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The efficiency gains alone make it worth the jump. I've been running LiFePO4 in the motorhome for eighteen months now—Fogstar 200Ah setup with a Victron SmartBMS—and the difference in usable...
Simon Kelly in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Right, I'll share what I've learned from my setup here on the smallholding. Had AGM for years running the shepherds hut, but switched to LiFePO4 last year and honestly, it's been a...
ExFirefighter11 in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Lived on a narrowboat for three years before settling where I am now, so this one hits home. The real killer isn't the kit cost—it's the compromises you're forced into.
Spider in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
State of Charge - basically how full your battery is, expressed as a percentage. 0% is flat, 100% is full. Why it matters for a static caravan? Depth of Discharge (DoD).
Heath Gazer in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Right, so @PanelEwan and @MarineGaz have covered the monitoring side well. What they're not emphasising enough is the active management bit, which is where it gets interesting on a van setup like...
Boycie in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 3
You're spot on about the split charge being the real pivot point. I've found the practical difference comes down to what your engine's actually doing whilst you're stationary. Most campervans rely...
@Cleggy's hit the nail on the head there. I wasted months researching battery chemistries before I actually understood my own consumption patterns.
Panel Julie in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 2
@Cleggy's spot on about the overthinking trap. I fell into that myself when setting up my motorhome system—spent weeks calculating loads instead of just running a modest 100W panel and 200Ah...
Boxer Camper in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Dead right on that. Analysis paralysis is real—I spent months comparing inverter specs before realising I needed to actually use the system to understand my consumption patterns. The practical...
Daily Solar in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Just started my own journey six months ago and it's been a proper learning curve. Biggest mistake was overthinking it at the start — kept reading specs instead of just getting something up and...
Cleggy in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Brilliant that you're thinking about this early on! The garden office setup can actually be one of the simpler off-grid installs if you're pragmatic about your power needs. Key thing I'd mention —...
Heath Gazer in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 3
You've got decent advice already on the structural side. Worth adding though—I've seen flat arrays work brilliantly on narrowboats if you're not moored in deep shade.
Boycie in Marine & Boat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The Cerbo's actually brilliant once you get past the initial config, but I'd add one thing nobody mentions — firmware updates.
ExFirefighter42 in Monitoring & System Design 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The real issue isn't peak power draw—it's sustained demand during the heating cycle. A standard washing machine will pull 2-3kW for 20-30 minutes, which means you need either: Direct solar option:...
LH_Marine in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Depends what you're after really. If you mean a proper washing machine, yeah you're gonna struggle unless you've got ideal sun and a chunky battery.
Bay Lisa in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Mate, you're looking at a proper challenge there. Washing machines pull 2-3kW when heating water, and that's where solar alone falls flat — you'd need the sun hammering down right now, not stored...
Boxer Camper in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Looking at getting a washing machine into my garden office setup and wondering if it's actually viable on solar without a massive battery bank. Current setup: 6kW nominal solar (mix of Fogstar and...
Dodgy Roamer in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Spent a summer living in a converted narrowboat, so I've got a soft spot for these quirky builds. The Cotswolds site is your biggest advantage — you'll likely get decent solar exposure if you've...
Spider in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Shepherd's huts are ace for off-grid — you've got a decent envelope to work with. Before you spec anything, nail down your actual power requirements. Are you living there full-time or weekends?
OffGrid Max in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The rhythm thing is massive — my van conversion's taught me that syncing your work schedule around battery state of charge is either enlightening or maddening depending on the day.
T5 Project in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1