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This Week
Community answers given this week — 94% get a reply within 4h
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with Marcus T. · 15m
"Bring your panel specs, I'll do the math live"
with VanLifeMike · 45m
"Casual chat about anything off-grid"
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Priya M. · Mon 10:00 am
Small groups of builders with similar setups. Higher engagement, deeper connections.
Lithium iron phosphate enthusiasts
The sweet spot for most builds
Victron Energy components and ecosystem
Full-time and part-time living
Still designing your build?
Thinking about upgrading to lithium?
Sprinter 144 — Full-Time Build
"The best upgrade I ever made was switching to 24V. Cable sizing halved, efficiency went up, and I never looked back."
Personalized based on your build and interests
I hear people say AGM is 'good enough' all the time. But when you factor in cycle life, usable capacity, weight, and the fact you can actually discharge to 20% without damage — LiFePO4 pays for itself…
Finally pulled the trigger after 2 years of AGM frustration. The health score jump alone was worth it. Winter in the Snowies is brutal on batteries — the AGM was down to 40% usable by year 2. The LiFe…
Before
Battery: 200Ah AGM
Solar: 400W
Health Score: 61%
After
Battery: 200Ah LiFePO4
Solar: 600W
Health Score: 89%
Travelling to Snowy Mountains, NSW?
Check if your system will cope before you go.
What I did: Ran 6mm² cable for a 40A DC-DC charger over a 4m run. What went wrong: Under load, the cable was getting warm — not hot, just warm. I ignored it for 3 months. Then one day I noticed the in…
Running 200Ah LiFePO4, 400W solar, fridge + lights + laptop. BOM is showing 1.2h effective sun for the next 5 days. I'm at 85% SOC now. Thinking about load shedding the laptop and running the fridge a…
Travelling to Wilsons Promontory, VIC?
Check if your system will cope before you go.
94% health score, 5.8h effective sun today (WA is incredible), 140Ah used of 200Ah. Running fridge, laptop, lights, and a small fan. Heading into the Pilbara next week — expecting even more sun. This …
Travelling to Exmouth, WA?
Check if your system will cope before you go.
Ran 12V for 3 years in my first van. Upgraded to 24V for my second build. The difference in cable sizing alone is worth it — I went from 50mm² main runs to 25mm². The MPPT options are better, the inve…
Cable Run Photo Challenge
Post a photo of your best (or worst) cable run
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Sprinter 144 Full-Time · 24V · LiFePO4
Transit Custom · 24V · LiFePO4
Snowy Mountains Cabin · 24V · LiFePO4
Near You
Complete 12V Starter System — Panel + Controller + Battery
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Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 — 12V/24V
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