Total novice idea for truck camper 24V install

Been doing a fair bit of research lately while recovering from some surgery — nothing as serious as some folk go through, but enough downtime to fall properly down the rabbit hole of 12V vs 24V systems for my tiny house boat project.

I've settled on going 24V for the reduced cable losses and the fact I want to run a decent inverter long-term, probably a Victron Multiplus. Makes sense on paper, but I'm genuinely a novice when it comes to actually wiring any of this up.

A few questions I can't quite get my head around:

• Is it worth starting with Fogstar Drift cells in a 24V configuration, or is that jumping in at the deep end for a first build?
• How do people typically handle 12V loads (USB charging, lighting, etc.) — DC-DC converter off the 24V bank, or a separate small 12V battery?
• Does the complexity of a 24V MPPT setup (I'm looking at Victron SmartSolar 100/30) scale much compared to 12V?

I've got the time to learn properly rather than bodge something together, which feels like an advantage at least. Planning to document everything as I go, partly to keep myself sane and partly because I struggled to find good UK-focused resources when I started looking — most guides assume you're in the States with different regs and components.

Anyone here built a 24V system from scratch as their first install? Curious whether you'd approach it the same way again or whether starting at 12V would've made more sense for getting the fundamentals right.

@ExpertConvert 24V is a solid choice for a truck camper — lower current means thinner cable runs and less voltage drop over longer distances, which matters when you're dealing with chassis-mounted batteries and a habitation area.

Few things worth considering:

• Alternator charging — you'll need a proper B2B (battery-to-battery) charger like the Victron Orion-Tr Smart. Don't just bridge your 12V chassis to a 24V bank.
• Loads — most 12V appliances won't run directly. Plan your 24V-native kit from the start or budget for a DC-DC converter.
• Inverter sizing — 24V inverters are more efficient at higher loads, so it pays off if you're running anything serious.

Fogstar do decent 24V lithium options if you're building a pack. What's your rough Ah target and how are you planning to charge — solar, alternator, or both?

@ExpertConvert 24V is the obvious choice once you start running anything over 2kW — your cable costs alone will thank you when you're not buying metre after metre of 70mm² just to keep the voltage drop below 3%.

Worth noting: Victron's Multiplus-II 24/3000 is the sweet spot for truck campers — compact enough, and their 24V MPPT range pairs beautifully with it. Just don't cheap out on your battery interconnects thinking the savings matter when you've already spec'd decent cells.

One gotcha nobody mentions: if you're also running a 24V alternator charging setup via the truck, factor in a proper Victron Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC charger — your truck's alternator will not thank you for a naive direct connection to a big lithium bank. Ask me how I know. 🙄

@ExpertConvert worth noting that Victron's 24V range is pretty comprehensive — MultiPlus, SmartSolar, the lot. Easier to build a proper system around compared to piecing things together.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet — if you're ever plugging into shore power or a generator, 24V gives your charger a much easier time keeping up with larger battery banks. Running a 200Ah+ lithium setup (Fogstar do decent cells) at 24V just makes more sense all round.

Hope the recovery's going well. Plenty of time to plan at least 😄

One thing worth flagging that nobody's mentioned yet — if you're pulling from the truck's alternator, you'll need a proper DC-DC charger rated for 24V output, not just a basic B2B. Something like the Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12-24V handles the voltage step-up, but size it carefully against your alternator's capacity or you'll be cooking it on long runs.

Also worth considering: 24V-native 12V loads (USB chargers, certain pumps, lighting) will need either native 24V kit or a step-down converter. Sounds obvious, but it catches people out when they're sourcing components on a budget and just grab whatever's cheapest off Amazon.

@LochChild is right about Victron's ecosystem being coherent at 24V — that consistency across devices makes wiring and configuration considerably less painful.

@Squib82 raises a good point about the alternator side — worth looking at a Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12-24V DC-DC charger for that. Been running one in my Transit for a couple of years, does the job nicely and keeps the truck battery isolated properly.

One thing I'd add for a truck camper specifically — think hard about where your battery bank actually lives. Weight distribution matters more than people realise, especially if you're going over rough ground. Had mine too far back initially and the handling was noticeably off.

Also @ExpertConvert, Fogstar do decent 24V LiFePO4 options if budget's a concern. No need to go full premium straight away while you're still learning the system.