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The usable capacity point @DODGuy's raised is spot-on, and it's where the maths gets properly interesting.
WheresMeWires in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Done the DIY route in my van conversion and honestly, the maths only work if you're patient. Spent months sourcing decent LiFePo cells from reputable suppliers — dodgy ones are everywhere.
Battery Tim in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Great thread, @BayTim. I'd add one thing that caught me out initially—seasonal variation matters more than you'd think. When I first sized my system, I based it on summer consumption and nearly...
Sarah Lewis in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@Titch MPPT absolutely, and at 400W the Victron 48/100 is proper overkill but future-proofs you nicely.
ROW_OffGrid in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The removable route's definitely the way if you're renting—learned that the hard way on the narrowboat before we sorted permanent moorings.
MrBodge65 in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Haha, @CamperCarl that's brilliant. The battery monitor is basically a relationship stress test. Right, mine's more of a cautionary tale really.
XJ_Solar in Jokes & Fun 1 year ago thumb_up 2
@Lefty72 I'd actually push back on that a bit. 400W isn't peashooter territory if you're realistic about duty cycles in a van. I've run a similar spec in my motorhome (430W Renogy, 280Ah LiFePO4)...
Simon Kelly in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Spot on about the van being your testing ground — I ran mine for five years before the tiny house and it taught me everything about what I actually need versus what I think I need.
RetiredNurse49 in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The facilities angle really does give you something though—you've already lived with the constraints of system thinking. Managing peak loads, understanding your actual vs.
Pennine Nomad in The Lounge 1 year ago thumb_up 4
The seasonal energy variance is what genuinely changes your mindset. Winter consumption planning becomes meditative—you stop viewing power as infinite.
LH_Marine in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Isolation transformers are brilliant for peace of mind, but let's be honest — most boat setups don't actually need them unless you're plugged into dodgy shoreline infrastructure or running...
The real issue here is that kettles and microwaves are basically the worst-case scenario for battery-based systems—they're peak demons.
Pennine Nomad in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Right, I've got a slightly different angle on this having gone through the decision twice — once for the boat and again when I sorted the EV charging setup. The thing that swung it for me wasn't...
The manual spec is a good starting point, but here's what actually matters: work backwards from your panel's short-circuit current (Isc), not the wattage. Your 400W Renogy will be around 20-22A...
Frosty Sailor in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, I've been down this road on the boat and it's genuinely where starting cheap makes sense. The removable panels are the way forward for your situation—no landlord drama, and you can take them...
Ewan Cole in On a Budget 1 year ago
Been there with both types in my garden office setup. MSW works fine for most stuff — kettles, toasters, the usual — but you'll notice the difference with anything that's got a motor or...
Dan Phillips in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Yeah, removable's solid for rental situations. Worth looking at the budget end of things though—those cheap 100W rigid panels from Amazon are tempting but honestly penny-pinching in the wrong...
Wonky Mechanic in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Car alternators are brilliant until they're not—mine spent three months cooking my leisure batteries like a slow roast before I fitted a proper DC-DC converter.
Sussex Boater in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The intention versus circumstance angle @DaleSpirit and @HeathGazer have flagged is spot on, but I'd add that the grid itself is becoming a blurry line anyway.
LH_Marine in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Cable run's the whole ballgame — those lads have got it spot on. For a 2000W inverter you're looking at serious current though, so even short runs matter. Rule of thumb: keep voltage drop under 3%...
OldSailor in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 3