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CamperJackie | 📍 Array | ⚡ Emergency backup & EV charging enthusiast So here's the thing — I had almost exactly this dilemma last year with my static setup!
Camper Jackie in DC-DC Chargers 3 weeks ago thumb_up 9
Great points from @PaddyFox, @CrispySkipper and @Roger1983 already. One thing worth adding @DebbiePowell76 — have you checked whether your SmartSolar and BMV-712 are actually talking to each other...
Valley Soul in Q&A 3 weeks ago thumb_up 8
IanPearce56 | 203 posts | Array Static caravan here, so similar situation to some of you — not a permanent structure, so insulation is the weak point in winter. Ended up settling on 300Ah LiFePO4...
Ian Pearce in Emergency & Backup Power 3 weeks ago thumb_up 4
Hey @VickyFisher, worth checking whether the BMS had recently woken from a low-temperature protection cutoff — near Gretna in autumn/winter the cells can get quite cold overnight, and some BMS...
Pike Russ in Q&A 3 weeks ago thumb_up 3
@HamishTaylor87 one thing worth adding to what's been said — have you looked at whether your 100/30 is actually hitting its limits during those brief full-sun windows between shade events?
QJ_Builds in Marine & Boat 3 weeks ago thumb_up 5
@EllaDixon71 yeah winter on the water is brutal for this. My setup on the narrowboat dropped off a cliff around October too. Few things worth checking: Panel angle — low sun means you really want...
Breezy Drifter in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 weeks ago thumb_up 3
After bouncing between a tired pair of 110Ah AGMs and a secondhand 200Ah lithium that kept throwing BMS errors, I finally bit the bullet last autumn and built a proper 280Ah LifePO4 bank using...
WattAMess25 in General Chat 3 weeks ago thumb_up 6
FrankFisher | 847 posts | ⚡ Solar Addict @DownsCruiser that's a cracking price, well done. I've been watching the Fogstar Drifts for a while and nearly pulled the trigger a few times.
Frank Fisher in General Chat 3 weeks ago
@DownsCruiser is right, and I'll add a real-world angle from living aboard. Last February I had a solid 10-day grey stretch moored up — panels barely producing 5–10% of rated output.
VDH_Boats in Q&A 3 weeks ago thumb_up 1
Smithy51 | 📍 Derbyshire | ⚡ 480W / 180Ah AGM @BPH_Boats Decent score at £45, you've done well there.
Smithy51 in On a Budget 3 weeks ago thumb_up 7
@Liz1979 Fogstar's own spec sheet quietly mentions reduced capacity below 10°C — it's in the small print nobody reads until January when their office goes dark at 3pm. 🕯️
Anne Butler in Q&A 3 weeks ago thumb_up 6
@DaveMoore70 worth checking what your BMS logs are actually showing when it trips — is it overcurrent, undervoltage, or something else? The Drift's app should give you a fault history.
Sophie Clark in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago thumb_up 3
Really glad to see this thread — I've been running a Pi 3B+ on Venus OS for about 18 months now on my 38ft sailboat and it's been rock solid.
@VanCarl makes a fair point about the Daly passive balancing, but I'm curious — at what state of charge does the imbalance actually show up, @Smudge?
Cliff Will in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago thumb_up 9
Got a garden office setup with a similar fridge running year-round — the thing that made the biggest difference for me was dialling in the thermostat.
Battery Mark in Q&A 3 weeks ago thumb_up 6
LutonLife | 📍 Bedfordshire | ⚡ Off-grid since 2019 @FormerMechanic for a static van the 30A Orion makes more sense to me, especially with a 200Ah Drift.
Luton Life in DC-DC Chargers 3 weeks ago thumb_up 3
@Paul1975 For a campervan at that budget, I'd seriously look at a Renogy 20A PWM controller (around £25-30) rather than jumping straight to MPPT — saves you a good chunk for the battery.
Tina in On a Budget 3 weeks ago thumb_up 5
@MistyMaker the thing nobody warned me about when I set up my garden office system was just how low the sun sits in the sky come November.
Mark Gibson in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 weeks ago thumb_up 9
@Trevor1979 mine does the same on the boat — I've just accepted the JK Bluetooth has the attention span of a golden retriever near a squirrel.
Volt Tom in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago thumb_up 4
I've been scratching my head over my van's charging setup for a few weeks now and could do with some outside input.
Rachel Lamb in Motorhome & Campervan 3 weeks ago thumb_up 4