Volta in Financial Trouble

[Boxster1971]

I just discovered that Volta told Storyteller Overland (STO) that they would no longer honor warranty work due to their financial condition. Sounds like it could lead to bankruptcy for Volta.

The STO Facebook group is full of discussions on the issue including copies of emails from STO and Volta that confirm the problem.

It is also a hot topic on the Winnebago Travato group.

Wondering if this will also affect us Airstream owners with Volta battery system in the E1 option?

Has anyone heard anything about this Volta problem from Airstream?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Didn't know what a 'Volta' was, and Ms. Google delivered
THIS.
Same?

Bob
🇺🇸

[InterBlog]

I have two comments that are not off the topic of this thread, but they are general in nature and they are partly intended for the industry people who we know stalk user forums such as this one (because they publicly admit doing so):

The OP and other old-timers on this forum have heard me say this (and post about it). The way of the future for RV electrical supply is third-party modular. It’s the only option that protects RV buyers by both:

(1) Preserving the free market competition that is *required* to stimulate technically-optimized product development and sound business management practices both, and by

(2) Giving consumers an economical fallback option in those cases where suppliers either get bought out in a competition-burial strategy or outright fail and go bankrupt as Volta appears it might be doing.

Expound:

By this point in lithium-based product evolution, the entire core of an RV’s electrical system should cost around two grand, which is the Black Friday price of a Yeti Pro 4000 and its competing products such as the EcoFlow DeltaPro. That core needs to be wheel-able into the RV such that it gets plugged in and is ready to go. None of this tens of thousands of dollars for intricate integrated upgrades because that ten-year-old paradigm is sheer *insanity* at this point. And in the event that something goes wrong with the Yeti or EcoFlow or whatever brand is chosen, or future tech advances result in better options in the market, fine - then wheel that sucker back out and slam a new one into its receiving bay, problem solved in less than an hour and for very little cash.

A modular approach also protects the growing list of power station producers by expanding one of their lines of business, thus diversifying their buyer base which leads to more robust finances which leads to greater capacity for R&D which leads to greater cost-benefit for buyers, duh. Standalone power supply units were not developed for an RV use case - they are general emergency power supplies that also run my house fridge and freezer during hurricane power outages. But with 9 million RVs on the road in America, if those producers can leverage the RV market segment, the sky will be the limit for corporate growth. Goal Zero, are you listening?? Anker? Ecoflow? Jackery? Bluetti? Anyone?? Hello!!

However, it’s not my point here to “I told you so” rub anything in for the buyers ensnared in a Volta situation that looks like it could go way beyond garden-variety sucking. I want to use this rant to convey that THIS PHONE RINGS BOTH WAYS. Unless we, the buyers, put pressure on Airstream and every other manufacturer to evolve beyond their current decade-old lithium paradigm, nothing will change. Money talks, OK? And OUR money talks the loudest. Never forget that.

Which brings me to my second point:

TL;DR on my most recent 60 hours of RV market research which I did in preparation for my next purchase of whatever brand or build it will prove to be, but suffice it to say that I am literally sick to my stomach after having done that research, sick upon seeing what RV manufacturers *across the board* are still doing to their buyer base with outmoded ideas and designs. Volta is just the tip of that iceberg.

To make matters worse but also to illustrate a massive untapped opportunity, my status as a triple-threat buyer has not made my research easy. What I mean by triple threat is that my husband and I have:

(1) Ten years of extensive on-road practical RVing experience

PLUS

(2) The technical skills required to comprehend complex RV system designs, having developed our own especially on the electrical side (my husband is an engineer; I am a scientist)

PLUS

(3) The mathematical and small business skills needed to deep-dive into comparative business model evaluation

