What Happened to 2KeyVato?

Ah, 2KeyVato. Our trusty Winnebago Travato. Our rolling vacation home and adventure buddy. In September 2024, we took it out for a quick getaway to Virginia Lakes in the Eastern Sierras. It was perfect—crisp air, mirror-like lakes, great hiking, and that cozy feeling of tucking into the van after a long day outdoors.

We had no idea that would be our last carefree trip in 2KeyVato.

The Blue Light of Doom

Two days later, I went to restock the van and noticed the Volta battery system, made by Volta Power Systems, flashing blue. Not a soothing, “hey I’m working hard” kind of blue—more like the van’s way of saying, “You’re in trouble, friend.”

That flashing light kicked off what turned into an eight-month odyssey of phone calls, appointments, road trips, and emails that could probably be turned into a Netflix mini-series called How Not to Fix an RV.

The Dealer Shuffle

First stop: local dealerships. Except “local” apparently means months of waiting and sorry, we can’t actually do the work once you arrive. So we kept driving further afield, eventually ending up at Lazy Days RV in Las Vegas. By then, I’d racked up miles, used vacation days, and was starting to feel like I should just move into the dealership lobby.

The $33,000 Quote (Yes, You Read That Right)

Lazy Days called one afternoon with the kind of deadpan seriousness you expect when a doctor delivers bad news:

“We got a quote from Winnebago. The repair will be $33,000.”

That’s… basically the price of a new Volta system. Or a small house. Or three used Hondas. When I asked if they were replacing everything, the service rep just said, “Hmm, yeah, that doesn’t sound right.” Comforting.

Stuck in Limbo

The real problem wasn’t just the broken battery—it was the blame game. Volta said to talk to Winnebago. Winnebago said to talk to the dealer. The dealer said they were waiting on Volta. I became the unwilling middle manager of three companies that couldn’t seem to email each other.

Months passed. Winter turned into spring. The battery shipped out, came back, sat waiting for parts, got delayed again when Lazy Days changed ownership… you get the picture.

The (Not-So) Triumphant Return

Finally—finally—in May 2025, we picked up 2KeyVato. We were so ready to get back on the road. But within minutes of leaving the lot, the system dropped to zero, the check engine light flickered on, and the van crawled along at 20 mph.

Eight months of waiting, and instead of a fresh start, we were handed the clear message that this chapter was over.

Goodbye, 2KeyVato

By that point, our trust in Winnebago, Volta Power Systems, and Lazy Days RV was long gone—somewhere between the $33k repair quote and the seventh “we’ll call you next week” email. We had already been researching replacements for months, knowing deep down that 2KeyVato’s days with us were numbered.

The Travato gave us some incredible memories, but the repair saga left a bitter aftertaste. That flashing blue light hadn’t just marked the start of a repair—it was the signal that it was time to move on.

And move on we did. Enter MO—short for Mobile Office. She isn’t just a replacement, she’s a complete upgrade: two offices, a real kitchen, laundry, storage, even massage recliners. Everything 2KeyVato couldn’t be, MO is.

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