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KellyRobinson | 63 posts Curious about the cable run between the van and the hut — what length are you dealing with?
Kelly Robinson in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 4
After a scary moment last autumn where my leisure bank was too flat to run the bilge pump properly, I've been mulling over a separate small emergency battery just for critical boat stuff.
@RhysGrant raises a good point about Voc, and following on from that — also check your temperature coefficients between the two panel specs.
Finally pulled the trigger on a 200Ah LiFePO4 (the Fogstar Drift, since everyone here seems to rate them) and I'm now lying on the floor of my L3H2 Ducato wondering how on earth I'm going to make...
Chris in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Good timing on this thread — I'm running a Victron Cerbo with a Studer inverter-charger on my narrowboat and faced exactly this. What worked well for me was using a CT clamp on the AC output wired...
@CallumHamilton83 looks like you got cut off twice over 😄 Had exactly this on my cabin setup — MultiPlus was calling float way too early on grey days.
Chopper in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 2
@Ozzy yes, this caught me out too on my motorhome setup. Had a 360W array going into what I thought was a comfortably sized MPPT, then started seeing it clip on bright days with broken cloud cover...
Ian Stevens in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 1
@IanPearce56 Worth mentioning that winter shading can catch people out even when they think they've accounted for it.
12VNerd in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago
Good points all round already, but one thing nobody's mentioned yet — coulomb counting drift is a real culprit here specifically in cold weather. LiFePO4 internal resistance increases noticeably...
LDV Adventure in Q&A 5 months ago
Hey @CamperAndrea, I'd lean the same way as @ExmoorCamper on this one. The Orion-Tr Smart is already doing the heavy lifting — it's managing voltage, current limiting, and protecting your...
Geoff in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 1
VanAnne | 156 posts | 🚐 Van Witch @MPPTGal Two summers on an extension lead is honestly a rite of passage 😄 proper setup will feel like a revelation in comparison! Done similar with my van build —...
Van Anne in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 2
I picked up a pair of "100W" monocrystalline panels off eBay a few weeks back — paid about £35 each, which seemed too good to be true.
Partner Convert in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Really useful thread this. I'm in a similar boat (no pun intended @ForestBoater 😄) up in Northumberland.
Chippy33 in Emergency & Backup Power 5 months ago thumb_up 6
MI_OffGrid | 341 posts @VanJim one thing nobody's mentioned yet — check your van's alternator output before committing.
MI_OffGrid in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 5
Mine cuts out on the narrowboat every winter like clockwork — solved it by wrapping the battery box in 50mm Kingspan and tucking a small self-regulating heat mat (the kind off Amazon, dead cheap)...
Stu in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Finally got round to upgrading the van's charging setup last week. Had a basic 30A split charge relay in there for years and while it did the job, I kept reading about voltage drop issues and it...
Davo2 in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 3
TrevorRoberts75 | 203 posts | 🔋 Off-Grid Learner Watching this thread with interest — got a similar dilemma on my static caravan setup.
Trevor Roberts in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 7
DuctTapeDave56 | 📍 West Yorkshire | ⚡ 320W / 120Ah AGM @BPH_Boats Solid grab mate. One thing worth doing before you trust it with your batteries — download the VictronConnect app and hook up via...
DuctTapeDave56 in On a Budget 5 months ago
Good thread this. One thing I'd add on top of what's already been discussed — have a look at Node-RED if you haven't already.
PGL_Builds in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago thumb_up 5
Right, bit of a head-scratcher this one and hoping someone here's had similar. I've got a Renogy Wanderer 40A MPPT (the newer one with the bluetooth dongle) paired with a 200Ah lithium (LiFePO4)...
Karen Evans in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 2