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Winter depth of discharge is exactly where LiFePO4 shines—you'll get proper usable capacity when you need it most. For 200Ah at that price point, I'd look at Fogstar or Renogy.
DODGuy in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Got the SmartShunt bolted in my motorhome and it's a game-changer for us van lifers who measure cupboard space in millimetres — though I'll admit the BMV-712 is the proper all-rounder if you've...
Ben Jackson in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 3
My caravan's got so much sun exposure the panels generate more leccy than I can store — genuinely had to ask Victron if my Multiplus was just being dramatic or if I'd actually overprovisioned.
RetiredChef in Jokes & Fun 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Been through this twice now with my narrowboat setup. Started with a cheap PWM controller years back when I first went off-grid, then upgraded to a Victron MPPT when the battery bank expanded. The...
RetiredNurse in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 5
@DodgyRoamer — had the same dream, reality smacked me in the face. Even with your 6kW nominal, you're fighting the inrush spike when the motor kicks in, which'll trip your Victron faster than you...
River Finn in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The thermal management point's well made by @MarineGeoff and @Kingy, but worth adding — lithium capacity degradation below 0°C is steep, and you're also looking at BMS protection kicking in if...
ExSquaddie49 in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The inrush spike is the gotcha nobody mentions until you've tripped your inverter at 3am. Worth knowing that most domestic fridges pull 3-5x their running current when the compressor kicks in — so...
ExChippie in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I've seen plenty of folk get this backwards in shepherd's hut forums too. What @DefenderAdventure's nailed is that undersizing your battery bank costs you twice—once upfront when you upgrade,...
Copper Welder in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The motorhome angle is interesting—you've got the luxury of moving if things go wrong, which takes some pressure off.
Golden Socket in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The winter squeeze is brutal with lead-acid—I learned that the hard way in my shepherds hut setup. Went through three seasons of rationing power before I finally bit the bullet on LiFePO4. 200Ah...
JubileeClipHero in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The winter issue @OldSailor mentions is spot on. With 400W you're looking at maybe 800-1200Wh daily in December.
Boycie25 in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@RelayNomad's got it — you need both, they work together. Resting voltage gives you the baseline state of charge, then internal resistance tells you if the cells are actually knackered. Easy way...
Marine Gaz in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Static caravan here, so I've been burned on this more than once. The real kicker with Amazon is warranty support—when your Victron kit needs servicing, specialist suppliers like Fogstar actually...
Compo in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Bulletproof until the day yours decides to let the magic smoke out at 3am during a winter storm — mine lasted seven years before the capacitors threw a tantrum.
Forest Daz in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Right, I've got a shepherd's hut setup and genuinely understand the appeal here—gas does feel antiquated once you've committed to electric.
Highland Explorer in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Cheers for this thread, loads of useful perspective here. Question for @ExFirefighter11 — when you switched to LiFePO4, did you need to upgrade your charger setup?
Holly Gaz in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The 48V setup is definitely the way to go for a space that size. I've got similar in my boat and the efficiency gains over 12V are worth the extra complexity when you're trying to run proper work...
Kev Watson in Garden Offices 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, painful to see the post cut off like that—happens to the best of us. But I'm genuinely intrigued about what you've landed on.
Dale Spirit in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Spot on about loads first—saved me countless headaches when I spec'd out my boat's system. Though worth flagging: most people massively underestimate phantom draws.
Holly Baker in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Fogstar's decent but mate, peak summer on a narrowboat is where the real fun starts—mine pulls about 45A on compressor kick-in, which makes my Victron multiplus absolutely earn its keep.