Ohhhh, no RV manufacturer wants to see the likes of me coming. No manufacturer wants to hear the hard questions that I will be asking. But why does it have to be that way?? We both want the same thing, buyers and RV manufacturers alike. They want to produce market stand-out RVs and we want to be first in line to buy them. I am just one of dozens of triple threats and we are all readily identifiable through forums and social media - how come none of the manufacturers have marshaled what we bring to the table? Why hasn’t THAT paradigm been broken yet? I should not be viewed as a potential buyer with an unusual capacity to identify the potentially fatal flaws in any given product and thus potentially undermine its sales - my kind should be seen as the single greatest untapped market resource out there. One of these manufacturers should be taking that bull by the horns and picking all of our brains so that they can produce the rigs most likely to rise above the competition! The first one who figures out how to do that… well, I predict fabulous market share outcomes for them, because the room for product improvement is off the charts.

Thanks for listening.

[Gerdog]

Following

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Didn't know what a 'Volta' was, and Ms. Google delivered
THIS.
Same?

Bob
🇺🇸

No, the battery system in the E1 option is from Volta Power Systems LLC.

https://voltapowersystems.com/

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

...

Ohhhh, no RV manufacturer wants to see the likes of me coming. No manufacturer wants to hear the hard questions that I will be asking. But why does it have to be that way?? We both want the same thing, buyers and RV manufacturers alike. They want to produce market stand-out RVs and we want to be first in line to buy them. I am just one of dozens of triple threats and we are all readily identifiable through forums and social media - how come none of the manufacturers have marshaled what we bring to the table? Why hasn’t THAT paradigm been broken yet? I should not be viewed as a potential buyer with an unusual capacity to identify the potentially fatal flaws in any given product and thus potentially undermine its sales - my kind should be seen as the single greatest untapped market resource out there. One of these manufacturers should be taking that bull by the horns and picking all of our brains so that they can produce the rigs most likely to rise above the competition! The first one who figures out how to do that… well, I predict fabulous market share outcomes for them, because the room for product improvement is off the charts.

Thanks for listening.

I agree that a modular system would be preferable. Advanced RV now has a battery system that is close to modular as it is made up of multiple off the shelf standard size 12V lithium batteries. They are one of the manufacturers that tried using Volta and then decided to make their own pack from standard batteries that can easily be replaced.

But "triple threat" buyers are a small minority of the RV industry customers. After following several RV related groups on Facebook it appears that most owners barely know how to turn on their systems. They are just not inclined to demand something else.

[SunchaserV]

I spent decades on the marine side. Victron or other systems are commonplace along with gensets, shore power problems and solar setups.

For a deep dive into on board power systems go to "Marine How To" moderated by Rod Collins. RV and marine power systems have much in common. The marine systems fit under the ABYC guidelines. I've seen few if any technical knowledge sources on the RV side that offers the same as the marine industry.

I am impressed with the knowledge DIYers on this forum have regarding system revamps and installation. Keep it up guys.

[Forester2]

Interblogs post made me curious about these systems I keep reading about and are often mwntioned here. I looked at the Yeti 4000 specs and see 78 amphours storage, a 2500 watt inverter and a battery charger. At $3000 I don't see a compelling reason to purchase but maybe I'm missing something. I do believe its a good practice for owners to put together their own systems instead of manufactures prepackages. Better value and can determine their own capacities and quality.

[Forester2]

Think I found my error. Specs were at 51volts. At 12v storage would be over 300amphours if I read it right

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Forester2

Interblogs post made me curious about these systems I keep reading about and are often mwntioned here. I looked at the Yeti 4000 specs and see 78 amphours storage, a 2500 watt inverter and a battery charger. At $3000 I don't see a compelling reason to purchase but maybe I'm missing something. I do believe its a good practice for owners to put together their own systems instead of manufactures prepackages. Better value and can determine their own capacities and quality.

The manufacturers are doing a poor job of communicating system capacity in ways that typical consumers can develop an intuitive feel for. The Yeti Pro 4000 is 78 amp hours at 51.2 volts. That’s roughly equivalent to 333 amp hours “the way we all have historically thought about amp hours” (i.e., at 12 volts).

