The thing about your youth and newness to the RV subculture is that the history lessons are unknowm to you and forgotten is the huge insurgence due to mainstreaming us. Brinkley is just the new thing. However, there was Grand Design before them. Open Range before them, and so on and so on. They all start out with something appealing. Demand goes up, and with volume quality goes down due to the interrelationship with schedule and cost, but volume attracts the big boys. The big boys buy the brand, founders make good on their investment, big boys tweak and tweak to squeeze the profits out while owner support plummets and the brand becomes just a name devoid of all the substance that made it. It is the cycle of the RV industry, and remember where the Brinkley founders came from... Do not get me wrong, they are currently doing better fit and finish in the house, but they HAVE NOT been what is considered a high volume manufacturer. Not at all. The landscape will be interesting this year if the rumored 1000% increase in Brinkley orders is true because that puts them in volume manufacturing territory and will see if they can maintain what they're branding as their image. At the cores, it's still a Lippert frame with a house of laminated panels and aluminum skeleton...
I live fulltime in my G3500 #482 and love it. Yes there were some minor issues but nothing I wasn't able to resolve on my own. I've made a few upgrades and posted some remarks on the Model G owners group detailing my changes. Overall I'm very happy with my G3500. The Brinkley models are a step in the right direction however like everything in life nothing is perfect. It's still an RV and needs TLC/maintenance and housekeeping. The Brinkley does have its limits but with commonsense and knowledge should last for many years. Just a suggestion for when you guys go in for your service coming from your experience please mention any ideas you have to improve quality on the Model G. I do know that Brinkley is always open for great ideas. Very good and honest video. God bless!
Thank you for watching and the feedback! Yes! We have recommended a few changes. Some of course will only affect future G’s but anything to make them all better. You are correct, it’s just like anything else, you have to continuously take care of it and handle little issues to keep them from becoming big issues
As a homebuilder and remodeler I will say this and its the truth. You can have two different builders use the same pile of materials, same floorplan, and end up with two different homes in terms of quality of build.
Thanks for watching! I agree 100 percent! I’ve said over the years we have lost craftsman and now we have workers! They no longer care if their name is on it.
That thing in the drawer is a paper towel holder. Pretty nice to have it thought about and stowed like that. Just little extra things that some don't think about. Also the shades are day/night roller shades and they work great!
Thanks for watching and commenting! Yes! We have the same storable paper towel holder in ours. I guess my comment was more about the cardboard quality of it in that model. As a side note we never store ours in there. Good deal on the roller shades!
I noticed you mentioned that there were no seam hiders, but there is. Even though Brinkley does not use molding to finish the seam areas, they do use silicone on the seams. That would be a seam hider, just a different type. I have looked at over 80 5th wheels in the last 4 months, and Brinkley does have a good rv, but they're not the best. No one builds the best. Not everyone can afford a Brinkley, which I feel is priced a bit high. There are several brands that offer very good units, with good build quality that will fit people with smaller budgets. One brand we ran across that provides good build quality along with very nice details is the East to West Ahara 5th wheels.
Thank you for watching! I wouldn't call silicone or caulking seam hiders..But I guess everyone sees things differently. We researched RVs for 14 months before landing on Brinkley. I am not here to change anyone's mind about their RV or which one to buy. I am not a salesman for Brinkley either. I do consider myself knowledgeable about RVs. I have attended RV tech school as well since we started our RV search. Ahara doesn't build toy haulers so we didn't look at them as a choice. I have toured them and they look great on the outside. Open them up and that's another story. You say Brinkleys are too expensive but you have to take into account that the G models come with every major option most people add to an RV post purchase. Generator, 800W solar, 3000W inverter, sumo springs, Dexter tow assist, sumo springs, MORryde trays, even lippert screen defenders. Most brands we looked at would need all of that upgraded. If you are looking at Ahara East to West then you need to look at the Brinkley Z line. That is more comparable price wise than a G model.
Good job on the video. We’ve been full-timing in our Z3100 for eight months now and love it. Like you, I’m amazed on how well everything was constructed and is holding up. Stay safe out there.
Another awesome video. Glad to see you guys are still loving the Brinkley and that it’s holding up after full time living. We plan to order the G3950 once they update the couch and add the full body paint option. Okay, never done a video request before but I think this would be a good one… you guys should plan a trip and dry camp on BLM. Somewhere where you could take the bikes out and do some riding. Plus no construction noise lol I think it would be another good test. Fill up the fuel tanks and test the efficiency/performance of the generator running on propane vs gas. See you long you guys could comfortably live without hookups. See what goes first.. fuel, water, full holding tanks. I’m sure Brinkley would love the feedback too. Just an idea for you guys.
That’s quite the challenge!! Hmmmm let me work on it. We do want to cut the cord so to speak and do more boondocking for sure! Thanks for keeping up with us!!
