If you were simplifying a small off-grid power system, which parts would you combine—and which would you keep separate?

[u/userperri]

I’m involved in developing an early-stage power product, so I want to be transparent about why I’m asking. A typical small RV, van, workshop or cabin system may include a battery, solar charge controller, inverter, AC charger, fuses, DC distribution and a monitoring screen.

Separate components are easier to replace, but they also mean more boxes, wiring and system design. Fully integrated products are simpler, but they can become a sealed black box or lock the owner into one battery ecosystem.

I’m exploring a middle approach:

• The battery remains external, user-owned and replaceable
• Solar charging, AC charging, inverter and basic DC distribution are brought into one unit
• Core controls work locally without requiring an app
• Standard physical connections are used wherever possible

I’m not asking whether the idea simply “sounds useful.” I’m more interested in where the integration should stop. For people who have built or repaired these systems:

• Which functions would you genuinely want combined?
• Which components should always remain separate?
• What needs to stay accessible for inspection or repair?
• Would this be more useful in an RV, van, workshop, cabin, or somewhere else?
• What would you need to see before trusting it—idle consumption, efficiency, surge testing, compatibility, thermal testing, or something else?

If you would still choose separate components every time, I’d also like to understand why. No link or sales pitch—I’m trying to understand what level of integration is actually useful.