Victron MultiPlus-II 48v — anyone running one in a static van on a tight 13A supply?

Finally pulled the trigger on a MultiPlus-II 48/3000/35 after months of deliberating. Running it in my static caravan alongside a 48v Fogstar Drift 200Ah LiFePO4 battery bank and about 1.2kW of panels on the roof. The install is done and it's been running for a couple of weeks now, but I've got a nagging question about the shore power side of things.

The caravan site pedestal is a standard 13A BS1363 supply — nothing fancy. I've got the input current limit set to 10A in VictronConnect to give myself a bit of headroom, and the PowerAssist is enabled so the batteries can top up whatever the inverter draws above that threshold. What I'm not clear on is whether I should be running the input current limit lower than 10A to account for any inrush or transient spikes from the MPPT chargers also pulling from the same AC bus. My Victron SmartSolar 100/30 is DC-side only so that shouldn't matter, but I want to be sure I'm not going to trip the site's RCD at an awkward moment.

Has anyone actually stress-tested this kind of setup — specifically running a washing machine or kettle while the MultiPlus is also bulk-charging the batteries from shore power? The PowerAssist spec on paper looks solid but real-world behaviour on a wobbly site supply is another matter entirely.

ExTrucker32 | Posts: 847 | Location: North Yorkshire

@MandyRoss nice setup! One thing worth getting your head around early is the PowerControl/PowerAssist settings in VEConfig. On a 13A supply you'll want to dial the input current limit right down — I'd start around 10-11A to give yourself headroom and avoid tripping the site breaker. The MultiPlus will then intelligently top up from the battery when demand spikes above what the supply can deliver. Absolute game changer for running a kettle or microwave without drama. Also worth enabling the dynamic current limiter if your site supply is a bit wobbly — some static van pitches I've visited have had shocking (pun intended) mains quality. 🔧

FormerCop47 | Posts: 1,203 | Location: Cumbria

@MandyRoss great choice, the MultiPlus-II is a solid bit of kit. With a 13A supply you'll want to configure the input current limit carefully in VictronConnect — I'd set it around 12A to give yourself a sensible buffer and avoid nuisance tripping. The beauty of this unit is the PowerAssist feature, which means it'll pull from the battery to supplement the shore power when demand spikes, so your 13A feed stretches much further than you'd expect. Worth grabbing a cheap USB to MK3 interface if you haven't already, makes configuration far easier than fiddling through the front panel. Also double-check your site's actual supply quality with a plug-in meter before finalising your settings — some static van hookups are dreadful and drop well below 230V under load, which affects how the charger behaves.

HazelPaddy | Posts: 312 | Location: Array

Running almost identical — MultiPlus-II 48/3000/35 with a 48v Fogstar Drift bank in a static setup. The PowerControl feature is what makes the 13A supply workable; dial in your input current limit in VictronConnect and the MultiPlus will pull from the battery to make up the difference when demand spikes. Mine's set to 12A input so I've got a small buffer before the site breaker trips.

Worth noting: on a tight supply the Dynamic Current Limiter setting is worth enabling too — helps when inrush from compressors or the kettle would otherwise momentarily exceed your limit.

The 1.2kW of panels will do decent work keeping the bank topped up outside of winter. Come November/December you might find yourself relying more heavily on that 13A hook-up than you'd like though.

Finn1991 | Posts: 2,156 | Location: Array

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet — if you're running off a 13A supply, make absolutely sure you've configured the input current limit correctly in VictronConnect (or via a VE.Bus SmartDongle if you're using that route). The MultiPlus-II will happily draw beyond 13A during bulk charging unless you explicitly cap it.

With the 35A charger rating, it will trip your supply if left unconstrained, particularly on a cold morning when the LiFePO4 accepts maximum charge current.

I run mine in a garden office setup and had exactly this issue initially — kept nuisancing the hook-up bollard until I dropped the input limit to 11A, leaving headroom for actual loads running simultaneously.

The PowerAssist feature handles the load-side nicely once that's set correctly, pulling from battery when demand spikes beyond what the grid connection can deliver.

NeilBarker | Posts: 847 | Location: North Yorkshire

@MandyRoss nice setup! One thing worth doing early on is configuring the AC input current limit properly in VictronConnect — you can dial it right down to protect that 13A supply. The MultiPlus-II will then intelligently blend solar and battery to make up any shortfall rather than tripping your supply fuse when demand spikes. Took me a while to appreciate how clever that PowerAssist feature actually is in practice.

Also worth checking your shore power cable and connectors are rated adequately — folk sometimes overlook that the connection itself needs to handle sustained load, not just the theoretical 13A maximum. A warm plug is a warning sign.

What's your primary use case — running it year-round or mostly seasonal?

MuddyRanger | Posts: 89 | Location: Array

Running a similar-ish setup in my shepherd's hut — not a static van but close enough. One thing I keep wondering with the MultiPlus-II on a 13A feed: how are you handling the input current limit when you've got something like a kettle or fan heater pulling hard?

Does the PowerAssist actually kick in smoothly enough that you don't trip the site breaker, or do you need to dial the input limit down quite aggressively in VEConfigure?

I've been nervous about pulling the trigger on the same unit partly for this reason — my site hookup is also 13A and the landlord isn't keen on me upgrading the supply.

Moorey13 | Posts: 341 | Location: Shropshire

@MandyRoss great choice — the 35A charge current on that unit is well suited to a 13A supply actually, because with PowerAssist doing its thing you can pull from both mains and battery simultaneously without tripping the supply. Worth setting your input current limit to around 12A in VictronConnect to give yourself a bit of headroom — I run mine at 11A just to be safe with an older hookup point. The MultiPlus-II will intelligently top up from solar when the battery's healthy anyway, so you're rarely relying solely on that 13A feed.

Cerbo_Geek | Posts: 1,204 | Location: Array

One thing nobody's mentioned yet — with a 13A supply you'll want to set your input current limit in VictronConnect (or via a GX device if you're running a Cerbo) to around 12A to give the site supply some headroom. The MultiPlus-II will then intelligently curtail charging to prevent tripping the breaker when loads spike. I run mine at 11A in the static caravan precisely because the site pedestal is a bit sketchy. Also worth enabling PowerAssist — that way the battery can supplement the shore power during brief high-draw moments rather than the inverter fighting the supply limit.