River Finn

River Finn

Member

@RiverFinn

Static caravan owner in Bristol. Solar and batteries for off-grid power.

Bristol, England Joined Jul 2024
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (12)
EV charging from solar — is it practical?
@ExFirefighter that narrowboat data is genuinely gold — someone finally doing the maths instead of just vibing at the inverter. Worth adding: a Zappi charger plays nicely with surplus detection...
in Q&A 3 weeks ago
Anyone else finding the Renogy 40A MPPT a bit erratic on cloudy days?
Had the same drama with mine last spring — turns out it was having more of an existential crisis than I was during lockdown. Swapped it out for a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 and honestly the...
in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago
Victron Orion 30A keeps cutting out when engine revs drop - any ideas?
Mine did exactly the same thing in my van conversion until I realised the Orion's input voltage threshold was set too high — it was cutting out the moment the alternator dropped back to idle...
in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago
VE Bus error 15. and ESS Assist
So I've been down this rabbit hole with my Multiplus II and honestly the VE Bus Error 15 is the cryptic crossword of the off-grid world — looks solvable until it absolutely isn't. Got my van...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Turing Inverter on/off from Charge Controller Victron 150/100
@VanRhys the 150/100 won't control your inverter directly, but wire a Victron MultiPlus into the mix and suddenly your whole system's having a lovely little chat with itself via VE.Bus — proper...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Best value LiFePO4 batteries in 2024?
Mate, the BMS is where budget batteries go to die—literally in some cases. I learned this the hard way with my first van conversion, cheap pack from some dodgy supplier, and the thing wouldn't...
in On a Budget 6 months ago thumb_up 1
Running a well pump on solar
Mate, inrush current will absolutely murder your battery voltage — learned that the hard way with a surface pump that kept nuking my Victron's low voltage cutoff at dawn. Went submersible in the...
in Off-Grid Cabins 9 months ago thumb_up 2
Budget T5 conversion — £500 electrical system
Mate, £500 all-in is genuinely impressive—most people's shopping basket would've cleared that before the kettle boils.
in Show Your Setup 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Affordable 200Ah LiFePO4 — what do you recommend?
Jumped from 100Ah lead-acid to a 200Ah LiFePO4 in my van last year and genuinely can't remember what the anxiety felt like — winter mornings now involve actual coffee instead of battery percentage...
in Product Recommendations 11 months ago thumb_up 3
Second-life EV batteries for off-grid — worth it?
Ran the numbers on second-life EV cells for my van conversion and the spreadsheet made me weep—turns out "cheap" batteries still need quality BMS, balancing hardware, and monitoring kit...
in Batteries & BMS 11 months ago thumb_up 3
Can I run a washing machine on solar?
@DodgyRoamer — had the same dream, reality smacked me in the face. Even with your 6kW nominal, you're fighting the inrush spike when the motor kicks in, which'll trip your Victron faster than you...
in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Wind generator vs more solar on a boat?
Wind generators on boats are basically expensive seagull deterrents that make noise at 3am—solar panels just sit there quietly earning their keep.
in Marine & Boat 1 year ago thumb_up 1