Winnebago Ekko Engine problems by year

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.

unplugging the 4 pin connector on the Balmar 618 regulator before traveling any further. The following morning I plugged the Balmar unit back in and the whining sound and burning smell immediately returned. There is a NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234, Campaign # 174 EKKO 12V Charging System, sent out by Winnebago for this very safety issue due to fires. This recall was completed during the time that the original owner had this 2022 Winnebago EKKO (prior to our purchasing this 2022 Winnebago EKKO in June 2024). There have been numerous failures on Balmar units that have had the campaign #174 recall completed, including ones performed at the factory. The Winnebago fix is obviously not working and is still an extreme fire issue.

has not yet been scheduled. Mercedes will not allow anyone else to examine the vehicle, and they have not responded to my emails. I am requesting an independent inspection, as I am concerned Mercedes may seek to avoid accepting liability. Can anyone help with that? I am not sure what to do.

occasional activation of the check engine light with codes P0506, P3002E6, and P30059B. This happened four times, including twice when attempting to pull out from stops, which could have resulted in a collision if traffic had been present - imagine suddenly stalling in an intersection with family aboard. The problem resolved at lower elevations (below 2,000 feet) or when maintaining higher RPMs before charging initiated, but it was reproducible every time the conditions were met at altitude. Despite diagnostics at a Mercedes-Benz dealership , where systems were cleared and no faults found (suspecting the Winnebago-installed secondary alternator), and repairs at the Winnebago Factory Service Center in Forest City, IA , where the Wakespeed regulator was unnecessarily replaced and the issue blamed on Mercedes (suggesting an unsubstantiated "learning mode" at elevation), the root cause remains unaddressed. This defect, reported by multiple other Ekko owners in online forums and directly to Winnebago, violates Mercedes upfitting guidelines against drawing alternator power below 1,200 RPM and poses an ongoing risk of sudden power loss in traffic or on highways. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

back in place to see if the high pitch sound reoccurred. The sound immediately returned and I used my infrared thermometer which read 438 degrees Fahrenheit on the Balmar alternator. The Lithionics battery app indicated the batteries were 90 percent full but would no longer charge, leaving me only shore power to recharge the batteries. There is a NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-234, Campaign # 174 Ekko 12V Charging System, sent out by Winnebago for this very safety issue due to fires. We had this recall completed at the Forest City Iowa Winnebago factory in April of 2024. There have been numerous failures on Balmar units that have had the campaign #174 recall completed, including ones performed at the factory. The Winnebago fix is obviously not working and is still an extreme fire issue.

to be addressed in recall 174. Over a year later the recall supposedly addressed the issues by moving the regulator out of the engine bay, replacing the Balmer and a major reworking of the electrical system. After multiple components failed during the recall repair, my EKKO took over 6 weeks to get a working solution at a Winnebago dealership. That was a year ago. 10 days ago the same symptoms of whining and overheating returned resulting in me returning to the same dealer with them diagnosing the Balmer as defective and a health risk. Had I not disconnected the Balmer it would've overheated and resulted in melting the primary drive belt and potentially damaging the engine and other major components as documented by numerous other EKKO owners.

plastic burning smell and smoke was pouring out. People were gathering and telling us to call 911 to get the fire department out. We decided to discharge the fire extinguishers provided with our EKKO (a Kidde ABC model). If the whole thing caught fire, obviously other people and cars parked next to us would have been in danger. Yesterday, we heard a new "whine" coming from our engine and noticed that our app that measures the power coming into the lithium batteries was fluctuating way more than usual and so we suspected the system was starting to fail. We had no idea it would fail so quickly and so dangerously.

tension and in contact with the threads of a bolt on the backside of the new alternator installed as part of the Winnebago recall 174 remedy. This seems to have resulted in electrical anomalies and eventual ignition of the wiring harness. There were repeated brief intermittent brake and rear hatch warnings shortly before the fire (there is no rear hatch). The windshield washer system failed after uncommanded operation of the windshield wipers. Multiple other warnings and cautions flashed on the screen too fast for me to identify them. This all happened just prior to the fire which occurred during an engine start attempt while parked. I have video documentation of the smoke and photos showing fire damaged wiring and its location relative to the alternator bolt. Components are available for inspection. I have not yet contacted a dealer, service center or manufacturer yet since this event happened only days ago. My safety has been compromised by two engine compartment fires involving the same defect both before and after the Winnebago recall 174 remedy. For this to happen I have to assume either faulty mechanical completion of the recall or the recall remedy itself. This is but the latest fire hazard I have experienced with this unit (two actual fires, loose propane fitting which slowly flooded the coach with propane, overheated air conditioner that melted insulation in the ceiling and impending NHTSA campaign 24V541000 for solar fuse fire hazard).

was filed. The RV was towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that Winnebago is scheduled to complete an inspection in the next few days. The failure mileage was approximately 4,400.

replaced with like parts. 2nd failure occurred just prior to the 2023 recall, and was addressed by Winnebago Factory Service during recall by replacing parts again. 3rd failure occurred today. The current failure happened when the unit (2022 Winnebago EKKO) was parked in our driveway, not while travelling. Upon starting the vehicle, the alternator emitted a loud whining sound and subsequently provided no charging to the batteries. We are aware of the symptoms based upon our previous failures, and know of others who also had a Balmar failure after having the prior recall completed. We desire a lasting permanent solution for this problem as it has not been adequately addressed by the previous Winnebago recall.