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Right, so I'm trying to work out the best config for my narrowboat's roof setup and I'm getting conflicting advice down the pub, which is never ideal. Currently eyeing up four 400W Renogy panels...
Cornish Nomad in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 3
@ExPostie, the charging limitation is the real constraint here—most LiFePO4 packs won't charge below 0°C, which is where you'll hit issues in winter.
LH_Marine in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Mate, solar heating is like asking a torch to heat a conservatory in January—technically it's light, but that's about it.
Copper Maker in Garden Offices 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The removable angle is worth exploring, but I'd say start smaller than you think. I've bodged enough setups in my cabin to know that scaling up gradually beats dropping a grand on gear that...
Relay Nomad in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 4
@OldSailor — the 400W array is workable but you're right to think through battery sizing carefully. The real crux is your discharge window over a weekend. Let's say you're there Friday evening...
Daily Solar in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Dead right about the matching. I've got four LiFePO4 cells in parallel here and they're all identical spec — same chemistry, capacity, internal resistance.
Quiet Trekker in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Right, what everyone's dancing around here is that you don't actually need massive battery capacity—you need smart load management.
Welsh Camper in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 3
@ExBrickie94's right about the matching — can't stress it enough. I've seen the chaos when someone thinks "close enough" works with parallel banks. The bit that catches people out...
ExFirefighter in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Spot on about the matching bit. I learned this the hard way with my shepherd's hut setup — tried pairing two different capacity LiFePO4s and the BMS went mental.
ExPostie in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, everyone's talking shadow mapping (and they're right), but honestly the real question is whether you're prepared for the psychological side of off-grid living in a shepherd's hut.
Moor Lee in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Ah, the classic "let's just bung them together" approach — works until it spectacularly doesn't. Been there, nearly burned the shed down. The actual dos: Match your batteries properly.
ExBrickie94 in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The real issue I've found is the placement within the van rather than just "inside or outside." I've got a 3kW Victron in mine mounted in a dedicated locker under the passenger seat with...
GafferTapeKing in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Good question. Temperature's critical here — most inverters max out at 40°C ambient, and vans get properly toasty in summer.
Rusty Skipper in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Mounting inside's fine if you've got decent airflow — inverters are basically toasters that get grumpy when hot.
Smithy in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Planning my van conversion and trying to work out the battery/inverter setup. Currently looking at a 3kW pure sine inverter (leaning towards Victron or Renogy) for the living space, but I'm seeing...
SmartSolar_Geek in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Mate, 10kWh through winter is genuinely solid. The Multiplus is basically indestructible—I've had mine running my cabin for three years now and it's never complained once, even when I was being a...
Jake Walker in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 4
The 48/5000 really is bulletproof for that capacity—I've got one running my garden office setup and it just handles the switching seamlessly.
That's a decent foundation. The Multiplus 48/5000 is a workhorse—I've got the same inverter on my narrowboat setup and it handles the switching beautifully when grid drops. One thing worth...
Ash Child in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 4
My setup here's been pretty solid through the winter outages we've had: Got a 10kWh LiFePO4 bank (mix of Fogstar and Renogy cells) paired with a Victron Multiplus 48/5000.
Marine Gaz in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Mate, I've got to ask — how are you handling the charging profile on that setup? I'm running something similar in my boat (though I've had to be ruthless about panel placement with the mast in the...
Marine Frank in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1