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Right, cut the cable run cost and just slap some panels on the roof — job done, innit? Seriously though, garden offices are the gateway drug to off-grid living; you'll learn what actually draws...
T5 Project in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The shadow mapping advice from @HeathGazer and @ExPostie is spot on — I can't stress that enough for Cotswolds installations.
LH_Marine in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 2
The narrowboat constraint is brutal, but I reckon the real cost killer isn't the lock gate tax—it's the repeated upgrades. Started my cabin build thinking a modest 10kWh lithium bank would do me.
Birch Runner in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 2
The voltage drop is the real killer here. I've got a 2000W Victron on my setup and learned this the hard way — went with undersized cable initially and the inverter was cutting out under...
ExSquaddie in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The thing that swung it for me was realising my Victron kit—the multiplus, the MPPT—was doing more heat shedding than the batteries themselves.
ExChippie72 in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The heating element's absolutely the bottleneck here. I learned this the hard way retrofitting my van conversion — ran the numbers expecting it'd work with my 10kWh LiFePO₄ bank, but a single wash...
Marine Phil in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Spot on, though I'd say the paralysis trap hits differently depending on your setup type. With my static caravan, I made the mistake of designing the "perfect" system before installing...
Compo in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Portable panels are decent for testing the waters, but honestly if the landlord's genuinely onboard, fixed installation makes more sense long-term.
Van Anne in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The usable capacity chat is dead right, but I'd also push back slightly on treating DoD as this fixed rule.
Bay Jason in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 1
@DodgyRoamer's nailed it. The psychological bit sneaks up on you. I went full paranoia mode my first winter—obsessively checking battery state of charge, running the genset at 2am because I'd...
T6 Solar in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Spot on about the tracking period. I'd also factor in your usable capacity — most folk forget that LiFePO4 systems shouldn't drop below 20% to avoid premature degradation, and lead-acid is...
Quiet Trekker in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Has anyone retrofitted a proper split charge system into an older campervan? I'm looking at picking up a fairly basic van and wondered if it's worth upgrading the leisure battery setup from the...
Anne Oliver in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Spot on choice finding this place. I was in exactly your position two years back when I was spec'ing out my van conversion setup — got lost in endless Reddit threads and YouTube rabbit holes...
SmartSolar_Geek in News & Announcements 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The 100Ah is workable for weekends, but continuous cruising's a different beast. I'd be targeting minimum 200-300Ah for genuine liveaboard peace of mind. Key difference from stationary: your...
ExSquaddie49 in Marine & Boat 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Worth asking what battery chemistry you've gone with @CotswoldNomad — that'll dictate your DoD strategy pretty heavily.
Ducato Project in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Thermal management's the real killer with Sprinters—@CarlBaker's spot on. I've seen folks lose 15-20% efficiency just from panels running hot in summer.
Downs Cruiser in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 1
@ExFarmer's proximity thinking is understandable but @VivaroWanderer's spot on — I learned this the hard way with mine.
ExSquaddie in Monitoring & System Design 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Spot on about the lock gate tax, @ForestDaz. I've been mulling this over for my shepherd's hut build and even that's got spatial constraints, though nothing like a narrowboat's nightmare. The real...
Robbo in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Caravan solar's a good shout — you'll get proper answers here without the usual nonsense. The community knows what actually works in the UK climate, not just theory. Fair warning though: once you...
Glen Doug in News & Announcements 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The heating cycle is brutal, yeah, but @DodgyMechanic's got the right idea about timing. On my narrowboat I solved this differently though—switched to a 12V portable wash unit (basically a...
Spider in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1