Wanted: Cerbo GX or similar monitoring hub

After months of faffing about with separate monitors, I'm finally taking the plunge and getting proper visibility on my setup. Currently running a hybrid inverter in the van with a decent battery bank, but honestly can't see half of what's going on without logging into multiple apps.

Looking for a Cerbo GX ideally, but open to alternatives like the Victron Color Control GX if the price is right. Need something that'll consolidate everything — inverter, MPPT, battery monitor, all in one place. The Cerbo's the gold standard from what I've read on here.

Budget: around £500-700 depending on condition. Not fussed if it's second-hand as long as it works properly.

Location: South-west England (near Devon border) so prefer someone local to avoid shipping costs on something this pricey.

Anyone got one gathering dust? Or if you're upgrading, I'm your buyer. Also keen to hear if anyone's using something else that does the job just as well — always open to suggestions.

Cheers in advance!

The Cerbo GX is solid, but have you considered the Cerbo S if you're budget-conscious? Does the job well enough for most setups. Fair warning though—integration depends entirely on what hardware you're running. What's your inverter brand?

If you're dead set on the Cerbo GX, try the Facebook off-grid groups or search eBay regularly. They crop up second-hand fairly often. New stock's been patchy since the chip shortage nonsense, though that's easing up a bit now.

One thing worth knowing: the Cerbo needs compatible kit to really sing. If you're mixing older gear, you might end up frustrated. What's your actual monitoring gap at the moment? Sometimes a decent MPPT with built-in display sorts things without needing a separate hub.

The Cerbo GX is the right call if you want proper integration, especially with a hybrid inverter — the CANBUS comms make life easier. That said, @T5Wanderer's point about the S is fair if you're watching costs.

I'd lean towards the full GX though, particularly if your inverter supports it natively. The extra I/O and Modbus TCP capability are worth it when you start adding monitoring to other bits — solar controllers, BMV shunts, temperature sensors for the fridge. You'll regret skimping once you've got the taste for data.

How's your connectivity sorted? That's where people stumble. The GX needs either WiFi, 4G dongle or hardwired ethernet to phone home to VRM. Brilliant once it's running, but the setup can be fidgety depending on your van's layout.

What's your battery bank capacity and inverter model? Might be worth knowing before you commit.

The Cerbo GX is honestly worth the extra over the S if you're running a hybrid — the CANBUS integration @WhatsAFuse65 mentioned is proper useful, especially for remote monitoring. I've got one in my motorhome setup and the data you get back from the inverter/charger is invaluable for actually understanding what's happening with your system.

That said, if budget's tight, the S does work fine for basic monitoring. It's just more of a display than a proper management layer.

One thing worth considering though — what hybrid inverter are you running? Some work better with Victron's gear than others. If it's a Victron hybrid (Multiplus etc), the Cerbo GX is nearly essential. If it's something else, make sure there's actual driver support before committing.

Also grab yourself a decent display screen to go with it — the 7" touchscreen from Victron is pricey but worth it, or you can just use the VRM portal and phone app which works surprisingly well.

The Cerbo GX is definitely the way to go for your hybrid inverter setup — the CANBUS integration others have mentioned is genuinely useful, not just a nice-to-have. I've got one monitoring my garden office system and the real value is in the remote monitoring via the Victron app. You can check state of charge, loads, and system alerts from anywhere, which is essential if you're running a static caravan or similar where you're not always on-site.

That said, worth checking what hybrid inverter you're running first. Some of the cheaper Chinese units (Sunsynk, etc.) have slightly temperamental CANBUS implementation, so you might find the Cerbo S actually does the job fine — just won't give you the full granular battery cell monitoring. If you're running something like a Victron Multiplus, then the GX becomes more compelling.

Budget-wise, the Cerbo GX is around £400–450 depending on where you source it. Have you looked at Fogstar or Renogy alternatives, or are you set on the Victron ecosystem? That'll shape the recommendation quite a bit.

The Cerbo GX is solid, but before you commit I'd push back slightly on the "you need CANBUS" narrative. Depends entirely on what hybrid inverter you're running.

I'm using a Victron MultiPlus II with a Cerbo GX and yes, the CANBUS integration is seamless—battery voltage, charge/discharge rates, load data all streaming in real-time. But if you've got a different brand hybrid (Growatt, Deye, etc.), the Cerbo might just be sitting there reading basic modbus data or relying on firmware updates that arrive when they arrive.

What inverter have you got? That's the critical bit.

Also worth considering: if you're only after monitoring and not actively managing charge profiles, a cheaper display (VE.Direct to USB dongle + Venus OS on a Raspberry Pi) might cover 80% of what you need for a quarter the price. The Cerbo GX genuinely shines when you're integrating multiple Victron devices—MPPT controllers, BMS comms, multi-unit load balancing.

For a van setup with one hybrid inver