Today’s RV review is of the Brinkley Model Z Air 295—Brinkley’s first travel trailer offering. Know that what we’re looking at here is a prototype and some things will change by the time you can order one, but it’s very promising what’s going on here.
First, I have to share that the mere mention of Brinkley caused concern to many in the RV industry that I spoke with. The company has made an impact in so many ways—and they’re still just getting started.
For some time I have kvetched about the swirly graphics on so many RVs. Brinkley started doing much more automotive-style graphics and, bam, you see this influence in so many other RVs. The most notable example of this was in the East to West Takoda 350TH.
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.
What’s inside the Brinkley Model Z Air 295
The travel trailer line from Brinkley is going to be called the Model Z Air and this 295 is the first example they’ve shown. There are some features that people are really going to like in here but, chief among those is that the sidewalls are seven feet tall and there’s a vaulted or barreled ceiling. The additional height gives the entire RV a very, very open feel.
Another noteworthy feature is that Brinkley has employed the Furrion Chill Cube air conditioner for the main living space with ducts into the bunk area in the back. This unit provides 18,000 BTU of cooling power, which is more than most RV air conditioners. But it also does it very efficiently so you can run this unit and the second A/C in the bedroom even on a 30-amp service. That’s a big deal.
I had mentioned that this was a bunkhouse trailer, but not apparently so. There is a bunk room at the very back behind folding doors that features double-over-double bunks and a wardrobe and drawers. Obviously, this could just be storage if you’d prefer—or a place for even adults to sleep.
Dining
The dining arrangement in this RV is different than you might expect. There’s a very long sofa along the camp side in the shadow of those large, square windows. On the front is a slide-in mount that is used to hold a table.
But, unlike any other slide-in couch-mounted table, this one rests on the floor so it’s actually strong. The mount is just to keep it in place. Further, the leg for the table actually has a provision to be put away in the armrest of the couch. This is brilliant.
The kitchen island features a set of stools that can be used to make it another dining space. Nifty.
On the subject of that island, it’s not where Brinkley put the kitchen sink. Instead, that’s in the bulkhead wall of this trailer. What is here are a lot of drawers and cabinets including one with provision for two trash cans. Ostensibly you could use one of these trash cans for recycling. Imagine?
The kitchen in the Brinkley Model Z Air 295
This kitchen is nice with a large, 17-cubic-foot, 12-volt DC fridge. There’s a usable 22” oven, and the kitchen sink is there along the bulkhead, as mentioned. In some ways, the styling of the interior is almost Craftsman-like (a style that was common 100 years ago, that I really love). But it’s not dated looking at all.
However, I would likely replace all the gold handles and gold faucets in this thing on the first day I owned it with something more to my liking. But I don’t watch those goofy home improvement shows.
There is a spacious pantry here with adjustable shelves and even a household power outlet inside.
Something I also liked was a magnetic pet dish holder that can hold itself around the base of the island. That base features metal vents and the pet dish holder can be on any side you like, or just gone. It’s a good solution.
On the subject of those vents, there are none in the floor. Instead, they’re here on the base of cabinets—which means you’re not kicking things into them all year long for that special smell on the first cold day.
More height is more better
The bathroom in this, in particular, benefits from that greater ceiling height with a shower that can easily accommodate taller travelers. In the prototype, they have a cavity in the ceiling that looks like a skylight but isn’t one. That means no leaks in the ceiling yet additional headroom.
I think a basketball player might be able to take a shower here—there’s that much space.
The shower, too, has a seat and is a larger unit as you might find in a fifth wheel. In fact, this whole trailer has a fifth-wheel feel to it.
Otherwise, the rest of the bathroom, too, has a spacious feel with a good amount of cabinet and drawer space.
One thing you don’t see—they actually include a toilet paper holder but one that’s free-standing. You can put it where you want without having to drill into a wall. I like this. But, oddly enough, the bathroom faucet and shower and the toilet paper holder are black, whereas the handles on the cabinet are gold. I think we need to have a talk about this.
The rest of the interior
To complete the rest of the interior, the bedroom features a true queen-sized bed and the headboard is padded. No windshield! Yay!
The greater ceiling height also translates into additional cabinet height—which is always appreciated.
I also like that there are hooks throughout this rig for hanging clothes. However, the ones on the rear-facing wall of the bedroom fold up so you don’t catch them at night and swear your partner awake. It’s little details like this that do matter.
