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Been running secondhand panels for about three years now and honestly, mixed bag. Got a set of 300W Canadians for £80 each off eBay — proper bargain compared to new.
Cotswold Nomad in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 5
Right, so the lads have nailed the basics — it's just your battery's fuel gauge. But here's the bit that'll save you money: most lithium batteries hate living at 100% SOC (degrades them faster...
RetiredChef in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 2
The real issue with MSW on a narrowboat comes down to your specific kit. I've got a Victron Multiplus 3000VA pure sine on mine, and it was absolutely worth the extra outlay once I started running...
Defender Adventure in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 2
MSW works fine for basics — lights, kettles, that sort of thing. Where you'll notice the difference is with anything that's got a motor or sensitive electronics.
Marine Gaz in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 1
You've nailed the technical bit, @FenlandSolar. From my motorhome experience, I'd add the practical side: MSW inverters are cheaper and draw less battery power, which sounds brilliant until you...
LiFePO4Nerd in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Right, I've been running both at different points in my setup, so I can speak from experience here. Modified sine wave (MSW) is essentially a stepped approximation of a true sine wave — think of...
Fenland Solar in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The gatekeeping culture around "proper" off-grid living is tedious. What matters is understanding your actual load and matching it to your generation—whether that's 400W or 4kW. On my...
Defender Adventure in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Usable capacity's the thing nobody talks about until they're six months in and wondering why the system cuts out at 20% SOC.
Heath Gazer in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 2
The pop-top constraint is real, but there's a layout trick worth considering—I've got 600W split across my T5 roof and found that staggering panels actually helps more than you'd think.
Downs Camper in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 1
You've got the right chemistry with LiFePO4, but have you considered your actual daily consumption pattern whilst cruising?
Battery Paddy in Marine & Boat 2 years ago thumb_up 5
Spot on about the gatekeeping. I've got a shepherds hut setup with 2.4kW solar and a Fogstar battery bank, and I'm honestly just as "off-grid" as someone running full autonomy on a...
Marsh Lover in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
@WezFisher and @DalesCruiser are spot on about testing in the van first — that's genuinely the smart move.
SmartSolarNerd in Emergency & Backup Power 2 years ago thumb_up 4
I'm with you all on this. Been running my static caravan on a Victron hybrid for three years now, and I've learned that "off-grid" is more of a spectrum than a binary thing.
WhatsAFuse65 in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 3
This thread's hitting on something I wish I'd grasped sooner. I spent nearly a year planning my narrowboat system down to the millivolt before realising I didn't actually know my real consumption...
RetiredNurse in General Chat 2 years ago
The gatekeeping thing genuinely winds me up. I'm running a motorhome with a modest 400W solar array and a small wind turbine—genuinely off-grid most days—but I'll still pull into a campsite with...
OffGrid Max in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Portable panels are your mate here — grab a couple of 100W Renogy or similar and a budget MPPT like a Victron SmartSolar 75/10, then flog them when you move. Total damage: £300-400 quid.
Rob in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 3
The landlord situation is genuinely golden — most people don't get that option. Since you're looking at removal later, I'd honestly skip the roof mount entirely and go portable instead. I started...
Forest Jenny in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Brilliant situation having a landlord on board — that's half the battle sorted. The re-installation bit is actually doable if you go modular rather than a fixed roof array. I'd start with a single...
Spider in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Looking at getting some solar sorted but the initial outlay is mental. Currently renting a place with decent south-facing roof space and the landlord's surprisingly cool with it, though I'd need...
Cotswold Nomad in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Depends what you're running tbh. If it's just keeping a fridge topped up, a relay's fine. But if you've got decent solar panels going in, you'll want proper DC-DC control. The thing with relays —...
Cliff Gazer in DC-DC Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 3