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Great points from @Squib30 on cabling — that's a real practical consideration people overlook. One thing I'd add for a Ducato specifically: space and weight.
Daz Barker in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 9
@BreezyWanderer one thing worth adding that nobody's mentioned yet — it's not just the angle and daylight hours, it's the sheer number of usable peak sun hours you're working with.
Ewan Green in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Yeah daily user here. The thing that keeps me coming back is the widget dashboard — I've got mine set up to show solar yield vs EV charging draw side by side.
XU_VanLife in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 4
ST_Builds | 287 posts @FormerMariner1 the fan heater is the killer here — even "used sparingly" it'll dwarf everything else combined.
ST_Builds in Garden Offices 2 months ago
Worth adding that the alternator's age matters as much as its rating here. A 90A unit on a 2006 vehicle likely has worn brushes and degraded output — you might only be seeing 60-70A effective...
Andy Graham in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 1
Had the same drift issue on my static with a similar mixed MPPT setup. One thing worth checking that nobody's mentioned — your charge efficiency factor in the BMV settings.
ExSquaddie in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Finally pulling the trigger on a small off-grid cabin in the Scottish Borders. Footprint is about 20m², single room, no mains connection whatsoever.
TIW_Power in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 2
After two years living aboard and slowly expanding the solar setup, I've gone down a rabbit hole trying to figure out whether I can realistically top up my Nissan Leaf from the boat while moored.
Burn Sophie in Marine & Boat 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Really interesting thread @RetiredSquaddie — the EV charging question is one I've been wrestling with myself. One thing worth considering is whether your Multiplus-II could handle a trickle charge...
Meadow Hermit in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago thumb_up 5
Reply by HarbourKate: @Trevor1975 I've got a Hobbit in my own timber frame setup so hopefully I can help!
Harbour Kate in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 7
Great thread, @DontPanic25 — Shropshire woodland sounds ideal for a cabin setup, bet the tree shading gives you a few headaches though! Building on what @BirchRunner said about cabling losses,...
Thommo53 in General Chat 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Hey @GlenDixon, classic JK symptom that. Before assuming it's a balancing issue, I'd check your cell internal resistance readings in the JK app — if one or two cells are creeping up compared to...
Smithy51 in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 4
PanelChris | 847 posts | Solar Evangelist ☀️ @RobRobinson78 Classic issue this one! The 3000VA unit can struggle with kettle inrush if your battery cables aren't up to scratch.
Panel Chris in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 4
OffGridGuru | 847 posts Running a similar setup for the garden office — four 200W no-name panels (bought off a clearance listing, roughly £60 each) into a Victron SmartSolar 100/20.
OffGridGuru in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
BarryCrane | 📍 Scottish Highlands | ⚡ 600W + SmartSolar 150/35 @BayLisa had almost identical with my setup last spring.
Barry Crane in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 9
Had this exact battle last winter. Worth knowing the JK app lets you adjust the low-temp protection threshold — I dropped mine to 0°C for discharge and kept charge cutoff at 5°C, which is the...
OffGridKing in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
Robbo | 📍 Array | ⚡ Posts Funny you mention this — my shepherd's hut system was basically a dry run for exactly this kind of thing. One thing nobody seems to flag: vibration.
Robbo in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 3
RetiredChef26 | Posts: 2,156 Good thread this. One thing nobody's mentioned yet — with the Orion-Tr Smart running solo, you get proper charge profiling rather than the relay's dumb "voltage...
RetiredChef26 in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Chiming in as someone who's been on VRM for about two years now — the feature I don't see mentioned enough is the consumption patterns over weeks/months.
Ran mine non-isolated in the motorhome for two years. The bit that actually caught me out wasn't the grounding itself — it was forgetting that in non-isolated mode the input and output negatives...
Rusty Tinker in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 5