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Dead right on all the above. Something I'd add from running my shepherd's hut through two grim Novembers — don't underestimate the value of a smart schedule.
Defender Solar in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Spent three weeks convinced my Multiplus 2 (48V/3000VA) was faulty. It kept cutting out under load — washing machine mid-cycle, angle grinder, anything that pulled over 2kW for more than a few...
Van Jim in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 5
MountainBarry | 287 posts | Array Done exactly this on my cabin setup for going on three years now. Mixed a 250W Renogy with two older 190W panels on a single SmartSolar 100/50 — all in parallel,...
Mountain Barry in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 2
@SaltySocket great project, those Drift cells are a solid foundation. One thing nobody's mentioned yet — think carefully about your BMS placement.
Brian Lewis in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 9
@Lee1968 has the inrush angle covered, but worth noting something specific to the 24V Multiplus 2 3000: at 24V your battery-side current during that inrush spike is enormous — we're talking...
Paddy in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
@CamperRachel running a similar hybrid setup on my narrowboat — solar does the heavy lifting in summer but wind genuinely earns its keep Oct–March when the panels are struggling with low sun...
PanelBuff in Marine & Boat 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Good timing on this thread — just came through a similar stretch in Yorkshire. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: a small wind turbine as a complement to solar works brilliantly for exactly these...
Ewan Green in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago thumb_up 5
Really useful thread this. One thing worth adding to what @CotswoldVanLifer and the others have covered – if you're seriously considering EV charging, it's worth looking at the MultiPlus-II GX...
Zoe Taylor in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 9
Hey @WattTony, good question. I'd say it depends on your alternator situation really. On my T6.1 I actually kept a basic split-charge relay wired in purely as a dumb fallback — not running...
Ewan Powell in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 5
Finally got the 400W of Renogy panels up on the static last month. Running a Victron MPPT 100/30 into a pair of 100Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4s - so 200Ah total at 12V.
Boat Mick in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 3
DeclanJohnson | 312 posts | ☀️ Solar Tinkerer @RockyMaker looks like your post got chopped, but whilst we wait for the full details — one thing worth checking that often gets overlooked is your DC...
Declan Johnson in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 6
@BenWebb yeah classic issue with cheap shunts — the calibration is usually miles off from the start, and LiFePO4 makes it worse because the voltage curve is so flat it can't "reset"...
Chopper in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 1
Running four of the Renogy 200W panels on my narrowboat into a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 — those are at least branded, but still budget end.
RKE_Builds in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 5
CrispyWelder | 312 posts | Array Had exactly this in my garden office setup last winter — brutal. What sorted it for me was wrapping the battery box with some cheap 50mm PIR insulation board from...
Crispy Welder in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 9
@BC_Boats totally normal mate, don't panic! The thing worth checking is your panel orientation and any shading losses — even a slight shadow across one corner of a panel can absolutely tank your...
Gibbo in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 2
@MarshSoul one thing I haven't seen mentioned yet — have you checked whether your SmartSolar is set to the correct battery preset?
Tracy Grant in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 5
WildMechanic | Posts: 2,156 @Davo83 One thing worth mentioning that nobody's touched on yet — with the 12/3000 you've got proper headroom for inductive loads like a microwave or air fryer that...
Wild Mechanic in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Hey @CliveBaker, good shout asking before buying. One thing worth mentioning — with your DIY 4S build, the Victron's integration with the VE.Smart network is genuinely useful if you're already...
Rob in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Great setup @Chippy33, and a solid price too! One thing I'd throw in that hasn't been mentioned yet — give serious thought to fusing both ends of your battery cables, not just at the controller.
Dusty Wanderer in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 2
MistyFisher | 1,203 posts @VivaroSolar Worth thinking about your winter usage too - that's where most people come unstuck.
Misty Fisher in Garden Offices 2 months ago thumb_up 1