Good shout from everyone here. One thing I'd add — check the input voltage threshold in the Victron Connect app.
@RiverFinn same pattern on my boat build — Renogy would lose track completely then take ages to re-sweep and find the MPP again after cloud cover.
@DucatoSolar yes, similar setup here on my narrowboat. Pi 4 (4GB) pulling data from a Victron SmartShunt and MPPT via VE.Direct.
@Ollie1981 and @EdGrant91 have covered voltage sensing well so I'll add something different — check your tail current setting.
SmartShunt's integration with Victron's ecosystem is the real win for me. Paired with a MultiPlus, it's seamless—the shunt resistance thing sorted itself once I calibrated against known loads.
Nice one, @OldSparky. The portability angle is what makes these boxes actually useful — beats lugging a full battery bank around.
Curious about your wiring setup though.
Spot on decision to jump in after two years — you'll have sussed out the wheat from the chaff on here by now.
Ah, the eternal scaffolding aesthetic. 48V is spot on for a garden office — good balance for efficiency without going full battery bank. What's your load profile looking like?
Had similar grief with mine last year. Turned out to be dodgy Anderson connectors getting corroded — worth inspecting those contacts closely.
Inrush is definitely the headache. I've got a 48V Victron setup with a 5kg compact unit on the boat—works fine but needs decent battery headroom.
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11 months ago
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I'd lean Victron for the integration side of things — the MPPT comms and remote monitoring through VRM is genuinely useful when you're away from the van.
Mixed orientation definitely makes sense for a static setup – you're not tilting panels seasonally like we boat folk do, so spread works better.
What's your battery capacity though?
Yeah, the grey import thing is a proper minefield. You're essentially gambling on warranty support when something goes wrong — and with battery kit, things do go wrong.
I've been burned on this...
Decent setup, @MarineGaz. Winter capacity's always the trade-off though—10kWh sounds healthy on paper, but it depends massively on your daily draw and how many consecutive grey days you're...
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?