We were at a show here in charleston sc and saw the same things. Loose screws, broken drawers, misaligned slides and on and on. Would think the manufacturers would catch on to this but they don't. We bought a z3100 that day. Its in storage for another week or so but loving it so far
Thank you for watching! Our point to this video is look deeper than options and cedar closets. Look into the construction, the plumbing, the support after the purchase! I see you did that before landing in your new Brinkley! Congrats by the way! You will love it.
Regarding the door latch with the rust and skew. I agree that never ever should have escaped QC or a PDI but the RV manufacturer does not build that, the door comes preassembled from Lippert. All the RV manufacturer does is mount the outer frame in one piece and paint it. I just had the door replaced on mine since Lippert built it wrong and was able to see how it comes pre assembled and ready to just bolt in and paint. The "seam hiders" that i just caulking on the Brinkley, just like they would do on trim seams on a sticks and bricks. We will see how it holds up in a mobile environment. I will also say that Brinkley is not perfect. While our RV is in for service we met a couple that has a 9 month old Brinkley that is going back to the factory for some pretty major stuff including a cracked wall that in other brands is attributed to frame flex.
Thank you for watching. Almost 11 months in, 13000+ miles, 18 states. Zero issues with the Actual Brinkley build/seams/caulk/cabinets/doors. The Lippert parts are what they are. We also had the inner wall crack. Brinkley gave it a relief cut. Frame flex is normal, frame failure is not. You are correct, Brinkley is not perfect but their customer care and support is unmatched.
One thing you didn’t mention is that even though Brinkley does get their frames from Lippert they don’t just order the same ones as other manufacturers but instead they order ones that are built to a higher load rating. I think you’ll see that when you go to the factory.
Thanks for watching! Yes, they spec them differently than other companies for sure. We were at the factory in June of 2023 while ours was on the assembly line and they showed us the frames. They also bring the frames inside the building so they can climatize to the same temperatures as the other components prior to the build. 😁
Semper Fi brother! I was in the Corps 89’-97’ Thank you for watching! You will love your Brinkley and go do the factory tour if you can. It’s worth the trip
Day / night shades (the two shades that confused you) are pretty useful actually. We have them in our RV. The screen roller is the day shade to reduce glare and heat in the RV. The solid shade is the night shade that keeps creeps from peeping in your trailer at night. Nice video.
our Tiffin also has the two shades- the day /night. Love it. Also, have L brackets holding up the wooden valances. How else would you hold them up? Love the valances because it keeps the light out from the edges of the shades and they’re beautiful.
@@lindac9347 thank you for watching! Tiffins are definitely beautiful coaches! We’ve just never been a fan of valances. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though for sure!
Thanks for the content. Glad to see it holding up after some use. While the lack of quarter round looks nice I was concerned the caulk Brinkley uses would separate from road movement. Time will tell. I'm told the molding is more to allow for movement than to cover poorly trimmed edges. Last show I went to here in MI the G3500 was priced at $160k. Most Raptors and Fuzions can bed had for less than $120 really closer to $100. I'm not knocking the Brinkley. It looks like a lot of care and thought went into instead of just Lipstick on a Pig. My hang up is simply the cost (which they deserve) and the empty weight. 17k empty is a lot for a 40" camper. Hopefully that extra weight translates into durability. Look forward to future updates.
Thank you for watching and commenting! Yeah, she’s a heavy girl. 21,500 with all our stuff in it. But that includes residential fridge, Moreryde trays, generator, solar, lithiums, 3 ACs etc. We added the GenY gooseneck hitch and a queen bed and ours was $144k. If someone bought one of the others and added everything you’d be well over that mark. I’m like you I keep looking for caulk movement! Time will tell but so far so good!
The problem with most 5th wheels seems to be that the workers don’t care about their product and neither do the managers. My 2020 Cedar Creek Champagne 38EFK, had sealant missing around locker doors which allowed water to enter the lockers, it also had sealant missing on the T section aluminium on the corner of my kitchen slide which again allowed water to run unseen into the floor and cause the floor to rot out in 2 years! Brinkley obviously have a completely different work ethic and employee commitment.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Having been to the factory we can attest that their culture is different. I’m no expert on building RVs but I’d be much happier working in a climate controlled facility for a company that values you. Plus the afternoon we were there, Nate, one of the owners and designer of the G models was on the line climbing in the RVs and QC’n them.
This past February, when my wife and I decided on purchasing a Brinkley G3500 build #0766, we saw the poor quality products. Not to mention our original purchase of our new Toy Hauler in 2022, during our walk through, the person doing the walk through kept saying to the problems we pointed out, that it is warranty work, when we haven't even signed the paperwork/contract to purchase the RV. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO!
Man! I’ve heard it a 100 times…”they will fix all of that prior to you taking delivery”. I mean what if you bought a new car that was all banged up and the dealer said “yeah we will put that windshield wiper, glove box lid and hubcaps back on before you take delivery?!”
