Amp-L-Start Install with pics

[SargeW]

Amp-L-Start Starting Battery Charger Maintainer Install
2017 Allegro Bus

I installed my Amp-L-Start today and wanted to share a few tips. The install was really easy, it almost took longer to gather all the tools than it did to hook it all up. The instructions said to use 12 gauge wire for the battery posts, or 10 Ga if it was over 5 feet away from the battery hook up points. I used 10 Ga wire to hook up to the battery post, only because the hardware store was out of stock on 12 Ga red wire. The best place for the unit to be placed in my bay was low on the side wall.

Prep to prepare for the install was to disconnect from AC power, turn off battery disconnects, and remove the ground cable from the house and chassis batteries. I used the merge solenoid to hook up the Amp-L-Start, one cable on each side of the solenoid. Also you need to positively identify the house side of the solenoid as opposed to the side that charges the chassis batteries. I used a volt meter to check the voltages prior to starting. The house side showed 13.2 volts resting, and the chassis side showed 12.3 volts. I confirmed by checking the voltage directly on the chassis batteries. They showed 12.4 volts. The 1/10 volt difference was most likely due to the length of cable that runs from the chassis batteries in the last bay on the passenger side, to the house battery bay, the second bay from the front on the drivers side. This can also be mounted to attach right to the positive posts on the starting and chassis batteries if they are close enough together.

The hardest part was getting the drill inside the battery bay to drill the 1/8 inch holes to mount the Amp-L-Start. Once that was done mounting and hooking up the cables was easy. I used a 12 Ga piece of black wire to hook the ground cable to the negative Buss bar at the bottom of the bay. A socket set came in handy to remove all different size nuts used in the electric bay.

As soon as the ground wire was attached the Amp-L-Start came to life and the “Maintainer” light came on signaling that the hook up was correct, but the house batteries were not high enough to start the charge process on the starting batteries. The power had been off to the rig for about an hour total and the house batteries settled in at about 12.7 volts. As soon as I reapplied power to the rig, the battery charger kicked in and brought the house batteries up to about 14.7 volts briefly, and then settled in to a charge of about 13.7 volts. The Amp-L-Start kicked in, and the starting bank started to charge. As I write this both the house and chassis banks are sitting at 13.5 volts, and have been for the last few hours. In the past the chassis bank would never stay up, and would start a slow slide down to 12.3 volts until the merge solenoid would kick in for an hour. This process would occur 8-10 times a day. It's nice to know that this process has been finally remedied.

[mrboyer]

I have the same unit installed for 3 years and am pleased with the operation. Yes, it was easy to install.

[Crasher]

Mine's been working fine for six years.

[paul65k]

Thank you so much for the post. We recently converted to a 24V system with new Inverter/charger(s) and had to abandon the chassis maintainer portion as it doesn't support the 2 voltages.

I received the Amp-L-Start the other day and plan to do the install this week..... perfect timing

[gmc70]

Okay waht does an Amp-L start do?

[SargeW]

It's a device that pulls some amps from your house battery bank and passes them to your chassis batteries. A pretty simple concept.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by paul65k

Thank you so much for the post. We recently converted to a 24V system with new Inverter/charger(s) and had to abandon the chassis maintainer portion as it doesn't support the 2 voltages.

I received the Amp-L-Start the other day and plan to do the install this week..... perfect timing

Your going to install it between 12 and 24 volt battery banks ?

[veraken]

Originally Posted by gmc70

Okay waht does an Amp-L start do?

Here you go.

AMP-L-START Starting Battery Charger/Maintainer - Overview Page

[Piros1]

Originally Posted by paul65k

Thank you so much for the post. We recently converted to a 24V system with new Inverter/charger(s) and had to abandon the chassis maintainer portion as it doesn't support the 2 voltages.

I received the Amp-L-Start the other day and plan to do the install this week..... perfect timing

Why did you convert to a 24 volt system??

[paul65k]

Originally Posted by paul65k

Thank you so much for the post. We recently converted to a 24V system with new Inverter/charger(s) and had to abandon the chassis maintainer portion as it doesn't support the 2 voltages.

I received the Amp-L-Start the other day and plan to do the install this week..... perfect timing

Originally Posted by twinboat

Your going to install it between 12 and 24 volt battery banks ?

No I'm going to install it between the 12V House Bus bar and the 12V chassis bus, actually I have a boost selonoid that ties the 2 together when a starting boost is needed but does not provide charging to the chassis battery when on solar or shore power.

The 24V battery bank is for the inverter and solar, the house systems still run on 12V via dual 24-12/70A converters so as far as Amp-L-Start is concerned it's a standard charging circuit between 12V house and 12V Chassis

[Piros1]

Thanks Paul that clarifies it.

[FIRE UP]

Well,
Here's mine. I installed the Amp-L-Start about 5+ years ago and, before that, I had a dedicated, multi-step battery charger that was strictly for the chassis batteries. But, that charger quit functioning quite a while back and I looked into the Trik-L-Start and the Amp-L-Start and, picked the Amp-L-Start due to it providing a bit more amperage to the chassis batteries. Yep, simple to wire, especially in my case.
Scott

[SargeW]

Nice clean install, I like it!

[Piros1]

Clean install FireUp!