Outside matters
Outside there is also a lot of attention to detail. For example, under the bunks in the back is a relatively large storage compartment with doors to both the rear and the camp side. There’s a partition in here so you can segment it off. I like this much better than an outside kitchen that some might install here.
With about 2400 pounds of cargo carrying capacity, this trailer also offers realistic abilities to bring your stuff with you.
There’s an aluminum box on the tongue for the propane tanks as well as batteries, and a space on top for tools or whatnot. But that doesn’t take away from a large front pass-through storage compartment that’s also heated.
Another thing I noticed was that there are lights on the chassis under the skirting. These can be useful indeed. But I also hope people don’t leave them on all night long. Don’t be that camper!
Conclusions on the Brinkley Model Z Air 295
There is a lot to like about this new offering from Brinkley. It is a large trailer and the company has promised other models down the road. There is also no mention of pricing, yet, but you can bet this will not be cheap, nor does it feel like it should be.
Something I noticed: This has the BAL automatic level system, which we had on some Keystone Outback trailers. The controls are located on the tongue jack of the trailer—a really good place. Our lead service tech learned to resolve issues with this system where it couldn’t figure things out by diving deeper into the controls. So, if you have and are frustrated by this system, there are solutions. Normally it works pretty well.
Another nifty bit: This has an automatic latching coupler on the front. I haven’t seen that before.
Overall, Brinkley is doing some things differently and, in many cases, better. But they’re also making standout RVs that are shaking things up in the industry.
And, for that alone, I truly applaud them.
I would like to thank my friend Josh Winters from Bish’s RV for providing the photographs for this article.
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.com 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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Small ovens bother you. What bothers me most is that the kitchen sink always seems to be to one side and there is not enough counter space on both sides of the sink. I would like to see the sink more centered in the island or wherever it’s located so I can pile dirty dishes on one side and the drain rack on the other.
Get rid of the tiny oven completely and put in a convection/microwave.
Good solution Bob, as long as it is at a good height to see the food and safely pull hot items out. We have one that is above the range and at 5′ 4″ I have to get a step stool out…annoying and not so safe.
We have a double sink, so the dishrack goes in one and we wash in the other. With the sprayer faucet, like the Brinkley has, we can rinse all the dishes at once.
I love that the sink is out of the island! I agree with Marci though that I need space on both sides so dirty dishes are ready to be washed and there is a spot for wet clean dishes to drain on the other side.
We bought a Brinkley 5th wheel Z2900 last October and love it. What I have appreciated the most is how responsive Brinkley has been when you need them. They even had an emergency helpline over the holidays.
So happy Brinkley is moving into travel trailers so there is hopefully a smaller option than the fifth wheels! Only thing I don’t like is the sitting and tv location in this unit. I prefer looking directly at tv. Would also like option of king bed. Can’t wait to see what comes next from Brinkley!!
I definitely agree on the TV location. Almost impossible to view with any comfort level.
Wish the bunkroom was flexible enough to use remove the bunks and use it as a craft-hobby room. That way, the space doesn’t need to be cleaned up before visitors arrive.
We’ve been Northwoods buyers for years – but this new TT entry from Brinkley could tempt us to jump ship – 😀 As others have mentioned, our kids are long gone. It’s only two of us traveling. No need for bunks or a huge four-person couch. Also, from watching some friends who had a trailer with large cargo space in the rear of their TT, and towing with a short bed truck, they just swung back and forth at speeds over 50 mph. Too much weight behind the trailer axles. This might be a problem with this trailer. But, I sure do like most of what they’ve done in this TT. Not my floorplan but I’m sure it’s on the way.
Thank you, Tony! I am glad to see new RV manufacturers springing up, especially with some much consolidation among more established manufacturers.
Newer manufacturers with an increase in quality and options is always a good thing.
For mobility purposes, in the bedroom is it possible to not have the side cabinets? Getting in and out isn’t easy if you have to slide up to the head of the bed.
Just a thought on the removable dining table…could it either be longer to cover the better part of three seats or centered just over two seats? When kids are involved, having to sit in the crack of the sofa isn’t comfortable.
How about an on board propane generator/ inverter?
The tv at a 90 degree angle from the sofa/theater seats is a no sale for me. I’ve seen this disappointing design on so many otherwise good floor plans.