I appreciate your videos and your responses! We don't plan to be full timers like you and your wife. But, we plan to use the hell out of our Brinkley once we retire again in three years.
I would like to let you know that I have had a DRV Mobile Suit since 2003 and the shades we have are the same as the Brinkley and we have had to restring them many times which is a pain. I sure hope they have upgraded them for your sake as the string will fray and brake yearly. We have traveled coast to coast and have thousands of miles and love the quality of our 5th wheel. We have been looking at the Brinkley and it looks great but we have not seen one up close yet. Good luck and safe travels..
Thank you for watching! I’ll have to keep an eye on these shade strings for sure! I can’t wait to see what you think after you see one up close. Make sure you peek around in the basement area, open the panels and look at the plumbing and wiring. I think you will be impressed.
With the Blue Beacon wash... I've never used, but I saw a video a while back from Changing Lanes (I think) that said you need to request the non-caustic wash.
I agree with you, we went to the Tampa rv super show and looking at a bunch of different rv’s. Brinkley was far above all the others just have to decide on which model to buy.
Can you name the vehicle wash companies that are pull through in your travels? We will be buying a Brinkley travel trailer in the next year or so as the options evolve for couples. Just found your channel recently and enjoy your content. Thanks Chris and Mary
Thank you for watching! We use Blue Beacon. They have an app and a location locator as well. We used a small privately owned truck wash in Arkansas. They did a good job but were just really slow.
Thank you for the video. Do you happen to know the gauge of the power and ground wire that is routed to the 12 volt fridge plug? I would also be interested in seeing the data panel for the fridge if you had that available? I am trying to perform a power audit on a Brinkley before I purchase one to see what kind of power consumption to expect to be able to upgrade the solar panels and batteries.
The G models all have 110 residential fridges. I’m not 100% sure but I think the Z models have the 12V fridges. I’d be happy to send you a pic of our data label though if you still want it?
Are you looking at the G3250? If so we did a walk through video with Nate who is one of the co-owners of Brinkley RV and the toy hauler designer. As for the truck all G’s are dually range RVs. We have a Ram 3500 Dually with the HO motor and Aisin transmission, 4:10 rear end, 50 gallon tank (which is a must), and airbags.
@@chasing70degrees23 Yes we are looking at G3250 so I'll check out your review, hopefully I'll find on your channel. I ride dirt, KTM 790 R ADV bike and KTM dirt trail bike, but I don't always take the bikes camping. We are already Cummins owners and I'd planned on getting new one. Your spec, 50 gal tank and dually are what I wanted to know- so thanks much. Kinda already had same idea. Much appreciate your feedback
@@jc525exc great bikes! That 3250 might be able to support one bike at a time in the garage/office/kitchen! The one we covered was a prototype and Nate discusses some of his changes for the production model
Thank you for watching! That’s cool! I’m always shocked when I hear those high VIN numbers. Seems like yesterday they hadn’t even made 75! What did you add to your custom build on 406??
The more I look at the brinkley 3500g, the more I like it over others. For me the only one that comes close in that price range is the riverstone legacy. One of these days I'll buy one, the brinkley. Big question though. Have you had any issues at all with the upper bedroom deck? I mean as far as flex?
Thanks for watching! As we are all finding out in the RV community frame flex is a thing. What should not be a thing is frame failure. They have to flex some which is normal. When we were at the factory tour we saw the frames, saw them in all the stages. Brinkley has also done extensive testing where they have stressed the frame to failure to simulate a head-on collision. They made this data public. We also weigh our rig and stay under the GVWR. I had a guy at the RV show say “Oh I never weigh mine I don’t want to know how overweight I am!” I was stunned. We haven’t seen any issues with our deck, no misalignment, no movement of cabinets, nothing and we have driven some horrible roads. New Mexico CANNOT build a smooth bridge transition for some reason. 😳
We've done almost 30k miles in the last 12 months and I don't think anyone is capable of making a smooth bridge transition. Seems most of the new roads are worse than the old ones. Someone asked in FB group about taking I20 or I10 across country because they heard one the roads were bad. I said it doesn't matter, there are good sections, great sections and terrible sections no matter which way you go. Just avoid Birmingham AL at all costs, those roads are where I got my bed slide crack, frame failure.
@@TheBmeeker I agree 100%. We were just in Birmingham in November and it was horrible. Sometimes I have to drive in the fast lane because the big rigs have destroyed the right lane and it feels like it’s tearing our RV apart.
@@chasing70degrees23thank you for the feedback. I didn’t know Brinkley tested their frames, that’s good to know. I think the 3500 G is a beautiful fifth wheel. Safe travels
G3500 #188 We are about a month into ours and love it so far. You mentioned something about a relief cut inside the bedroom. I haven’t heard of this. What is the issue?
Some of the G’s have experienced some inner wall cracks. It’s not structural but just in need of a 2nd relief cut inside the inner wall. I’m not sure it’s been addressed yet. I’m planning a video about our service at Brinkley so I’ll update for sure!
