Explore Luxury on Wheels: Brinkley Z3100 Fifth Wheel RV Tour | Your Ultimate Mobile Home!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2024
- Step inside the epitome of luxury on the road with our exclusive tour of the Brinkley Z3100 Fifth Wheel RV! Join us as we showcase every inch of this stunning mobile home, highlighting its premium features and spacious design. Whether you're a seasoned RVer or dreaming of hitting the road in style, this video is your virtual key to unlocking the beauty and functionality of the Brinkley Z3100. Don't miss out on the ultimate RV experience - hit play now and start envisioning life on the go with this top-of-the-line fifth wheel!
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:44 Why did we upgrade?
4:17 Why did we chose Brinkley RV
6:59 Exterior Features
10:18 The Living Area
14:54 The Kitchen
20:37 The Bedroom
23:58 The Bathroom
© Copyright 2024 Our RV Sunsets & M2 Video Productions Inc., All Rights Reserved
*This channel for entertainment purposes only. We are not RV travel experts and are not making recommendations. We share our opinions and what works for us, but you should do your own research and make your own decisions.
Yes love the clean look without valances ❤
Right! The clean design was another big selling point for us.
I just love that picture of the cow with the glasses. It really made me laugh.
Hahahaha!!! So like everything with us, there's a story. Our last name is Towe, not pronounced Toe, but pronounced T-OW, rhymes with cow. So we for years have had what we refer to as the "Towe Cow" in our homes. And it was always the first thing you would see when you opened the door. In our sticks and bricks it was a painting 3 times the size of the one in our Brinkley. It was a black and white Holstein in a derby hat with a monocle! The one in our Brinkley is just a continuation of that tradition. All we can say is... Thank you for noticing!!!
We upgraded to a Brinkley Z3100 in September 2023 and love it. We're in the northeast so were only able to get about 1,500 miles with her before we winterized. Terrific video and I think you guys hit the high spots. One thing I'll add as a big win are the blinds. They're not those corded, pleated blinds. They're insulated and offer fully open, shaded, and blackout (with shaded and blackout connected by a magnet). When fully closed the blinds are reflective so you don't need to put reflective foil in the windows. One dislike is the position of the auto-leveling panel. It very difficult to see the king pin and hitch from where it is positioned in the basement. Hope to see you guys on the road sometime!
Agree with both of these comments. The blinds are great, and are really a cool design. The auto leveling panel is even more of an issue for us as we are towing with a Gen-Y Gooseneck hitch. With that hitch there's a release cable that you have to hold tension on while raising the hitch off of the ball. With there the panel is located you can't reach it while pulling the cable. It basically means that unhooking becomes a two person job. I need to explore the One Control app and see if it will allow you to move the jacks, that may be the solution.
haha, a no swish zone. It has great, clean lines! All of our windows kick out like that instead of slide, we haven't had any issues. Nice water hose. I really, really, like the table space, that it's an actual table and not a dinette, that it's floating, and the secret storage space. Those little fireplace can put off some heat!
They actually are coming out with a new desk design that's even cooler. It has a desktop against the wall, and then a section that sticks out perpendicular to it. That section also slides so you could make an L shaped desk, to a T shaped desk.
I really hope they have Brinkley at the RV show we are going to in a few weeks. The new desk sounds awesome! :)
enjoyed the over view as we are looking to get a brinkley at the end of the season the info was helpful safe travels
Thanks Allan! Glad that the video was helpful for you. We really love our Brinkley and are very happy with our decision to purchase.
We are so impressed with your RV and Brinkely! We got to tour two of them at the Tampa RV Show in 2023! You have a nice layout and well done review!
Thanks guys! One of these days we'll do the Tampa RV show, it sounds like so much fun!!
Great job. Looks beautiful
Thanks for watching!
Love this rig! Amazing quality!
I couldn't agree more!! When ya getting one? 😁
Cant wait to see the new rig!
Great channel you all have. I subscribed to support it
Thank you so much for doing this video. It’s good to see and hear what lived-in looks like.
You're quite welcome! It really is a lovely rig for full-time living.
Lovely! Congratulations Towes!!
Thanks D'anna!! Hope things are going well for you guys in Tennessee.
Even your cute pup matches the chairs! You made an excellent choice!
Hahaha!!! Yeah she kind of does! Thanks for watching and commenting!
I love the rig! It looks like the perfect place to call home.
It certainly has been so far for us.
So excited!! We saw one last week that was just purchased and sitting next to us now in our storage area. Seriously gorgeous almost wanted to ask if we could look inside we were so excited!
Love the new camper!!! Great workspace. Oh my goodness, the washer and dryer are amazing!! I bet the bed upgrade makes you feel like you have so much space. Thanks for the tour!!! Love your new rig, hope you enjoy it on your adventures!!!! As always, a great video.
Yeah, the king size bed is really a nice upgrade for us! Thanks for stoping by and for commenting!!
Nice new rig. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Peace and Safe Travels.
Thanks Craig! How's things in your world amigo?
Loved the walk through
Thanks! We're glad you enjoyed it.
