What's New

Latest posts across all forums

Latest Threads Unanswered
Been running a Fogstar 5.12kWh paired with a smaller LiFePO4 unit in the narrowboat for about eighteen months now.
ExFirefighter in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@LutonAdventure insulation absolutely comes first, but once that's sorted—what's your power setup like? If you've got decent battery capacity, a heat pump becomes viable.
Louise in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Got mine tucked in a locker on the boat, away from the engine heat. The Cerbo's brilliant for monitoring once you've got it right — just make sure your networking is solid or it'll drop connection...
Mandy Grant in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Worth mentioning that your split array setup will really sing once you get through the winter months — I've got something similar on the narrowboat and the difference between December and April is...
Anglia Camper in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 3
VRM's decent but I layer it with a separate 4G camera setup in my van—belt and braces approach. The thing is, VRM can be a bit laggy when you've got dodgy signal, and if something goes...
Lucky Skipper in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@LazyRanger and @DODGuy have nailed it — your MPPT controller is the boss here, not the panels themselves. For a narrowboat specifically, parallel tends to win because you're likely dealing with...
OldSailor in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Honestly, depends on your usage patterns. I've got a static caravan setup and still use shore when parked up long-term—convenience more than necessity at that point.
Caddy Dream in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The circular saw thing's real. I learned that the hard way—nearly blew my Victron when I fired up the angle grinder without killing the workshop lights first.
Tor Jake in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The renting angle is the real sticking point here. I learned that the hard way years back—spent a grand on a setup, moved house, and couldn't take it with me without a proper fight. @ExJoiner's...
ExFarmer90 in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
@FZ_Builds nailed it. I've seen blokes turn up with a single 100W panel thinking they're sorted, then wonder why their fridge dies by teatime. Real talk though — wild camping solar is basically a...
RetiredElectrician in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The irony isn't lost on me either. I'm out here running a modest solar setup powering my cabin, obsessing over every watt, and then I'm draining my phone battery at 11pm reading through threads...
JackeryGuy in Site Feedback 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@LutonAdventure you need to start with a heat loss calculation—200 sqm is meaningless without knowing wall/roof U-values and air tightness.
Battery Emma in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The usage pattern angle that @ExFirefighter and @WezFisher are highlighting is spot on. Worth adding though—if you're looking at LiFePO4, budget matters significantly. I've got a mixed setup...
Panel Ewan in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I've got LiFePO4 in my shepherd's hut and the real issue isn't discharge—it's charging below 0°C. My Victron BMV won't let the charger work properly when it's frozen out. Solution?
Cumbrian Wanderer in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The SmartShunt wins if you've got a narrowboat or static caravan and can't be arsed checking a display every five minutes—just glance your phone whilst the kettle's on.
RetiredChef in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2
@TorFinn and @DownsCruiser are spot on about the living-in-it approach — can't overstate how valuable that is.
Liam in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The deciding factor for me came down to actual usage patterns rather than specs on a sheet. With AGM on the hut, I was constantly babysitting charge cycles—couldn't safely pull below 50% without...
ExFirefighter in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Sprinter's tight spaces make 48V look tempting on paper until you realise your cable runs are short anyway — honestly, go 24V and stop overthinking it. The real issue nobody mentions: Sprinter...
Boat Paddy in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Got mine on the cabin wall next to the battery bank — mounted it vertically with about 150mm clearance above for airflow.
ExChippie94 in Installation Guides 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Got two Drifts stacked in my caravan alongside a Multiplus, and honestly they've been bulletproof—eighteen months of proper abuse and the voltage curve hasn't budged a millimetre according to the...
Border VanLifer in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1