@@chasing70degrees23 Thanks for the response. We had to leave our Grand Design 390RK after a year and a half of full time because of complete failure. We lost our shirt on it. Now I am always looking for issues in the Brinkley. LOL
No, not at all. Just in love with their product and customer service! I’m not a fan boy for anything in my life but I come close with this RV. As a side note UA-cam requires that you label sponsored content as sponsored.
Goes to you get what you pay for, sometimes Brinkley costs a little more, built a little better Some of the manufacturers are putting out garbage and overcharging Their “recalls” are a little more involved than “just” especially the wiring and the refrigerator water is impossible unless you’re skinny That said. Brinkley is putting out a better build than most are today. Comparable to the higher end builds 10 years ago And they normally put access panels to plumbing. Too many are gluing on trim, which is fine unless something needs repaired that’s behind that trim. You can reuse nailed and screwed trim you are replacing glued They run wires and plumbing and then put cabinets on top of them. Making something’s impossible to service without removing cabinets. Even real wood doesn’t stand up well to that. MDF doesn’t I’d take a 10 year old well maintained Montana or Northpoint over a new Brinkley But a new Brinkley over any of the newer comparably priced
Thank you for watching! I would agree with "you get what you pay for." The problem is some manufacturers are putting out garbage but charging the same cost as a new Brinkley. An interesting side note is that Brinkley uses wire harnesses and does not pull individual wires. As for the recalls Brinkley has been really good about getting out in front of any issues. They have also never told me "Take it to the dealer." They authorize mobile techs to come and do any required work. The water line to the fridge has been identified as possibly creating leaks but like every water line in the Brinkley it has a valve in the basement you can just turn off and isolate it from water service until it has been checked.
Thank you for watching! If you research Brinkley history you will find that 3 of the owners came from GD after the sale. They also have zero interest in going public or selling off Brinkley. They have made a massive investment and believe they can build a superior product and provide the best customer service. So far I’m impressed.
Thank you for watching! We totally factored price. Both of the units we mainly showed were show priced $10k-$16k above what we paid for our Brinkley which was $144k. One of the other brands was even more expensive. My point in the video is to help show people what not to accept in that price range. We had no idea about what to look for when we started looking to buy an RV.
Good video 😊just saying all rv's that are production mass produced bad quality brinkley is mass produced if you want a better quality built fifth wheel you have to step up to luxe new horizon and space craft hand built takes 6 months to build but down side is the price is higher you get what you pay for all manufacturers are having quality problems some with frame damage 🤔😆
Thank you for watching! I agree there will always be a more expensive, more elite product in every aspect of your life. In the price range of our Brinkley (we paid $144k) you won’t find a better build quality RV. The factory tour at Brinkley will blow you away. We got to see ours on the line in production. They were very transparent and allowed us to see and photograph anything we wanted. I can tell you that while they are mass produced they are not just slapped together and shoved out the door. 😁
Found plenty of chatter about Luxe issues when i was looking... including frame failures (yes, LCI frames). The higher end stuff uses many of the same components as well. Not trying to compare Brinkley to a Luxe, etc... just saying they all have issues as you are bouncing them down the road.
@@kentfyfe8200 agreed. They all use LCI frames. The manufacturer specs the frames for their own units not LCI. Brinkley has done extensive frame testing which exceeds the industry standards.
@@chasing70degrees23 yup. Brinkley has gone above and beyond to address much of those issues with LCI in their spec. New Horizon I believe actually builds their own (A rare thing for sure in the industry).
The thing about your youth and newness to the RV subculture is that the history lessons are unknowm to you and forgotten is the huge insurgence due to mainstreaming us.
Brinkley is just the new thing. However, there was Grand Design before them. Open Range before them, and so on and so on. They all start out with something appealing. Demand goes up, and with volume quality goes down due to the interrelationship with schedule and cost, but volume attracts the big boys. The big boys buy the brand, founders make good on their investment, big boys tweak and tweak to squeeze the profits out while owner support plummets and the brand becomes just a name devoid of all the substance that made it. It is the cycle of the RV industry, and remember where the Brinkley founders came from...
Do not get me wrong, they are currently doing better fit and finish in the house, but they HAVE NOT been what is considered a high volume manufacturer. Not at all. The landscape will be interesting this year if the rumored 1000% increase in Brinkley orders is true because that puts them in volume manufacturing territory and will see if they can maintain what they're branding as their image. At the cores, it's still a Lippert frame with a house of laminated panels and aluminum skeleton...
I live fulltime in my G3500 #482 and love it. Yes there were some minor issues but nothing I wasn't able to resolve on my own. I've made a few upgrades and posted some remarks on the Model G owners group detailing my changes. Overall I'm very happy with my G3500.