I am not sure that Goal Zero will rise above the pack. We have had terrible problems with their firmware to the point where I’ve had moments of wanting to go forum-nuclear on the entire brand. On the flip side, though, it’s a humbling thing for me to stand in my garage and watch the Yeti Pro 4000 handle my entire Interstate without batting an eyelash. We don’t have it integrated yet but we can simply plug in the shore cord and let ‘er rip. It will run our coach a/c for several hours and with a stability that we were never able to perfect as system DIYers.

Which brings me to the grandaddy of all observations in this context:

The biggest functional difference between

[what the first generation of us lithium DIYers and RV manufacturers independently developed]

AND

[what the second-generation power station manufacturers are now producing]

IS

that they are able to engage in truly-integrated engineering from the ground up whereas the rest of us are not.

We early adopters all bought a bunch of unrelated differentially-branded electrical components off the shelf and cobbled them together based solely on their published specs. That is not the same as holistically engineering a system. We did it that way because it was all we COULD do, all that was available to us at the time. But that approach will typically fail on the level of excising the ghosts from the resulting machine.

To say the same thing another way, anyone who does this kind of work for a living will tell you that theory and practice are two different things. These electrical systems cannot be puzzles - they have to be paintings if they are going to work right. We can puzzle stuff together but the Gestaltic effects and the unintended consequences are likely to bite us on the rear end.

Look at this years-old diagram below, which depicts our partial system design. Look at all those components that were developed for various contexts but never optimized to play nice with each other. And then remember that RV manufacturers who are still using this component-based approach today are repeating that same shortcoming that integrated system engineers are now moving beyond:

[Mollysdad]

The YouTube RV'er Changing Lanes just had their Volta system removed and replaced by the more common system. Not Airstream, they have a big Grand Design 5th wheel, but I get the impression their Volta system was glitchy.

[Forester2]

But by buying a power station aren't we back to the same problems as prepackaging RV systems?1) Who makes the individual components; cells, inverter, charger etc
2) If a component fails can and how is it replaced
Still think I'd prefer to assemble my own system. Not concerned about powering house; have a whole house generator.

[Heckler56]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

I agree that a modular system would be preferable. Advanced RV now has a battery system that is close to modular as it is made up of multiple off the shelf standard size 12V lithium batteries. They are one of the manufacturers that tried using Volta and then decided to make their own pack from standard batteries that can easily be replaced.

But "triple threat" buyers are a small minority of the RV industry customers. After following several RV related groups on Facebook it appears that most owners barely know how to turn on their systems. They are just not inclined to demand something else.

Ditto.. On FB I continually see people that have the money to buy new but have no clue and seem more rapped up in getting an app to work. As long as people are paying the price for new they will not change.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Forester2

…
…

Still think I'd prefer to assemble my own system. ….

So did I, until I actually did it.

I am only scratching the surface of the totality of what I have to say on that topic - but we’re tangential to the original Volta subject of this thread, so I will do that elsewhere.

But as a final observation I note that the Goal Zero comes with a 5-year warranty, and they were good about stepping up when we had our firmware issues. Nothing in life is guaranteed and they, too, could go the way of Volta, but having done it both ways, right now I am focusing my investment on the system producers, Goal Zero and EcoFlow both (I own one of each).

[kb0zke]

Interesting discussion!


I'm in the process of putting together a fairly robust system for our 2021 FC 30 RBQ. I'm not going to build my own batteries or design my own MultiPlus II. I'll be buying off-the-shelf components, but I'll decide what I'm interested in. Then I'll run my ideas past some people who actually know what they're talking about, and make a final decision.


Right now I'm trying to figure out how much battery capacity I can fit into a given space. Looks like I won't need to put in any type of hold-down for the batteries, <grin> but getting them in and out might be fun. Might need a shoehorn.

