RV (p)review: 2025 Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL—all decked out

Today’s RV (p)review is of the 2025 Forest River Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL fifth wheel. This model is somewhat emblematic of something I noticed when I toured the RV dealer open house this year, which is where the major RV companies display their newest models for dealers. 

The trend I saw was in the area of patios. 

For years and years, toy haulers have been the go-to models to choose if you wanted an outdoor patio. On many toy haulers, you can use the loading ramp as an outdoor deck. In fact, I know a few of you have mentioned that the reason you bought the toy hauler wasn’t for the ability to haul cargo, but rather for the outdoor patio. 

Something clicked in the RV industry and, suddenly, outdoor patios were all over the place at open houses. I saw them on small trailers and larger trailers. There were permanent outdoor patio decks on the back of a lot of trailers. Also, there were power-operated fold-down patio decks on a couple of brands. This power-operated drop-down patio deck is a new creation from Lippert. It is available on two brands of RV presently but will be more widely available next year for more makers. 

Outdoor patio on the Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL

The way it’s configured here, the outdoor patio on this fifth wheel won’t be a surprise to you if you’ve been shopping for a pontoon boat lately. In fact, component supplier Lippert isn’t just known in the RV industry but is also known in the marine industry. 

So what you have here is a large rear-covered outdoor patio deck with an L-shaped couch on it. Like a pontoon boat, this couch has outdoor-friendly upholstery and comes with a cover, as well. 

This has a ceiling over it where you’ll find a ceiling fan and JBL outdoor speakers. Another thing back here is a metal box which has a wine fridge in it. 

Apparently, the wife of the head of Coachmen works in the marine industry, and you can see that influence here. 

Something that surprised me was that there is a legless awning on either side of the outdoor patio—so you get protected from the sun on the road and camp sides. 

Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL - 2025

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From the road up with the Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL

Starting at the road, this has off-brand import tires, a bummer, and rides on a simple leaf spring suspension. This does have the Road Armor suspension upgrade. That does eliminate some of the harshness that can be transmitted into the trailer. 

For an entertaining look at fifth wheel suspensions, I did a video about riding in a fifth wheel here. 

Something I like about this design is the segmented underbelly where you can remove just one of the panels if you need to do a repair. 

Coachmen has also certified that this RV is useable in temperatures from 0-110°F. That means the underbelly is heated and has 12-volt heat pads on the tanks, plus the walls and baggage doors are thicker than average. That’s a good thing in any temperature. Another thing, the walls are all man-made materials with the substrate used in the lamination being either Azdel or a competing product. 

This is a drop-frame build, so that means the cargo bay up front has a good amount of space in it. 

What’s inside the Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL

The interior of the Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL has an upscale feel, but the floor plan is relatively common. That’s not a bad thing at all. 

There are theater seats and a dining table in the slide on the camp side under pretty substantial windows. 

Over on the road side is a fireplace and a large TV. 

The kitchen features GE Profile appliances for the range and microwave, both of which are substantially large. The fridge here is a 12-volt Furrion side-by-side unit. GE also is the source for the three air conditioners in this RV. They incorporate a heat pump system, so you can use shore power for heat in many conditions. Nice. 

There’s decent storage including a pantry here with a household power outlet in it so, arguably, you could put things like a coffee maker in here. 

In the very back of the interior, where this floor plan might normally have a couch, there is a large sliding glass door to access that big outdoor patio. 

The bathroom upstairs is nice and features some linen storage plus a large shower with a step. 

The bedroom features a king-sized bed in a slide with a closet spanning the width of the nose of this rig. This is a wide-body trailer, so that’s a good amount of storage. There’s also a provision for either hanging storage or a washer and dryer. Lastly, a wardrobe occupies the camp side of the upstairs bedroom. 

Boondocking and travel access

None of these really large fifth wheels are that great for travel access, but you can get to the fridge with the slide in, which is nice. Of course, you can still get upstairs to the bathroom but the bedroom is off-limits with the Schwintek slide mechanism. 

As for boondocking, there is a single solar panel. You can add additional panels but, truthfully, this is meant to live in the land for full-hookup RV parking. 

Final thoughts on the Coachmen Brookstone 318RLL

I am one of the people who would really appreciate one of these patio arrangements. I can see it being a great place to entertain friends or just enjoy some outdoor time without having to dig out my folding chairs or sit on the picnic table that has a ton of splinters that you know has been used by so many campers to help them put their sewer hose back and organize their sewer tools. Ew. 

I think if I got something like this I would figure out how to use magnetic screens to enclose the back patio because, if there’s a mosquito in the county, it’s going to find me and call all its friends to come and have a tasty treat. Me. 

Seriously, I can be in a place where I’m the only one getting eaten alive while the rest of the people around the campfire are doing fine. And, I’d also rather have this patio deck than sit around a campfire because the smoke always finds me first, as well. 

I do like the outdoors quite a bit, but I also want a measure of control. 

Anyhow, the trend toward patios is a good thing, to me. This configuration really changes this RV into something that celebrates the beauty of places and transforms how it can be used, in my opinion. But, as always, I can’t wait to read your comments. 

Since this model is preproduction, I don’t have the info to build a chart for you.

More about these RV reviews

These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.

Tony comes to RVTravel having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. He also works closely with a number of RV manufacturers to get an inside look at how things are done and is a brand ambassador for Rockwood Mini Lite with his wife, Peggy.

You can also check out his RV podcast with his wife, Peggy. 

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