The Brinkley models are a step in the right direction however like everything in life nothing is perfect. It's still an RV and needs TLC/maintenance and housekeeping. The Brinkley does have its limits but with commonsense and knowledge should last for many years.
Just a suggestion for when you guys go in for your service coming from your experience please mention any ideas you have to improve quality on the Model G. I do know that Brinkley is always open for great ideas.
Very good and honest video. God bless!
Thank you for watching and the feedback! Yes! We have recommended a few changes. Some of course will only affect future G’s but anything to make them all better. You are correct, it’s just like anything else, you have to continuously take care of it and handle little issues to keep them from becoming big issues
As a homebuilder and remodeler I will say this and its the truth. You can have two different builders use the same pile of materials, same floorplan, and end up with two different homes in terms of quality of build.
Thanks for watching! I agree 100 percent! I’ve said over the years we have lost craftsman and now we have workers! They no longer care if their name is on it.
That thing in the drawer is a paper towel holder. Pretty nice to have it thought about and stowed like that. Just little extra things that some don't think about. Also the shades are day/night roller shades and they work great!
Thanks for watching and commenting! Yes! We have the same storable paper towel holder in ours. I guess my comment was more about the cardboard quality of it in that model. As a side note we never store ours in there. Good deal on the roller shades!
You never showed the Brinkley silverware hilder drop-down.
@@j.l.o.racing it’s there, we use it to hold koozies. Don’t trust it for heavy items
I noticed you mentioned that there were no seam hiders, but there is. Even though Brinkley does not use molding to finish the seam areas, they do use silicone on the seams. That would be a seam hider, just a different type. I have looked at over 80 5th wheels in the last 4 months, and Brinkley does have a good rv, but they're not the best. No one builds the best. Not everyone can afford a Brinkley, which I feel is priced a bit high. There are several brands that offer very good units, with good build quality that will fit people with smaller budgets. One brand we ran across that provides good build quality along with very nice details is the East to West Ahara 5th wheels.
Thank you for watching! I wouldn't call silicone or caulking seam hiders..But I guess everyone sees things differently. We researched RVs for 14 months before landing on Brinkley. I am not here to change anyone's mind about their RV or which one to buy. I am not a salesman for Brinkley either. I do consider myself knowledgeable about RVs. I have attended RV tech school as well since we started our RV search. Ahara doesn't build toy haulers so we didn't look at them as a choice. I have toured them and they look great on the outside. Open them up and that's another story. You say Brinkleys are too expensive but you have to take into account that the G models come with every major option most people add to an RV post purchase. Generator, 800W solar, 3000W inverter, sumo springs, Dexter tow assist, sumo springs, MORryde trays, even lippert screen defenders. Most brands we looked at would need all of that upgraded. If you are looking at Ahara East to West then you need to look at the Brinkley Z line. That is more comparable price wise than a G model.
Good job on the video. We’ve been full-timing in our Z3100 for eight months now and love it. Like you, I’m amazed on how well everything was constructed and is holding up. Stay safe out there.
Thank you for watching! Yes, we are truly happy with how our unit is holding up to daily use! Y'all stay safe too!
Another awesome video. Glad to see you guys are still loving the Brinkley and that it’s holding up after full time living. We plan to order the G3950 once they update the couch and add the full body paint option.
Okay, never done a video request before but I think this would be a good one… you guys should plan a trip and dry camp on BLM. Somewhere where you could take the bikes out and do some riding. Plus no construction noise lol I think it would be another good test. Fill up the fuel tanks and test the efficiency/performance of the generator running on propane vs gas. See you long you guys could comfortably live without hookups. See what goes first.. fuel, water, full holding tanks. I’m sure Brinkley would love the feedback too. Just an idea for you guys.
That’s quite the challenge!! Hmmmm let me work on it. We do want to cut the cord so to speak and do more boondocking for sure! Thanks for keeping up with us!!
I love Brinkley. I just found (and subscribed to) your channel. I appreciate the transparency in your comments.
Thank you so much for watching!
We were at a show here in charleston sc and saw the same things. Loose screws, broken drawers, misaligned slides and on and on. Would think the manufacturers would catch on to this but they don't. We bought a z3100 that day. Its in storage for another week or so but loving it so far
Thank you for watching! Our point to this video is look deeper than options and cedar closets. Look into the construction, the plumbing, the support after the purchase! I see you did that before landing in your new Brinkley! Congrats by the way! You will love it.
Regarding the door latch with the rust and skew. I agree that never ever should have escaped QC or a PDI but the RV manufacturer does not build that, the door comes preassembled from Lippert. All the RV manufacturer does is mount the outer frame in one piece and paint it. I just had the door replaced on mine since Lippert built it wrong and was able to see how it comes pre assembled and ready to just bolt in and paint.
The "seam hiders" that i just caulking on the Brinkley, just like they would do on trim seams on a sticks and bricks. We will see how it holds up in a mobile environment.
