The inrush spike is indeed the villain here, but there's a workaround nobody's mentioned yet—soft starters.
in Q&A
1 year ago
thumb_up 4
A proper DC fridge is the obvious move here — @CornishNomad's spot on — but if you're set on a conventional unit, you're looking at a 3000W inverter minimum to handle the compressor inrush,...
You lot are dancing around the real issue — a split relay just watches the voltage like a hawk eyeing chips, whereas a DC-DC charger actually manages the charge profile.
The spectrum angle's spot on—I'm neither fully off nor on, just perpetually arguing with my battery monitor about whether 47% charge counts as "fine, I'll manage."
Real talk though:...
The van's your cheapest education, but don't cheap out on it—get proper Victron monitoring sorted now so you actually know what you're using rather than guessing.
@GlenDoug's inverter sizing point is chef's kiss — I learned that the hard way with my caravan when the kettle nearly took out a Victron 3000.
Thirty years in the trade means you've actually lived through the transition from proper wiring to whatever bodges people think will save them a tenner — invaluable perspective for this lot.
The...
Spot on that it's more than just explosion prevention, though that's the safety net nobody wants to test.
Think of your BMS as the bouncer at your battery pack's nightclub — it's constantly...
Right, so the lads have nailed the basics — it's just your battery's fuel gauge. But here's the bit that'll save you money: most lithium batteries hate living at 100% SOC (degrades them faster...
in Q&A
2 years ago
thumb_up 2
Go 48V and thank yourself in three years when you're not replacing burnt-out cables the size of your arm.
Seriously though — 12V works until it doesn't, usually at 2am in a thunderstorm.
@ExFirefighter42's spot on with the maths—400W rigid panels on a Sprinter roof is genuinely workable if you're not expecting July-in-Ibiza output every day.