Wow! Love it! Brinkley has definitely made an impact, especially in their decor, and I feel certain is changing the industry! Great video! Thanks so much for sharing (I’m secretly jealous! lol)! Safe travels and hope to meet up soon!! -Pam
We're super happy with the rig. We can't wait to get all of our work done in San Diego and get out on the road with it.
Congratulations on your beautiful new condo on wheels! Great video. The magnetic toilet roll caddy blew me away.😂 Big hugs from Juan and Felicia
Thanks guys!! Where the heck are you these days? Are you still in San Diego? If so we really need to get together for a beer and share travel stories.
Got to see one at the Tampa show. The fit and finish was far superior to others. I’m couldn’t tour all the 5th wheels,but it was the only one I could find that actually had dovetail wooden drawers. Very impressive!
The drawers were a selling point for us. When we opened them up and saw the fit and finish on them compared to others, our jaw hit the floor. The level of detail they have put into this rig when it comes to build quality is insane.
Awesome Rig the first one to almost temp me into switching out of our Class A this is a Beauty! Can't wait to see it in person I hope Ron lets me in. When he sees this video who knows?
But you guys have a beautiful class A! We went back and forth on whether we were going to do a class A or a 5th wheel and the 5th wheel won our just because of the room. And honestly the thing that made it possible was the gooseneck hitch. Since we need to have the truck bed available to haul gear for jobs, we couldn't do a standard 5th wheel hitch. With the gooseneck I can have the truck bed back in a matter of minutes.
You guys are so fancy now! Will you still be friends with us pull trailer weekend warriors? 😊
Seriously though, congratulations on your beautiful upgrade. I think that being full time would require at the very least the size and features you've gained. Happy for you guys!
Hahaha!!! Of course we'll still be friends. Honestly we don't care if you're in a million dollar Prevost bus or pop up tent trailer, we'll still offer you a beer!
What a great video! There is a new Brinkley dealer nearby. After watching your video, we may take a much more serious look at them. Maybe at a upcoming RV show. Give Gracie a hug from Denver and Annie for us!
Don't do it unless you're ready to spend some money 😉 After we took our first look at it, it wouldn't leave out brain until we bought it!! Brinkley is also releasing new models so it's going to be fun to see what they come up with next. They just released a non-toy hauler that has a back patio!! Will do on hug request, and give Annie and Denver a hug as well. I hope all is swell in your world!!!
watching this video made me home sick. Gulls my son was a jr gulls player. I am in Arkansas right now in my first
RV. full time stationary for now. Thanks for sharing
Before we went full-time we were season ticket holders for the Gulls. We are lifetime hockey fans as I (Mike) grew up playing the game in San Diego. How cool that your kid played for the Jr. Gulls. That means you know all about travel hockey! Nothing like constant weekends of driving to LA for games.
Not even seen it yet and already jealous :)
LOL!!! Nice, a comment on the video before it even plays, that's a first 😁. I can say I know exactly how you fell though, we were right there before we purchased it.
We have a Grand Design 2500RL. I love it but we don't camp full time. If we ever went full time i would love the Brinkley! It is beautiful! ❤
Our 2500RL was a great rig. We towed that thing 12,000 miles lats year through 24 states and never had any issues with it. Honestly if it hadn't been for Brinkley stepping up the build quality game we would have wound up in a Solitude. Thanks for the comment and safe travels!!
Congratulations on the new rig! It looks good in and out.
As we have crossed our sixth year of full-time rv living this January 2024, we are ready to upgrade our current rig a 31 feet travel trailer in which we enjoyed and called our house on wheels for six years. We have deeply looked at Grand design Momentum's, Alliance Valor, and back to G.D. momentum's but we are now seriously considering Brinkley G4000 5th wheel toy hauler to be our next house on wheels to keep our journey on the road. We hope to snag one in the next few months from a dealer or might have to factory order one with the 8k disc brakes as it is a monster to us and it will be paired with our current Ram 3500 Dually HO Cummins.
Keep up the good work and safe travels!
We looked at toy haulers too, with the thought of turning the garage into an office, but there just wasn't enough room in the living space. We also didn't want to go too big on a 5th wheel since we like to be spontaneous when it comes to where we're going. The z3100 at 35' was really the perfect size for us.
I would recommend that you at least go have a look at a Brinkley before pulling the trigger. The build quality on them is really next level. It's what made us go all in on the Brinkley and we have yet to regret it. Additionally any small issues we've had they were on top of immediately and had no problems with us using a mobile tech since we're full-time.
Good luck on your hunt!
Thanks for your video! Learned a couple new things! We retire next year and after years of research, recently decided that the Brinkley Z3100 5th wheel is what we want to live full time in. Can’t wait to watch your future videos and see how it all goes!
Congrats on the coming retirement!! The z3100 so far has been lovely for us. It's plenty of room for the two of us and Gracie. The opposing slides and the tall ceilings make it seem massive. We're really happy with our purchase.
We're also very happy that you found our channel. Feel free to look around at some of our older videos, while not in the Brinkley they can still give you a bit of an idea of what full-time life is like. Also as you move forward towards full-time if you have any questions feel free to reach out!
@@ourrvsunsets Thank you, we will probably do that LOL! Seems like lots of questions come with the planning of it. We will be traveling with our little kitty, Elsa. We are excited to watch your videos!