I will also say that Brinkley is not perfect. While our RV is in for service we met a couple that has a 9 month old Brinkley that is going back to the factory for some pretty major stuff including a cracked wall that in other brands is attributed to frame flex.
Thank you for watching. Almost 11 months in, 13000+ miles, 18 states. Zero issues with the Actual Brinkley build/seams/caulk/cabinets/doors. The Lippert parts are what they are.
We also had the inner wall crack. Brinkley gave it a relief cut. Frame flex is normal, frame failure is not.
You are correct, Brinkley is not perfect but their customer care and support is unmatched.
Thanks for the update on your Brinkley, we're waiting for our Z2900 later this Spring.
Thank you for watching! I bet y'all are excited. You will love your new Brinkley!
Thanks, super excited and a bit nervous as we're in Canada hoping to never have major issues
@@chasing70degrees23
One thing you didn’t mention is that even though Brinkley does get their frames from Lippert they don’t just order the same ones as other manufacturers but instead they order ones that are built to a higher load rating. I think you’ll see that when you go to the factory.
Thanks for watching! Yes, they spec them differently than other companies for sure. We were at the factory in June of 2023 while ours was on the assembly line and they showed us the frames. They also bring the frames inside the building so they can climatize to the same temperatures as the other components prior to the build. 😁
Love watching your videos. This is a real confidence builder while we are waiting on 663.
Thank you for watching! We are having fun making these! 663! That’s crazy! Is it a 3500?
@@chasing70degrees23 4000
Just ordered the 3100z won’t get it until June…. Can’t wait!!!!
Great video!!!
Semper Fi brother! I was in the Corps 89’-97’ Thank you for watching! You will love your Brinkley and go do the factory tour if you can. It’s worth the trip
Day / night shades (the two shades that confused you) are pretty useful actually. We have them in our RV. The screen roller is the day shade to reduce glare and heat in the RV. The solid shade is the night shade that keeps creeps from peeping in your trailer at night. Nice video.
Thank you for watching! I guess it’s what you are used to. We just weren’t sure why there were so many pull down shades. Thanks for the explanation!
our Tiffin also has the two shades- the day /night. Love it. Also, have L brackets holding up the wooden valances. How else would you hold them up? Love the valances because it keeps the light out from the edges of the shades and they’re beautiful.
@@lindac9347 thank you for watching! Tiffins are definitely beautiful coaches! We’ve just never been a fan of valances. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though for sure!
Thanks for the content. Glad to see it holding up after some use. While the lack of quarter round looks nice I was concerned the caulk Brinkley uses would separate from road movement. Time will tell. I'm told the molding is more to allow for movement than to cover poorly trimmed edges. Last show I went to here in MI the G3500 was priced at $160k. Most Raptors and Fuzions can bed had for less than $120 really closer to $100. I'm not knocking the Brinkley. It looks like a lot of care and thought went into instead of just Lipstick on a Pig. My hang up is simply the cost (which they deserve) and the empty weight. 17k empty is a lot for a 40" camper. Hopefully that extra weight translates into durability. Look forward to future updates.
Thank you for watching and commenting! Yeah, she’s a heavy girl. 21,500 with all our stuff in it. But that includes residential fridge, Moreryde trays, generator, solar, lithiums, 3 ACs etc. We added the GenY gooseneck hitch and a queen bed and ours was $144k. If someone bought one of the others and added everything you’d be well over that mark. I’m like you I keep looking for caulk movement! Time will tell but so far so good!
The problem with most 5th wheels seems to be that the workers don’t care about their product and neither do the managers. My 2020 Cedar Creek Champagne 38EFK, had sealant missing around locker doors which allowed water to enter the lockers, it also had sealant missing on the T section aluminium on the corner of my kitchen slide which again allowed water to run unseen into the floor and cause the floor to rot out in 2 years!
Brinkley obviously have a completely different work ethic and employee commitment.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Having been to the factory we can attest that their culture is different. I’m no expert on building RVs but I’d be much happier working in a climate controlled facility for a company that values you. Plus the afternoon we were there, Nate, one of the owners and designer of the G models was on the line climbing in the RVs and QC’n them.
This past February, when my wife and I decided on purchasing a Brinkley G3500 build #0766, we saw the poor quality products. Not to mention our original purchase of our new Toy Hauler in 2022, during our walk through, the person doing the walk through kept saying to the problems we pointed out, that it is warranty work, when we haven't even signed the paperwork/contract to purchase the RV.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO!
Man! I’ve heard it a 100 times…”they will fix all of that prior to you taking delivery”. I mean what if you bought a new car that was all banged up and the dealer said “yeah we will put that windshield wiper, glove box lid and hubcaps back on before you take delivery?!”
I appreciate your videos and your responses! We don't plan to be full timers like you and your wife. But, we plan to use the hell out of our Brinkley once we retire again in three years.
@@benpriester6657 you will love it!
