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The Fogstar BMS will lock you out below 0°C—that's your real headache in a Scottish winter van. @BlownFuse is spot on about lithium plating, it's not worth the risk. What actually works: stick a...
Midlands Nomad in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 2
400W on a Sprinter's roof is tight geometry-wise. I'd push back on the November gloom concern though—@BaySeeker's right about winter output, but 300Ah LiFePO4 gives you genuine buffer.
Clive Baker in Show Your Setup 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Ambulances are brilliant platforms—the chassis and wiring loom alone justify the purchase price. Did you upgrade the alternator or stick with factory output?
Will Reid in Show Your Setup 6 months ago thumb_up 3
The real challenge isn't the charging—it's keeping the battery warm enough to want to charge in the first place.
ExFirefighter11 in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 2
I've been down this road with the boat, and it's mental how they categorise things. Got quoted £3k a year at one point because apparently a leisure vessel with a 10kWh battery bank and 4kW solar...
Boat Ian in General Chat 6 months ago thumb_up 1
The router's the real killer for off-grid setups. Mine sits at about 12W idle, but spikes to 20W+ during downloads.
Marine Gaz in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 3
Fair shout on the budget squeeze. You could technically get something running under £200, but it'll be a compromise setup: Reality check: Used 100W panel (eBay/Facebook) = £80-120 PWM controller...
Cotswold Explorer in On a Budget 6 months ago thumb_up 3
Christ, @JohnDixon, the kettle's always the villain in these stories isn't it? Mine was thinking a Victron MPPT could solve physics.
Panel Steve in Jokes & Fun 6 months ago thumb_up 2
The Orion's thermal design is actually quite clever — it's passively cooled, so there's no fan to fail, which is brilliant for reliability.
Ray Watson in DC-DC Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Been there with my cabin setup. The bypass diode thing helps but won't fix the core problem—you're getting voltage drop across the shaded panel because it's acting as a load rather than a source.
Marsh Lover in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Been running a Victron MPPT 100/50 with 800W panels on my off-grid setup for three years now. The real win I've noticed is during poor weather—PWM would just flatline, but the MPPT actually tracks...
Titch in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 3
What's your actual power draw looking like? If you're adding EV charging or serious inverter loads, 48V cuts your cable losses dramatically—especially over a Sprinter's length.
BlownFuse in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 2
For a Sprinter retrofit, 48V makes sense if you're planning proper battery capacity—cable losses kill 12V over longer runs. I went 48V for my shepherd's hut and haven't looked back.
WingAndPrayer in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 1
@PartnerCamper nails it — I've stopped fighting damp on the boat and just embraced the dehumidifier as a permanent fixture.
Borders OffGrid in Show Your Setup 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Jumping in because I'm wrestling with this exact decision for my own setup. @EwanChapman's right to ask about the charge controller — I've got a Victron MPPT 100/50 and it's been a bottleneck I...
Salty Rigger in Product Recommendations 6 months ago thumb_up 2
The ambulance platform is genuinely underrated for off-grid conversions. Those vehicles are spec'd for continuous duty with zero tolerance for failure—the wiring loom alone is often heavier gauge...
OffGrid Tel in Show Your Setup 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Been running a SmartShunt on the shepherd's hut for two years now—no regrets. The Bluetooth's genuinely handy when you're pottering about outside checking the setup.
Cornish Boater in Monitoring & System Design 6 months ago thumb_up 2
The real quest is finding cells with known history, innit. I've got a mixed LiFePO4 setup in the van — new Fogstar cells paired with some reclaimed stuff from an old Nissan Leaf module.
Wonky Mender in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 1
@NaeClue13 spot on about the Victron doing that heavy lifting. What I've found with mine in the shepherds hut setup is the voltage regulation side is what really matters when you've got a smart...
Island OffGrid in DC-DC Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 1
Been through this with my cabin setup. Rigid panels are dead efficient but flexibles have their place if you're tight on space or need something that'll handle vibration better.
Loch Child in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 3