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48V is solid for this application. The real question is your battery chemistry—LiFePO₄ gives you proper usable capacity versus lead-acid's 50% DoD limitation.
Devon Dweller in Garden Offices 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been running a Renogy DCC50S in my van for about eighteen months now, and I'll be honest — it's the budget option that actually works.
Cotswold Nomad in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Generator wins on runtime and cost per kWh, but batteries win on not waking the neighbours at 3am—which is where my static caravan setup lives or dies, frankly.
Kent Cruiser in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Has anyone factored in ambient temperature? Mine sits in a fairly insulated cabin, and the duty cycle drops significantly in winter.
OffGridFreak in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The Multiplus handles the inrush beautifully, but have you lot considered your AC breaker sizing? Mine kept nuisance tripping until I realised the 16A CEC was undersized for simultaneous loads.
Carl Baker in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Mate, on a narrowboat you're voltage-limited more than anything else. Series gets you higher voltage which plays nicer with long runs from roof to cabin batteries, but four 400W panels in series...
Cliff Gazer in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I've got a Fogstar 12V compressor fridge in my garden office setup and it's been brilliant, though I'll be honest about the trade-offs.
Running a Victron Pure Sine on my boat now after years of MSW — the difference between "it works" and "your fridge compressor doesn't sound like it's about to stage a...
Yeah, the search function's brilliant. Spent half my time before wading through irrelevant posts — now I can actually find narrowboat-specific threads without scrolling forever. One thing though —...
ShedGenius in News & Announcements 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Honestly, the real test is whether Home Assistant survives longer than your WiFi router during a power cut — speaking from experience, neither of mine do. That said, once you've got the Victron...
Heather Walker in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Are you looking at a standard compressor fridge or considering one of those lower-power absorption models?
Border Camper in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Been through this exact scenario with my own van conversion—the roof weight anxiety is real, but there's a practical middle ground most folks miss. Instead of cramming panels onto a questionable...
Marine Phil in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
PWM controller doing the heavy lifting then? Brutal but honest—you'll feel every cloud that passes over those panels.
Essex Nomad in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been considering one myself for the caravan setup. @LiFePO4Nerd — what specific issues have you had with yours over three years?
BlownFuse in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The farmhouse conversation is fascinating because you're right that predictability matters differently when you've got kids relying on you.
48VGal in General Chat 1 year ago
Been through this with EV charging setups. Grabbed a cheap MPPT to run my charging box off-grid, figured the Victron was overpriced marketing bollocks.
Luton Nomad in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Split arrays make proper sense up there. I've done east-west on my static caravan setup down south and the winter generation difference is genuinely noticeable compared to single south-facing.
Compo in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Mixed orientation can work but honestly depends on your actual winter needs. What's your minimum daily load through Dec-Feb?
Holly Baker in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Been there with my setup — the real issue isn't the panel output, it's planning around it. 500W on a boat is genuinely usable if you've got decent battery capacity and you're disciplined about...
Mike in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Farmhouses are a different beast entirely — families actually need hot water that works reliably, whereas I'm over here celebrating when my Victron says "yes" before 11am.
Lefty72 in General Chat 1 year ago