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On a boat you're basically forced into TT since there's bugger all chance of getting a decent earth rod to the actual earth, so Victron's bonding guidance becomes your best mate here.
Battery Alan in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Has anyone specified whether you're going TN-S or TT earthing yet? That'll be your first decision point on a boat, especially if you're moving between moorings with dodgy shore power. I've got a...
Volt Paddy in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Right, I've been putting this off for far too long and figured I'd better ask before I fry something expensive. Got a Victron Multiplus II 48/5000 in my narrowboat setup, and I'm dead set on...
Kingy in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The 1.6kW cap is sensible for a workshop, but I'd genuinely recommend sorting phantom loads first before you expand. Had a mate with a similar shed setup—his tools were draining 40W just sat idle.
LiFePO4Fan in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Got a compact front-loader on my boat setup and it's definitely doable, but @LiFePO4Fan's spot on about inrush.
ExChippie94 in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Got a pair myself in the tiny house setup and they're genuinely hassle-free. The thing that won me over was the built-in heating—keeps them happy through winter without faff, which matters when...
Wardy in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
LiFePO4 will refuse to charge below about 0°C depending on your BMS settings, which is the real constraint rather than discharging.
Somerset VanLifer in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Thirty years and you're just now joining? Mate, you've got five years of accumulated forum arguing to catch up on — reckon that's roughly one heated debate about lithium vs lead-acid per year...
SIE_Electric in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I had the same lightbulb moment when we first parked the static caravan at the site. Thought lithium was the only answer until I properly looked at the maths versus what we actually use...
Camper Jackie in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Right, couple of things worth adding here. The real decision hinges on your actual usage pattern and ambient temperature range, not just the headline specs. I'm running a Victron LiFePO4 setup in...
Boycie in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Got a 150/35 in my cabin setup and yeah, ventilation's non-negotiable. Mine's mounted on the north-facing wall with about 150mm clearance all round — keeps it well below the thermal limits even in...
Grumpy Builder in Installation Guides 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Been there with the botched crimp, mate. My van conversion nearly went south when I realised I'd crushed the contact instead of properly crimping it — caused a intermittent fault that took weeks...
John Dixon in Installation Guides 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Had something similar in my van conversion last year — proper frustrating. Since @ForestJenny's already mentioned cell balance and @Wez1961 covered the shunt, I'd add one more thing that caught me...
Paddy Davies in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Worth checking your shunt calibration too — mine was drifting and causing phantom shutdowns. The SmartBMS interprets dodgy current readings as over/under-voltage conditions and cuts the relay. You...
Wez in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I'd check your cell balance first — had exactly this issue in my narrowboat last year. The SmartBMS gets twitchy if one cell drops below the others, especially after a long winter of irregular...
Forest Jenny in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Right, I'm having a nightmare with my Victron SmartBMS cutting out randomly and I'm not sure what's causing it.
Russ Scott in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 4
@HollyGaz and @RetiredEngineer72 talking sense—maintenance is absolutely the shift nobody warns you about properly. Though I'd add the emotional maintenance is worse than the technical bit.
RetiredNurse49 in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The time cost is brutal, innit. I've got a mixed setup on the boat — built one battery bank myself, bought a Victron for the second.
Bay Lisa in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, this is exactly the sort of project I've been following closely. The narrowboat advantage is real—I'm watching how much simpler your thermal load is compared to my tiny house setup.
Chippy in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I'm going to tell you what I learned the hard way—built my garden office last year and spent weeks obsessing over this exact problem. Solar alone for heating?
Stacey28 in Garden Offices 1 year ago thumb_up 2