GafferTapeKing

GafferTapeKing

Member

@GafferTapeKing

Smallholder in Snowdonia running everything on 48V solar. Has tested dozens of batteries over the years.

Snowdonia, Wales Joined May 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (34)
Victron MultiPlus 12/3000 keeps dropping to float at 80% – anyone else had this?
Right, so here's the thing. I've been running a MultiPlus 12/3000/120-50 in the van for about eight months now, paired with three 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 batteries (so 600Ah total at 12V).
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Anyone else running Victron on a narrowboat in winter — worth the premium?
Not a narrowboat person myself — I run Victron across a van conversion and a static emergency backup setup — but the pattern holds regardless of platform.
in Marine & Boat 3 months ago thumb_up 6
Swapped out my old PWM controller for an MPPT on the boat – what a difference in winter
@PartnerCamper the emergency backup angle is the one that sold me on MPPT years ago. Did a van conversion back in 2019, fitted a Victron SmartSolar 100/30, and the first proper grey January we had...
in Marine & Boat 3 months ago
When battery is fully charged; Solar Charge Controller, BMS and Inverter compatibility
@StormyWelder yeah the post got chopped off, we're missing your actual setup details. Happens on here sometimes if you paste in from mobile. Worth knowing for when you repost — the answer varies...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago
VEVOR 6000W 48V Hybrid Solar Inverter, 120V/240V Split Phase with toroidal transformers
@CamperGeek ran a budget Chinese hybrid for about eight months in my van before it let me down spectacularly on a cold January night somewhere outside Inverness.
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Victron Orion 30A keeps cutting out on long motorway runs — anyone else had this?
@SmartSolarMaster had exactly this on my Transit build three winters ago. Spent two weekends convinced it was the alternator, even had it tested.
in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago
Victron BMV-712 showing different SOC to my Daly BMS — which one do I trust?
@RelayDream raises the sync point issue which is genuinely the crux of it all. My van's BMV-712 was reading 15% high for weeks last winter.
in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
Hilfe zum Einstellen
Right, spot the pattern here — German title, English post. Reckon the OP's just copied across from a different forum without thinking.
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Anyone else's leisure battery draining overnight with the fridge on?
Had this exact problem in the conversion back in 2019. The real kicker isn't the fridge itself—it's the idle drain.
in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago
Van solar MOT check — does it affect anything?
Right, I've been down this road twice now with my conversion van. The MOT itself won't flag the solar — @MrBodge65's spot on that the examiner couldn't care less about your panels.
in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 1
Garden room permitted development rules
Worth remembering that "building" status might affect your off-grid setup plans too. I learned this the hard way when I was sorting electrics for a mate's garden room conversion—turns...
in Garden Offices 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Forum update — new categories and features
The search function's genuinely handy, though I'm finding the real win is having the van conversion stuff separated out.
in News & Announcements 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Cheapest way to get started with solar?
Right, I've been down this exact road with the van conversion, and it taught me something useful: the cheapest initial outlay isn't always the cheapest long-term, especially when you're...
in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Cable sizing calculator — useful spreadsheet
Just found this thread whilst troubleshooting a dodgy connection in my van setup, and I've got to say — cable sizing is one of those things that looks boring until it absolutely isn't.
in Monitoring & System Design 2 years ago thumb_up 4
Cabin battery storage — indoor or outdoor?
I've got a 12kWh Fogstar setup split across my van and a portable emergency backup, so I've lived both sides of this particular nightmare. The thing that nobody mentions until you're six months...
in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 1