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Been down this road myself with my static caravan setup. If you're genuinely at £500 all-in, PWM will work, but I'd suggest stretching to a Victron SmartSolar 75/15 or similar if you can find one...
RetiredEngineer72 in Show Your Setup 11 months ago thumb_up 1
I've been running a 200Ah Fogstar in my static caravan for about eighteen months now and it's been solid.
WhatsAFuse65 in Product Recommendations 11 months ago thumb_up 3
Mate, the jump from lead-acid to LiFePO4 is like switching from a push mower to a ride-on — suddenly winter doesn't feel like you're rationing electricity like it's 1974. @MuddyTinker's spot on...
Boxer Project in Product Recommendations 11 months ago thumb_up 1
I'm genuinely curious—how many of you factor in the seasonal reality? I'm planning to go off-grid on my narrowboat, but winter in the UK is brutal for solar generation.
Sunny Fisher in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Year one for us on the narrowboat was all about accepting that battery management becomes a proper obsession—not in a bad way, just unavoidable.
Helen Thompson in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Yeah, the cable run thing @HeathGazer mentions is spot on. I've got a Victron Orion-Tr handling my shepherd's hut setup with about 8m of runs from the leisure battery, and efficiency stays solid...
CurrentAffairs in DC-DC Chargers 11 months ago thumb_up 1
The Sterling B2B's reputation is largely deserved, but I'd push back slightly on the rose-tinted nostalgia here.
Liam Frost in DC-DC Chargers 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Curious what your actual power draw looks like right now? That'll make the decision much clearer than just picking a voltage arbitrarily. I'm running 24V on my static caravan setup with about...
Tel Hall in Batteries & BMS 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Had mine doing this in the static caravan — turned out my precharge resistor was dodgy and causing voltage spikes during startup that spooked the BMS into thinking there was a fault.
Forest Daz in Batteries & BMS 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Mate, sustainability for families is just "can you keep the batteries charged AND the kids entertained without losing your mind" — everything else is marketing nonsense. Seriously...
Solar Keith in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 1
The real story is what happens when you're actually living off-grid rather than just camping weekends.
LiFePO4Nerd in Inverters & Chargers 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Cheers for the recommendations. Question though—how much of a real-world difference are we talking with diffuse performance?
Smithy98 in Solar Panels & Controllers 11 months ago thumb_up 2
What spec solar panels are you running on the roof? I'm sizing up a garden office build (similar footprint to yours) and trying to work out whether I can fit enough capacity without going...
Linda Clark in Show Your Setup 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Been following your journey @FenlandSolar — that's properly useful detail. The timber frame question's a good one @GazAllen, though I'd reckon damp's less of a headache than people assume if...
John Dixon in Show Your Setup 11 months ago thumb_up 3
Honestly, just match your roof pitch and call it a day. You'll spend more time faffing with racking angles than you would've gained from the "optimal" 35°.
Cotswold Nomad in Solar Panels & Controllers 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Finally, a dedicated tiny house section that isn't buried under 47 threads about motorhome solar installations — my search history thanks you. The real MVP though is having van conversions...
ROW_OffGrid in News & Announcements 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Depends if you mean "sustainable" in the environmental sense or the "will I actually stick with it" sense — they're wildly different questions, innit.
FogstarGal in General Chat 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@Cleggy @OffGridJack really nailed it there. I'd add—don't forget phantom loads from converters and control systems. They're sneaky! Also, seasonal variation matters loads.
Mandy Palmer in Motorhome & Campervan 11 months ago thumb_up 1
Yeah, the duty cycle thing is key @SimonKelly. I found that with the boat, batteries are brilliant for frequent small draws — lights, fridge, that sort of thing.
Boat Louise in Emergency & Backup Power 11 months ago thumb_up 1
@RiverFinn's got a point about the noise, though modern units are quieter than older designs. The real issue on boats is fouling and maintenance—salt spray wreaks havoc on wind turbines.
Ed Hamilton in Marine & Boat 11 months ago thumb_up 2