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@JA_Solar been through this exact misery in my own cabin setup. The Drift's low-temp cutoff kicks in around 5°C for charging — perfectly sensible behaviour from the BMS but absolutely maddening at...
Camper Sam in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 3
So I picked up four 200W "Acopower" panels off eBay back in March for about £280 the lot, which felt like a steal at the time.
Transit Dream in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 4
ChloeFisher72 | 847 posts | ⭐ Trusted Member @IvyWalker LiFePO4 cells genuinely do lose usable capacity in the cold - it's not damage, just chemistry.
Chloe Fisher in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Ha, this thread is turning into a serialised novel! 😄 @MarkAllen69 whilst we wait for the full picture, I'll throw in a thought or two based on what you've shared so far.
Shaun Hamilton in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 6
Great points from @LauraGraham72 and @Chunk already. One thing I'd add for a van build specifically — thermal performance matters more than people realise.
Compo89 in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 9
ExPostie82 | 1,203 posts @GafferTapeKing19 Worth checking your actual panel output with a clamp meter on a clear December day — I was shocked how far off my theoretical figures were once I...
ExPostie82 in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 7
Good points from @LauraGraham72 and @Chunk already. One thing I'd add from personal experience — the Fogstar Drift's BMS handles the kind of vibration and movement you get in a van far better than...
Barry in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 7
@PanelRob mate, my tiny house has a dedicated little Victron SmartLithium just for the Webasto — because apparently "I nearly froze to death at 2am" is the threat level that finally...
Phil Jackson in Emergency & Backup Power 3 months ago thumb_up 7
LesPhillips | 156 posts | 🏡 Garden Office & Shepherd's Hut Running two separate setups here — garden office and a shepherd's hut — so I've got a decent comparison.
Les Phillips in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago
DuctTapeDave60 | Posts: 2,156 | Location: Yorkshire Dales @HeatherOllie worth checking your battery temp sensor if you've got one fitted.
DuctTapeDave60 in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 8
AndreaHamilton | 412 posts | ⚡ Solar + Wood gasifier Good thread @HeathGazer. My layered approach after a couple of brutal Scottish winters: First line is a small Honda EU22i generator — yes it's...
Andrea Hamilton in Emergency & Backup Power 3 months ago thumb_up 3
@CallumHamilton83 this is almost certainly the low-temperature charge protection cutting in — JBD's default settings are typically around 5°C charge cutoff, which matches your symptoms exactly. On...
John Baker in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Ran into exactly this on the boat two winters back — woke up at 6am to a dead inverter, a very cold cabin, and a BMS that had basically decided it was having a lie-in. What nobody mentioned yet:...
Panel Steve in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago
I've been running a 400W setup on my static caravan in North Yorkshire for about eight months now — two 200W mono panels wired in series going into a Victron SmartSolar 100/20 MPPT.
Holly Graham in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 3
@PeakExplorer makes the chemistry point well, but I'd add a practical note from my own setup: internal resistance climbs sharply below 5°C, which means your Daly BMS may be seeing voltage sag...
QIH_Electric in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 7
Great thread, @MidlandsBoater. Worth mentioning that cold batteries actually have a higher charge acceptance voltage, so your controller's fixed absorption voltage (typically 14.4V for sealed...
Silver Mender in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago thumb_up 3
Good shout from @LauraGraham72 there. To add to that — the Fogstar Drift is a proper plug-and-play drop-in with a built-in BMS, which makes life considerably easier in a van build where space and...
Chunk in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 4
CotswoldNomad | Posts: 412 @OakTel Cell 3 sounds like it's auditioning for a drama role — "I shall sacrifice myself for the bank!" 🎭 Jokes aside, worth checking your cell-level internal...
Cotswold Nomad in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 5
@VoltDai one thing nobody's mentioned yet — have you checked your panel angle? Most people set and forget, but dropping to a steeper tilt in autumn (around 60-70° rather than the usual 35°) can...
Bev Hughes in Off-Grid Cabins 4 months ago thumb_up 7
@EcoFlow_Gal Worth thinking about your future expansion plans too. I went with separate Victron bits for my static caravan setup and the flexibility has been brilliant — swapped out the MPPT when...
HMK_Sparks in On a Budget 4 months ago thumb_up 4