Van Problem | Plans Change | 12 Hour Drive | Customer Service 

It would be interesting to hear at some point what caused this issue. Transfer switch? Slow surge protection? Etc. I almost doubt that it was a surge. What are the chances that your neighbors in the park were not hit?

Very doubtful it was a surge because the SurgeGuard has already proven to do it's job for us before where our neighbors surge protector at the pedestal kept failing them and kept the power on to their RV (low voltage) while the SurgeGuard on the Strada-ion shut our power down until the voltage came back to normal. It happened over and over at this same campground while we were there and the electrician was trying to tell us there was no issue until I gave him enough proof that he finally admitted that they had a voltage drop in the row we were in. This electrician (the parks hired electrician) came out twice before I was able to finally convince him. I was getting convinced that he knew all along. Low voltage is hard on things like a refrigerator and is hard to prove what the cause is when someone has a very cheap surge protector that does not shut down power in the case of low voltage. I believe the transfer switch is the same one that was used in all the previous models of the Strada-ion. This could either be a fluke with the Xantrex Freedom XC Pro 300 (pure sine wave). We mention these things when they happen to let others know just in case it becomes an issue for others (which it hasn't from what we have heard). Most of us know that most parts even the best will have one occasionally that has a fluke fault, but as soon as something is mentioned, there are some that like take the info and "run with it" claiming there is an issue with the inverters in these vans. All RVs have parts made by other manufacturers and once in a while each and every part will have a factory defect (especially electronic parts). Not saying that's what this was because we don't know enough, but unless it keeps happening, then we know it was a fluke. We have been testing these Strada-ion models for almost 2 years now and we have had very good luck with them. We have also heard of people having an issue here and there with little things once in a while that we and many others have not. That is the nature of the industry, especially when the companies they purchase parts from make negative changes. The Grech RV Strada-ion has proven to us to be an extremely well built Class B motorhome. It's been better to us (more reliable) then our Airstream was and we talk to people all the time from campground to campground and in emails, private messages as well as in our comments, who have had quite a few problems with many different makes and models. We take the time to post these things hoping they are helpful to others, not to gain kudos from Grech RV. They are very proud and confident about their product they build and they want us to be transparent. That's why we agreed to test their Class B motorhomes to begin with. @@mvemerson

@@LivinRVision thanks so much for your thoughtful reply. We are targeting a Grech RV Terreno ourselves. Agreed on all the common components. Xantrex is also a top tier manufacturer. There is so much to learn and I am always eager to pick up new knowledge. Thanks again.

We're targeting a Terreno-Ion too ... the Tour model -- a little pricey tho 🤑 ...but... our philosophy, "... you always get what you pay for...", right!?! ... & since 7 seatbelts are just enough w/ minimal storage available, no 'extra baggage allowed' -- only family & g'kids! 😅 😂 🤣

🧡

We live in Stuart, FL. You passed us from LaMesa to Jupiter. We have a Road Trek Zion 21' van. You are welcome to stop by... if in the area again.

🧡

Payroll and the channel, both full time.

I was debating of even keeping that in the video. Didn’t want it to look like “look what we did” sort of thing. We got in the van and I started the camera and then realized it was still on. Had to edit a lot of “nothing” from the video. Lol I figured it was at least inspiring for others to “be kind” and look out for others even if you are traveling and in a hurry. I was walking out of the restroom and this older gentleman was walking towards me and just collapsed. Helped him up when we was ready and waited until his wife came in. She mentioned he is on a lot of medications. Michelle came out of the restroom and we helped him to their car and made sure they were ok. She seemed concerned as she mentioned he hasn’t been having this happen but it could be the meds. They sat in their car for about 5 mins before driving off. We followed until they turned off the ramp. Seeing the elderly struggle is so hard. Made me think of my dad as he struggled for so long with Parkinson’s and walked hunched over to his side from back issues. He would get so embarrassed when he would get stuck and couldn’t move. Then of all things, pancreatic cancer takes his life. Lung cancer took Michelle’s dad. Both great men that we miss dearly.

