As touring builds become more complicated, finding somewhere to put everything is becoming almost as difficult as choosing the gear itself. Fridges, inverters, compressors, chargers, solar equipment and communications gear all compete for space, particularly in dual-cab utes where canopy room disappears quickly.
REDARC is tackling that problem with its new REDLAB Icon Slim range, a pair of slimline lithium batteries designed specifically for installations where a conventional battery footprint simply doesn’t work.
Available in 100Ah and 200Ah capacities, the new batteries measure just 62mm thick in the 100Ah version and 83mm in the larger 200Ah model. That opens up some interesting installation possibilities, including behind seats, under floors and against the walls of canopies or storage systems.
It’s not necessarily about squeezing more equipment into a touring build either. A slimmer battery can make it easier to preserve usable storage space and keep heavy electrical components tucked out of the way instead of dedicating a large section of a canopy to a traditional battery box.
Built around modern touring power systems
The 100Ah REDLAB Icon Slim is designed to work with inverters up to 1200W, while REDARC pairs the 200Ah version with systems up to 2000W.
That puts the batteries firmly into modern touring territory. A 2000W inverter can support far more than the traditional fridge-and-lights setup, opening the door to induction cooking, power tools, coffee machines and other higher-draw appliances depending on how the complete electrical system is configured.
REDARC says the batteries can also be connected in series or parallel, allowing installers to increase either voltage or capacity where required. As always, the battery is only one part of the equation. Cable sizing, protection, charging capacity and inverter requirements still need to be considered when building a high-output system.
Both batteries also incorporate heating pads, allowing them to charge and discharge in temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius. That’s unlikely to concern many Aussie 4X4ers, but it could prove useful for alpine touring or vehicles used down in the alps.
Battery monitoring without another screen
REDARC has integrated its RedVision monitoring system into the new batteries, allowing owners to check battery information through the RedVision smartphone app.
The app can display battery level, voltage, current and temperature, giving users a clearer picture of what is happening inside the electrical system without needing to install another permanent display in the vehicle.
There’s also a built-in LED battery gauge for a quicker check at the battery itself. It’s a small feature, but useful when diagnosing a problem at camp or simply checking the system while loading the vehicle.
Bluetooth connectivity is built in, along with dual power buttons and a supplied one-metre remote on/off cable. Mounting brackets are also included, with REDARC saying the batteries can be installed in several different orientations. That’s particularly important for slimline batteries because the entire advantage of the format disappears if the mounting options are too restrictive.
Designed for long-term touring builds
REDARC rates the REDLAB Icon Slim batteries for more than 6,000 charge cycles and backs them with a five-year work and recreational warranty.
The company says the batteries undergo vibration, thermal and durability testing at its Lonsdale facility in South Australia. That’s worth noting for 4X4s, where batteries can spend thousands of kilometres dealing with corrugations, heat and dust rather than living quietly in a caravan park.
REDARC Senior Product Manager Dylan Pinkard says the new range came from customers trying to fit increasingly capable electrical systems into vehicles where available space wasn’t increasing at the same rate.
That’s probably the strongest argument for this type of battery. Lithium capacity itself is hardly new, but packaging remains one of the biggest headaches when planning a touring electrical system. A battery that can disappear behind a seat or against the side of a canopy gives builders considerably more flexibility than another conventional rectangular box.
The REDLAB Icon Slim range is available now in 100Ah and 200Ah versions, with model numbers LBATS12100 and LBATS12200 respectively. REDARC is also offering an extended Battery-RBUS Communications Kit and a right-angle cable kit for installations where access remains tight.
For anyone starting a fresh canopy or touring build, the biggest appeal here may not be the battery capacity itself. It’s the ability to put that capacity somewhere that would otherwise be wasted space.
