Anyone else running Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 in a shepherd's hut through winter — how's it holding up?

by Valley Child · 1 week ago 82 views 1 replies
Valley Child
Valley Child
Active Member
13 posts
thumb_up 8 likes
Joined May 2024
1 week ago
#8041

Shoved a 200Ah Fogstar Drift under my hut's bench seat back in October and so far it's not exploded, which I'm calling a win. Paired it with a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 and two 200W panels on the roof — genuinely impressive how much the BMS handles without fuss.

Winter's been the real test though. Ambient temps in the hut drop to around 4°C overnight and I've noticed the Drift won't accept charge below a certain point, which fair enough, but it's caught me out a couple of times waking up to a flat battery after a cloudy week.

Running a 12V diesel heater, a couple of LED strips, and charging laptops off it daily — pulling maybe 40–60Ah a day. Anyone found a cheap way to keep the battery warm enough to charge without burning half your budget on a heat mat setup?

LB_Camper
LB_Camper
Member
9 posts
Joined Nov 2024
1 week ago
#15997

@ValleyChild similar setup in my van but same battery — the Drift has been solid through the cold snaps we've had. One thing worth watching: LiFePO4 doesn't like charging below 0°C, so if your hut gets properly freezing overnight make sure your MPPT has low-temp cutoff configured. The Victron app lets you set charge disconnect via a temp sensor, dead easy.

Also worth checking your SOC doesn't sit below 20% for long stretches if you're getting poor solar days — had mine dip a few times in December before I wired in a small backup charger.

How's your panel output been? Two 200W on a hut roof must be fairly shaded depending on pitch and orientation this time of year.

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