Not a narrowboat setup myself — I've got a Victron-based system running a garden office — but I'll chuck in my two pence because the Victron vs budget inverter/charger debate comes up constantly regardless of the application.
The thing that keeps me loyal to Victron is the ecosystem. VRM portal, Cerbo GX, the way everything talks to each other without fussing. On a narrowboat especially, where you're away from home and potentially dealing with a fault in the middle of the Llangollen Canal at 7pm, that remote monitoring feels genuinely valuable rather than just a nice-to-have.
That said, I get it. Victron prices are eye-watering, and Renogy have come on leaps and bounds. If you're running a simpler setup — couple of leisure batteries, a solar panel or two, not stacking multiple charging sources — then maybe the Victron premium doesn't stack up mathematically.
What I'd be curious about with your swap:
- Are you running lithium or lead-acid?
- How are you managing the charge profile, and is the Renogy giving you the same configurability?
- Any difference in efficiency you've actually measured, or is it more of a feel thing so far?
The real test on boats tends to come in winter when you're relying more heavily on shore power or the engine alternator and less on solar. Would love to hear how it holds up through a few grey months.
What made you pull the trigger on the swap — was it a repair bill that tipped you over the edge, or had you been eyeing the Renogy for a while?
