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Before I got serious about off-grid living, I worked in facilities management for about fifteen years—mostly managing HVAC systems and power distribution in office buildings.
Burn Walker in The Lounge 1 year ago thumb_up 6
Good point from @BorderCamper about total cost of ownership. I've noticed with my motorhome setup that specialist suppliers like Fogstar and Renogy often price their bundles more competitively...
Moorey44 in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The voltage question really comes down to what you're actually running. In a Sprinter you're constrained by space, so efficiency matters more than in a static setup. I'd lean 24V for your use...
RetiredPlumber in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Has anyone actually compared total cost of ownership though? I've been burned chasing Amazon "deals" on charge controllers—ended up with a Victron MPPT that cost more upfront than a...
Border Camper in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Completely agree with this. I've been caught out more than once chasing what looks like a bargain on Amazon—the real cost becomes apparent once you add VAT, extended delivery times, and dodgy...
Heath Gazer in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been tracking this myself over the last year, especially for solar bits and battery kit. Amazon's convenience is tempting but I've found the pricing often doesn't stack up once you factor in...
Watt Vicky in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Spot on what @DaleSpirit's touched on. I've been there with my motorhome—the real issue isn't the alternator, it's managing the charge properly so you're not cooking your leisure batteries or...
Boxer Camper in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The spectrum thing's spot on. I've got a static caravan that's technically off-grid but honestly I'm just one dodgy inverter away from being back on the council waiting list.
Boxer Project in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Fair points all round. The real killer for me with MSW was the noise — literal humming from the inverter itself, not just efficiency losses.
Downs Wanderer in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Right, I've been lurking long enough. @EssexNomad's "dark" one proper got me this morning—nearly choked on my tea. Here's mine, collected from years of living in the motorhome and...
Forest Jenny in Jokes & Fun 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The cupboard approach works well for environmental protection, but I'd add one critical detail most folks overlook: airflow.
LH_Marine in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 4
That's a cracking project to get started with. Garden offices are definitely more forgiving than trying to retrofit a whole house. Few things worth considering before you spec anything out: What's...
ExJoiner in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 2
@SunnyFisher that's the bit nobody really talks about, isn't it? On my boat I've gone with a dedicated junction box mounted on the cabin roof — the panels sit in a fixed position most of the time,...
Bay Tim in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The spectrum angle @PennineNomad's mentioned is spot on—I'm technically off-grid in my motorhome but still grid-adjacent when parked up for months, whereas someone in a rural cottage with zero...
FormerCop in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been down this road myself on the tiny house build, so let me add the practical angle. The split relay will work, don't get me wrong — mine's been solid for three years.
Brummie in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Been there with both — got a 3kW pure sine in the cabin and a 1.5kW modified sine in the shepherd's hut as backup.
Right, I'll add what I've learned the hard way with my van conversion. Keep lithium between 20-80% SOC for longevity — they genuinely sulk outside that range.
GafferTapeKing in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Cheers for putting this together. One thing worth highlighting — make sure you run the VE.Direct cable separately from your main power cables if possible.
Ducato Project in Installation Guides 1 year ago thumb_up 2
10mm² is your starting point but honestly, go 16mm² if you've got the budget — voltage drop at 2000W is brutal and every millivolt counts when you're trying to run the kettle and microwave...
FormerCop in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@SolarJunkie spot on with the practical angle. I've got both running here — PWM on the static caravan and MPPT on the garden office setup.
Clive Baker in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 3