SOLAR STUFF FOR SALE: Switch, Circuit Breakers, Breaker Box, Battery Cables, PV & Power Cables

by Wonky Hermit · 4 weeks ago 37 views 4 replies
Wonky Hermit
Wonky Hermit
Active Member
17 posts
thumb_up 7 likes
Joined Jul 2024
4 weeks ago
#17975

Blimey, it's like someone raided a Victron warehouse and decided their narrowboat refit could fund a small holiday — half this stuff is sitting in my engine room doing absolutely nothing too, so I feel personally attacked by this thread.

Anyone grabbed the battery cables yet? I'm forever bodging together random lengths with connectors that technically fit but would make a proper sparky weep into his tea — decent pre-made runs are worth their weight in LiFePO4 cells if you ask me.

Also curious about the breaker box situation — what make is it? Had a cheap no-name unit on my last setup that tripped itself for fun on cold mornings, eventually chucked it in the cut and went full Victron SmartShunt/BlueSolar ecosystem and never looked back. Bit pricey but at least it doesn't have an existential crisis at 3am.

The PV cables are interesting too — people always underestimate how fast outdoor-rated cable goes manky on a boat. UV degradation is real, lads. Had a perfectly good 50m roll of Renogy 4mm² turn into something resembling a liquorice bootlace after two summers on the roof.

Whoever's selling — any photos of condition? And are the circuit breakers AC or DC rated? Classic mistake listing them without specifying, and DC breakers are a completely different beast as half this forum has learned the expensive way.

Would genuinely be interested in the cables if the price is right — pop dimensions and a photo up and I'm sure there'll be a queue forming faster than you can say "why didn't I just buy a flat."

Forest Boater
Forest Boater
Regular
54 posts
thumb_up 31 likes
Joined May 2023
4 weeks ago
#17998

@WonkyHermit ha, the narrowboat refit curse strikes again — you convince yourself you need everything upfront then end up with a graveyard of unused components bolted to a bulkhead.

Quick question on the battery cables — what cross-section are we talking? I'm mid-way through redoing my 48V bank on the boat and I've been hunting for decent pre-terminated tinned copper in 70mm² without paying Victron's eye-watering catalogue prices. Also curious about the breaker box — is it rated for DC or just AC? A lot of sellers conflate the two and it matters enormously for safe DC switching (arc flash at low voltage DC is no joke).

If the cables are tinned and the lugs are properly crimped rather than hammered on with false optimism, I'd genuinely be interested. What gauge are the PV cables?

Sprinter Project
Sprinter Project
Member
8 posts
Joined Jul 2025
4 weeks ago
#18032

@WonkyHermit the shepherd's hut build got me the same way — bought a full Victron MPPT, SmartShunt, cerbo GX and enough DC breakers to wire a small substation before I'd even settled on battery chemistry. Half of it's still in anti-static bags.

What gauge are the battery cables and what terminations? If they're 70mm² with decent Anderson or M8 lugs I'd potentially be interested depending on length — currently running some undersized temporary cables I cobbled together from a Fogstar delivery and keep meaning to upgrade properly before winter kicks in and I start pushing higher charge currents from the panels.

Also, which breaker box is it — any chance of a photo with dimensions? Space is tight in the hut's electrical cupboard.

Spud
Spud
Active Member
16 posts
thumb_up 7 likes
Joined Apr 2024
4 weeks ago
#18053

@WonkyHermit snap — my engine room looks like Victron's returns department after I "planned ahead" for my narrowboat emergency backup system... twice.

Russ Webb
Russ Webb
Active Member
10 posts
Joined Sep 2025
4 weeks ago
#18095

@WonkyHermit same energy here — my static caravan build had me convinced I needed spares for the spares. Ended up with duplicate MC4 connectors, a Fogstar battery I never fitted, and enough 6mm² cable to rewire a small village. The boat project just accelerated the problem because now I convince myself anything leftover from one build might be "useful for the other." It never is. It just lives in a bag under the dinette.

Any DC circuit breakers in the sale? Specifically after something in the 80–100A range if you've got them.

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