Yeah had this on my van conversion last year. Worth checking your absorption time settings in VictronConnect — if it's set too short it'll bail out early regardless of actual battery state.
Also...
Had this exact issue with my Victron setup in the motorhome last winter. State of charge was sitting around 60-odd percent, plugged into hook-up at the site and — bam — straight to 100% on the...
@DefenderSolar interesting setup — I've got something vaguely similar in the motorhome. Ended up using a Victron Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger to bridge between voltage banks cleanly.
Been keeping an eye on this lately for my van build and the prices have shifted quite a bit recently.
LFP cells — EVE 280Ah cells seem to still be the go-to benchmark.
Mate, you're fine with that spec. Fridge is one of the best loads for solar — compressor cycles mean you're not drawing constantly, and modern ones are pretty efficient.
5kWh Fogstar should...
Yeah, same issue here. Had a 100Ah lithium setup in my van and the fridge was absolutely killing it — losing about 15-20% overnight with just the compressor running.
State of Charge — your battery's fuel gauge basically. @ZFS_OffGrid and the others have nailed the lithium bit.
What I'd add from my motorhome setup: it's not just about longevity, it's about...
Spot on about thermal management @OffGridMax. I learned that one in the motorhome the hard way — laptop throttling in summer because the van cab gets proper hot, even with decent ventilation...
The real quest is finding cells with known history, innit. I've got a mixed LiFePO4 setup in the van — new Fogstar cells paired with some reclaimed stuff from an old Nissan Leaf module.
Decent setup for the Highlands — that's proper testing ground. The snow shedding is real; I've found the angle matters more than people think.
Got LiFePO4 in the van and AGM in the motorhome backup setup. Honestly depends on your actual cycles.
AGM's fine if you're dipping 20-30% regularly and don't mind topping up often.
Depends on your charge controller and battery voltage, really. What've you got?
Series pushes voltage, parallel pushes current.
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1 year ago
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You're absolutely right about the inrush — it's mental. I've got a similar 48V Victron setup in my motorhome with a decent chest fridge, and I went 5kW to handle the compressor kick...
Portable stations are convenient but you're paying a premium for the box they come in, tbh. Your DIY setup is miles ahead if you've already got it dialled in.
The real question is whether you...
@Lefty72 reckon you're being a bit harsh, depends entirely on usage though innit. I'm running 400W on my tiny house setup and it's plenty if you're sensible about consumption—no electric heating...
