You'll struggle to find a genuinely reliable cheap Chinese inverter at the 5-10kW range you'd need for EV charging alongside your existing load.
You could stretch £200 if you're pragmatic. Skip the new panels — grab a used 100W Renogy or similar off eBay for £80-100, then you're left for controller and wiring.
Honestly though, that's your...
48V is solid for this application. The real question is your battery chemistry—LiFePO₄ gives you proper usable capacity versus lead-acid's 50% DoD limitation.
The real kicker with budget controllers is that you're not just risking a £200 loss—you're risking your entire battery bank.
@MasterCamper's got the physics spot on, but I'd add a practical angle that caught me out initially: you need to account for peaking separately from your daily average.
I run a narrowboat with a...
The BMS cutoff is indeed your hard limit here, but there's a practical workaround worth considering if you're serious about Scottish winter camping.
Your Fogstar's BMS will likely cut charging...
in Q&A
11 months ago
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@Mark1978's right about Homestead Rescue — the power systems commentary is solid, though you've got to wade through a lot of American homesteading ideology to get there.
What nobody's mentioned yet is the integration headache. The SmartShunt does Bluetooth natively—brilliant for glancing at your phone when you're away from the van.
The shaking is usually poor jaw alignment rather than tool quality — check your crimper isn't bent. That said, for MC4 and battery terminals, you really need a proper ratcheting crimper...
You lot are right about the consumption audit being essential, but I'll add something practical from my narrowboat setup—400W is genuinely tight for winter weekends, especially in the Cotswolds...
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1 year ago
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The resting voltage approach works, but you're all skirting round the real issue — internal resistance.
@FormerMariner the engine bay is a non-starter unless you're planning on replacing it every couple of years.
The real issue isn't the inverter voltage—it's the cable run and battery bank capacity. @WattKaren, you've already got the Victron sorted, which is the sensible choice for workshop use.
