Trik-L-Start installation

Has anyone installed a Trik-L-Start to a 2552?  Is there a connection point in the engine compartment for the House Battery connection of the Trik-L-Start?
Thanks, John D.

Has anyone installed a Trik-L-Start to a 2552?  Is there a connection point in the engine compartment for the House Battery connection of the Trik-L-Start?
Thanks, John D.

I don't know what a trik-l-stsrt is, but I presume it's a way to charge your engine battery via the house batteries.

If so, you already have one (unless Phoenix stopped adding them) it's the white switch on the dash to the left of the steering wheel.  It's use should be explained in the paperwork you received.   It's low amperage (5 amp) and you need to make sure all engine and cab lights are OFF before you try to use it.

If that's no what a trik-l-start is, then I can tell you there is no opening in the firewall, you'll have to *CAREFULLY* add one and water proof it yourself.

Yes, I installed one on my 2016 2400 and now have moved it to my new 2552. I installed it in the engine compartment on the solenoid for the jump start (ie. the white button) located on the drivers side under the coolant over flow tank. The solenoid has a direct cable to both the engine battery and the coach battery. Very easy to do!

The Trick-L-Start continuously charges the engine battery anytime the coach batteries are fully charged (ie. from shore power, solar or generator) it will not run down the coach batteries or over charge the engine battery.

As I understand it the white button only charges the engine battery while in being held in the on position.

@Donc13 the Trik-L-Start is a little different than the connection Phoenix installs.  It maintains the chassis battery with a low amperage charge current from the house batteries.  Useful if the house is plugged in or if you have solar.

My chassis battery has gone dead twice now because I forget to run the truck and charge it up.  House batteries are fine as they are plugged in.

I have a Trik-L-Start sitting on my workbench to install.  That was today's project until it started to rain.  So this thread is very timely for me.


@Ashby if you get a chance can you post a picture of your install?  Based on the weather I am not going to get to mine for 5 days or so.

Just installed one last week. It was so simply that I thought I surely misunderstood how to set it up. BUT it actually was that simple. I moved the coolant reservoir tank to give me more room to attach the trik-l-start to the inside of the engine compartment wall, right next to the solenoid for the house battery booster start.  Just follow the enclosed instructions and no more dead starter battery after parking your Phoenix Cruiser for a couple of days.

What is draining your truck batteries? Ours died when our step switch was malfunctioning. Once we figured that out, we never had a problem again.

Do you run the radio or charge devices in the cab? The battery shouldn't drain that quickly.

What is draining your truck batteries?

No idea, and I've looked.  I'm guessing some radios are still on even if the switch is off.  I have turned off or unplugged everything else I can find and truck battery still goes dead.  It does take about 3 to 4 weeks so as long as I run the truck once a month there is no problem.  But in the winter I do not always get that done.

We have been having the same issue with the battery going dead since we picked up the 2552.  Contacted PC and Barry sent us the Trik-L-Start unit.  Waiting for the weather to clear up before I install it.  Thanks for all the input on my question.  Attached is a picture of the Trik-L-Start installed.  Barry sent it to me after I asked him where it should be installed.
Forgot to mention, the picture is behind the coolant reservoir tank.  I just checked to see that the solenoid is back there.  Just as Zolman stated, you will need to remove the three screws from the coolant reservoir tank and move the tank in order to be able to get your hands in there.

Here is a picture of my Trik-L-Start installation with the coolant tank in place. The Trick-L-Start module is double stick taped to the top of the fuse box and does not interfere with opening the box.

Please be aware that the terminals on the solenoid are hot and will give a big spark if shorted while connecting the Trik-L-Start. May be best to disconnect the batteries!

I don't understand why the engine battery would go dead when nothing should be draining it.  My new 2552 has been sitting for about a month.  I just went out to see if it would start, and it did with no problems.  It IS plugged in, but the engine hasn't been started for a month.  So I don't understand why some are having issues with this.  What am I missing?

Peg

Several years back I purchased a HF battery charger pack which was on sale.  Fortunately, I've not had to use this with our PC2100, although the charger has been used several times to assist others with low battery situations.  The pack has yet to fail in providing enough charge to allow the engine to start.

I don't understand why the engine battery would go dead when nothing should be draining it.  My new 2552 has been sitting for about a month.  I just went out to see if it would start, and it did with no problems.  It IS plugged in, but the engine hasn't been started for a month.  So I don't understand why some are having issues with this.  What am I missing?

Sometimes there are small loads that you do not notice.  Perhaps the radio is in a 'standby' mode that draws just a little bit of power.  Or the truck computer is kept alive.  Almost all vehicles will have these 'parasitic' loads on the battery that we do not notice.  It will vary from unit to unit depending on what is installed but they are there and if your truck is left long enough the battery will go dead. 

For me it takes between 4 and 6 weeks for the battery to go dead.  And we all know r\letting the battery run completely dead is a very bad thing.  So I installed a Trik-L-Start to make sure that does not happen.  Think of it as a battery maintainer.  My solar panels will keep the house batteries in good shape, the Trik-L-Start just passes some of that charge on to the truck battery.

It was a simple install and many thanks to @JDimitriadis for the excellent photo.

Yes, I installed one on my 2016 2400 and now have moved it to my new 2552. I installed it in the engine compartment on the solenoid for the jump start (ie. the white button) located on the drivers side under the coolant over flow tank. The solenoid has a direct cable to both the engine battery and the coach battery. Very easy to do!

Ok, so here is a mystery to me: My '17 2552 already had one installed just in this manner except it is behind the coolant tank mounted to the firewall. I just noticed it recently when looking the motor are over. 

Mike, Pat, we have a 2018 2552 and there was nothing behind the antifreeze coolant reservoir.  I just installed it by removing the reservoir and connecting the Trik-L-Start unit as shown in the picture.  Not sure if it should have been included by PC when the RV was built.  Our engine battery was going dead within 3 weeks, when parked with shore power.  I had contacted PC and they sent me the Trik-L-Start unit, with directions, which I connected as shown in the picture.


John D.

Mike, you have an actual Trik-L-Start there or just the solenoid in the picture?  If I remember right your rig was just behind mine on the line.  Did you request that in your build sheet?