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Shepherd's hut's got the sweet spot though, hasn't it? Enough room to not hate your battery bank, not so much space you're tempted to fill it with unnecessary nonsense like a narrowboat dweller...
Silver Hiker in General Chat 2 years ago
Been down this road with my van conversion, and the weight distribution point is absolutely crucial — I learned that the hard way.
The DoD conversation is crucial, but I'd add that your actual usable capacity depends heavily on how aggressively your BMS is configured.
Brook Runner in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Right, here's the thing nobody mentions until you're sat in the pouring rain with a flat battery at 2am on the Trent & Mersey — your 100Ah feels like a generous cup of tea until you're...
Panel Steve in Marine & Boat 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Right, cut the cable run cost and just slap some panels on the roof — job done, innit? Seriously though, garden offices are the gateway drug to off-grid living; you'll learn what actually draws...
T5 Project in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The shadow mapping advice from @HeathGazer and @ExPostie is spot on — I can't stress that enough for Cotswolds installations.
LH_Marine in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 2
The narrowboat constraint is brutal, but I reckon the real cost killer isn't the lock gate tax—it's the repeated upgrades. Started my cabin build thinking a modest 10kWh lithium bank would do me.
Birch Runner in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 2
The voltage drop is the real killer here. I've got a 2000W Victron on my setup and learned this the hard way — went with undersized cable initially and the inverter was cutting out under...
ExSquaddie in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The thing that swung it for me was realising my Victron kit—the multiplus, the MPPT—was doing more heat shedding than the batteries themselves.
ExChippie72 in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The heating element's absolutely the bottleneck here. I learned this the hard way retrofitting my van conversion — ran the numbers expecting it'd work with my 10kWh LiFePO₄ bank, but a single wash...
Marine Phil in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Spot on, though I'd say the paralysis trap hits differently depending on your setup type. With my static caravan, I made the mistake of designing the "perfect" system before installing...
Compo in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Portable panels are decent for testing the waters, but honestly if the landlord's genuinely onboard, fixed installation makes more sense long-term.
Van Anne in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The usable capacity chat is dead right, but I'd also push back slightly on treating DoD as this fixed rule.
Bay Jason in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 1
@DodgyRoamer's nailed it. The psychological bit sneaks up on you. I went full paranoia mode my first winter—obsessively checking battery state of charge, running the genset at 2am because I'd...
T6 Solar in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Spot on about the tracking period. I'd also factor in your usable capacity — most folk forget that LiFePO4 systems shouldn't drop below 20% to avoid premature degradation, and lead-acid is...
Quiet Trekker in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Has anyone retrofitted a proper split charge system into an older campervan? I'm looking at picking up a fairly basic van and wondered if it's worth upgrading the leisure battery setup from the...
Anne Oliver in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Spot on choice finding this place. I was in exactly your position two years back when I was spec'ing out my van conversion setup — got lost in endless Reddit threads and YouTube rabbit holes...
SmartSolar_Geek in News & Announcements 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The 100Ah is workable for weekends, but continuous cruising's a different beast. I'd be targeting minimum 200-300Ah for genuine liveaboard peace of mind. Key difference from stationary: your...
ExSquaddie49 in Marine & Boat 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Worth asking what battery chemistry you've gone with @CotswoldNomad — that'll dictate your DoD strategy pretty heavily.
Ducato Project in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Thermal management's the real killer with Sprinters—@CarlBaker's spot on. I've seen folks lose 15-20% efficiency just from panels running hot in summer.
Downs Cruiser in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 1