Walk into any 4WD forum and ask "what's the best dual battery setup?" and you'll get fifty answers. In our workshop, the same three names come up every week: REDARC, Enerdrive and Victron. We stock and install all three, so here's the straight version of how they compare — and which one tends to suit which build.
First, what every good system needs
Brand aside, a dual battery system that works has the same bones: an auxiliary battery sized to your loads, a DC-DC charger that charges it properly while you drive (essential with modern smart alternators, and non-negotiable for lithium), solar input for time in camp, proper fusing and cable sizing, and some way to see what your battery is actually doing. Get those right and any of these three brands will serve you well. Get them wrong and no brand will save the install.
REDARC — the under-bonnet workhorse
REDARC is a South Australian company, and their BCDC range of DC-DC chargers has earned its reputation the hard way — bolted under bonnets in dust and heat for years on end. The chargers are compact, rugged and handle solar input as well, which makes them a tidy one-box solution for ute and 4WD systems.
Where we reach for it: under-bonnet second batteries and canopy systems in daily-driven utes and tourers, and anywhere the charger has to live in a harsh spot. Their TowPro brake controllers and Manager30 caravan system round out the range.
Enerdrive — the caravan system builder
Enerdrive is an Australian 12V specialist best known for its ePOWER lithium batteries, chargers and inverters, and for how neatly the pieces work together as a complete system. Their gear is a favourite in caravan and camper fit-outs, where you want battery, charging, 240V and distribution designed as one package.
Where we reach for it: full caravan and camper trailer systems — lithium bank, DC and AC charging, inverter and monitoring, all from one family of gear.
Victron — the modular ecosystem
Victron Energy is the Dutch brand behind the blue boxes — SmartSolar MPPT controllers, SmartShunt battery monitors, MultiPlus inverter/chargers and the Cerbo GX display. Everything talks to everything, and the VictronConnect app gives you more visibility over your system than any other brand here.
Where we reach for it: bigger off-grid builds, complex caravan systems, and any customer who wants proper monitoring and room to expand the system later.
So which one should you buy?
Honestly — it depends on the build, and mixing brands is completely normal. A REDARC charger feeding an Enerdrive lithium with a Victron shunt watching over it is a combination we've installed plenty of times. The brand matters less than the design: correct battery chemistry and size for your loads, the right charger for your alternator, and an install that's properly fused, properly wired and properly labelled.
If you're weighing up lithium versus AGM, where the battery should live, or whether you need a DC-DC charger at all, our dual battery systems page covers the basics — or browse the batteries and power range online.
Get it designed for how you travel
We're at 34 Adelaide Road, Gawler South — tell us your vehicle and what you want to run, and we'll design and install a system that suits it. Get in touch for a quote.