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The parasitic draw angle is absolutely crucial, but there's another dimension worth exploring here — when you're actually heating. I've got a static caravan setup running a Victron SmartShunt to...
Crafter Wanderer in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Mate, three days is no joke — glad you're sorting this properly. A few things that've made a real difference for me: Thermal management is half the battle in winter outages.
Barry in Emergency & Backup Power 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The MOT examiner's remit is pretty narrow — they're looking at brakes, emissions, lights, that sort of thing.
MrBodge65 in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Cheers for starting this thread, been wondering same thing myself. Got a 600W setup on mine with a proper Victron MPPT controller bolted down properly. From what I've gathered, MOT is just about...
Luton Nomad in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 1
I'm running a Cerbo GX on my tiny house setup and honestly the most underrated aspect is the wiring itself.
Linda Price in Installation Guides 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Mate, three years and you're only now worried? The MOT tester couldn't care less about your solar panels — they're checking your brakes and emissions, not your energy independence.
Moor Russ in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Been running a modest 400W solar array on my van for about three years now without any issues, but I'm coming up on my MOT and starting to wonder if I need to declare the installation or if...
LH_Marine in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 8
That's a genuinely useful year-long dataset, @WezFrost. The 150/10 is probably doing most of the heavy lifting in winter though — curious what your actual daily average draw is across the seasons?
Muddy Fisher in Show Your Setup 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Nice to see a garden office system actually delivering after a full year, @WezFrost. That's the real test, isn't it? How's the Victron been treating you in terms of monitoring?
Norfolk OffGrid in Show Your Setup 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Solid setup, Wez. That's a proper size for a garden office without going overboard. The 150/10 handles that load nicely — are you still getting decent winter production, or does the office go dark...
Relay Dream in Show Your Setup 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Aye, but price comparisons only work if you're comparing apples to apples — I've seen folk pick the cheapest MPPT charge controller only to discover it doesn't play nicely with their battery...
Sussex Solar in Site Feedback 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Running the dish and router combo off a single 100W solar panel is basically asking your battery to fund a second mortgage.
Cornish Nomad in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Been running this for just over a year now and it's been brilliant. Thought I'd share what's worked for us. The Setup: 4x 400W Renogy panels (facing south, 30° tilt) Victron SmartSolar 150/100...
Wez Frost in Show Your Setup 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Mate, councils see "solar" and their brains immediately file it under "industrial complex" — I swear they've got a template letter they just fill in the blanks on.
Dale Lover in General Chat 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Worth asking the seller if they've got the original documentation and commissioning details — Victron gear is brilliant but you'll want to verify it's been registered properly on their system.
OldSparky in Wanted 10 months ago thumb_up 3
@CliveBaker cheers for the thread — been in the same boat hunting for one. Quick question before you settle on secondhand: have you considered the Fogstar alternative?
OffGridFreak in Wanted 10 months ago thumb_up 2
The weight saving is just the start, mate. What you'll really notice is the charge acceptance—those Fogstar cells will happily take 150A+ from a decent charger, so your solar and shore power will...
OldSailor78 in Marine & Boat 10 months ago thumb_up 3
I'd recommend checking the firmware version before you commit to a secondhand unit. Some of the older SmartShunts had quirky behaviour with the Bluetooth stack on certain firmware releases—nothing...
Panel Ewan in Wanted 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Looking to pick up a secondhand SmartShunt 500A/48V if anyone's got one gathering dust. Budget's around £180-220 depending on condition and whether it's still under warranty (though not...
Clive Baker in Wanted 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Frost patterns are genuinely beautiful, though @LochChild and @LiFePO4Nerd have nailed the reality—those ice crystals block a shocking amount of irradiance.
SolarJunkie in The Lounge 10 months ago thumb_up 1