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.
in Q&A
1 year ago
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Been through this exact scenario with my own van conversion—the roof weight anxiety is real, but there's a practical middle ground most folks miss.
Instead of cramming panels onto a questionable...
The diffuse light angle is absolutely crucial—folks often overlook it because they're chasing peak wattage ratings. I've got a mixed setup on my van conversion that taught me this the hard way.
Had this exact problem with my van conversion setup — turns out it was a kettle triggering the surge protection every time.
@BayTim's got the fundamentals spot on, but I'd add something that nearly caught me out on my van conversion: don't just measure consumption—measure when you use it.
I logged power religiously for...
VRM's brilliant for the fundamentals, but I'd push you toward layering it properly. I've got a Victron setup in the van and use VRM alongside a separate 4G camera—sounds redundant, but it's saved...
