A new fifth-wheel caught fire while being transported between dealer locations. It was enough to cause Brinkley to take a closer look. Sure enough, a bad solar controller could cause problems—and a recall is now in place. Read on, the history of the Brinkley RV solar controller recall and the company’s swift reaction is of interest.
Brinkley RV (Brinkley) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Model G fifth wheel trailers. The solar charge controller may fail and overheat. An overheated controller increases the risk of fire. 1,723 of these RVs are potentially affected.
Brinkley solar controller recall remedy
Dealers will replace the controller, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 5, 2025. Owners may contact Brinkley customer service at 1-574-501-4280. Brinkley’s number for this recall is REC-2501.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to nhtsa.gov.
Background
On January 7, 2025, a dealer was shipping a new fifth wheel from one location to another. The driver noticed smoke coming out of the rig, pulled over, and called the fire department. “The fire was extinguished,” says Brinkley’s report to NHTSA. A closer look at the front storage unit where the fire broke out revealed that the origin of the flames was the solar controller.
Brinkley and representatives of Rich Solar—a division of Patrick Industries—inspected the RV. Both companies opened their own investigations as to the cause of the issue. On January 22, 2025, “Rich Solar confirmed that through testing, it was determined that a component within the Solar controller could fail under certain operating conditions, leading to component failure and potential fire in extreme cases.”
Brinkley found warranty claims from nine RVs where the solar controller malfunctioned. “Cases were typically limited to damage/functionality of the Solar Controller itself, with lower severity than the initiating case,” Brinkley reported to NHTSA.
The next day, January 23, Brinkley issued the voluntary recall.
RELATED
- Brinkley fifth wheels recalled: Solar wiring linked to fire risks
- Brinkley recalls fifth wheels over risk of pin box detachment
- Forest River to recall RVs with defective solar wiring
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Kudos to Brinkley! Just look at that timeline…less than one month from incident to recall. They truly are setting a high bar for the industry.
I wish they offered some different interior choices. I know…really light painted interiors are popular, but not for us. Maybe by the time we are ready to downsize and if we decide to go back to towable…
Thank you, Russ and Tina! Oh, no, even Brinkley?!? BUT, it was not an installation problem, but a component manufacturer problem. AND, as Mikal notes, they were all over this in terms of finding the cause of this incident and associating earlier warranty claims with it. Seems far more evidence of a responsibly good company than the opposite end of the spectrum. Have a great day and safe travels!
Sigh . . . Even Brinkley. No one is immune to problems. I admire their quick action. Competitors take note.
I’m glad you posted what solar charge controller was catching fire. I noticed yesterday there are other RV manufacturers using Rich Solar charge controller on their RV’s.