[StogieMan]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

I just discovered that Volta told Storyteller Overland (STO) that they would no longer honor warranty work due to their financial condition. Sounds like it could lead to bankruptcy for Volta.

The STO Facebook group is full of discussions on the issue including copies of emails from STO and Volta that confirm the problem.

It is also a hot topic on the Winnebago Travato group.

Wondering if this will also affect us Airstream owners with Volta battery system in the E1 option?

Has anyone heard anything about this Volta problem from Airstream?

Mike, I’m so sorry here this. Kinda sucks for the AI owners as that puts you in a bind. What happens if Volta does go out of business? Do you trust Airstream to know how to work on these systems going forward with all the headaches that they been experiencing lately with these E1 installations? I wouldn’t. I’m also going to give Airstream some credit here as this time it wasn’t their fault which I initially thought that they screwed it up. This time around is Volta. Airstream saw an opportunity to make things better for their customers and they went for it which is commendable. Obviously they have screwed that up in the past but I don’t feel it was them this time around. Volta just has problems and a telltale should’ve been that they were using off the shelf Victron components to begin with. I hope that Airstream makes this right and gives their E1 customers a choice on how to resolve this and not just install their usual electrical garbage IMO. They should give you a credit to either use at a vendor of choice to replace the system with something else or give you the option to pick the replacement if Airstream is going to do the work. I would assume that they would want to do the work for future warranty work. I would not want an E1 system in my van for sure.

To be honest this is a great time for consumers as vendors are really stepping up their game with different products and have an a la carte menu to suit everyone with whatever they are comfortable with. You can almost throw a dart and pick a decent solution. However, for me, I’m sticking with a company that is celebrating their 50 year anniversary and started in the boating world where it’s demanding and battle tested - Victron. I know my way around their ecosystem and all of their products work well with each other which is an important factor to consider. You really don’t want to mix and match products from different vendors as that usually doesn’t work out. Is Victron more expensive? Absolutely but does it work - yes!

I briefly contemplated going the AIO (Al In One) route solar system for our home as these units make it easier for installation but not if they break down. So I’m going with what I know and has been battle tested - Victron! I’ve had Victron in the RV and in the shed and has worked flawlessly. The few hiccups that I've had and I've been able to troubleshoot as I know my way around. Easier to replace one component of the system and limp along until you get that particular component. AIO and you’re screwed until you replace the whole thing. As we say in the cigar world - smoke what you like and like what you smoke and I feel the same way here. It’s your money so do what you’re comfortable with and in the end it’s your money.

I prefer the DIY route and refining my prior install with some additional Smurf Blue. 920 Ah’s of Epoch Lithium, roof and ground solar array and two 50A Orion XS’ DC-DC chargers just to name a few. The new stickers will be put on the bottom row or my OCD will drive me crazy!

[Heckler56]

Originally Posted by SunchaserV

I spent decades on the marine side. Victron or other systems are commonplace along with gensets, shore power problems and solar setups.

For a deep dive into on board power systems go to "Marine How To" moderated by Rod Collins. RV and marine power systems have much in common. The marine systems fit under the ABYC guidelines. I've seen few if any technical knowledge sources on the RV side that offers the same as the marine industry.

I am impressed with the knowledge DIYers on this forum have regarding system revamps and installation. Keep it up guys.

I heard that Rod passed several years ago.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by StogieMan

Mike, I’m so sorry here this. Kinda sucks for the AI owners as that puts you in a bind. What happens if Volta does go out of business? Do you trust Airstream to know how to work on these systems going forward with all the headaches that they been experiencing lately with these E1 installations? I wouldn’t. I’m also going to give Airstream some credit here as this time it wasn’t their fault which I initially thought that they screwed it up. This time around is Volta. Airstream saw an opportunity to make things better for their customers and they went for it which is commendable. Obviously they have screwed that up in the past but I don’t feel it was them this time around. Volta just has problems and a telltale should’ve been that they were using off the shelf Victron components to begin with. I hope that Airstream makes this right and gives their E1 customers a choice on how to resolve this and not just install their usual electrical garbage IMO. . . .

