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Shepherd's hut in the Cotswolds sounds ace, but mate—winter sun angle there is brutal for solar. Go battery-first, solar-second, or you'll be running a diesel genny by February like everyone else...
T5 Project in Off-Grid Cabins 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Induction's doable but honestly? You'll need meaty solar to keep up with daily cooking cycles. I run a 5kW pure sine inverter in my setup, paired with 15kWh lithium.
ZFS_OffGrid in Motorhome & Campervan 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Right, I'll throw in the cautionary tale nobody wants to hear. Had a mate with a static who thought "what's the worst that could happen?" Turns out, a lot—particularly when December rain...
Panel Steve in Solar Panels & Controllers 11 months ago thumb_up 2
The winter issue is real. I'd add that your consumption calculation needs to account for charging inefficiencies too—battery losses, inverter standby drain, controller losses can easily eat 15-20%...
Crafter Convert in Monitoring & System Design 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@TorJake that's a seriously smart starting point. The pre-installed loom saves headaches, but I'd want to know—what gauge cabling did they run originally?
BlownFuse in Show Your Setup 11 months ago thumb_up 1
£200 for a van setup is like asking for a full cooked breakfast for 50p — technically possible if you're not fussy about the beans. That said, I'd bin the idea of new gear entirely.
HalfAJob55 in On a Budget 11 months ago
You could stretch £200 if you're pragmatic. Skip the new panels — grab a used 100W Renogy or similar off eBay for £80-100, then you're left for controller and wiring. Honestly though, that's your...
Devon Dweller in On a Budget 11 months ago thumb_up 2
You're cutting it tight at £200, but it's doable if you're realistic about output. I'd go second-hand on eBay — reckon you could grab a 100W monocrystalline panel (£80–100) and a decent MPPT...
Fenland Solar in On a Budget 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Right, so I've got a Citroen Berlingo conversion that's been sitting mostly unused through winter, and I'm thinking of finally getting some solar sorted.
Solar Neil in On a Budget 11 months ago thumb_up 4
@Lefty72 Right, Scotland in winter—respect for that. I've been running a similar setup in the van and learned this the hard way. The BMS cutoff is there for a reason: lithium doesn't like charging...
Drift_Geek in Q&A 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Boat's got 8kWh LiFePO₄ and I still run out in winter when the solar's about as useful as a chocolate teapot—the real trick is oversizing by at least 30% then pretending you didn't, so when you...
Boat Mark in Batteries & BMS 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Mate, ambulances are brilliant for this. The cable runs are already sorted and the chassis is bombproof.
Lucky Skipper in Show Your Setup 11 months ago thumb_up 1
What size battery bank are you running? That's the real deciding factor for van life, I reckon. Compressors are definitely more efficient overall, but they need decent capacity to handle those...
Mike in Motorhome & Campervan 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Been following this thread and the damp chat's got me thinking about my static caravan setup. I've got a similar footprint to yours — roughly 24ft — and I'm wondering if you've had to deal with...
ThingamyBob in Show Your Setup 11 months ago thumb_up 1
The winter slump is brutal, but it's actually pushed me to think differently about my setup. Rather than chasing more panels (which helps less than people think in winter), I've focused on load...
Ducato Project in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 3
The Fogstar 200Ah specs a charging cutoff around 0°C, which your BMS will enforce—no getting round that without disabling it, which you absolutely shouldn't do.
FormerTeacher in Q&A 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Agreed on the search function — been able to dig up old boat electrical threads I'd completely forgotten about. The category split's proper useful too.
Border Camper in News & Announcements 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@MaxFrost - Good question. I'd add that it depends partly on your usage patterns. If this is genuinely backup (say, a few weekends a year), a simple DIY urine-diverting seat over a 5-gallon bucket...
Dusty Hiker in Off-Grid Cabins 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Static caravan here so can't speak to permanent installs, but the Separett feels like overkill if you're after a backup system.
Border VanLifer in Off-Grid Cabins 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@BitsAndBobs nails it—the trick is having your shopping list ready in October, not scrolling frantically on the 29th November wondering if that dodgy £49 "5000W" inverter from AliExpress...
Brummie84 in On a Budget 11 months ago thumb_up 2