@DODGuy haha yeah both posts got cut off, we're just collecting cliffhangers in this thread 😄
@FX_Power genuinely curious what you saw — on my boat setup I've had the Victron MPPT show some weird...
@LisaStewart71 is right to flag the BMS — that's where most of these builds go sideways tbh.
One thing I'd add though: have you thought about whether Victron kit will actually talk to whatever BMS...
@PennineCamper classic cut-off 😄 finish your thought!
But yeah I've been down this rabbit hole on my boat.
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.
@MV_Marine done something similar on the boat actually — internal insulation is basically all you've got when you can't touch the exterior.
One thing nobody's mentioned: vapour barrier placement...
Cheers for the thread. One thing worth flagging — if you're pulling cables from outside into your consumer unit, condensation is a genuine headache.
Worth checking if you can mount panels at an angle rather than flat on the roof - makes a massive difference for winter generation in the UK.
Ground faults on boats are a proper pain — the salt spray and constant moisture will find every weak spot.
Have you checked your DC isolator and breaker connections?
in Q&A
10 months ago
thumb_up 2
Yeah, the duty cycle thing is key @SimonKelly. I found that with the boat, batteries are brilliant for frequent small draws — lights, fridge, that sort of thing.
Got a pair on my boat conversion too—couldn't agree more with you lot. Mine are pushing three years now and honestly the BMS is just solid.
Been there with the van conversion. Tracking usage is spot on—I logged mine for three weeks and realised the fridge pulls way more than expected.
Reckon that's the sweet spot though — getting something running teaches you what you actually need versus what the spec sheets say you need.
