Watch the video above to see a real off-grid 12V battery setup in action — from initial wiring through to commissioning with a Victron MPPT solar controller.
What You Need for a Complete Off-Grid 12V Setup
A well-designed off-grid 12V lithium system has four main components working together:
- Battery bank — the energy store
- Solar panels — the charge source
- MPPT charge controller — regulates charging from solar
- Inverter/charger — converts DC to AC when needed
For most caravans, camper trailers, and boat applications, a Revolution Power 12V 100Ah or 200Ah LiFePO4 battery is the starting point. Our batteries include an integrated BMS (Battery Management System) that handles cell balancing, over-charge protection, and over-discharge cutoff automatically.
Why LiFePO4 for Off-Grid?
Lead-acid batteries are still common, but they have a fundamental problem for off-grid use: you can only safely use about 50% of their rated capacity. A 100Ah AGM battery gives you roughly 50Ah of usable energy before you start damaging the cells.
LiFePO4 lithium batteries are different:
- 95%+ usable capacity — a 100Ah Revolution Power battery delivers ~95Ah in real use
- 3,000+ charge cycles — versus ~500 cycles for AGM at 50% DoD
- Flat discharge curve — voltage stays stable until nearly empty, which means your appliances run at consistent performance
- No memory effect — charge and discharge at any level without damage
- One-third of the weight — critical for weight-sensitive applications like caravans and boats
Sizing Your Battery Bank
A common mistake is under-sizing the battery. To size correctly:
- List all your loads — lights, fridge, pumps, devices
- Estimate daily amp-hours — multiply each load’s current draw by hours per day
- Add 30% buffer — for overcast solar days and inefficiencies
- Multiply by days of autonomy — how many days you want without sun
Example for a typical caravan:
- 60L compressor fridge: ~40Ah/day
- LED lighting: ~5Ah/day
- Water pump: ~3Ah/day
- Phone/laptop charging: ~5Ah/day
- Total: ~53Ah/day
With a single 100Ah Revolution Power battery, you have nearly two days of autonomy without solar. Add a 200W solar panel and you’re self-sufficient in most Australian conditions.
Solar Controller Setup
We recommend Victron SmartSolar MPPT controllers for all Revolution Power battery installs. Key settings for LiFePO4:
- Absorption voltage: 14.2V
- Float voltage: 13.5V
- Equalisation: Disabled
- Battery type: Custom / LiFePO4
The Victron SmartSolar connects to the VictronConnect app via Bluetooth — you can monitor state of charge, solar yield, and battery health from your phone in real time.
What to Watch in the Video
The video covers:
- Physical battery mounting and cable sizing
- Fusing requirements (always fuse at the battery terminal)
- MPPT controller wiring and configuration
- Setting up the Victron app for remote monitoring
- Testing under load before hitting the road
If you have questions about sizing a system for your specific setup, get in touch with our team — we spec these systems daily and there’s no charge for advice.