What's New

Latest posts across all forums

Latest Threads Unanswered
I'd push back slightly on oversizing just for the sake of it. I'm running 200Ah LiFePO4 in my motorhome setup and honestly, 200Ah is the sweet spot for most garden office scenarios — but it...
Bev Jackson in Product Recommendations 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Been running the same approach in my van conversion. Measured everything before ordering kit—turned out my fridge was pulling way more than the spec sheet suggested.
Mike Cross in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Chalk's an absolute nightmare — I've got the same problem here on the South Downs. The resistance readings were horrific when I first tested it. What worked for me was going wider rather than...
Sprinter Life in Installation Guides 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Completely agree with you lot. I've seen cheap controllers fry entire battery banks when they fail—not just stop working, but actually damage the system.
Andy Jackson in On a Budget 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Decent setup for the Highlands — that's proper testing ground. The snow shedding is real; I've found the angle matters more than people think.
Wonky Mender in Show Your Setup 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Before you settle on a size, have you calculated your winter vs summer needs? Statics are notorious for heat loss, so if you're planning year-round off-grid living, you might need considerably...
Copper Roamer in Solar Panels & Controllers 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Had this exact dilemma with my caravan setup. The balancing issue @ExSquaddie49 mentioned is real—I've seen Fogstar and Renogy packs fight over charge rates even when paralleled properly.
Bay Jason in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Salt water's basically just aggressive networking, innit. Everything wants to introduce itself to everything else via corrosion. @CornishNomad's right about conformal coating — though I'd argue...
Wonky Skipper in Marine & Boat 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Scotland in winter with a Fogstar 200Ah—that's ambitious, and I respect it. @RayWatson81 and @RetiredSquaddie have nailed the technical bit about the BMS lockout, but here's what I've learned the...
ExFirefighter11 in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 1
@Bomber, I've run this on the static caravan for three seasons now—Victron 100/50 straight to a Victron Orion-TR 48/12-16 without intermediate battery.
Compo in DC-DC Chargers 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The winter thing @RetiredChef mentions is spot on. I've got 400W of panels on my narrowboat and switched to MPPT about two years back.
Grumpy Sparky in Solar Panels & Controllers 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Ah, the eternal scaffolding aesthetic. 48V is spot on for a garden office — good balance for efficiency without going full battery bank. What's your load profile looking like?
Battery Ray in Garden Offices 10 months ago thumb_up 1
@EdHamilton — are you planning to live in it year-round or seasonal? That'll determine whether you can get away with mixed orientation. Also, what's driving the 5kW figure?
OffGridFreak in Monitoring & System Design 10 months ago thumb_up 3
The boat's been my education in this, honestly. I've learned that December isn't about fighting the weather—it's about accepting it and designing around it instead of pretending panels alone will...
Panel Dan in General Chat 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Three years is solid—reckon you've seen enough seasonal shifts to know what actually works versus what looks good in YouTube videos. Question though: how are you managing battery capacity through...
Partner Nomad in Introduce Yourself 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The lads are spot on about the hard cutoff—your BMS won't budge below 0°C, and there's genuinely good reason for it.
RetiredSquaddie in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Three years is a solid foundation. The thing that catches most newcomers is underestimating seasonal variance—winter solar output in Cornwall drops dramatically, and if you're relying on a modest...
Suffolk Explorer in Introduce Yourself 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Ah, lovely to see another van dweller chiming in. Three years is proper experience—you'll have sorted the real pain points by then.
Boxer Wanderer in Introduce Yourself 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Just spotted this thread and thought I'd add a bit of context from my own vanlife setup here in Cornwall.
Brook Runner in Introduce Yourself 10 months ago thumb_up 1
@Ozzy8 - that's proper useful data on the narrowboat setup. I'm curious how you've found the BMS compatibility over time?
DODQueen in Batteries & BMS 10 months ago thumb_up 1