Hi neighbors, we pulled in today and walked by your rig. Love the chanel 👍🏽😁
Well in that case we simply must get together this weekend for a chat and drink. Let us know if you have some time this weekend and we'll meet up.
Great video! Gina and I looked at a Brinkley at an RV show last year and loved it. After I watched this video I called Gina in and we watched it together. This RV is definitely the top contender when we upgrade to a 5th wheel in a few years. Really well done review. Thanks guys!
Thanks Tommy!! We saw it first at an RV show here in San Diego last May at that put it on our radar. If it'g going to be a few years before your upgrade who knows what Brinkley will have out by then. They're constantly adding new models, they just announced a travel trailer version this month. Happy New Year to guys, I hope you get to do lot's of traveling!
Watch the chairs on the slide out flooring flap, I have put some dents and creases in our flap
@@boondockduane Yeah, I have been trying to be aware of that each time I sit in the chair. It's probably a good idea to move one chair to each side of the table to make sure I'm not on that flap. Great advice amigo!!
New subscriber here, great job on describing my new rig😂 (looking forward to the Tampa super show). HUMAN CAR WASH 😂
Thanks for the sub Bob!! I wish we were going to the Tampa show, it would be fun to se all the new rigs. We, however, are on the other side of the country right now getting work done so that we can travel for the rest of the year.
Agree with the theater seats...short foot rest too. I'd like a convection microwave and a fridge with the freezer on the bottom. Maybe a folding dining table to put a single camp cot in that space. In case your son & daughter-in-law come with a child
I had a bit of a problem at first with the short foot rest. I would try to put it up, but as my legs extend past the end of it, it would weigh down the rest and it would fall. My solution though was to lay the back of the chair back an inch or two. Doing that seemed to lock the footrest in.
We wish our Son and Daughter in Law would bring a Grandchild, but time will tell if that's in the cards. They're in there 30's and are still saying they don't want kids :-(.
Thanks for the comment!!
Love it and love the dog! We have one very similar!! Chihuahua/ terrior named Sadie ❤
Gracie is our little adventure buddy. To be honest that dog is living the best life. She gets to travel the country, go to all the breweries, meet all the other adventure dogs. Yeah, if reincarnation is a thing, I want to come back as a middle aged couples Chihuahua!!
Thanks for the comment, and give Sadie an extra treat from us!
When I first saw them, I thought it looked like my dad‘s old fifth wheel from the 90s. But it is obviously not my dad‘s old RV! If we were to go the fifth wheel route I would want a Brinkley because of those little things you showed.. the other RV companies are going to need to step it up.
Totally agree. I'm actually hoping that Brinkley forces other manufacturers to step up their game quality wise. There's been a couple that are straight up copying the look for the Brinkley (Grand Design's Influence, East to West RV's Blackthorn) but it's just the look. They haven't stepped up the build quality at all.
I did notice that Alliance copied the look of the Imagines, so I guess if it’s working for them it’ll go across the board. For sure about the quality lacking
Great video! Your video on the Imagine 2500RL was the original reason we purchased that model. However, after we decided to upgrade our tow vehicle we decided to get the Brinkley z3100. The quality and attention to detail is top notch on these Brinkley’s. My z3100 was just delivered to the dealer today. I agree with all your comments about the limited space in the Imagine. Most of all, I knew right away that I really wanted a washer/dryer. Looking forward to getting our Brinkley and enjoying the extra space for our 10 year old son and our dog. Looking forward to more of your videos! Thank you
Wow, we're pretty much walking the same RV path! You're gonna love the Brinkley. It so much more roomy than the 2500. The opposing slides make it feel like an apartment. And you're gonna love the washer/dryer. We went with the Splendide stackable units and love them! So let me ask you this... What was the deciding factor for you to go with a Brinkley instead of another manufacturer?
The build quality of the Brinkley impressed us. I also like the look of the outside and interior. Our Imagine was decent but only used it 5 times and that was just locally. We had a couple of minor issues, nothing big. We had to purchase something our Ram 1500 could pull so we went with the Imagine. But it never pulled well, so that is why we ended up getting bigger tow vehicle. After camping those few times, we felt like we needed more room. I really wanted something with washer/dryer. So that is how we ended up with ordering a Brinkley. We did order a stackable washer and vented dryer. Looking forward to our future adventures.
@@Daxboo I can totally relate to pulling the Imagine with a RAM 1500. We did that originally and then upgraded to a 3/4 ton. We should have upgraded to a 1 ton because we then had to upgrade to the 1 ton for the Brinkley. Live and learn I guess.
You're going to have great adventures in the Brinkley, I hope we wind up in the same place sometime and get a chance to camp and have a beer together!!
We are in Kansas City Missouri. Hope to meet up sometime.
@@Daxboo In that case I'm positive we'll meet up at some time. Our Son and Daughter in Law moved to KC last year so visiting them is on our yearly rotation. Honestly we love Kansas City and it's probably the place where we'll be buying a home base in the future. Great town with tons of friendly folks, and the BBQ ain't to bad either 😉
We’ve been full time in our Z3100 (#513) with no regrets at all.
