2023 Winnebago Ekko

After starting the vehicle I noticed an unusual whine. After a few seconds of idling I noticed that it smelled like something was on fire. I turned off the vehicle and began looking for smoke. I did not find it. After a little research I discovered that it is a very well known failure that the Balmar alternator on Winnebago EKKOs fails catastrophically, sometimes catching on fire. I followed instructions to disable the Balmar. I let the vehicle cool completely. I restarted the vehicle and let it idle for a long while and the whine and the smell never returned. I used the Lithionics app to confirm that the batteries were not being charged while the engine was idling.

We had reported on Sat, 3/21/26 to Winnebago that we noticed our Balmar alternator had stopped charging the battery the night before on Fri, 3/20/26 during a 2.5 hour trip to Sebastapol, CA. We drove to Santa Clara, recharged batteries with shore power and then drove to Santa Cruz, CA. This morning on Sun 3/22/26, our 2nd Balmar Alternator installed by NIRVC/Las Vegas in Mar-April 2024 under the 174 Recall caught on fire. Fortunately, we were idling in a parking lot before getting on the freeway, and could hear the whining noise, smell the burning alternator, and see the smoke coming out of the engine before the fire grew too large. We were able to extinguish the fire and keep the damage limited to the Balmar alternator. Had we gotten out onto Highway 17, ours and others lives could have been severely impacted, as we likely would not have noticed nor been able to deal with the fire as quickly. We have unplugged the 4-pin wire plug from the Balmar regulator. Once we restarted the engine, a piece of plastic came flying out, and then everything started spinning freely. We were able to drive home. We have reported the fire to Winnebago and are awaiting communication as to next steps. We have video footage of the fire and vehicle is available for inspection.

Balmar alternator began smoking and emitting a burning smell, also began discharging the house batteries. This condition caused us to be disabled along the roadway and entailed crawling under the vehicle to disconnect the wiring from the alternator. Unable to get immediately repaired as no Balmar replacement parts were available from Winnebago. Repairs completed December 2024 by dealer. Additional Service Campaign 75-09 on Balmar alternators May 20, 2025 to cut charging rate by approximately 50% to prevent overloading. This service also completed by dealer August 18, 2025

Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234 Just experience failure of second Balmar alternator at about 26,000 miles. Replacement of first failure was done in conjunction of above referenced safefy recall. Work was performed in March of 2024. Subsequent to the above referenced recall Winnebago issued a Service Campaign (75-09) to derate (adjust/lower alternator output settings)in order to reduce the risk of overloading the alternator. The service campaign work was completed in June 2025. Numerous other Ekko owners have experience multiple Balmar alternator failures including some that have caught on fire. I was aware of the early warning signs of problems (high pitched whine that varies with RPM's and alternator output that drops to near zero) and proactively unplugged/disconnected the alternator before potentially serious consequences arose. My situation, and those of other Ekko owners clearly shows there is a design and/or quality issue that requires corrective action.

There is a Balmar alternator installed on my Winnebago EKKOs that failed by smoking and burning. Winnebago replaced it with the same piece of equipment and it too has failed. They will again replace with another Balmar putting me at risk of fire and failure. This is totally unacceptable! Please help all us EKKO owners force Winnebago to solve this with a safe solution. Some owners have had 6 Balmars replaced! This is a known problem that is not being resolved.

The winnebago EKKO has a secondardy alternator (Balmer brand) that charges the coach Lithium battery. There is an existing Winnebago recall regarding this component , Winnebago #174 and I originally had the Balmer alternator fail in summer 2023 and it was repaired by Winnebago under the #174 recall. The Balmer alternator has now failed again as of January 2025, and is appearing to heat beyond normal. The symptom of this failure, is lack of charging of the battery during engine operation, as well as tripping of the main coach power breaker. I have disconnected the alternator to prevent any safety issues such as over heating. Others will same vehicle have reported safety issues such as overheating and potential fire. I have reported this to Winnebago customer service. But I have not had the vehicle yet inspected by Winnebago or other service center, but have an appointment with Winnebago factory service on May 12, 2025.

Since I have picked up my Winnebago Ekko (motorhome) on [XXX] from Lichtsinn RV in Forest City, Iowa (1 mile from the factory) it has had numerous electrical fires in the kitchen and also has had no fewer than the 4 separate strains of mold growing throughout the motorhome as evidenced by the results of the mold test I did last spring. Although I have notified Winnebago Customer Care, Winnebago's CEO (Michael Happe), Lichtsinn RV and the Iowa Attorney General's office (where I have an open investigation for also being forced to pay an additional $25,000+ at the closing table or walk away after two years of waiting when I was told it would be six months) last spring when I emailed them the results, there has been NO response yet from anyone at Winnebago or Lichtsinn RV regarding these issues. I have made a video on YouTube showing the fire and mold / mold test results that will show what has been happening in my RV for most of the time I've owned it: [XXX] Finally, I should also note that I am [XXX] and am covered by the ADA Act; I can furnish proof. Because most of my health problems stem from an [XXX], the fact that Winnebago and Lichtsinn RV have left me in such a bad position with the mold in my Ekko is completely unacceptable to me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Second Balmar alternator failure - this failure occurred after the recall was performed for this same issue by Winnebago at their factory. Originally purchased Sept 2022, first Balmar alternator replaced Sept 2023 along with the recall 174 being accomplished at the factory. Second failure occurred Dec 2024 after 17k miles since the recall was accomplished. This appears to be a continuing issue as many other Ekko owners have reported multiple Balmar alternator failures. Symptoms prior to the failure was erratic charging and then subsequent tripping of the 250 Amp breaker. I was unable to restore charging and disconnected the alternator at the controller to prevent any additional issues.

The contact owns a 2023 Winnebago Ekko RV built on a 2022 Ford Transit Chassis. The contact stated that the RV blind spot monitoring system had become inoperable. The contact stated that the red light on the passenger's side and the driver's side of the windshield had failed to illuminate, and the alarm failed to sound while there was another vehicle in the blind spot. The RV was taken to an RV dealer, where the blind spot monitoring system was replaced; however, the failure recurred approximately 3 months later. The RV was taken to a second dealer, Lichtsinn RV (505 IA-9 East, Forest City, IA 50436), where it was diagnosed that the exterior modules of the blind spot monitoring system were susceptible to water damage, which caused the interior of the modules to become wet and to fail. The dealer determined that the modules needed to be replaced. The RV was then taken to the first dealer, where the parts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The RV was not repaired. The manufacturer was initially notified of the failure but had become unreachable. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.