diff --git a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/00-assert-create-redpanda.yaml b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/00-assert-create-redpanda.yaml
index 36777470dfe81..a9a511807f611 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/00-assert-create-redpanda.yaml
+++ b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/00-assert-create-redpanda.yaml
@@ -5,12 +5,6 @@ metadata:
   finalizers:
     - operator.redpanda.com/finalizer
   name: redpanda
-spec:
-  chartRef:
-    chartVersion: "5.5.1"
-  clusterSpec:
-    statefulset:
-      replicas: 1
 status:
   conditions:
     - message: Redpanda reconciliation succeeded
@@ -27,13 +21,13 @@ kind: StatefulSet
 metadata:
   name: redpanda
 spec:
-  replicas: 1
+  replicas: 3
 status:
-  availableReplicas: 1
-  currentReplicas: 1
-  readyReplicas: 1
-  replicas: 1
-  updatedReplicas: 1
+  availableReplicas: 3
+  currentReplicas: 3
+  readyReplicas: 3
+  replicas: 3
+  updatedReplicas: 3
 ---
 apiVersion: kuttl.dev/v1beta1
 kind: TestAssert
diff --git a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/00-create-redpanda.yaml b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/00-create-redpanda.yaml
index 0b63a03417491..b5c6a0dc9e641 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/00-create-redpanda.yaml
+++ b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/00-create-redpanda.yaml
@@ -8,5 +8,11 @@ spec:
     timeout: 1m
     chartVersion: 5.5.1
   clusterSpec:
+    image:
+      tag: v23.2.9
     statefulset:
-      replicas: 1
+      replicas: 3
+      additionalRedpandaCmdFlags:
+        - --dump-memory-diagnostics-on-alloc-failure-kind=all
+        - --abort-on-seastar-bad-alloc=''
+        - --reserve-memory=100M
diff --git a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/01-assert-update-chart-version.yaml b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/01-assert-update-chart-version.yaml
index 9cd2656b85698..7cabb2214a923 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/01-assert-update-chart-version.yaml
+++ b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/01-assert-update-chart-version.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ spec:
     chartVersion: "5.5.2"
   clusterSpec:
     statefulset:
-      replicas: 1
+      replicas: 3
 status:
   conditions:
     - message: Redpanda reconciliation succeeded
@@ -22,6 +22,24 @@ status:
   helmRepository: redpanda-repository
   helmRepositoryReady: true
 ---
+apiVersion: helm.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v2beta1
+kind: HelmRelease
+metadata:
+  name: redpanda
+status:
+  conditions:
+    - message: Release reconciliation succeeded
+      reason: ReconciliationSucceeded
+      status: "True"
+      type: Ready
+    - message: Helm upgrade succeeded
+      reason: UpgradeSucceeded
+      status: "True"
+      type: Released
+  helmChart: redpanda/redpanda-redpanda
+  lastAppliedRevision: 5.3.2
+  lastAttemptedRevision: 5.3.2
+---
 apiVersion: kuttl.dev/v1beta1
 kind: TestAssert
 collectors:
diff --git a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/01-update-chart-version.yaml b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/01-update-chart-version.yaml
index 5ede268ae02cb..795ad58cb687c 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/01-update-chart-version.yaml
+++ b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/01-update-chart-version.yaml
@@ -6,3 +6,6 @@ metadata:
 spec:
   chartRef:
     chartVersion: "5.5.2"
+  clusterSpec:
+    image:
+      tag: v23.2.10
diff --git a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/02-assert-update-clusterspec.yaml b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/02-assert-update-clusterspec.yaml
index a65a2d9906d06..5b218cb1619f6 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/02-assert-update-clusterspec.yaml
+++ b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/02-assert-update-clusterspec.yaml
@@ -35,6 +35,24 @@ status:
   replicas: 3
   updatedReplicas: 3
 ---
+apiVersion: helm.toolkit.fluxcd.io/v2beta1
+kind: HelmRelease
+metadata:
+  name: redpanda
+status:
+  conditions:
+    - message: Release reconciliation succeeded
+      reason: ReconciliationSucceeded
+      status: "True"
+      type: Ready
+    - message: Helm upgrade succeeded
+      reason: UpgradeSucceeded
+      status: "True"
+      type: Released
+  helmChart: redpanda/redpanda-redpanda
+  lastAppliedRevision: 5.3.3
+  lastAttemptedRevision: 5.3.3
+---
 apiVersion: kuttl.dev/v1beta1
 kind: TestAssert
 collectors:
diff --git a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/02-update-clusterspec.yaml b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/02-update-clusterspec.yaml
index 97a50df7c2085..c7e694ae1e09a 100644
--- a/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/02-update-clusterspec.yaml
+++ b/src/go/k8s/tests/e2e-v2/resource-redpanda-crud/02-update-clusterspec.yaml
@@ -7,5 +7,16 @@ spec:
   chartRef:
     chartVersion: "5.5.3"
   clusterSpec:
+    image:
+      tag: v23.2.11
+    logging:
+      logLevel: debug
     statefulset:
       replicas: 3
+      additionalRedpandaCmdFlags:
+        - --dump-memory-diagnostics-on-alloc-failure-kind=all
+        - --abort-on-seastar-bad-alloc=''
+        - --reserve-memory=120M
+    config:
+      cluster:
+        cluster_id: testID