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RV review: Brinkley Z 2900 fifth wheel

Tony Barthel

Today’s RV review is of the Brinkley Model Z 2900 fifth wheel. This is what I call the classic fifth wheel floor plan which all fifth wheel makers seem to offer. Since the basic floor plan is so common, this is a great way to see how one company builds things and this fifth wheel has a lot to talk about.

Know that what I was able to work from was a pre-production model granted early access to my friend Josh Winters from Bish’s RV.

In many ways there are no huge surprises here but there are also some big differences between other models. How so? That’s what we’re looking at here.

Who is Brinkley RV?

Brinkley is a new RV company put together by veterans in the industry. This is a story that has been repeated several times recently, most notably with Alliance RV and then Ember RV.

From an article in the Goshen News, Ron Fenech is the former RV senior group president for THOR and a co-founder of Grand Design RV. Fenech will serve in an advisory role while the day-to-day will be handled by the other three co-owners of Brinkley: Ryan Thwaits, formerly of Red Rock Supply and Indiana Transport, and Nate Goldenberg and Micah Staley, both formerly of Grand Design.

“What drew me most to this opportunity with Brinkley was the chance to work with Micah, Nate, and Ryan,” Fenech said. “I’ve worked with all of them and know how talented they are. Micah and Nate are two of the best product guys in our industry. And Ryan is a very successful businessman who knows how to get things done. I trust each of them and I know our dealers do as well. Our goal is simple: to be the best. This is going to be fun.”

Apparently the initial prototype was taken out and used and abused by the team in actual real-world camping situations. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked decision makers in the RV space how something came about and they fully admit they do not go camping, so don’t have an answer. The Brinkley folks went camping.

Look underneath

I have often written that you should look at the bones of any RV before you ever step inside. In the case of the Brinkley Z 2900 there are a number of key features that I really like. For example, Brinkley is using 7,000 pound axles with 8,000 pound capacity springs mounted to a MorRyde CRE 3000 suspension system. The chassis is reinforced where the suspension is mounted which is another plus.

These ride on Cooper H-rated tires.

The chassis is also built such that there’s no rise to the upper deck which is a big trip hazard to my way of thinking.

But one of the more impressive things is how these are sealed. The sealant used where holes have been punched in the roof carries a lifetime warranty which is almost unheard of in the RV industry. They also use Eternabond tape between the roof and the walls. There are other things like this as well but it’s very, very different from the norm in the RV industry.

Click or tap on images to enlarge them.

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More differences

One of the things I really liked is that this unit has been tested to zero degrees Fahrenheit. One of the many factors in getting a zero degree rating includes having the gate valves for the dump enclosed in the underbelly.

These gate valves are actually electrically actuated so, essentially, dumping this rig is a push button operation. But, since we all know things a break, there’s also an access panel in the enclosed underbelly if you need to operate them manually.

Let’s all agree not to get any ideas about the honking tailgater and electrically actuating the gate valves as a counter measure, shall we?

The windows in these are square frameless windows and while they look like they might function similarly to other frameless windows, there are some distinct differences. They open much further than most of these and also incorporate blinds and screens which can be raised and lowered. So, that time of year when you don’t need screens in the windows (believe it or not, it happens in the southwest) you don’t have to have screens.

Look inside

Now that we’ve gotten many of the build features covered, we can look inside where you’ll see some really creative cabinetry.

For example, there’s a drawer on the island with a wooden paper towel holder. But the paper towel holder can also come out so now it can sit on the counter.

Below that is another cabinet drawer that holds two trash cans. There is a drawer under the island that holds two pet bowls. Next to the stove is a drawer that is set-up to hold spices.

But my favorite drawer is actually under the dining table, which is mounted to the wall of the rig so you don’t knock your knee on a pole. This is where you’ll find the silverware drawer.

A lot of times you’ll see things in RVs that are pretty clever but there are so many of these touches I’d love to see in my own home.

Since we were looking at the dining table note that there are two almost 1970s-looking free-standing chairs on one side and what looks like an ottoman on the other.

You can take that ottoman and use it as by the couch. Or wherever you like, really. The top even lifts up to have a higher table height for eating and what not.

Other highlights

The dual opposing slides here are flush mount and there is no carpeting. I also really like that there are no floor-mounted vents for the furnace with the vents being hidden in the bottom of the cabinets instead.

In other words, you’re not sweeping dust into the furnace all year for that very special smell the first time you turn it on.

There’s also a large outside storage compartment at the back of this RV which is pretty great. Also not something you see every day.

Top floor upstairs

Taller travelers will appreciate that the upper deck on this has a 79.5” ceiling height front-to-back. The slide in the upper bedroom incorporates the closet so it extends the bathroom.

Since the bed is not in the slide you can use it even with the slide in. Nice.

The shower is interesting in that there is not a seat in the shower although there are steps so you can shave your legs. The company indicated that they are setting this up so you could mount an optional seat if you wish. As mentioned, this is a preproduction prototype so a few things remain to be finalized.

Hot water comes through a tankless heater which some love, some don’t. It’s also interesting to see how the toilet is mounted at a slight angle as it really gives a lot of space around it. Also, the toilet paper holder is free-standing. Nice.

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Boondocking and travel access

I was really surprised to find that you could access both sides of the side-by-side 12 volt refrigerator even with both main deck slides in.

You can also get to the bed upstairs and, since it’s not in a slide, you can use it with the slide in. Nice.

This rig comes with 370 watts of solar on the roof which is probably sufficient to compensate for that large 12 volt refrigerator but a second 370 watt panel is an option. The included 50 amp charge controller can certainly handle these two panels. Further, this unit is wired up for a generator and also an inverter.

Pets welcome

Clearly these were designed with pets in mind with the pet bowls that I had previously mentioned. But they also put a protective screen on the screen door so pets don’t damage the screen with claws.

As a bonus there’s also a handle on the screen so you can more easily close the door. Brilliant. I know a lot of RVers have installed these handles aftermarket but they’re already installed here.

Another thing a lot of fellow RVers have installed are keyless entry systems which this comes with from the factory. Oh, as does a back-up camera.

Conclusions

When I was last in Indiana a lot of RV company people were talking nervously about Brinkley. In fact my previous look at a Brinkely RV is the most popular RV review on this website. I can see why competitors would be nervous.

There were a few things that I didn’t like such as the cheap vent fan in the bathroom, but that could change.

I really like what I’m seeing here in a lot of ways and I think that someone shopping for something like this should absolutely look at one of these. The challenge is to find a Brinkely dealer, but they’re signing them up so this won’t be as big a challenge down the road.

And, based on how these are built they seem well suited for taking those roads in stride. I like the attention to detail here but I have to think that one of the reasons this is so right is that Brinkley’s decision makers actually go camping in their rigs. Imagine that.

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