@@LivinRVision 🙏❤

@@LivinRVision I think it was great that you kept it in the video…. you didn’t make a big deal out of it. A touch of humanity this time of year is a good thing for us all. I am sorry about both parents. It is so difficult to go through that….sometimes life gets turned upside down; doesn’t it? Then it takes awhile to right it again. 💜

Thank God you were all safe. Thank you

You are so welcome, we are glad you enjoy the videos.🧡😊🤓 We started Thanksgiving of 2018. Crazy how fast time goes by. We hope we have cross paths sometime.

@LivinRVision O my goodness, I can't believe it has been 5 years. I love watching the video of you guys leaving your home and finally picking up your new to you RV. It's part of what made us want to try this lifestyle. Also, your catch phase, Brian " ret-ta-go," as I am a black female, qracked me up so much that your videos became my favorite channel. Also, Michelle and I share the same name. Yes, I definitely hope to cross paths with you guys someday. We are not as weird as I sound.

@michelleh2921 😂 you don’t sound weird at all! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. Knowing we’ve been brought enjoyment to others is a gift to us, so thank you again.🧡😊🤓

We hope to meet you too. :)

We seen something else yesterday with the name Savannah and thought of her. :) (upcoming video)

Oh my, that’s right! You guys had a horrible experience. 😢

@@LivinRVision we'll have to update you with the latest screw up! Ugh!

Oh no!

😂

Ugh! So sorry you are going through that! Did you try the La Mesa south of there in Davie, FL?

@@LivinRVision Yes, if they were listed as Truma service center, we called them. The a/c still works so we are not dead in the heat and we have an appointment back in TN for 12/20 to get the issue addressed (who needs a/c then, right?)

@AF1US glad you found a place. Yes, thankfully it’s not the AC.

Sweet words by a very sweet couple! 🧡😊🤓

@@LivinRVision 😘so blessed & so grateful ! How many times does Vinnie say " I can't believe how patient & thorough they were with us" How many would take that much time to help first timers? We love y'all ~ continued safe adventures !

One thing to keep in mind is, every RV has parts that are made by a different company than the RV manufacturer and are used on most of those same other RVs. It’s the details of the total build quality that matters most between those companies. This inverter is one of those items many of them use. From our experience, every part, even when they are reliable parts, will have a few issues here and there from time to time. Grech RV has a full three-year warranty and if the dealership that you purchased the RV from is not providing good customer service then Grech RV always stands up and takes care of the customer. We have heard this time and time again. If someone says differently, then there is more to their story. The only difference with our situation is, we did not purchase it from a dealership, so our source is going straight to Grech RV.

Hi Paul! Thanks so much. If we get back up your way we definitely will! Would be good to see you again!

So sorry we missed you both!

So what was the result, you hopefully called Grech directly? Our situation is much different since we are testing the vans and did not purchase directly from a dealer.

@LivinRVision I didn't mention that my coach is Winnebago. Going back to them directly and they do good service.

Glad we asked…

That was probably us!! Sorry we missed meeting you both. Hopefully we’ll get to meet you another time.

@@LivinRVision I empathize with you on the inverter problem. Our inverter went out in November 2021. I wasn’t able to get a replacement for a year due to supply chain issues. Didn’t stop us from going camping though. I was able to rig and use external battery chargers to keep us going in the meantime. Glad to see you were able to get your problem rectified so quickly.

You might want to start a RU-vid station if you want to get the good service they got. The La Mesa in Sacramento CA. has horrible service. Besides awful customer service it takes months to get an appointment.

We have had portable power stations in the past with previous RVs but when we downsized we didn’t bring it along because it was not necessary and limited room. It would not of helped us in this situation anyway because we had to get to our final destination. Everything else worked other than the outlets. We figure if we absolutely needed a power station at any point, we can easily go into a store and purchase one. But to carry a couple (which we would need two for us both working) it is not worth taking up that space when it would be sitting 99.99% of the time.