I would like to let you know that I have had a DRV Mobile Suit since 2003 and the shades we have are the same as the Brinkley and we have had to restring them many times which is a pain. I sure hope they have upgraded them for your sake as the string will fray and brake yearly. We have traveled coast to coast and have thousands of miles and love the quality of our 5th wheel. We have been looking at the Brinkley and it looks great but we have not seen one up close yet. Good luck and safe travels..
Thank you for watching! I’ll have to keep an eye on these shade strings for sure! I can’t wait to see what you think after you see one up close. Make sure you peek around in the basement area, open the panels and look at the plumbing and wiring. I think you will be impressed.
those other companies are going out of business for sure . i see Brinkley taking over
@@dtpbarbr87 I don’t think they will ever go out of business but Brinkley is definitely forcing change within the RV community!
Look up Wash Wax All. It's a waterless wash that works great on my fifth wheel.
Thank you for watching and thanks for the product recommendation! I’ll check it out for sure!
With the Blue Beacon wash... I've never used, but I saw a video a while back from Changing Lanes (I think) that said you need to request the non-caustic wash.
Correct! We always request no brightener!
I agree with you, we went to the Tampa rv super show and looking at a bunch of different rv’s. Brinkley was far above all the others just have to decide on which model to buy.
You can’t really go wrong with any Brinkley but the G’s give you the most options!
Did you miss ATC?
@@LowboyUSA ATC?
@@LowboyUSA I must have, evidently they aren’t very well known. Looked them up wouldn’t work for my wife not pretty enough to industrial looking.
Can you name the vehicle wash companies that are pull through in your travels?
We will be buying a Brinkley travel trailer in the next year or so as the options evolve for couples. Just found your channel recently and enjoy your content.
Thanks
Chris and Mary
Thank you for watching! We use Blue Beacon. They have an app and a location locator as well. We used a small privately owned truck wash in Arkansas. They did a good job but were just really slow.
Thanks
Maybe we’ll run into you folks out there once we get on the road.
@@biggarfish we hope so!
Thank you for the video. Do you happen to know the gauge of the power and ground wire that is routed to the 12 volt fridge plug? I would also be interested in seeing the data panel for the fridge if you had that available? I am trying to perform a power audit on a Brinkley before I purchase one to see what kind of power consumption to expect to be able to upgrade the solar panels and batteries.
The G models all have 110 residential fridges. I’m not 100% sure but I think the Z models have the 12V fridges. I’d be happy to send you a pic of our data label though if you still want it?
What truck are you towing with? We are considering getting the newest toy hauler, to hopefully be available in August.
Are you looking at the G3250? If so we did a walk through video with Nate who is one of the co-owners of Brinkley RV and the toy hauler designer. As for the truck all G’s are dually range RVs. We have a Ram 3500 Dually with the HO motor and Aisin transmission, 4:10 rear end, 50 gallon tank (which is a must), and airbags.
@@chasing70degrees23 Yes we are looking at G3250 so I'll check out your review, hopefully I'll find on your channel. I ride dirt, KTM 790 R ADV bike and KTM dirt trail bike, but I don't always take the bikes camping. We are already Cummins owners and I'd planned on getting new one. Your spec, 50 gal tank and dually are what I wanted to know- so thanks much. Kinda already had same idea. Much appreciate your feedback
@@jc525exc great bikes! That 3250 might be able to support one bike at a time in the garage/office/kitchen! The one we covered was a prototype and Nate discusses some of his changes for the production model
Awesome video. I special ordered ours. We have #406.
Thank you for watching! That’s cool! I’m always shocked when I hear those high VIN numbers. Seems like yesterday they hadn’t even made 75! What did you add to your custom build on 406??
The more I look at the brinkley 3500g, the more I like it over others. For me the only one that comes close in that price range is the riverstone legacy. One of these days I'll buy one, the brinkley. Big question though. Have you had any issues at all with the upper bedroom deck? I mean as far as flex?
Thanks for watching! As we are all finding out in the RV community frame flex is a thing. What should not be a thing is frame failure. They have to flex some which is normal. When we were at the factory tour we saw the frames, saw them in all the stages. Brinkley has also done extensive testing where they have stressed the frame to failure to simulate a head-on collision. They made this data public. We also weigh our rig and stay under the GVWR. I had a guy at the RV show say “Oh I never weigh mine I don’t want to know how overweight I am!” I was stunned. We haven’t seen any issues with our deck, no misalignment, no movement of cabinets, nothing and we have driven some horrible roads. New Mexico CANNOT build a smooth bridge transition for some reason. 😳
We've done almost 30k miles in the last 12 months and I don't think anyone is capable of making a smooth bridge transition. Seems most of the new roads are worse than the old ones. Someone asked in FB group about taking I20 or I10 across country because they heard one the roads were bad. I said it doesn't matter, there are good sections, great sections and terrible sections no matter which way you go. Just avoid Birmingham AL at all costs, those roads are where I got my bed slide crack, frame failure.
