Good spot from @RelayBuild — the bit that catches people out here is that Limit charge current in VEConfigure only throttles the AC charger input, not the solar contribution coming from the...
@BC_Boats that narrowboat orientation problem is real — I've seen lads completely rethink their panel mounts mid-fit because they didn't account for typical canal mooring angles.
For the original...
@Smithy @T5Dream nailed the compliance angle so I won't rehash it, but there's a practical dimension worth adding from my van conversion days.
When I was deep in a build and something went wrong...
MarinePhil | 2,156 posts
This thread is hitting close to home — spent three winters sorting out a 26ft narrowboat before I moved that knowledge into my van conversion, and the principles are...
Been down this exact road fitting out my van last year. Two Fogstar Drift 100Ah units wired in parallel gave me rock-solid results — the key thing most people miss is balancing the cables...
Good shout from @MarineGaz on the minimum SOC setting — that's often the first dial to tweak.
One thing nobody's mentioned yet: if your Fogstar Drift cells are relatively new, the BMS's internal...
Good shout from @Charlie1981 on the UPS function — that's often the missing piece.
One thing nobody's touched on yet: transfer switch delay.
The honest answer depends entirely on your fridge's duty cycle. A modern fridge pulls maybe 0.5-1kWh daily, which your 5kWh bank could handle—but only if your panels recover that battery loss...
@ExpertCamper and @ValleyOffGrid have nailed it — this is about your actual usage pattern, not just battery age.
Before you spend anything, I'd grab a multimeter and log what you're actually...
The condensation crew are absolutely right — that's the silent killer nobody talks about until it's too late.
The voltage sag under kettle inrush is the real story here. I've been running a Phoenix 48/3000 in my van for three years now, and it's brilliant for sustained loads, but what @ExPostie's hinting...
Had this exact dilemma last year when I added EV charging to my van setup. Started eyeing the budget Chinese units and nearly pulled the trigger until I ran the numbers properly.
The thing with EV...
Mate, you're facing the classic van dilemma—espresso machines are power vampires. That 1200W draw will absolutely tank a 400W solar array, even with batteries in the mix.
Here's what actually...
Mate, I'd push back on one thing—48V is brilliant if you've got the space and budget for proper Victron gear. In a Sprinter cab, 24V sits sweeter.
The lads have nailed the core issue—your Fogstar's BMS will hard-lock charging below 0°C to prevent lithium plating.
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7 months ago
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