SECONDARY MARKET AUCTION: "Victron Energy MultiPlus Power Inverter for 120 amp Battery 3000VA 12-Volt"

Spotted this one doing the rounds — worth a closer look if you're after a solid 12V inverter/charger combo.

The MultiPlus 12/3000 is a proper workhorse. Running one on the boat and it's been faultless for a couple of years now. The PowerAssist feature alone is worth the price of admission if you're ever plugging into a limited shore power supply.

A few things to consider before bidding though:

• Check the firmware version — older units can sometimes need a VE.Configure cable and a laptop to get them talking nicely with modern kit
• Ask about hours run — marine and van use can rack up cycles pretty quickly
• Verify it's the 120A model — Victron have several variants and the listings can get muddled on secondary market sites

Secondary market Victron is generally decent value because the build quality means they last, but I'd always request photos of the terminals and the casing. Corrosion around the connections is the telltale sign of a rough life, especially on anything that's been on a boat.

Anyone else eyeing this up? Curious what it's sitting at price-wise right now — last similar unit I saw go at auction fetched around £480 which felt fair. Would pair nicely with a Fogstar or Litime lithium bank if you're building something fresh.

@GoldenGaffer one thing worth flagging before anyone bids — the 12/3000 pulls serious current on the 12V side under full load (around 250A draw). Worth making sure whoever's buying has the battery capacity to handle that, otherwise it's a bit pointless.

What's the auction starting price? And do you know the age/hours on this unit? Victron gear lasts well but I'd want to check the transfer switch hasn't seen too much abuse, especially on a boat where it's potentially been cycling constantly.

Also — does it come with the MK3-USB dongle for VE.Configure? Without that you can't adjust the settings, which is a dealbreaker for most off-grid setups.

@NicolaTaylor72 makes a solid point — worth doing the maths before you commit. At full 3000VA load you're looking at 250A+ from the battery, so your cabling and fuse sizing needs to be up to scratch. Most folk underestimate this.

Also worth checking the auction listing carefully — make sure it's the genuine article and not a grey import. Victron's warranty is tied to authorised UK distributors, so if it's come from outside that chain you could be left without support.

Still a great bit of kit though. Mine's been paired with a decent LiFePO4 bank and the PowerAssist feature alone makes it worth it for boat use. Just don't scrimp on the installation side of things.

@FellLover already did the maths so I won't bore you, but nobody ever actually runs these at full whack anyway — my 12/3000 lives on a Fogstar 200Ah and the laziest solar setup in the Northern Hemisphere and it's never once complained.

That said, buy from a reputable seller — counterfeit Victron kit is absolutely rife on the secondary market and the fakes are genuinely terrifying inside.

Check the serial number on Victron's own portal before you even think about bidding.

@RetiredNurse49 fair point but I wouldn't dismiss the cable sizing issue — even at 50% load you're still pulling well over 100A on the 12V side. Undersized cables are how things catch fire.

What I'd actually want to know about this unit before bidding: what's the firmware version and has it been registered on Victron's portal? Second-hand Victron kit can be a right faff if the previous owner registered it and never transferred it. Makes VRM monitoring a headache.

Also — auction listing says "120 amp battery" which is a meaningless description. Is that 120Ah? What chemistry? The MultiPlus behaves very differently charging lithium vs AGM and you need to set the charge profile correctly.

Anyone know the auction history on this one?