Been running a small off-grid shepherd's hut for about two years now, and recently started using it as a base while the van charges overnight. The hut runs on a 400W Renogy panel array feeding into a Victron SmartSolar MPPT, with a 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 doing the heavy lifting. Works a treat for lighting, a 12V compressor fridge, and the odd laptop — but the moment I plug in even a modest EV charger, the whole picture changes.
Currently using a basic 3.6kW portable EVSE on a hook-up lead, which obviously means I need the inverter running. I've got a Victron Multiplus 12/3000 handling that side. The issue is logging both systems together — hut consumption and EV draw — in a way that actually makes sense on a dashboard. Right now I'm bodging it with a Victron Cerbo GX and a couple of clip-on CT sensors, but the data feels messy.
Curious whether anyone else has gone down the rabbit hole of designing a system that genuinely handles EV charging as a planned load rather than an afterthought. Are you scheduling charges around solar peaks? Using Venus OS large with Node-RED to automate cutoffs? I've been eyeing up adding a second battery bank dedicated purely to overnight EV top-ups but not sure if that's overcomplicating it.
What does your monitoring stack actually look like when you're balancing domestic off-grid loads against vehicle charging?