No regrets here either. I'm glad that we decided to start full-timing and upgrade our rig at the same time that Brinkley came around. I think they're going to have a positive impact on the RV market. Other manufacturers are going to have to step up their quality game to stay competitive.
This is the best review I have seen for the 3100...we are seconds away from pulling the trigger on this model and your video was a big help cementing what I already felt. It's nice to hear from someone that has one and validate what I had hoped was the case that it's an amazing 5th wheel. One question: I haven't seen anyone really talk about the solar capabilities as it comes from the factory, what they are useful for as is. Also, along the same lines, you upgraded your batteries...why and what did it buy you? Did you also upgrade the panel or add to it? Thanx again for a great review!!!
First off thank you for your comment and the kind words on our review of our Brinkley. We really do think it's the best built 5th wheel on the market.
As for the solar capabilities from the factory I can't speak to much to that as we never had the factory set up. We did the upgrade to lithium batteries prior to taking delivery. What we really wanted to achieve was the ability to get through a night of boondocking without damaging our batteries. With lead acid batteries you can only take them down to 50% of a full charge before you start doing damage to them. The lithiums you can take all the way down without damaging them. This gave us the overhead we needed to get through the night at a Harvest Host with no hookups. I suspect if you have 2 lead acid batteries you might be able to make the night without going below 50%, but I don't know for certain since we haven't tested that. However, I certainly wouldn't try it with just one lead acid battery.
As for the the solar panel we just have the stock single panel. It does a decent job of charging our batteries, but we also cary a 2000w Honda generator with us to supplement when needed. We plan to upgrade that generator to something in the 3500w range this spring before we head out on the travel part of the year for us. The main reason for the upgrade to the genny is we want the ability to run the air conditioner when boondocking.
All in all I think the two 100 amp hour lithium batteries are a real sweet spot for us. If you do decide to go that route there are a few things to know, especially if you go with Battle Born batteries. Battle Born are arguably the gold standard of lithium batteries, but there are a couple issues with them when installing in a Brinkley. First they don't really fit into the stock battery box. Our dealer shoe horned ours into the box and I still need to fix that. Second, the converter that ships with the z3100 is produced by a company called WFCO and it is an "Auto Detecting" converter. That means that it will auto detect the type of batteries that you have and change its charge profile accordingly. However, it doesn't auto detect the Battle Born charge profile. This means it won't switch over to a lithium profile, and if it's charging in a lead acid profile it won't fully charge your lithium batteries. We had to have WFCO send up a replacement converter that was hard wired for lithium and we replaced our original one with it. Here's a link to a video of that install. th-cam.com/video/_yFpZtNacr4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=BwFiqK5L0oQpIO0Y
Okay... I know that was a lot of information but I wanted to answer your question as best as I could. If you want what I think is the bear minimum, I would go with 2 lead acid batteries. You can always upgrade to lithium later if you find a need. I would also cary a generator as a back up if your need additional charging.
Lastly, congratulations on getting a Brinkley!!! You're going to love it, and you're going to make so many amazing memories in it!
@@ourrvsunsets I really appreciate the time it took to give such a detailed answer...thank you! I do want the ability to boondock at some point both to get to places otherwise unreachable as well as to offset the cost of staying at a campground every night. I already have a Honda 3000i generator, so that would certainly go with us on the adventure (need the 30amp to 50amp dog bone tho). Again, thanx very much for the response. Subscribed! 😁
@@ibrewalot With the Honda 3000w you'll be fine. Like us you'll just need enough battery to get through the night and then you can supplement the solar charging with the genny. One other thing, some surge protectors will require you to have a bonding plug on your genny so that there's not an open ground. We have a Hughes Power Watchdog surge protector and without this it it won't pass power from the genny to 5th wheel. You just plug this into one of the 120v plugs on the genny and you're good to go! Here's an amazon link to the bonding plug in case you need it. amzn.to/3HNbodY
Excellent review. Thanks for sharing actual living experience. We like our Jayco,Eagle 335 flr plan. The jayco craftmanship is not great Also floor vents are dirt collectors.
Thanks for the comment! No floor vents was a selling point for us. Safe travels!!
First of all I love the Brinkley Z3100 and we are in the process of selling our home right now and will purchase our Brinkley soon after. MY only two questions are I wonder if there is any kind of ice maker in the freezer or can we get one and how efficient is the Dryer at drying your clothes since most RV'rs complain about standard dryer units not being able to perform well on the RV power supply. Can you answer these questions for me? I loved this video by the way.
There isn't an ice maker in the freezer, however, we picked up an Igloo countertop ice maker that works like a charm. We fill it with water and within 10 minutes it's making ice. We run it for a couple hours and we have a couple gallon freezer bags full of ice that we keep in the freezer. Here's an Amazon link to the model we have. amzn.to/3UtMcAU
For the dryer we haven't had any issues with it drying. We do however have a separate washer and dryer that are vented. I think there's more issues with the combo washer dryer units, and certainly with the ventless ones.
Thanks for watching and commenting. You're gonna love the Brinkley once you get it. They really are amazing trailers!!
