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The 600Ah Lithium Reality Check: Victron, Epoch, and ICECO for Off-Grid Survival!
22 March 2026 · 26 min · 11K views
Solar panels charging on sunlit boat deck
What this video covers
Andy plans a 600 Ah lithium off-grid electrical system for a boat rebuild, using two Epoch batteries, a Victron 3,000-watt inverter, and an ICECO APL 35 dual-zone refrigerator-freezer as the primary appliances.9:14 He walks through daily load calculations: the ICECO unit averages 25 watts empty and less when loaded; cooking appliances range from 200 watts (crockpot) to 1,200 watts (electric griddle); a shop vacuum draws 1,200 watts; sanders draw 500–600 watts.11:32 Running a crockpot, vacuum, and sander simultaneously pushes close to 2,000 watts, which is why Andy sizes up to a 3,000-watt Victron inverter — running any inverter at near-100% capacity degrades and overheats it.20:09 Total estimated daily consumption is 2,500 watt-hours.21:47 Two Epoch batteries at roughly 3,800 Wh each, combined with 2,400 watts of solar panels at 60% efficiency over six hours of usable sunlight, yields enough daily input to approach a week of autonomy.23:04 Andy explicitly rejects propane and alcohol cooking as non-negotiables for safety and storage reasons, making the all-electric approach the system's design constraint.6:44 He frames the entire exercise as a public sanity check and solicits community feedback before committing to the installation.3:25
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