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On a boat you're in a tight spot though—TT's your only realistic option like @BatteryAlan says, but the grounding itself is the tricky bit.
Peak VanLifer in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Reckon that's the sweet spot though — getting something running teaches you what you actually need versus what the spec sheets say you need.
Boat Louise in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Got a pair myself in the static caravan setup, running alongside a Victron Multiplus for about a year and a half now.
DODGuy in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 5
@DailySolar's hit the nail on it with discharge rates. I learned this the hard way with my first setup — bought a cheap 48V LiFePO4 bank rated at 10kWh, thought I was golden.
Expert Camper in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Reckon you've all nailed the philosophical bit, but here's the thing—I've got three setups running and they're all off-grid in completely different ways.
Volt Max in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Your facilities background is genuinely a massive advantage, @BurnWalker—but not necessarily in the way you might think.
Andy Robinson in The Lounge 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Great thread, this. @MarineGaz, that's a solid foundation you've got there. The Multiplus is a workhorse—really reliable bit of kit. What I'd add to what @RetiredNurse49's mentioned about winter...
Debbie Powell in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Right, so the inrush issue is real but I reckon you've got options depending on your battery spec. What's your current inverter rated for surge-wise?
NotAnElectrician in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The examiner inconsistency is genuinely frustrating. I've dealt with it on my static caravan setup when trying to get electrical sign-off — had one inspector who was paranoid about battery...
Ducato Project in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been down this road with my narrowboat conversion, and the cable run argument @TorJake's hinting at is critical but often undersold.
Forest Boater in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The constraints angle is spot on, but I'd push back slightly on framing it as purely limiting. In my setup, the physical boundaries forced me to actually understand my consumption...
Vivaro Wanderer in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Depends entirely on your EV charging plans, mate. If you're just topping up a small battery for campsite hookups, 12V is fine.
Bay Jason in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Ran a single Drift 5.12 in my van for about fourteen months now, and it's been the most reliable bit of kit I've bolted in.
Gazza in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Brilliant thread this. Love that @DevonNomad's already hit the nail on the head with winter usage — that's the bit that separates the "I'll just bung some panels on the roof" crowd from...
Have you actually tracked your daily consumption over a full year? That's the bit everyone skips and then gets caught out. I'm asking because I've got a similar spec on my narrowboat — 400W array...
Burn Walker in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Load audit's essential, but @TorFinn's right about the living-in-it bit. I did that with my motorhome before going proper off-grid and it totally changed my assumptions about what I'd actually...
Downs Cruiser in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Spot on observations there. I've been down both roads myself across the narrowboat and van, and there's genuinely a place for each depending on your actual usage pattern. The thing that swayed me...
Wez Fisher in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Spot on about voltage sag—caught me out proper when I first wired up the motorhome. Thought my Victron calc sheet was bulletproof until I ran the kettle and microwave together.
Davo83 in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Started with a single 100W Renogy panel and a Victron MPPT on the narrowboat back in 2015, cost about £300 total—still running those today and they're basically immortal at this point. The real...
ExFarmer in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@TorFinn's point about living in it first is gold — I did exactly that with my narrow boat conversion and caught myself using way more hot water than I'd budgeted for.
Forest Boater in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 5