So happy I found you guys on TH-cam as we're really considering the Z3100 unless they come out with a lighter weight toy hauler or a travel trailer with same floor plan and features. I also would like Brinkley to relocate the auto levelling on the outside closer to the front for hooking up. We're not full time and don't use the inside oven/stove top much but how do you find the venting if the roof max fan isn't open due to rain? Great use of the bedroom wall space for some hats, I had not thought of that. Did you add another solar panel and inverter along with your 2 lithium batteries? We don't dry camp much but don't want to run out of power for the 12V fridge when we do so hubby wants a generator installed. Thanks for sharing your experience with your Z3100.
First off we're glad you found us too!!! Brinkley just announced a travel trailer, the Model Z Air 295. It's lighter weight with the GVW at 11,495. It is a bunk house though which may or may not be a good thing for you. On the 5th wheel side there is the z2900 which is a touch smaller than the z3100, but all that much lighter.
For the stove top it also has a vent that is built into the bottom of the microwave, so even if you can open the Maxxair, you can still vent the stove. It hasn't been a problem for us and we cook in it all the time rain or shine. The other option would be to add a vent cover on the Maxxair which I believe it's already prepped for. The vent cover would allow you to use the vent even in the rain.
On the battery question, we didn't add an inverter and more solar. We have the basic setup with the additional lithium batteries. We also cary a Honda 2000w generator with us to replenish the batteries on a cloudy day. We boondocked 6 days in the desert with that setup and didn't have any problems with power. Of course the 2000w generator won't run the AC or even the microwave so we'll be upgrading to a 3500w generator in the near future. We've also kicked around the idea of adding an inverter just to have a few creature comforts like running the Kurieg without having to file the genny for a cup of Joe! For now we just use a French press when dry camping for that morning coffee.
The last year of full-timing taught us that there's a lot of things you think are must haves, but after spending some time in a rig we found that we didn't really need them as much as we thought we did. I would suggest doing the battery upgrade and then do some camping in the rig and see what you really need. You can always add generators, solar, inverters etc...
Oh, one last thing on the battery upgrade. If you go with Battle Born batteries just make sure to have your dealer switch the converter over to lithium mode. It can be a bit tricky with Battle Born because the converter in the rig doesn't recognize Battle Born all that well. We did a video on this as we wound up having to replace our converter. Here's the link to that video... th-cam.com/video/_yFpZtNacr4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=HfyiFEfofE3FVDNx
Great review guys! Have you had any condensation problems? I’ve read a lot of people having condensation issues including mold
We've had condensation on the windows on cold mornings, but no issues with mold. However, We're currently in San Diego for work so even if we get condensation in the morning, it's gone by mid morning at the latest.
I think some of the issues with condensation are from folk in very cold climates or very humid climates, San Diego is neither of those. We also run a small dehumidifier which I think is a must for any trailer.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great video. We are looking for a larger unit from Brinkley but really liked what you taught about their quality. 1 question: are the recliners using the cheap pleather that falls apart after 3 years we have on Grand Design Momentum? Don
It looks and feels similar to the material that we had on the Thomas Pane recliners we had in our 2022 Imagine trailer, but honestly I don't know if it's pleather or not. I would imagine it is. I can tell you that after a year of almost daily use in our Imagine we didn't have any issues with that material. We now have 3 months in the Brinkley and they don't show any sign of wear.
***UPDATE*** Someone just asked this question on the Z Owners Facebook Group. Brinkley's answer was that they are not leather.
This is a great rig. My wife and I like Brinkley. Their travel trailer is coming out soon as well. What do you tow the Z3100 with ?? Do you think a F250 SD with a 7.3 liter V8 would be ok ?? We’ve never owned a 5th wheel but can easily be persuaded. Thanks for a great video😊👍
Thanks for the comment!! We upgraded our truck the same time that we purchased the Brinkley. Yeah, November was an expensive month! We have a 2024 RAM 3500 crew cab, long bed, single rear wheel, with the 6.7L HO diesel. The thing is a beast and pulls the trailer like it's not even back there. We upgraded from a Chevy 2500HD because we just didn't have the payload in that rig for the 3100, especially since we knew we were putting a washer and dryer in it.
Our RAM has a payload of 3940 and a GVWR of 12,300. With the washer and dryer and the extra video gear we cary we're basically pulling at max weight. I think you would really be hard pressed to pull it with a 3/4 ton truck. However, check all of your weights first and do the calculations to see where you might be. I would start with pin weight and use the worst case scenario of 20% of the max GVW of the trailer. In the case of the z3100 that's goin to be right at 3000lbs. From there add up all the weight you think you'll be putting in the truck ie. Passengers, fuel, pets, gear and that will tell you where you're at on payload.
We just did our first trip in our new Z3100. The only issue for us was the bed height. Too high. Other than that, it was great.
Toni and I are on the taller side so the bed height is perfect for us. Congrats on the rig! You're gonna make a ton of great memories!!
Thanks for the video. We are currently in a 2018 Solitude 310gk and it is time for an upgrade. I am not sure about the current quality of GD products and so we are seriously looking at the Z3100. Our current 5th wheel has a 6 point auto levelling system and I see the 3100 only has a 4 point system. Have you had any issues with it?
