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If I were starting from scratch today I'd need a very good reason not to build it around one of those big camping battery / "power station" / generator things, because you get the functionality of several expensive Victron boxes without a nest of wiring. Plus a lithium battery is actually happy being discharged, which lead acid / AGM / etc is not.
Find one that lets you keep the alternator (car) and the solar plugged in at the same time, because they often share a socket.
You'll still need a lead acid starter battery, because it's the only thing it's good for.
grams
Dammit
Does anyone have a decent amount of experience about alternator+solar panel based power systems?
If so, what's the go-to, cheap and cheerful whilst also being robust system?
Previously I've put together a solar charging system with Victron stuff, which was straightforward but far from cheap.
Engine under consideration has a 40amp alternator, requires a battery to start it but it's a twin cylinder, 500cc unit so I doubt it's going to take a huge amount of oomph to spin it. Diesel however, so a mental compression ratio if like me you are only really familiar with petrol.
What needs power:
Yes it's a bit of an odd camper, but the principals are very similar I think!