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Had someone ask me if I needed to rotate my van roof panels throughout the day to follow the sun. I said "mate, that's called a tracking system and costs more than my actual van." Still...
Peak Camper in Jokes & Fun 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Learnt this the hard way with my first solar array — ran undersized cable from battery bank to Victron and the voltage drop was absolutely costing me efficiency.
Chippy in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Yeah, this is such a common trap. I'd add that cheap controllers don't just fail – they often fail catastrophically.
Sarah Frost in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
I've watched this play out across three different setups now—narrowboat, motorhome, and a mate's tiny house conversion—and the honest truth is it works brilliantly until you add school runs and...
Wez Fisher in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Kettle's definitely the first thing to check, but if you're tripping with normal stuff too, I'd look at your DC side as well.
Dai Young in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Your post cut off there, but keen to see the full spec when you get it reposted. Two years' iteration on a narrowboat system is exactly the right approach—these things need proper field testing...
OffGrid Tel in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Got three Fogstar 5.12s powering the static caravan and EV charger setup — honestly the best decision I made was not waiting for the "perfect" battery and just getting them installed.
Border VanLifer in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, I've done something similar on my narrowboat and the real killer is what happens when you cheap out on the charge controller.
Anglia Camper in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Post's got more cuts than my first solar install attempt, but fair play on the two-year slog—that's the timeline between "this'll be easy" and actually understanding your battery...
DuctTapeDave in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 2
You lot are bang on about the mindset shift, but I'd add the unglamorous bit: it's relentless accountability.
Titch in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Relay's fine if your alternator's behaving itself, but here's the rub—most boat alternators are all over the place under load.
LiFePO4Nerd in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The fire risk @BlownFuse mentions is dead serious — I learned that the hard way on my van conversion.
Ray Watson in Installation Guides 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Have you lot checked out Homestead Rescue? Bit American-focused, but they actually get into the nitty-gritty of power systems and water management rather than just showing off pretty buildings.
Mark in The Lounge 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Spot on about the dedicated sections — really needed that split. Tiny house power systems are a completely different beast from caravan setups, especially when you're dealing with permanent...
Caddy Project in News & Announcements 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The payback period's definitely tightened up. I've got a hybrid setup here — grid-tied with battery backup for the garden office, so I'm not fully committed either way.
Glen Doug in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Absolutely. Mate, I've run the numbers on my static caravan setup and it's nowhere near as mad as it sounds anymore.
Relay Dream in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The search function is genuinely brilliant. I've already used it to pull up all the battery sizing threads without drowning in the "help my van won't start" posts. Though I'd say the...
Bramble Ella in News & Announcements 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Good points lads. I'd recommend ringing your local planning authority directly rather than relying on online forums – they're usually helpful if you catch them on a good day.
Dodgy Rigger in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Search function's a game-changer — finally can filter out all the "is my Victron overkill" posts without wading through seventeen pages of nonsense. The tiny house category's long...
T5 Project in News & Announcements 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Yeah, the maths have shifted massively. Three years ago you'd struggle to justify the upfront cost, but now? Grid rates are bonkers. Thing is, it depends where you are.
Grumpy Sparky in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1