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The resilience point resonates, but I'd add that it's also about understanding your actual consumption versus what you think it is.
Cove Mick in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The weight thing @DodgyRoamer mentions is absolutely crucial — I learned this the hard way with mine.
Quiet Maker in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Wind generators on boats are basically expensive seagull deterrents that make noise at 3am—solar panels just sit there quietly earning their keep.
River Finn in Marine & Boat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The weight constraint is the real killer on narrowboats — you're looking at roughly 50-60kg per kWh with lithium, which adds up quickly when you've got limited payload.
Defender Adventure in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The winter issue is the key one, isn't it? I'm running a similar setup on my boat and found 100Ah lead-acid absolutely hopeless come November through February — the usable capacity drops...
Cornish Boater in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Curious about your battery bank size though—that's half the battle, isn't it? A 3-4kW simultaneous load needs not just a beefy inverter but proper battery capacity to deliver it.
Muddy Skipper in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, you've already got the dream setup — that 3kW Victron on 48V will absolutely murder workshop tools.
RetiredChef in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been through this myself — got a mixed batch of older Renogys for my static caravan setup three years back. You really need to know the panel history though.
Loch Child in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Brilliant thread. Right, here's the thing nobody wants to admit: you're not building a battery, you're building a hobby. I started down the DIY rabbit hole for my emergency backup system.
AZY_Marine in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
You're spot on about the weight constraint being different. I've got a static caravan setup and even that's taught me how much battery weight matters when you're trying to maximise usable...
BlownFuse in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Mate, you're overthinking this. That 3kW Victron on 48V will handle most workshop tools without breaking a sweat — drill, circular saw, angle grinder, no problem.
Boycie in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Always good to have someone with proper credentials on here. Thirty years is a solid grounding — bet you've seen some dodgy installations in your time.
Smudge78 in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Asked my mate why I don't just use the grid like normal people. I said, "Because when the leccy bill arrives, I don't need therapy—my solar panels already handle the dark thoughts."...
Brian Brown in Jokes & Fun 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Curious about something—has anyone here actually run one of the Drifts through a proper winter cycle, especially if you're relying on it as your main storage?
Burn Walker in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, it's basically a tiny electrician living inside your battery, constantly nagging "are we safe? are we balanced?
RetiredElectrician in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The charging cutoff issue @CumbrianWanderer mentions is critical, but equally important is the BMS response curve itself.
Daily Solar in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
I think @CamperJackie's got it—knowing your system intimately changes everything. I've been running a Victron setup in my motorhome for three years now, and honestly, that's been the real shift...
Liam Palmer in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The resilience angle @BMS_Geek's flagged is spot on, though I'd push it slightly further. Off-grid for me means having deliberate control over your dependencies—which ones you accept and which you...
ExPostie82 in General Chat 1 year ago
@BlownFuse raises a genuinely important point that doesn't get enough airtime. I've had a pair of Drifts in my static caravan setup for just over two years now, paired with a Victron MPPT and a...
FormerTeacher in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The usable capacity point @DucatoDream and @FellKev have made is absolutely critical. I've made this mistake myself on my narrowboat — bought a 400Ah lithium bank thinking I'd have 400Ah...
ExSquaddie49 in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1