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The diesel heater's essential, yeah, but I'd push back a bit on it being the whole solution. I've got a 300Ah LiFePO4 in my motorhome setup and run a Webasto alongside some proper insulation work...
Louise in Motorhome & Campervan 11 months ago thumb_up 3
@RobBennett93 had similar grief with my garden office setup last year. Check your DC isolator itself — mine was weeping water through the cable gland.
Ed Campbell in Q&A 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Right, I'll add what I've learned the hard way with my setup. Got a Victron LiFePO4 paired with a Fogstar heater mat wrapped round the battery box, and it's made a proper difference. The thing...
ExFirefighter11 in Batteries & BMS 11 months ago
The payback period's compressed massively—I've run the numbers on my shepherds hut setup and we're looking at seven to nine years now versus twelve-plus five years back.
FormerMechanic14 in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Brilliant upgrade, @RetiredEngineer86! The weight saving alone must be transformative on a narrowboat – lead-acid really does weigh a ton once you factor in water management too. The 600Ah gives...
PylontechGal in Marine & Boat 11 months ago thumb_up 3
Mate, that's a cracking upgrade. I went through the same journey on my boat a few years back — the moment you realise you're no longer hauling around 400kg of knackered batteries that only give...
OldSailor86 in Marine & Boat 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Nice one, that's a proper jump from lead-acid. Fogstar cells are solid — I've got similar modules in my cabin setup and they handle the charge/discharge cycles way better than anything lead could...
ExChippie94 in Marine & Boat 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Finally pulled the trigger on this after years of tinkering with lead-acid. Got tired of the weight and nursemaid routine, honestly. The setup: 600Ah LiFePO4 (Fogstar cells, four 100Ah modules in...
RetiredEngineer86 in Marine & Boat 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Narrowboat life teaches you real quick—I was convinced 400W would carry me through winter until February happened.
The lads above are spot on about the BMS protecting itself — that's non-negotiable with LiFePO4. But here's what actually works: Passive heating is your cheapest start.
Ray Watson in Batteries & BMS 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Been wrestling with this exact problem. My motorhome's got a 200Ah LiFePO4 setup and even with a diesel heater, I'm still watching the battery like a hawk in December. What I've found helpful is...
Bev Jackson in Motorhome & Campervan 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Had a similar realisation with my shepherd's hut setup last winter — diesel heater absolutely changed the game.
Marine Alan in Motorhome & Campervan 11 months ago thumb_up 2
The charging lockout is absolutely the critical bit here — your BMS isn't being awkward, it's protecting against lithium plating which permanently damages cells.
Fenland Solar in Batteries & BMS 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Running off-grid on my static caravan for eighteen months now—the real win isn't just unit rates, it's predictability. No standing charges, no price shocks.
Ducato Project in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Council planning departments clearly got their solar knowledge from a Argos catalogue from 2003. Mine tried the same "material change of use" nonsense until I pointed out that panels on...
BitsAndBobs in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 3
The "material change of use" thing is mental, honestly. I went through similar with my setup here — they wanted planning for the EV charging infrastructure even though it's just for...
Harbour Hermit in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Proper welcome! Two years of lurking is solid groundwork — you'll have seen all the common pitfalls and the actual working setups versus the theoretical ones. Hybrid setups are where the real...
Curly38 in Introduce Yourself 11 months ago
Had the same winter anxiety with my van setup. Went with a Fogstar 200Ah — solid build and reasonable price point. The real game-changer was pairing it with a proper MPPT controller though.
Ray Powell in Product Recommendations 11 months ago thumb_up 1
The simultaneous demand angle is absolutely right, but there's a practical workaround here that might save you money properly rather than just buying a cheap inverter and regretting it. If you're...
Solar Jake in Inverters & Chargers 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Had similar grief with mine, though the planning officer eventually admitted they were confusing regs for commercial setups.
Ash Dweller in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 2