This was taken care of already as shown in the video, but thank you. This was actually about 3 weeks ago.

But if you every have a need in WPB, FL let us know.

Thank you!

🤢 No, luckily it wasn’t cooking that day.

It was a good drive 👍🏻😊🤓

😂that’s ok 👍🏻

Oh this is nothing. Most new RVs have to be returned for numerous manufacturers defects. This was an inverter made by another company which is a very good inverter, it just happened to be one of many that had an issue.

Absolutely. If we didn’t have to get to our next destination, that would have happened. As mentioned in the video, they arranged that to happen at La Mesa RV in Port St. Lucie.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! Reserve.FloridaStateParks.org or you can just Google “Florida State Parks” and it’s the first choice that pops up. Click “Camping” from there.

We have been asked this before and as explained, the Grech RV models all have a very high end Total protection/surge protector built in and an external one is not needed. It has shut down power in the past when we had a bad ground at a pedestal, so it works. They protect from “bad” power coming in. I had asked the Engineer at Grech RV in the very beginning of we still need to use a surge protector at the pedestal and he said it is not needed because of the unit they have installed. Also, if you notice in our older videos when we had the Class A for 2 years and the Airstream for 1 year, we used a high end total protection/surge protector then (like other RVers 😜) simply because they didn’t have the protection like this Class B has. The Class A had an internal built-in one, but it did not protect from everything. Always buy the best that has TOTAL protection as we explained in a recent video as we left Pennsylvania.

Wow. Another reason Grech may be our next RV. @@LivinRVision

We responded to this same question earlier. We have been asked this before and as explained, the Grech RV models all have a very high end Total protection/surge protector built in and an external one is not needed. It has shut down power in the past when we had a bad ground at a pedestal, so it works. They protect from “bad” power coming in. I had asked the Engineer at Grech RV in the very beginning if we still need to use a surge protector at the pedestal and he said it is not needed because of the unit they have installed. Also, if you notice in our older videos when we had the Class A for 2 years and the Airstream for 1 year, we used a high end total protection/surge protector then (like other RVers 😜) simply because they didn’t have the protection like this Class B has. The Class A had an internal built-in one, but it did not protect from everything. Always buy the best that has TOTAL protection as we explained in a recent video as we left Pennsylvania.

Yeah, should of used a surge protector

We have not heard that yet. They did not mention.

We took a trip back to Iowa last year for Thanksgiving and talked about this during our travels there. We shared what we had to do. It’s just the macerator/pump that is outside in the elements, so we had to put every antifreeze in the toilet and run through just long enough so that the macerator had the antifreeze in it while we traveled. We could still use the toilet because the macerator is located after the tanks, so everything goes through the macerator only when you drain the tanks. So when it came time to drain the tanks, we just added a little even antifreeze again down the toilet and ran it quickly until the fluid once again started to come through so that we knew it had antifreeze in it. As far as the tanks, they have heaters, so we were fine there. The temps got down into the 20s in certain areas in the evenings during this trip. Had zero issues.

@@LivinRVision thanks a bunch. I now remember seeing that episode and will go back and watch it again.

Here is the reality, when you buy an rv from a dealership, you are supposed to take the RV back to them for repairs while under warranty, but if the customer is having issues getting it taken care of, always go directly to the manufacturer, especially while under warranty. We have heard numerous times where a dealership has dropped the ball and Grech took care of the issue. We are much different since we did NOT buy the rv from a dealership as you know from watching our videos. We are testing these vans and reporting back to them and the public when issues arise. Therefore, we don’t have a dealership to go directly to, so our main contact is Grech. These have a 3 year full warranty and Grech will always stand behind them when a dealership fails to take care of the customer. You always take a product back to the place you purchased it before going direct to the manufacturer.

