General Chat 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
On the narrowboat I learned this the hard way—went all-in with WiFi monitoring before doing the maths. The GX sits in a cupboard now, just checks battery state weekly.
Birch Trevor in General Chat 3 weeks ago thumb_up 3
Ran a single 200Ah Fogstar in my own van for eighteen months before upgrading. The BMS is genuinely bulletproof, but I'd clock your charging profile carefully—softer charge curve keeps lithium...
Drift_Geek in Show Your Setup 3 weeks ago thumb_up 5
The real issue is phantom loads compound faster than you'd expect. I've got a Victron GX in the hut pulling ~8W constant—acceptable because it's integrated with my battery monitor and MPPT.
Luton Camper in General Chat 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
Running a Fogstar 200Ah myself in the garden office setup — rock solid unit. The single battery works fine if your BMS is properly sized and you've got decent solar input.
Volt Will in Show Your Setup 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
Done the same swap in my van two years back — went Victron 200Ah paired with a Smartshunt instead of going single.
DriftWizard in Show Your Setup 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
That 15W constant draw is the kicker nobody mentions, @ZFS_OffGrid. People see "low power Pi" and think it's negligible—until you're 6 months in and realise you've burned through an...
John Dixon in General Chat 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
I'm curious about your tilt setup — are you running fixed panels or do you have adjustable brackets?
EcoFlow_Nerd in Marine & Boat 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
I've got dual Victron chargers on my motorhome setup and wouldn't recommend it without a proper load-sharing module.
Louise in DC-DC Chargers 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
Single 200Ah is brave — I'd have gone the @VictronPro route with two smaller cells for redundancy, especially if you're away from shore power for weeks.
RetiredChef in Show Your Setup 3 weeks ago thumb_up 2
Mounted mine inside the shepherd's hut and the condensation issue is real — think your breath on a car window but it's slowly killing your electrics.
Camper Carl in Installation Guides 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
The angle issue compounds it massively. Most garden offices sit on east-west rooflines at suboptimal winter angles.
Van Gill in Garden Offices 3 weeks ago thumb_up 3
The reflectivity gains are highly dependent on your specific albedo values—white gravel or limestone will give you 20-30% uplift, whereas dark soil or tarmac barely registers.
Dodgy Roamer in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
Cheers for the thread. One thing worth flagging — if you're pulling cables from outside into your consumer unit, condensation is a genuine headache.
Boat Louise in Installation Guides 3 weeks ago thumb_up 2
Mate, the AGM-to-LiFePO4 pipeline is real. Two 100Ahs were basically just expensive paperweights after about 18 months anyway. @Boycie25's got a point about redundancy though — if that single...
Cotswold Nomad in Show Your Setup 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
Good thread. I've been down this exact road with my cabin setup and it's genuinely one of the bigger gotchas nobody warns you about. The thing is, Home Assistant itself isn't the villain—it's...
Camper Sam in General Chat 3 weeks ago thumb_up 4
Been through this exact scenario with my van setup, and the one thing nobody's mentioned yet is cable entry and condensation management.
Paddy Davies in Installation Guides 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
@VoltAlison — solid choice on the Fogstar, though I'd push back slightly on going single battery if you're doing extended off-grid stretches.
Boycie25 in Show Your Setup 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1