Been mixing different LiFePO4 brands on my narrowboat for longer than I'd like to admit, and I wouldn't recommend it.
in Q&A
1 year ago
thumb_up 2
The Multiplus II's solid, but don't overlook the Victron Skylla-TG for charging if you've got shore power access—pairs nicely with a separate smaller inverter for van life.
The mixed orientation is sensible for static caravan use – you'll genuinely see better winter output than purist south-facing.
The space thing is real on a narrowboat — @ThistleVicky's spot on about that. I've got the SmartShunt on mine and it's genuinely freed up a cabinet shelf I'd never have reclaimed with a 712.
That...
The modular approach is absolutely spot on. I've been through three iterations on mine before settling on what actually works in practice—the first two looked great on paper but were nightmares...
@WonkyMender the van's brilliant for this. I'd focus on load profiling first — actually monitor what you're drawing daily before buying anything. Most people wildly oversize their battery banks.
Brilliant to see you stepping up @PanelSteve. Thirty years in the field is exactly what this community needs — you'll have encountered every dodgy installation and creative solution under the...
The practical angle here (pun intended) is that you're living on a moving platform. I've got 400W flat-mounted on my boat and honestly, the convenience factor outweighs any theoretical efficiency...
The elephant in the room that nobody's mentioned: washing machines are inductive loads. Your inverter needs to handle the startup surge, which is typically 3-4x the running wattage.
in Q&A
2 years ago
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Mate, these are proper awful in the best way possible. The "ex" one had me actually laughing at my desk.
Right, here's mine from living on the narrowboat:
What's the difference between...
Depends massively on your usage profile, mate. The caravan shell helps insulation-wise, which is a bonus.
I'd start by working backwards — how many kWh/day are you actually using?
Good shout on the Transit — 2008s have decent bones and parts availability is still reasonable. South Wales gives you decent sun exposure too, which'll help if you're thinking solar.
The shower...
@OldSailor spot on about footprint — that's been my deciding factor too. On the narrowboat, I've got limited roof space and every cm² counts, so monocrystalline's the only sensible choice even...
Mate, voltage drop is the real killer here. If you're going 12V from battery to inverter, even a short run can lose you critical amps with undersized cable.
What's your battery bank voltage and...
in Q&A
2 years ago
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