@@LivinRVision thank for information that why I love you both. 3 year warranty is fantastic getting closer to buy a Grech. I get so involved in your videos I forget you did not purchase it so of course you have to go directly to them. Thanks again great information

No other damage. It was just the inverter but I am in contact with the Grech Engineer to keep an eye on things and report back to make sure there isn’t a setting that may have caused this issue, just to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else since it is so new. Nothing like this has happened to us in the previous models. We’ve had very good luck which is very rare with a new rv. This doesn’t seem to be a recurring issue.

I hope Gretch provides a post mortem analysis. Thx.

So far it seems to be a rare incident, so nothing more may be needed to explain

Whew…we just purchased the 2024 Strada-Ion, I’m sure we will have our issues as well. We are so happy with the Grech customer service so far, I don’t see that changing. Thanks for all the tips on packing and setting up, so very helpful. Safe travels ~ Juls~

When it started smoking, I knew it was much worse than needing a reset. :)

We have the Winnebago Travato 59KL and we have the same question. We do still really like our Travato. We've had it for 2 years and have never plugged it in yet because of the Lithium.

@@palomacortez7878 Yes we have also considered getting the 59KL as I like the twin beds and not having to crawl over each other to get out to use the bathroom. ;-) however, I do like the quality of the Grech brand. I have also heard they have great customer service as well when thing do happen.

There has been zero issues with the particulate filter on any of the models we have tested. We put on about 15,000 - 18,000 mi on each unit. The system regenerates itself to keep the filter clean. The control center on the dash will show you the status of the particulate filter also.

Not sure if you have watched our videos of how we keep our bed as two twins in the back? We leave the two ottomans in so that instead of creating one big bed, we have room to get up easily with crawling over each other and it also gives us more room towards the top portion. Kind of the best of both worlds. We also don’t have to remove the table every night for bed either, we just leave the table attached and easily swing it away when/where needed.

😂🤣

Hopefully some of the customers chime in here to answer this for you because time and time again we have heard great things from others about their customer service. If you haven’t watched our channel much, we test these units and did not purchase it. We report back to you, our viewers and Grech RV. We also belong to the Grech RV owners group on Facebook and get numerous emails and private messages from others expressing their appreciation and gratitude of how well Grech RV has stepped up with any issues that they were concerned about. There have not been many issues with these units from what we have been hearing and have been experiencing. This is unheard of with any other manufacturers. There will always be something here and there that will happen, that’s just the nature of any product, but well built products always have less issues.

We own a tech strada ion and we bought it local in Dallas. We were given a contact person with Grech to help us with questions. I have texted with him on multiple occasions asking for help with the batteries, the macerating pump, etc. he talks me through all of my problems. They have been great! I recommend Grech if it’s within the budget

It’s worth noting here that Grech RV also has a RU-vid channel to which they have created a library of helpful videos that answer many questions on different subjects with how-to videos. 👍🏻

The inverter? No. These things happen with inverters sometimes. No word of any other models having this problem as of yet nor did our previous models. Grech is noting everything in case it happens again with ours or anyone else’s. Seems like it was just a fluke.

@@LivinRVision Lol…meant inverter.

👍🏻😊🤓

Yes, it is built into the unit Grech provides. Not your cheaper ones, it gives total protection.

It’s surprising comfortable. If you ever go to an RV show, put the sofa/bed down and lay on it. Then go compare to others at the show.

Yes, we could have tried finding an inverter somewhere and hooked it up myself if I had the time to. But the main reason we did not is because this is not “our” rv. If you have watched our videos in the past, we are just testing these vans as brand ambassadors. So when something goes wrong, we contact Grech and they take care of it. Even for someone that purchases one of these, you’d want the warranty to cover it.

