Dead battery

Why doesn't the PC have a solenoid battery isolator like these? https://www.powerstream.com/battery-isolator.htm

That connects the house batteries for charging to the engine battery and the alternator once the engine battery is fully charged, but it also has a connection point that goes to the momentary emergency switch inside so you can manually make the connection to start the engine from the house battery. The cables to the relay would be heavy battery cables so there is plenty of current for both charging and emergency starting.

I thought the emergency switch on the PC is the same but it's the light wire that only charges while you hold it.  I can understand why the fuse on it slows if you try to start the engine while holding the switch as you would do with an isolator.

I already got stranded when the engine battery died because I left the lights on while camped. In that case the existing switch didn't help.

Maybe I'll install one of the Powerstream isolators.

I have little faith in that little switch by the driver's left knee.  I could see it being useful if accidentally draining the chassis battery.  But to sit and hold that switch for a half hour while the generator is running to get the battery recharged, does not make sense.

I carry an extra-long set of heavy gauge jumper cables for jumping the chassis battery with the house batteries.  I have used them when my original chassis battery was at the end of it's life.  Until I was able to replace that dying battery, with every additional start, I had to increase jump-start capacity, first by running the generator, and later adding my external 40 amp charger.  Between the three different sources, I got the engine started that final time.

The jumper cables are also handy for the tow vehicle and in helping other people.

I followed Keelhauler’s lead and installed an on/off switch in lieu of the momentary switch to the left of the steering wheel.  Previously I used a small charger to bring the chassis battery back to full charge after setting idle for more than several days.  The charger and an inexpensive volt meter plugged into one of the cab cigarette lighters worked successfully but the charger required access to 110 volt power.


The on/off switch and adequate solar allows me to keep my chassis battery at or near 100% state of charge which is ideal for maximizing the life of the battery.  Whether I am camping off the electrical grid or too lazy to connect shore power at home I am able to address and prevent the slow but certain discharge of the chassis battery due to parasitic loads. I carry a set of jumper cables also just in case but knock on wood I haven’t needed them.  Thanks Keelhauler for that useful tip.

I would also like to point out that switch turns on a relay that has adequate sized wires to charge your Engine battery. Why they installed a momentary switch makes no sense at all. Since many of us replaced with and on-off switch and it works fine , eliminating the need to buy any other system (i.e. Trik-L). It will bring your battery up to high enough voltage in  a few minutes charging time.

Mike-E Says

The cables to the relay would be heavy battery cables so there is plenty of current for both charging and emergency starting.

It would not be possible to run starter current through this relay unless you had #0 cable.