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Been there mate. Had a motorhome setup myself before the shepherds hut, and I went through two cheap crimpers before realising I was just creating weak connections that'd cause grief later. The...
ExFirefighter11 in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The renting situation's a bit of a curveball though, isn't it? Worth checking your tenancy agreement before bolting anything to the roof—some landlords get twitchy about permanent fixtures even if...
ExJoiner in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Cheers for documenting this properly, @SolarJunkie—two years is exactly the timeline I'd expect for getting it right on a narrowboat.
Defender Adventure in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 4
The insulation question @VanKev raised is genuinely the first thing to sort — I've seen people pour money into heating systems when their cabin's leaking warmth like a sieve.
JA_Solar in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 2
@RayWatson81's right about the stress on components — that's where it bites you long-term. The real issue is harmonic distortion.
CE_Builds in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Had both systems on my narrowboat actually, and the real deciding factor for me came down to what I was actually doing with them.
Wez Fisher in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, I'm in a similar boat with my tiny house battery bank, and I've learned the hard way that this isn't just about the numbers on the spec sheet. The real question is: what's your actual power...
EcoFlowMaster in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Spot on, @Cleggy. I made the same error with my setup — spent weeks agonising over whether I needed Victron or something cheaper, when really the answer was just start and iterate. The thing is,...
BodgeItAndScarper in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Interesting thread. I'm sat on the fence with this one because I'm planning a battery setup for my garden office and narrowboat, and the maths genuinely confuses me. @OffGridGeek — what's the...
Ash Seeker in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, you've got the battery capacity sorted but 400W solar in UK winter is like bringing a torch to a power cut—technically light, just not useful light.
Glen Simon in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
What's your insulation like currently? That's the bit everyone skips over but makes a massive difference.
Van Kev in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The winter solar deletion is real—I'm running an 8kWp array and still watching the battery state of charge like a hawk from November through January.
QJ_Builds in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Fair point @RetiredElectrician74, but I reckon it depends on your shore power quality and what else is connected.
OffGrid Max in Marine & Boat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The usable capacity thing is key, but there's another angle worth considering — your actual usage pattern when you're wild camping versus stationary. I'm running 800W of panels on my setup and...
CableTieWarrior in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been saying this for months. The irony is we're all obsessed with power consumption and efficiency, yet the forum practically demands we burn our eyeballs just to read a thread about saving...
Rusty Skipper in Site Feedback 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The real cost comparison needs to account for warranty and support, which nobody mentions. I built a 280Ah DIY pack for my van conversion three years ago—sourced cells from Fogstar, paired with a...
Golden Trekker in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@BayTim absolutely nailed it starting with consumption. The seasonal angle @OldSparky raises is critical—I made the mistake of sizing based on summer usage, then winter hit and I was...
OffGrid Tel in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The balance point @FormerCop raises is spot on, though I'd push it further — it's not just charge rates, it's the BMS handshake that matters. I've got two Victron 48V setups on the boat (separate...
BMS_Geek in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
@OldSailor's spot on about the council route. I'd add though—and this is from my own headaches—ring them up first but be vague.
Thommo in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Narrowboats are just tiny houses that actively try to sink you—respect for actually finishing this without abandoning it halfway through like most of us do. Two years though, @SolarJunkie?
ROW_OffGrid in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1