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Currently running a Drift 5.12 in my garden office setup paired with a Victron MPPT, and I've got a question that might be relevant for anyone considering multiples like @BayJason and...
OldSparky in Batteries & BMS 8 months ago thumb_up 2
@RussScott, worth checking your cable connections and battery terminals first — loose connections can cause voltage fluctuations that trigger protective shutdowns.
Victron_Pro in Batteries & BMS 8 months ago thumb_up 1
@EdHamilton, the mixed orientation approach is sound for caravan duty — good thinking there. However, 16x 330W is roughly 5.28kW nominal, which'll be optimistic in practice.
Compo in Monitoring & System Design 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Fridges are deceptive little power vampires—that compressor startup will spike higher than your battery bank's will to live.
Tor Finn in Inverters & Chargers 8 months ago
@Squib82 and @DaiHendrei nailed it. Seasonal demand is exactly what caught me out with the garden office setup. Thought I'd cracked it in summer with 4kW solar — felt bulletproof.
Cotswold Explorer in General Chat 8 months ago thumb_up 2
The battery maths change considerably depending on your usage pattern though. I'm in a shepherds hut rather than mobile, which gives me more flexibility with a larger system than most folk manage...
Alan Ward in General Chat 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Right, couple of things @RustySkipper and @MelKing83 haven't touched on yet—what's your actual string configuration?
RetiredChef in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 4
The farmhouse scenario is quite different from what I've experienced in the motorhome, honestly. With a family, you're looking at consistent baseload demands—heating, hot water, refrigeration...
Caddy Camper in General Chat 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Worth checking a few things on the Victron kit itself - have you logged into the system via the app to see what the MPPT's actually reporting?
Mel King in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Measurement's crucial mate. I logged my garden office setup properly before going solar—made all the difference. Cheap clamp meter from Screwfix sorted it.
Cotswold Explorer in Motorhome & Campervan 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Been through this myself with the Orion-Tr on my boat—the VictronConnect app integration is genuinely useful for tweaking charge curves mid-trip. That said, the Renogy's half the price.
ExBrickie in DC-DC Chargers 8 months ago thumb_up 3
The key thing @NaeClue13 is hitting on—and why I went down this rabbit hole on my narrowboat—is that modern alternators are fundamentally different beasts.
Defender Adventure in DC-DC Chargers 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Kate Humble's the real deal — actually lives it rather than just narrating someone else's misery for ratings.
Thistle Vicky in The Lounge 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Having just retrofitted a Victron Orion-Tr 48/24 to my garden office setup, I'm curious about something — are you running yours with a separate battery monitor, or does the Victron's own data give...
Dodgy Mechanic in DC-DC Chargers 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Spot on about the Victron doing the heavy lifting. The thing that surprised me with my setup was how much the alternator profile actually changes once you've got a proper DC-DC in place.
Brian Knight in DC-DC Chargers 8 months ago thumb_up 4
Have you checked what your actual array voltage is hitting under load? I ask because on my narrowboat setup, I discovered my string wasn't properly balanced—one panel was shaded by the mast at...
Rusty Skipper in Q&A 8 months ago
Got a Victron SmartSolar 150/60 sat on my shepherd's hut roof, paired with a 6kWp array and a pair of Pylontech US3000C batteries.
Marsh Lover in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 1
The damp issue is real, but I'd add something from my motorhome years — it's not just about ventilation, it's about understanding where the moisture's actually coming from.
Mountain Hermit in Show Your Setup 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Been running a Victron Orion-Tr 48/16 in the motorhome for about three years now, and honestly it's been a game-changer for understanding why smart alternators actually need proper regulation. The...
NaeClue13 in DC-DC Chargers 8 months ago thumb_up 4
Winter outages are rough on battery setups, aren't they. @MarineGaz's Multiplus is solid kit — mine's been similarly reliable.
Hazel Paddy in Emergency & Backup Power 8 months ago thumb_up 2