@@TheBmeeker I agree 100%. We were just in Birmingham in November and it was horrible. Sometimes I have to drive in the fast lane because the big rigs have destroyed the right lane and it feels like it’s tearing our RV apart.
@@chasing70degrees23thank you for the feedback. I didn’t know Brinkley tested their frames, that’s good to know. I think the 3500 G is a beautiful fifth wheel. Safe travels
G3500 #188
We are about a month into ours and love it so far. You mentioned something about a relief cut inside the bedroom. I haven’t heard of this. What is the issue?
Some of the G’s have experienced some inner wall cracks. It’s not structural but just in need of a 2nd relief cut inside the inner wall. I’m not sure it’s been addressed yet. I’m planning a video about our service at Brinkley so I’ll update for sure!
@@chasing70degrees23
Thanks for the response.
We had to leave our Grand Design 390RK after a year and a half of full time because of complete failure. We lost our shirt on it. Now I am always looking for issues in the Brinkley. LOL
@@rmahlbacher yeah! No major issues with ours so far. It’s a solid rig!
Are you sponsored by Brinkley? Just curious.
No, not at all. Just in love with their product and customer service! I’m not a fan boy for anything in my life but I come close with this RV. As a side note UA-cam requires that you label sponsored content as sponsored.
Is this your first full time RV?
@@lisawright9626 yes, our first RV to own as well although we have rented a few.
Goes to you get what you pay for, sometimes
Brinkley costs a little more, built a little better
Some of the manufacturers are putting out garbage and overcharging
Their “recalls” are a little more involved than “just” especially the wiring and the refrigerator water is impossible unless you’re skinny
That said. Brinkley is putting out a better build than most are today. Comparable to the higher end builds 10 years ago
And they normally put access panels to plumbing.
Too many are gluing on trim, which is fine unless something needs repaired that’s behind that trim. You can reuse nailed and screwed trim you are replacing glued
They run wires and plumbing and then put cabinets on top of them. Making something’s impossible to service without removing cabinets. Even real wood doesn’t stand up well to that. MDF doesn’t
I’d take a 10 year old well maintained Montana or Northpoint over a new Brinkley
But a new Brinkley over any of the newer comparably priced
Thank you for watching! I would agree with "you get what you pay for." The problem is some manufacturers are putting out garbage but charging the same cost as a new Brinkley. An interesting side note is that Brinkley uses wire harnesses and does not pull individual wires. As for the recalls Brinkley has been really good about getting out in front of any issues. They have also never told me "Take it to the dealer." They authorize mobile techs to come and do any required work.
The water line to the fridge has been identified as possibly creating leaks but like every water line in the Brinkley it has a valve in the basement you can just turn off and isolate it from water service until it has been checked.
When a new company starts out most of them are great.
I have a fifth wheel when GD started out FF is a lot better than the new ones
Thank you for watching! If you research Brinkley history you will find that 3 of the owners came from GD after the sale. They also have zero interest in going public or selling off Brinkley. They have made a massive investment and believe they can build a superior product and provide the best customer service. So far I’m impressed.
Not a fair comparison without factoring price.
Thank you for watching! We totally factored price. Both of the units we mainly showed were show priced $10k-$16k above what we paid for our Brinkley which was $144k. One of the other brands was even more expensive. My point in the video is to help show people what not to accept in that price range. We had no idea about what to look for when we started looking to buy an RV.
Good video 😊just saying all rv's that are production mass produced bad quality brinkley is mass produced if you want a better quality built fifth wheel you have to step up to luxe new horizon and space craft hand built takes 6 months to build but down side is the price is higher you get what you pay for all manufacturers are having quality problems some with frame damage 🤔😆
Thank you for watching! I agree there will always be a more expensive, more elite product in every aspect of your life. In the price range of our Brinkley (we paid $144k) you won’t find a better build quality RV. The factory tour at Brinkley will blow you away. We got to see ours on the line in production. They were very transparent and allowed us to see and photograph anything we wanted. I can tell you that while they are mass produced they are not just slapped together and shoved out the door. 😁
Found plenty of chatter about Luxe issues when i was looking... including frame failures (yes, LCI frames). The higher end stuff uses many of the same components as well. Not trying to compare Brinkley to a Luxe, etc... just saying they all have issues as you are bouncing them down the road.
@@kentfyfe8200 agreed. They all use LCI frames. The manufacturer specs the frames for their own units not LCI. Brinkley has done extensive frame testing which exceeds the industry standards.
@@chasing70degrees23 yup. Brinkley has gone above and beyond to address much of those issues with LCI in their spec. New Horizon I believe actually builds their own (A rare thing for sure in the industry).
@@kentfyfe8200 I didn’t know that about New Horizon
Strange video. Yes. L brackets hold valances …. Cables and rollers operate slides….
Not all RVs have valances and not all slides have cables and rollers…clearly stated we didn’t expect those because it’s not what we know.