Hi StogieMan. I doubt Volta will disappear even if they do declare bankruptcy some other entity will buy it, reorganize and move forward. It is also possible that the warranty issue is only impacting Storyteller and Winnebago systems as they are very different that the Airstream installation.

I think Airstream is partially at faulty for all the issues that have happened on the Interstates and Atlas models. The TSB-200 they issued last year covered about 700 2023-2025 models. Airstreams wiring design and installation is defiantly sub-par. I have already reworked major parts of the 12VDC wiring on my van. My system has been working well since the Power Distribution Hub (PDH) was replaced in March 2024.

I did a lot of research - as much as I can on Internet. 2024 was a major growth year for Volta. It would appear that they might have grown too fast. Their CEO, Dave DeGraaf, left in June 2023,
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...301865360.html

Volta then hired Wade Wyant as CEO in October 2023.
https://voltapowersystems.com/news/w...-hired-as-ceo/

Wade Wyant only stayed on as CEO until November 2024.
https://www.instagram.com/wade.wyant/p/DChFgM8u6Jm/

I could not find anything on who is CEO since November 2024. Not a good sign.

Most of the components in the Airstream installed Volta system are off-the-shelf items tuned for Volta's application. They have used Victron component for many years. Mine has two Victron DC-DC converters and a Victron SmartSolar controller. The Volta alternator and regulator are rebranded units from American Power Systems, Inc. (APS). The Power Distribution Hub (PDH) uses Anderson Power Pole connectors and has a Magnum Energy inverter/charger. The high-power fuses are all MBRF on Blue Sea Systems fuse blocks.

The only item that is uniquely Volta is the large lithium battery pack. There have been very few battery failures reported. The ones I read about on social media were failures caused by completely draining the battery - a BIG no no for any battery.

If I no longer have a warranty, I will open the PDH and have a closer look at all the components.

[Boxster1971]

Here is the text of the warranty comments from Volta that was posted on the Facebook Storyteller Overland Insiders & MODElifers group on April 8th, 2025.

=================================
Heads up, Volta denying warranty claims.
At a dealer to have pack firmware/screen issue resolved at Volta’s direction.
Per the call I just got off, with a Volta rep, Volta “can’t fund” any warranty work any longer.
UPDATE: contacted STO, they “need a day or two on this latest Volta situation.”
Here’s the email confirmation:
“this message finds you well. We regret to inform you that due to the current state of our business and our obligations to our secured lender, we are no longer able to support warranty coverage or reimburse you for warranty work you perform on Volta products.
Please note, however, that Volta is not going out of business. We remain operational and committed to supporting our customers and partners to the best of our ability under the current circumstances.
We recommend that you contact the OEMs of the vehicles you are servicing for further direction. Volta is still able to support your service needs and sell replacement parts and components currently in stock, and we can continue to provide service work at the customer’s expense.
Volta will continue to provide service, diagnostics, and troubleshooting support as usual.
The only change is that dealerships must now contact their OEM for warranty reimbursement on replacement parts and any related costs. If Volta has the required non-conforming component in stock, we can supply it—but payment will be required before shipment.
Volta does apologize for this change in direction, but it is necessary at this time due to the state of the business as outlined above in the statement.
We truly apologize for this situation and appreciate your understanding.
=================================

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

We regret to inform you that due to the current state of our business , we are no longer able to support warranty coverage or reimburse you for warranty work you perform on Volta products.
If Volta has the required non-conforming component in stock, we can supply it—but payment will be required before shipment.

Can the red flag get any bigger? "Show us the money" and maybe we'll send you the part.
That leads to a self fulfilling prophecy, no customers, no cash flow, no company.