It is absolutely important as we explained to a very similar comment below…we did not purchase the Strada-ion from a dealer, we are testing these units and our only contact IS Grech and they handled setting up the repair. Much different. But this video was not about “how quickly we got serviced by La Mesa”. When you purchase a unit from a dealer, you are supposed to take the unit back to that dealer for the repairs which are completed under the Grech RV warranty. If a dealer drops the ball and not providing the service you’re happy with, you should then contact the manufacturer (Grech RV) and they will make sure you are taken care of. Again, our situation is much different as we have to go directly to Grech because if/when something goes wrong, they are who we are supposed to report to so that they know about any issues. This Strada-ion is still theirs. So yes, of course the situation is different, but Grech RV has been known to provide great customer service as mentioned and they always show the same towards us.

@@LivinRVision I fully understand ... of course A.J. (or David R) would be your 'go to' to ensure their Strada-Ion is kept in 'tip top condition' -- like car dealers do as well with demos and/or loaners ... for sure ...bottom line... it was a quickly repairable electrical component swap (in their overall well designed system) that was handled ...timely... so you guys were able to get 'back on the road' sooner rather than later ... & do believe w/ a 'quality built Grech' that can be expected -- the 'rule ...not... the exception'. 💯 ...so... we're good w/ a future decision to likely acquire a 2'24 soon!👍🏽

Yes, they have both been our direct contacts with Grech RV. AJ mostly since we don’t have many issues but Kevin is also very good. We’ve kept in close contact throughout the past 2 years with AJ. They make a great product.

@@LivinRVision ABSOLUTELY 💯

Nice thread, we enjoy the channel, but also good to point out that most don’t have this arrangement. Most dealers will park you in the back lot and you’ll be stuck like Chuck until they work you in.

If you have watched our videos in the past when we had the Class A and Airstream, you would see that we have used a portable power station like that. (Jackery). That is something that we knew we did not need to take with us when we were downsizing. If it was absolutely necessary, then we could easily stop somewhere to purchase one when and if needed. The choice we made just made much more sense for us to do in our situation and needing to get to our next scheduled “adventure” that we had already paid for. A portable inverter and an inverter in this case is wired totally different.

Does your unit run on shore power with inverter turned off?

@donnac.1609 we don’t turn it off because it has a transfer switch, therefore you don’t need to. But apparently in this situation, there was an issue since the inverter was smoking and getting hot while plugged into shore power even though the inverter would not turn on and was already fried. They only replace the inverter and that took care of the issue.

@LivinRVision My rv repair guy has zero faith in transfer switches. And that is just one man's opinion! But I don't take any chances! My 2016 Sunseeker 3010DS ( only 14,000 miles) has proven to be a veritable "tinker toy" so I take every precaution!! I sure hope your van stays solid and the backing from the manufacturer appears to be top notch! A true rarity!!

We would definitely not go back to a Class A. We tried that for 2 years and we have made changes for a reason…we learned from each we have tried and found out what would work best for OUR lifestyle. PM is not the issue on an inverter. It is well known that the older RVs before 2008/09 were built much better than they are now. You shouldn’t be shocked though, because those older RVs are not as easy for people to find. You have one of the better built RVs. HOWEVER…the Grech is very well built compared to anything else on the market in its class and especially compared to a fifth wheel as you mentioned. Unfortunately for some though, some people need the space and a Class B just won’t work for them. But some people need the ability to be more nimble and have much less headaches than a Class A, fifth wheel or travel trailer.

I'm sure it's built well. And Yes your invertor was most likely defective. My main statement of importance regarding PM is not a blame at you, Its a general statement. Its just sad that people spend so much money on the units just to have so many problems. Yes I believe the QA of the new RV's are not that good. @@LivinRVision

Oh ok…so what was your statement in ALL CAPS telling us to go back to a Class A? Nobody should ever tell anyone else what is best for you nor us. We all make changes for a reason and we went from the Class A to the Airstream for less worries and less stress…it worked. We then wanted to switch to something smaller and had this opportunity with Grech and it too held to prove our point…less troubles, less stress. Thank you for your concern though.

It’s hard to say because they may have took care of us due to the pressure directly from Grech. But our experience was good and we can’t insinuate that they wouldn’t do the same for anyone else. For us it was smooth.

We had awful customer service at Sacramento. We never posted a review but we should have.