I also note that while there is extra exterior storage on the back of the trailer, it is above the hitch where we would normally put our bike rack. Would you still be able to access it without taking all the bikes off? If not, it is not a big deal. I think it would be an ideal place to store all the Christmas ornaments that my wife somehow manages to smuggle aboard before we head south for the winter.
If I have any other thoughts or questions I will be sure to reach out to you.
Cheers
Tim
Hey Tim, thanks for your comment. We looked at the 310GK as well but opted for the Brinkley due to build quality. We haven't had any issues with the 4 point leveling. We have an earlier model build of the rig so it has electric jacks, the newer ones have hydraulic. I think both of these systems have pros and cons so I don't feel one is superior to the other.
As for the back storage and bikes. We have a bike rack on our rig as well. on our rack the vertical bar that holds the bikes can also fold out about 45 degrees. This allows for the storage to open and gives pretty good access to it. If you had a solid rack without the ability to fold out, you would have to remove the whole rack. I hope that makes sense.
Can you get windows that open in the slide
Are you referring to the bedroom slide? If so I don't think you can.
I love the Brinkley. I'm looking at the Z2900. What is your current town vehicle?
We pull with a 2024 RAM 3500 long bed single rear wheel with the high output Cummins diesel. We love this truck! Tons of power and super comfortable!
@@ourrvsunsets thank you.
Wish there was a shelf by the bed for cpap
There is a shelf by the bed on either side. I believe it will hold a CPAP machine, but I'm not certain as I don't use one. I can get the dimensions for you if that would help.
Thank you for this in-depth review!! You didn’t mention the plastic bathroom sink. Have you had any issues with it? Does it bother you that it’s plastic. This is the only negative we have found when touring the Brinkleys.
At first I thought it was odd that they would put a plastic sink in such a well built trailer, but I'm betting they did it for aesthetic reasons. Since they didn't cheap out on anything else I can't imagine it was done for reasons of cost. Since having the rig, it doesn't really bother me that it's plastic. That opinion may change if it doesn't hold up to daily use, but for now I'm okay with it. Thanks for bringing this up though as it may be an issue for some folks.
Are you guys full-timing it in San Diego? We live there too & just bought a Brinkley Z. Your video is fantastic! Would love to meet up and pick your brains on all the nitty-gritty. ❤ Mary C #RVnewbie.
Hey Mary! Yep, we are in San Diego right now. We spend the winter here to get work done for our clients in town. We'll be here until April and would love to meet up and chat, what do you have in mind?? We're down in Chula Vista at the Sun Outdoors RV Park. If you're looking for a weekend away for a staycation you should Brinkley down for a few nights, the place is amazing. Or we can meet up somewhere in town for a beer or coffee or whatever!
After watching your video I think I'm reading back to Brinkley for our Retirement Rig. The 3100 was our 1st choice until I took my wife to an RV show and she saw the Super Class C Rigs by Thor. I too was starting to drink the Super C Koolaid until I recently found out that is very hard to find a Ford Dealer to service F600 Ford Chassis when there is an RV build on it. I had originally thought that being on a Ford Chassis would open literally 100s if not more than a 1000 ford dealer service centers but apparently very few of them work on Ford Chassis RVs. So for this reason and the industry superior quality that is apparent within the Brinkley line of RVs that were once again thinking the Brinkley is the way to go.
So I have a few questions for you you and its regarding your truck... Do you pull with a 3/4 or 1 ton truck, Ford, Chevy, Ram? What hitch do you use and lastly are you using a standard type pin box or did you go with the Gen Y?
TYIA and Thanks for a great Video
Craig
Hey Craig, first off thanks you for the comment. I can tell you that you're in a place we were in before we purchased the Brinkley. We too were considering Class A, Super C or 5th wheel. I did like the idea of a Super C since having an engine out in front of you felt safer than the Class A configuration, especially since motorhomes don't go through the rigorous safety testing that cars and pickup trucks do. However in the end we chose the Brinkley Z3100 for a couple reasons. Some of those reasons are as follows...
1. Interior space. The Brinkley with its tall ceilings and opposing slides feels so much more residential than the inside of a motorhome. We feel like we're sitting in an apartment, not a trailer.
2. Separate power unit. With our living space separate from our house we still have a place to live if we have engine trouble and have to put the truck in the shop.
3. Cost. Even though we had to upgrade our truck as well, we still wound up paying less than we would have for a diesel pusher or a class A rig.
Those are the big 3 reasons. Now to answer your questions...
Truck - We did have to upgrade our truck from a 3/4 ton to a 1 ton. Honestly, you are going to need a 1 ton to pull the 3100 safely. We opted for a RAM 3500 with the 6.7L high output diesel. We have owned RAM's in the past and were very happy with them. Also the 6.7L HO diesel was designed as a commercial engine for tractors and school busses so it's super reliable. We did go with a single rear wheel (SRW) instead of a dually. We did this because there are times we have to work in city centers and didn't want the issues of trying to find parking for a dually. The trade off is that we do have to be careful with our weights. Especially since we have a washer and dryer and have to cary extra video gear for our business. Our RAM has a payload of 3940lbs and we are pretty much at max weight on it. If you don't want to worry about weights, go with a dually. We also went with a long bed as we didn't want to worry about turning radius on the 5th wheel, and we use the truck bed to haul video gear when needed so bigger is better.
