2022 WINNEBAGO EKKO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

The Balmar alternator installed on our RV, which provides electrical power to charge the coach battery started a noticeable whine at idle, it stopped providing a charge to the coach battery, and upon further inspection, after opening the hood, we noticed a faint burning electrical smell. To confirm that the Balmar alternator was failing, I checked its electrical output to the battery, and it was not charging. I then proceeded to unplug the regulator for the alternator to see if the whine and smell were still present. They were not. Since the whine was not present with the Balmar alternator unplugged, the burning smell had dissipated, and no charge coming from the alternator when plugged in, I determined it was starting or already failed. Knowing that there have been multiple reports from other owners that their EKKO's caught fire or had severe smoke coming from the engine compartment, that was later found to be the Balmar alternator, I made the decision to leave it unplugged. I was concerned about our safety and the real possibility of a fire if we continued with it plugged in and running. This just happened to us so we have not had it looked at by a dealer or independent service center yet, but we could make it available for inspection upon request. Please note, this is the second Balmar that has failed on us in our four year ownership of this RV, and we have a friend that has had five Balmar's fail on him! Winnebago needs to be held accountable and should be required to remove and replace the Balmar alternator from all owners RV's and replace it with a more suitable and capable alternator that will provide the secondary power they advertise when they sell this model to consumers.

October 10, 2025. The vehicle is a 2022 Winnebago EKKO RV on a 2021 Ford Transit with 49,000 miles. The incident occurred after driving the vehicle for about 5 minutes with outside temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and noticed an unusual high pitch whine. When I opened the hood the Balmar MC-618 Alternator unit was extremely hot, smoking, and had a strong burning smell. Since the EKKO models have had numerous reports of secondary alternator/Balmar malfunctions I knew enough to disable the alternator by 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.

October 10, 2025. The vehicle is a 2022 Winnebago EKKO RV on a 2021 Ford Transit with 49,000 miles. The incident occurred after driving the vehicle for about 5 minutes with outside temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and noticed an unusual high pitch whine. When I opened the hood the Balmar MC-618 Alternator unit was extremely hot, smoking, and had a strong burning smell. Since the EKKO models have had numerous reports of secondary alternator/Balmar malfunctions I knew enough to disable the alternator by 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.

SUMMARY: Propane leaks from outside LP hose when factory zip-tie failed resulting in LP hose detached and damaged from rubbing against the tire. 2022 Winnebago EKKO. DETAILS: RV has a LP hose that routes above the passenger side rear tires from the propane tanks to other locations of the RV. This hose was held back from the rear tire at two locations each with a thin metal tab and a single plastic zip-tie. One of the zip-tie failed, resulting in the LP hose rubbing on the tire when driving. The rubbing made a hole on the hose and propane leaked from the hole. I was cooking next to the RV at a campground when propane was leaking from the damaged hose. The leak could have caused an explosion and serious injury to anyone nearby. The design to use plastic zip-tie to keep the LP hose from the tires is unsafe. I have taken photos of the damage and reported this incident to Winnebago customer service via email on 9/11/25. This issue was not reported to the police or insurance company due to no injury. Prior to the propane leak there was no warning or message or other symptoms of the problem. Problem first appeared during a camping trip in late July 2025 when I was camping at White River campground in Mt Rainier National Park in WA.

SUMMARY: Propane leaks from outside LP hose when factory zip-tie failed resulting in LP hose detached and damaged from rubbing against the tire. 2022 Winnebago EKKO. DETAILS: RV has a LP hose that routes above the passenger side rear tires from the propane tanks to other locations of the RV. This hose was held back from the rear tire at two locations each with a thin metal tab and a single plastic zip-tie. One of the zip-tie failed, resulting in the LP hose rubbing on the tire when driving. The rubbing made a hole on the hose and propane leaked from the hole. I was cooking next to the RV at a campground when propane was leaking from the damaged hose. The leak could have caused an explosion and serious injury to anyone nearby. The design to use plastic zip-tie to keep the LP hose from the tires is unsafe. I have taken photos of the damage and reported this incident to Winnebago customer service via email on 9/11/25. This issue was not reported to the police or insurance company due to no injury. Prior to the propane leak there was no warning or message or other symptoms of the problem. Problem first appeared during a camping trip in late July 2025 when I was camping at White River campground in Mt Rainier National Park in WA.