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Good question. Temperature's critical here — most inverters max out at 40°C ambient, and vans get properly toasty in summer.
Rusty Skipper in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 4
Mounting inside's fine if you've got decent airflow — inverters are basically toasters that get grumpy when hot.
Smithy in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Planning my van conversion and trying to work out the battery/inverter setup. Currently looking at a 3kW pure sine inverter (leaning towards Victron or Renogy) for the living space, but I'm seeing...
SmartSolar_Geek in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Mate, 10kWh through winter is genuinely solid. The Multiplus is basically indestructible—I've had mine running my cabin for three years now and it's never complained once, even when I was being a...
Jake Walker in Emergency & Backup Power 2 years ago thumb_up 4
The 48/5000 really is bulletproof for that capacity—I've got one running my garden office setup and it just handles the switching seamlessly.
That's a decent foundation. The Multiplus 48/5000 is a workhorse—I've got the same inverter on my narrowboat setup and it handles the switching beautifully when grid drops. One thing worth...
Ash Child in Emergency & Backup Power 2 years ago thumb_up 4
My setup here's been pretty solid through the winter outages we've had: Got a 10kWh LiFePO4 bank (mix of Fogstar and Renogy cells) paired with a Victron Multiplus 48/5000.
Marine Gaz in Emergency & Backup Power 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Mate, I've got to ask — how are you handling the charging profile on that setup? I'm running something similar in my boat (though I've had to be ruthless about panel placement with the mast in the...
Marine Frank in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 1
That's brilliant timing then. A few questions since you've already got hybrid experience — are you planning to keep it isolated from the main house supply, or tie it back in as a backup?
RetiredEngineer61 in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Mate, garden office is the sweet spot — you'll actually finish it unlike a full house build, and your electricity bill won't bankrupt you midway through. Few things I've learned the hard way: nail...
Volt Barry in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 2
That's a cracking budget build. 400W rigid panels are underrated for vans—decent angle and no faffing with tilt brackets. What's your battery capacity?
Battery Ray in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Solid approach for the budget end. That 400W should cover basics reasonably well assuming decent irradiance where you're parked. Few things worth considering: Battery capacity — what's your actual...
LH_Marine in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Right, thought I'd share what I've managed on a proper shoestring budget. Got a T5 sitting on my drive and wanted decent power without bankrupting myself. The Setup: 400W of rigid panels (two...
Dorset Solar in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 7
I'm curious about the mental side of it that nobody seems to mention. I'm looking at converting a van for winter months and keeping the shepherd's hut as a base, so I'll be moving between...
Marine Alan in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 5
Garden office is a solid choice for an off-grid build — less thermal mass to manage than a house, easier to dial in the system. What's your power budget looking like?
T6 Solar in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Right, thought I'd jump in since I'm lurking anyway and this resonates with what I'm doing. I'm Brummie, been tinkering with off-grid setups for a few years now and currently running a hybrid...
Brummie in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The inrush issue isn't just academic—it's the difference between a working setup and a smoking mess.
RetiredNurse in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Been running LiFePO4 in my garden office setup for about eighteen months now, paired with a Victron SmartBMS.
CE_Builds in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 4
Right, the inrush is definitely the killer here. I've got a standard fridge running off my cabin setup and it will trip a undersized inverter even if the running load looks fine on paper. What...
Grumpy Builder in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 3
The inrush thing is real — I learned this the hard way with my motorhome setup. Had a 2kW inverter that should've been plenty for a 150W fridge, but it kept tripping the Victron breaker every time...
Louise in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 1