For our hitch we are using the GenY Gooseneck Hitch. Honestly this was the only reason we were able to go with a 5th wheel. Since we need to cary gear when we have work I had to have the ability to get the truck bed back when needed. The GenY was the perfect solution. We made sure the RAM had the puck system (RAM calls it "5th wheel prep") and we purchased a drop in ball and chain connection rings. It takes me literally 2 minutes to get my truck bed back! Hooking up to the GenY can be a little more difficult than hooking up to a traditional 5th wheel since you have to get the hitch directly over the ball, but the convenience of getting your truck bed back makes it well worth it.
Okay, I think that answers all of your questions. If you have others feel free to post them, we're always happy to share what knowledge we have.
Great video. Thank yuur for a terrific tour! hat are you using to tow the Brinkley? One ton? Dualy?
We're towing with a RAM 3500 long bed SRW (single rear wheel). We opted for the high output diesel and Aisin transmission. A couple things to note that could be helpful for this setup...
Engine wise this this thing is a beast. We pulled the grade out of the desert into San Diego on I-8 and it really didn't even know the trailer was back there. LOVE the high output Cummins!
The single rear wheel for us takes a little planning and careful placement of cargo to keep the truck weights under control.This has to do with the fact that we opted for a washer and dryer and of course that weight is right over the pin. We also cary some extra video gear as we run a video production company and do work while we're on the road. We knew going into it that it might be close and accepted that challenge rather then the challenge of parking a dually. One thing that helps for us is to travel with a bit of fresh water in the tank. Doing that transfers some weight off of the pin. If you're going with a washer and dryer, and don't want to think about weights as much, get a dually.
@@ourrvsunsets we have been looking at the Brinkley for a year. I have a 2500 Chevy HD and tow a 2021 31mb reflection. We are not full timers have home in Texas but seriously considering full time
@@dougjeanpettit1992 we had a Chevy 2500HD prior to the Brinkley. After running the numbers we knew that wasn’t going to be enough and moved to the RAM 3500. As for full-timing, we can highly recommend it if you you have a spirit for adventure. Our only regret is that we didn’t do it sooner!
I enjoyed your video very much. Question: do you smell or taste formyahide in your Brinkley. I ask because we have a 2020 Keystone Cougar half-ton (bought brand new) and we love it but it smells of formyahide which also permeates through everything even sealed medications, food, and clothes, shoes etc.
Is there any advice you can give? Thank you 😢
No we don't have that smell at all. We also didn't have it on our previous trailer which was a new Grand Design Imagine. The only layman's advice I could give would be to air the trailer out whenever possible. It could be just all the chemicals of a new trailer build that are building up in the rig. That's a bummer that you're having to deal with that, I can imagine having a smell like that that permeates everything.
I love my 27 foot StarCraft. I admire fifth wheels, but having to have a gas guzzler to pull it, lack of mobility and expense of unit, no thanks
For us it was a matter of needing more room as we full-time. As for mobility, we went from a 30' travel trailer to a 35' 5th wheel. We actually tow shorter than we did with the travel trailer. Thanks for the comment!
Has Brinkley had any frame flex issues? I know that is showing up on allot of other 5th wheels.
To our knowledge Brinkley has not had any issues with Frame Flex that other manufacturers have had. That said, Brinkley is a newer manufacturer and their rigs have not been on the road a long time. I have heard rumors that they took steps in their design process to build out this issue, however those are just rumors.
If you're considering purchasing a Brinkley, and frame fee is a concern, I would contact Brinkley and ask them directly what they have done to alleviate this frame flex issue. It's been our experience that they are VERY open to communicating with customers and perspective customers.
Oops, I forgot to ask what truck you have and what hitch? We're going to pick up our new Ford F-350 diesel next week and want the Gen-Y gooseneck if we do get a Brinkley Z. Thanks again!
We're towing with a 2024 RAW 3500 with the high output Cummins diesel engine. With that motor the truck doesn't even know the z3100 is back there. We opted for a single rear wheel (SRW) not a dually. With the SRW and the washer and dryer in the front of the rig we need to be careful with weights. This is also due to the fact that we cary a fair amount of video gear for our video production business. It's a bit of a trade off, if you want to never worry about weights, get a dually, if you want the ease of a SRW then you just have to be conscious of weights.
For the hitch we went with a Gen-Y Gooseneck and LOVE IT!!! Because we run a video production company and need to haul gear to gigs we needed to have easy access to the truck bed. Our RAM has the 5th wheel prep package (puck system) and it take all of about 2 minutes to get the truck bed back. In this day and age I couldn't imagine going with a traditional 5th wheel hitch taking up my truck bed when a gooseneck option exists. Also don't let people scare you by saying "It's so much more difficult to hook up with a gooseneck." It's not!! I basically look in the side mirrors and line up the truck so that an equal amount of trailer is on either side. That lines me up left to right. Then I just have Toni direct me in to line up front to back and, Bob's your uncle, we're hooked up!
Couldn’t tell from the video but is your Ram a short bed? If so, how’s the turning radius?
@@DirtWireTV No, it's a long bed. We went long bed so we would have the extra room and not have clearance issues.
