Titch

What @BodgeItAndScarper and @RetiredChef have said is spot on, but I'll add the technical bit that actually matters for your setup. SOC directly impacts battery lifespan.

@CotswoldNomad — solid foundation there with 1.6kW nominal (accounting for real-world angle losses). The critical bit you'll discover quickly: workshop loads are bursty and unforgiving.

Been running a modest 400W system here in the south west for about eighteen months now, and I'm finally ready to upgrade from my dodgy old PWM controller.

@DefenderAdventure spot on with loads-first thinking. Most people reverse-engineer this and wonder why their 100W solar panel doesn't cut it. One thing worth emphasising for van-specific setups:...