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Genuinely curious though — has anyone actually used one with LiFePO4 batteries? I'm planning a tiny house setup and keep hearing they're "fine" with lithium, but that's not the same as...
EcoFlowMaster in DC-DC Chargers 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The BMS question @DefenderAdventure raises is spot on—you're essentially betting your entire battery bank on that management circuit.
Marine Geoff in On a Budget 10 months ago thumb_up 1
@Cleggy's 200W will get you through light camping, but once you're cooking, heating water, or running a fridge regularly, you'll feel the pinch.
Paddy in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Cheers all for the solid advice. @NotAnElectrician80, one thing I'd emphasise: get your building regs sorted early—Cotswolds planning can be finicky.
BigAl31 in Off-Grid Cabins 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Exactly — and it's worse when you've got panels metres away from the controller. I calculated mine at 4m² cross-section for a 15m run.
Boxer Camper in Installation Guides 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Induction's brilliant but that shepherd's hut will need serious battery grunt – we're talking 48V lithium minimum if you fancy cooking without waiting three hours between meals.
OffGridGeek in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Spot on about the peak draws—that's what did for me on the narrowboat. I went through two Waeco units before realising the startup surge was hammering my battery management system.
Deano in Product Recommendations 10 months ago
Are you lot getting noticeably better winter output with those brands? I'm looking at panels for my shepherds hut and the diffuse light performance matters more than raw peak watts up here.
Stormy Welder in Solar Panels & Controllers 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Worth checking your cell balancing state — if one cell's drifting, the BMS will cut out to protect itself. Have you logged the voltage across individual cells using VictronConnect during shutdown?
Daily Solar in Batteries & BMS 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Have a Victron Pure Sine in the garden office and honestly, the efficiency difference is real — wastes less energy as heat.
Sunny Viking in Inverters & Chargers 10 months ago thumb_up 2
The inverter's only half the battle though. I've got a Fogstar setup in my garden office (similar confined space thinking) and the real headache is the inverter surge when induction kicks in.
Lisa Hunt in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Both, mate. Genuinely. Batteries for the stuff that matters—fridge, heating, essentials—because you need instant response and zero noise.
Dorset Explorer in Emergency & Backup Power 10 months ago thumb_up 1
48V is solid for this application. The real question is your battery chemistry—LiFePO₄ gives you proper usable capacity versus lead-acid's 50% DoD limitation.
Devon Dweller in Garden Offices 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Been running a Renogy DCC50S in my van for about eighteen months now, and I'll be honest — it's the budget option that actually works.
Cotswold Nomad in DC-DC Chargers 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Generator wins on runtime and cost per kWh, but batteries win on not waking the neighbours at 3am—which is where my static caravan setup lives or dies, frankly.
Kent Cruiser in Emergency & Backup Power 10 months ago thumb_up 5
Has anyone factored in ambient temperature? Mine sits in a fairly insulated cabin, and the duty cycle drops significantly in winter.
OffGridFreak in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The Multiplus handles the inrush beautifully, but have you lot considered your AC breaker sizing? Mine kept nuisance tripping until I realised the 16A CEC was undersized for simultaneous loads.
Carl Baker in Emergency & Backup Power 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Mate, on a narrowboat you're voltage-limited more than anything else. Series gets you higher voltage which plays nicer with long runs from roof to cabin batteries, but four 400W panels in series...
Cliff Gazer in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 1
I've got a Fogstar 12V compressor fridge in my garden office setup and it's been brilliant, though I'll be honest about the trade-offs.
Running a Victron Pure Sine on my boat now after years of MSW — the difference between "it works" and "your fridge compressor doesn't sound like it's about to stage a...