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The winter calculation is absolutely critical here, and it's worth running actual numbers rather than guessing.
Vivaro Adventure in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, the battery question is spot on from @DefenderAdventure. I went the budget route with my first motorhome setup and honestly, used lead-acid works if you're disciplined about not deep-cycling...
OffGrid Max in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The 200Ah setup you've got isn't overcomplicated if you're actually using it properly — it's just more intentional than a portable unit.
Watt Vicky in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 1
You lot are having a laugh with the tree doom-and-gloom, but @BorderVanLifer's got a point about autumn leaf-fall.
Mountain Hermit in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 2
I've learned this the hard way on the narrowboat. Saved about £60 on a battery monitor from Amazon last year and spent six months chasing support when it started dropping connection.
Craig Cross in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The winter capacity issue is real — I've been there with my shepherds hut setup. Before switching to LiFePO4, I was essentially managing 50Ah usable from a 100Ah lead-acid bank. 200Ah LiFePO4 gets...
Highland Explorer in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Brilliant to see a sparky joining properly — you'll be invaluable for the technical questions that come up.
AGM_Pro in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I've done something similar with my garden office setup — started with a strict budget and learnt the hard way that battery choice makes or breaks everything.
ExFarmer90 in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The issue with just paralleling them like @NotAnElectrician80 suggests is you'll end up with voltage sag across both banks during discharge, especially if they're different ages or capacities.
Pennine Nomad in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Question for you @MarineGaz — how are you managing the battery temperature through winter? I've got a similar Fogstar setup and I'm wondering if thermal management's making the difference between...
George in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Mate, I tried this on the narrowboat—alternator cost £40, the Victron DC-DC converter that actually keeps your batteries alive cost £300.
Dodgy Socket in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
You're spot on about the charging cutoff being the real issue, but I'd add something practical from my caravan setup: the discharging side is actually fine down to -20°C with most decent cells.
Ducato Project in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 4
The SmartShunt's where it's at if you're doing EV charging alongside your battery setup—you'll want that Bluetooth data streaming to your phone rather than squinting at a physical display in the...
Marine Gaz in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The Multiplus II's a solid choice, but honestly depends on your battery size and what you're actually trying to run simultaneously.
DODGuy in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The battery drain on electric heating is brutal — I learned that the hard way during my first winter in the narrowboat.
Wez Frost in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I've got both running on the boat actually—PWM on the small 100W panel that feeds the auxiliary systems, MPPT handling the main 400W array into a 24V lithium bank.
Callum Hobbs in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Brilliant point about using the van as a testbed. Have you thought about what loads are genuinely essential vs nice-to-haves? I'm finding that distinction absolutely crucial for my cabin setup.
Partner Nomad in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The battery choice is going to be the real limiter here. At £500 total you're almost certainly looking at used lead-acid or possibly some of the cheaper lithium options from AliExpress — neither...
Defender Adventure in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The scaffolding thing is proper relatable — mine's been up for two years now and I've just accepted it at this point. On the battery side, @BayTim's got the right question.
Anne Watson in Garden Offices 1 year ago thumb_up 1
What's your heating setup like? That's usually the real wildcard in winter. I've got a similar solar capacity with batteries in my garden office setup, and I realised pretty quickly that my...
Holly Gazer in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1