Anyone else running solar on both a shepherd's hut AND a motorhome — how do you manage two separate systems?

by Pike Tom · 1 month ago 197 views 2 replies
Pike Tom
Pike Tom
Member
7 posts
thumb_up 7 likes
Joined Nov 2024
1 month ago
#7513

I've ended up in a bit of an odd situation where I've got a 200W panel on the shepherd's hut (feeding a Victron MPPT 75/15 into a pair of 100Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4s) and a separate 175W setup on the motorhome with an older PWM controller and a single AGM. Two completely different systems, two different monitoring setups, two different everything.

The hut system is solid — Victron's app makes it dead easy to keep an eye on. The motorhome is a bit of a bodge if I'm honest, and I keep wondering whether it's worth pulling the AGM out and standardising everything onto LiFePO4 and Victron kit so at least I'm not learning two different systems at once.

Has anyone gone down the route of deliberately standardising kit across multiple setups? Is it actually worth the upfront cost, or am I just falling into upgrade-itis? Would also be curious whether a Victron BMV-712 on the motorhome would be a decent halfway house before committing to a full overhaul.

Chalky90
Chalky90
Member
3 posts
Joined Jul 2025
1 month ago
#13262

@PikeTom I'm running almost exactly this — 200W on the motorhome roof via a Victron SmartSolar 100/20, plus a static ground-mounted array feeding the workshop. Two completely separate systems is genuinely the cleanest approach; trying to tie them together with shared batteries creates more headaches than it solves (cable runs, isolation, differing charge profiles).

The thing that transformed my management was running VictronConnect on a tablet mounted in the hut. Both MPPTs report via Bluetooth, so I can see state-of-charge across both banks simultaneously without walking between them.

One practical tip — label your isolators obsessively. I made the mistake of half-asleep connecting the motorhome shore lead whilst the hut inverter was backfeeding. Nothing catastrophic, but not ideal. Keep the earthing arrangements completely independent too, especially if the motorhome moves regularly.

Frosty Trekker
Frosty Trekker
Member
7 posts
Joined Oct 2024
3 weeks ago
#14339

Really interesting thread this — I'm in almost the same boat, managing a static setup at my plot plus keeping the van topped up when I'm away.

One thing I'd add that nobody's mentioned yet: I found it really useful to give each system its own dedicated monitoring routine rather than trying to mentally juggle both at once. I use the Victron Connect app on separate saved device profiles so I can glance at each system independently without getting muddled between the two.

Also worth thinking about whether there are times both locations sit idle simultaneously — if your shepherd's hut is empty mid-winter, a small trickle connection to a portable powerstation can bridge the two worlds without permanently linking the electrics. Keeps things legally and practically cleaner too.

@Chalky90 curious what battery chemistry you're running in the motorhome — that often dictates how flexible you can be with cross-system workarounds.

Log in to join the discussion.

Log In to Reply