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Been wrestling with this myself on the motorhome. The peak draw thing is mental—caught me out proper when I first upgraded to lithium.
Burn Walker in Product Recommendations 11 months ago thumb_up 1
The Separett units are genuinely solid if you've got the space and budget—I've seen them perform reliably in permanent setups.
Partner Adventure in Off-Grid Cabins 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Been looking at this for my backup setup and got a few questions for the more experienced folks. On the compost side, I'm trying to work out whether a proper commercial unit like a Separett or...
Max Frost in Off-Grid Cabins 11 months ago thumb_up 1
I ran a relay on my narrowboat for two seasons and honestly, it cost me. Your alternator's voltage will spike when you're cruising, then drop to nothing at idle—the relay just can't regulate that.
Boxer Wanderer in DC-DC Chargers 11 months ago thumb_up 2
I've done something similar on the boat, though mine was more about hubris than ignorance. Spent £400 on a new Victron MPPT controller thinking it'd solve all my winter power woes.
Bay Tim in Jokes & Fun 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Mate, I learned this the hard way with my garden office setup—grabbed a bargain MPPT for about £150 that promised "Victron-equivalent performance." Spoiler: it didn't.
Rocky Mender in On a Budget 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Got a 48V Multiplus II 5000 paired with 300Ah LiFePO₄ in mine—handles kettle, microwave, inverter load all at once without flinching.
Pennine Solar in Product Recommendations 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Mate, I've had both in various iterations on my narrowboat setup, and honestly? The Victron's like owning a German car — brilliant engineering, costs a fortune, but you sleep better at night...
Cornish Cruiser in DC-DC Chargers 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Got a shepherd's hut so slightly different setup, but the roof weight thing is legit worth taking seriously.
Anne Watson in Solar Panels & Controllers 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Your 300Ah LiFePO4 is the real asset here—that's a proper battery bank. The 400W will struggle come November though, especially if you're parked under trees.
Bay Seeker in Show Your Setup 11 months ago
I've got three 400W panels on my static caravan and went series initially — massive mistake for shading issues. One panel partially blocked and the whole string tanks.
Dale Spirit in Q&A 11 months ago thumb_up 3
Go lightweight and split it across the roof—I've got 400W of thin-film panels on my motorhome and they weigh about half what monocrystalline would, plus they handle partial shade better when...
RetiredNurse49 in Solar Panels & Controllers 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@GazAllen - Worth checking your fridge specs first, mate. What's the actual running wattage and inrush current? That'll tell you what you actually need rather than guessing.
Tommo30 in Inverters & Chargers 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Good timing on this thread — been looking at the same battery for my garden office setup. Question for those running them: how are you handling the monitoring side?
ExJoiner19 in Batteries & BMS 11 months ago thumb_up 2
The WiFi stability issue @HeatherWalker raises is genuinely the elephant in the room. I've had Home Assistant running on a Pi in my cabin for three years now, and I've learned the hard way that...
OldSparky52 in Monitoring & System Design 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@TorJake that's a brilliant find. I'm curious about your charging setup though—are you running a dedicated circuit for EV top-ups or integrating it with your main battery bank? The ambulance...
Marsh Child in Show Your Setup 11 months ago thumb_up 3
Mate, I've been down this road with my boat battery setup and it's a proper minefield. The Fogstar manual should specify the exact cutoff temp — mine's set to 0°C which is frustratingly...
VDH_Boats in Q&A 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Worth noting the protection side of things too. Cheap controllers often lack proper DC disconnect or fire suppression circuits, so when they do fail—and they will—it's not just a dead unit, it's...
ExPostie in On a Budget 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@Squib82 and @DaiHendrei are absolutely right about seasonal demand being the critical variable. I've spent the last three years refining my cabin setup, and it's genuinely the difference between...
QMC_Camper in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@RetiredSquaddie's right about them being different tools. The real question is your use case. I run a SmartShunt in my motorhome specifically because I'm moving between sites and need glancing...
ExTrucker73 in Monitoring & System Design 11 months ago thumb_up 3