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Static caravan = perfect use case for a Victron Multiplus II 3000. Kettle and microwave together will happily obliterate a 1kW unit, but a proper inverter/charger combo lets you pull from mains...
ExBrickie94 in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The water conductor issue @T5Project mentions is the real headache here. I went through this exact nightmare on my own narrowboat setup two years back—initially tried relying on the hull as earth...
LiFePO4Nerd in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The reality check is spot on. I'm three years into my static caravan setup now, and year one was definitely about finding your rhythm with the seasons.
Max in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, just accept you're not charging them below 0°C and move on—nature's saying no. Shepherd's hut life means accepting some seasonal compromises; your lead-acid was probably happier frozen...
Dale Lover in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The storyteller in me wants to say: you'll learn more by doing than by reading a thousand forum threads.
Dale Vicky in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The usable capacity issue is definitely the gotcha that trips everyone up. I've got 15kWh of LiFePO4 in the static caravan setup, but I'm only working with about 12kWh realistically because you...
Brian Knight in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
They're right that internal resistance matters, but you need the resting voltage first to establish a baseline — can't assess resistance meaningfully if your battery's half-dead to begin with. On...
Relay Nomad in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The first year's a proper education, @DriftGal. I learned more about my LiFePO4 system in month two than I expected to grasp in six. Real talk—battery management becomes obsessive.
LiFePO4Nerd in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Right, I'll be honest with you—the first year is more of a learning curve than you might expect, even if you've done your homework. I came off-grid about eighteen months ago with what I thought...
DriftGal in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Portable panels are brilliant for renting but honestly, if your landlord's actually agreed to permanent kit, that's golden—don't waste it on something you'll lug around later.
Wonky Hermit in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Reckon there's a middle ground though? I'm about six months in with my cabin setup and I do think some upfront planning saved me grief. Thing is, I wasted money initially by just grabbing bits —...
Partner Project in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@PikeTom you can't really switch without swapping the actual hardware, but I'll tell you what changed my thinking on this—I used to run a cheap PWM controller in my motorhome during summer months,...
LiFePO4Nerd in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The winter thing is brutal, honestly. I've got a cabin setup and learned the hard way that you can't just scale up a summer system and expect it to work year-round.
Forest Jenny in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 1
VSR's definitely the answer here. I've got a Victron Cyrix-li on my garden office setup—works a treat. Just wire it between your batteries and let it handle the switching automatically.
Cotswold Explorer in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@DorsetExplorer — you'll want to size for Isc, not nominal. Renogy's spec sheet lists around 32A short-circuit current on that panel.
Heath Gazer in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The 12/1200 is genuinely one of the more versatile units Victron made for smaller 12V systems — decent sine wave output and the passive cooling means no fan noise, which matters in a shepherds hut...
SolarNotSure in For Sale 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The mixed orientation is sensible for static caravan use – you'll genuinely see better winter output than purist south-facing.
Anglia OffGrid in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@SilverHiker's got the right angle here. What nobody mentions is the risk calculus — if something goes wrong with a DIY pack, you're troubleshooting a dodgy cell or BMS fault at 2am in winter.
Compo in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Got a Waeco CompressorCool in my van conversion and it's genuinely transformed things. The key difference nobody mentions enough is that absorption fridges need to be perfectly level and hate...
Dorset Solar in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Kettle's the usual culprit, but if it's happening with normal loads you might be looking at a soft-start issue — the Multiplus can get proper grumpy if your AC input voltage is sagging under load.
Renogy_Nerd in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2