About a year ago, I pulled out the Redarc Alpha 150 and put in a Roamer 160 SMART4 LiFePO4. This is the overdue update — what happened, why I switched, and what the numbers say after twelve months of real use.
The Full 12V System
The system as it sits: EFB starter batteries under the bonnet, a Victron DC-DC charger, a Redarc Alpha DC-DC charger, a Renogy solar panel on the roof, a Redarc inverter out back, and the Roamer 160 sitting behind it all. Monitoring is handled by a Victron SmartShunt. There are also mobile battery banks with USB-C PD ports for device charging.
Why the Redarc Alpha 150 Had to Go
The Redarc Alpha 150 was provided for testing, and I want to be clear about one thing: Redarc's after-sales service was genuinely excellent throughout. That's not the issue. The issue is two battery replacements in 18 months on a $3,000+ battery. At some point you have to ask whether the product itself is the right fit, regardless of how well the company handles the fallout.
How I Found Roamer
After the second replacement I started talking to an electrical engineer about potentially building our own battery from scratch. That process involved writing down a detailed wish list of every feature I'd actually want in an auxiliary battery. That list eventually pointed me to Roamer — a UK company founded by overlanders with actual electrical engineering backgrounds, not just marketing people who sell batteries.
Twelve Months of Real Use
The Roamer 160 has been through the Victorian High Country, the Pilbara, Urandangie, and the NSW High Country over the past year. Nothing failed. Nothing needed attention. It just worked.
The Capacity Test
After roughly 11 months I ran a proper capacity test using an ATorch DL24 discharge tester, then cross-referenced the result against the Victron Blue Smart Charger and the Roamer BMS app. Three independent readings, three different methods. All of them landed at effectively 160Ah — 100% of rated capacity. That's exactly what good LiFePO4 chemistry should deliver at the 12-month mark.
What I Like — and What to Know Before You Order
On the positive side: there's an on/off switch to eliminate parasitic drain during storage, which matters for a truck that sits for weeks between trips. The Bluetooth BMS gives you live cell voltages, cycle history, and temperatures from your phone. Active cell balancing runs up to 2A. The design is fully serviceable — screwed lid with a gasket, not welded shut. Internal build quality is clean: neat cabling, proper bus bars, a metal internal frame. The spec is 200A continuous discharge, 16kg, Group 31 fitment.
The one practical issue for Australian buyers: there's no local distributor. You order direct from Roamer in the UK. Pricing is competitive once it's landed, but if you ever need a warranty return, you're shipping it back to the UK. That's worth factoring in before you buy.
This isn't a sponsored recommendation. The battery was provided for testing. It just happens that after a year and a proper capacity test, I can't find a reason to say otherwise.
Full breakdown with system walkthrough and live capacity test footage is on the AllOffRoad YouTube channel.
