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Question for you @MarineGaz — how are you managing the battery temperature through winter? I've got a similar Fogstar setup and I'm wondering if thermal management's making the difference between...
George in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Mate, I tried this on the narrowboat—alternator cost £40, the Victron DC-DC converter that actually keeps your batteries alive cost £300.
Dodgy Socket in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
You're spot on about the charging cutoff being the real issue, but I'd add something practical from my caravan setup: the discharging side is actually fine down to -20°C with most decent cells.
Ducato Project in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 4
The SmartShunt's where it's at if you're doing EV charging alongside your battery setup—you'll want that Bluetooth data streaming to your phone rather than squinting at a physical display in the...
Marine Gaz in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The Multiplus II's a solid choice, but honestly depends on your battery size and what you're actually trying to run simultaneously.
DODGuy in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The battery drain on electric heating is brutal — I learned that the hard way during my first winter in the narrowboat.
Wez Frost in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I've got both running on the boat actually—PWM on the small 100W panel that feeds the auxiliary systems, MPPT handling the main 400W array into a 24V lithium bank.
Callum Hobbs in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Brilliant point about using the van as a testbed. Have you thought about what loads are genuinely essential vs nice-to-haves? I'm finding that distinction absolutely crucial for my cabin setup.
Partner Nomad in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The battery choice is going to be the real limiter here. At £500 total you're almost certainly looking at used lead-acid or possibly some of the cheaper lithium options from AliExpress — neither...
Defender Adventure in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The scaffolding thing is proper relatable — mine's been up for two years now and I've just accepted it at this point. On the battery side, @BayTim's got the right question.
Anne Watson in Garden Offices 1 year ago thumb_up 1
What's your heating setup like? That's usually the real wildcard in winter. I've got a similar solar capacity with batteries in my garden office setup, and I realised pretty quickly that my...
Holly Gazer in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
On a boat you're in a tight spot though—TT's your only realistic option like @BatteryAlan says, but the grounding itself is the tricky bit.
Peak VanLifer in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Reckon that's the sweet spot though — getting something running teaches you what you actually need versus what the spec sheets say you need.
Boat Louise in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Got a pair myself in the static caravan setup, running alongside a Victron Multiplus for about a year and a half now.
DODGuy in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 5
@DailySolar's hit the nail on it with discharge rates. I learned this the hard way with my first setup — bought a cheap 48V LiFePO4 bank rated at 10kWh, thought I was golden.
Expert Camper in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Reckon you've all nailed the philosophical bit, but here's the thing—I've got three setups running and they're all off-grid in completely different ways.
Volt Max in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Your facilities background is genuinely a massive advantage, @BurnWalker—but not necessarily in the way you might think.
Andy Robinson in The Lounge 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Great thread, this. @MarineGaz, that's a solid foundation you've got there. The Multiplus is a workhorse—really reliable bit of kit. What I'd add to what @RetiredNurse49's mentioned about winter...
Debbie Powell in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Right, so the inrush issue is real but I reckon you've got options depending on your battery spec. What's your current inverter rated for surge-wise?
NotAnElectrician in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The examiner inconsistency is genuinely frustrating. I've dealt with it on my static caravan setup when trying to get electrical sign-off — had one inspector who was paranoid about battery...
Ducato Project in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1