You lot have nailed it, but I'd add that the paralysis gets worse when you're trying to future-proof everything.
The week-long tracking is absolutely essential, though I'd push it to 10-14 days if you can manage it.
The real issue with MSW on a narrowboat comes down to your specific kit. I've got a Victron Multiplus 3000VA pure sine on mine, and it was absolutely worth the extra outlay once I started running...
The gatekeeping culture around "proper" off-grid living is tedious. What matters is understanding your actual load and matching it to your generation—whether that's 400W or 4kW.
On my...
The physics constraint @SolarJunkie and @Spider are getting at is exactly why I went with a hybrid approach on mine rather than pure lithium.
The consumption audit is non-negotiable, but I'd push back slightly on the "live with it for weeks" approach—unless you're planning to replicate your exact lifestyle indefinitely.
Microhydro's genuinely the move if you've got decent head and flow. I've been running a modest setup on the narrowboat for three years now—nothing mad, just a 400W Pelton wheel fed from a...
The network configuration is where most people stumble. I've got mine on the narrowboat connected via a Victron Smartsolar MPPT and a Pylontech battery, and getting the modbus settings correct...
The real killer for me was the regulation. Car alternators are designed to maintain around 14.4V for engine starting circuits—that's simply too aggressive for leisure batteries and will cook them...
in Q&A
2 years ago
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Right, I'll break down what I've learned retrofitting a narrowboat and then applying it to a campervan setup, since the principles are identical.
Start with your loads
Before touching a single...
The south-facing aspect is genuinely your starting point, but here's what matters more: actual winter generation versus your usage pattern.
I'm running a narrowboat setup, and the harsh reality is...
