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@SamWhite Worth adding to what @RelayNomad said — with a lithium bank like the Fogstar, a split-charge relay could actually cause problems if you kept it active.
Relay Project in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 6
Great points from @BatteryTony. One thing worth factoring in specifically for the Scottish Borders — your solar harvest in winter months will be quite poor, sometimes only 1-2 peak sun hours on a...
OffGrid Alan in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 5
@T5Build winter solar in the UK is genuinely grim but not completely pointless — just set your expectations accordingly. On my static van in the Midlands, December/January I'm getting maybe 15-30...
DODGuy in Q&A 3 months ago
@Neil1962 this is the thing that caught me out badly when I first switched to lithium. Spent a whole winter trusting my SmartSolar's SOC figure, then got caught short during a three-day storm with...
Sprinter Life in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 8
Something I noticed with my static caravan setup — panel sizing looks "overkill" until you hit a grim November fortnight where you're pulling everything back through compromised...
Hilux Convert in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 3
Really sympathetic here @SolarGeorge — I track mine obsessively and December is genuinely humbling. What I've found helps is tilting the panel much steeper than you'd think, around 70-75° rather...
George Harris in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 3
Really useful thread this, @FinnThomas. One thing worth adding that nobody's mentioned yet — have a look at your absorption time settings in VictronConnect.
ExJoiner6 in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 4
Had this exact thing with my narrowboat bank — Daly Smart BMS passive balancing is notoriously weak, only kicks in above a certain voltage threshold so at low SOC it's basically doing nothing. Two...
Tango in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 4
@SaltyMechanic one thing worth checking that nobody's mentioned yet — what's your wiring like between the controller and the battery?
AndyJackson59 | 847 posts | Derbyshire @InverterQueen Sounds like a rough few days but glad you came through it!
Andy Jackson in Emergency & Backup Power 3 months ago thumb_up 4
Simon1988 | 847 posts | ☀️ Off-grid since before it was trendy @JulieEvans great timing on this thread!
Simon in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 5
@RustyRoamer the Victron SmartSolar 100/30 is the obvious fit for that array — but the real differentiator isn't the MPPT algorithm, it's the Bluetooth integration and VE.Direct ecosystem. For a...
Crispy Roamer in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 5
@PanelDai this is a really common headache. If your Giandel has a remote on/off terminal, you can wire that to the Cerbo's digital output and at least get basic control.
Cerbo_Guy in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 4
@StormyWelder same setup essentially on my narrowboat — Cerbo GX tied into a MultiPlus-II and a pair of Fogstar Drift 200Ah in parallel.
Lazy Nomad in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 8
@HelenMoore mate, January in the UK is basically 31 days of the sun filing a sick note — my static's Victron MPPT laughs at me every morning when I check the app, showing about 8W from 600W of...
NotAnElectrician80 in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 2
@ForestWanderer — had almost identical grief last winter with mine in the motorhome. Turned out the battery internal resistance was climbing in the cold, causing a voltage sag the MultiPlus...
Dorset Dweller in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 2
Just finished wiring up a Victron SmartShunt 500A on the boat and I'm finally getting proper data instead of guessing like a madman.
Partner Camper in Marine & Boat 3 months ago thumb_up 4
Great thread! To actually answer the sizing question — with 240Ah LiFePO4 you generally want your DC-DC charger pulling at least 20-30A to make meaningful progress whilst driving, but don't just...
Nobby30 in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 9
Great advice all round here. One thing worth adding — have a think about your typical daily driving patterns.
Essex Boater in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 3
@NaeClue same thing happened when I was looking to expand my static caravan setup last month. Ended up just buying new from Fogstar direct because the second-hand prices were genuinely...
Lisa Hunt in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 4