Hey, you all need to let us know how you're enjoying the Brinkley. This is still my dream FW and I'm still working on convincing my hubby/
We're loving it!!! We've been full-time in it since November and hove no complaints!
Does the z3100 come with double pain windows ?
Dual panne widows are an option on all Brinkley's. We went with one that had single pane but don't spend time in cold climates. I have heard that it keeps the condensation down as well though.
What do you tow your Z3100 with? What do you recommend?
We tow with a 2024 RAM 3500HD long bed single rear wheel with the 6.7L high output cummins. We love this truck and have zero problems with it pulling the z3100. To be honest this truck barely knows the rig is back there.
We went with a single rear wheel truck because it's also our daily driver. With the washer dryer in our rig and the extra video production gear that we cary with us were pretty much maxed out on weights for the truck. If you want to never have to worry about truck weight get a dually.
As for what truck to get, any 1 Ton will be fine for the z3100. Again if your want to haul a lot of stuff around, and don't mind dealing with parking a dually, get a dually. As for gas or diesel, it depends on what you want. We went with a diesel for longevity and having an exhaust brake. Most modern gassers though will pull the 3100 fine. I would have with a long bed since you wonky have any issues with cab clearance when turning. We also went with a Gen-Y gooseneck hitch which we love. Our RAM has the puck system on it so it takes all of about 2 minutes to get the truck bed back when we're not towing.
I wonder how hard it would be to swap out the recliners with standard separate ones?
I'm sure it would be fairly easy. I think the biggest challenge would be getting them in the front door!
We are upgrading to a fifth wheel this spring and are strongly considering the 2900 or the 3100. Older couple. The 3100 has the bed slide and king bed that look a little difficult to walk around and make the bed? I do like the bedroom storage and arrangement better in the 3100 though. We are very close to pulling the trigger! We are upgrading from a smaller travel trailer.
Hey Eric, We decided on the z3100 over the z2900 for a couple reasons, most notable having the bathroom sink on a slide. I'm just not a fan of having plumbing on slide out, it's just asking for a leak in my opinion.
My advice, if you are concerned about getting around the bed in the z3100, is to go with the queen bed option. That would give you more room around the bed, and be the same size of bed that you would have in the z2900. Toni actually doesn't have any trouble making the bed in the z3100 and we have the king. Like you we upgraded from a smaller travel trailer that mad it quite difficult to make the bed.
Thanks for the comment and I hope my answer was helpful.
@@ourrvsunsets Thanks! Appreciate the video! We absolutely love the build quality on these trailers. Far superior to anything else we have been in. I am hoping we can get a decent price. Not sure how much the dealer will come down from MSRP on these.
MSRP on the z3100 is 106k, we paid 89k. However, once we added upgrades (washer and dryer, two 100 amp hour lithium batteries and a Gen-y Gooseneck hitch) we were at 98k.
Well we bought a Brinkley 3100 today! Very nice unit. Looking forward to our first camping trip!
@@ericoswald7608yay!!!!! Congrats on the new rig, y’all are gonna love it!!
Picking up our Z3100 in mid March. I know there’s one solar panel on the roof. Do we have to install an inverter to use the power from it? Did an inverter come with the rv?
The z3100 is prepped for an inverter, but you would have to install the inverter, or have it installed. The inverter would allow you to use 120v appliances from the 12v batteries. However without the inverter you can still run many of the things in the trailer that are all on the 12v system. Things like lights, refrigerator, propane heater, the slide outs and awnings.
For us I think before we add the inverter, we'll spend that money on an upgraded generator. It's not as elegant as an inverter, but it can provide us 120v power while charging the 12v system at the same time.
Now that’s great advice. Thank you so much!
@@user-nj3il8jp4i You're quite welcome. Y'all are gonna have so much fun in your new Brinkley. It really is an amazing rig!
What are you towing it with, please?
We have a 2024 RAM 3500 single rear wheel. It's a crew cab, long bed with the high output diesel and Aisin transmission. I love this truck!!! It pulls the trailer with zero problems even on steep grades out in the west. And on those steep grades the exhaust brake makes descending them a breeze.
One thing to keep in mind though if you are buying a singe rear wheel truck. You will have to keep an eye on your weights as you can exceed the numbers, especially if you have a washer and dryer in the rig like we do. If you want to never have to worry about it just go with a dually.
@@ourrvsunsets Thank you 😊 We are considering buying a Brinkley and planned on towing it with a Ford250 Lariat which comes loaded with all the towing bells and whistles. We live and travel in mostly flat areas in the SE, and I don’t want the washer and dryer because it adds unnecessary (for me anyway) weight and risk of water leaks.
@@leestern3137 Just run your numbers first and make sure you have enough truck. Most 3/4 ton trucks are going to be cutting it really close.
The main number to pay attention to is your payload capacity. That's the number you're going to exceed first.
Good luck on your hunt for your Brinkley. If you have any other questions as you start shopping feel free to reach out, We're always happy to share what we've learned.
@@ourrvsunsets Thank you 😊 as a matter fact I do have another question; I see the retail on the Z 3100 is about 109,000… would you mind telling me what you ended up paying for yours? I’d like to know how much leeway I may have. Thanks again.