RV review: Brinkley Model Z AIR 310—Ooh la la

Today’s RV review is of the prototype Brinkley Model Z AIR 310 travel trailer. What you have here is a Brinkley Model Z 3100 fifth wheel that’s been flattened down into a travel trailer configuration. But there have been some changes when the conversion to a travel trailer happened that are worth noting. 

Why not a fifth wheel? 

Some owners who have towed both might wonder why you’d want a travel trailer instead of a fifth wheel. Why not go with the Model Z 3100 fifth wheel instead of this model? Well, there are a number of reasons. 

First of all, some campers have trouble navigating the steps up to the upper deck of a fifth wheel. 

A fifth wheel is also considerably taller than a travel trailer, although this one is pretty tall by travel trailer standards. This results in plentiful headroom inside but, again, it’s taller. For example, my trailer is 10’11” tall, whereas this is 11’9”. 

In many cases, fifth wheels offer significantly more advantages over travel trailers, including greater front storage and larger holding tanks. That’s true here, too, but the differences aren’t as great on the holding tanks. 

On the subject of the holding tanks, Brinkley has effectively three gray water holding tanks on this—a kitchen holding tank, a bathroom holding tank and one for the washer-dryer. The kitchen and bathroom tanks are actually plumbed together so there’s just one dump valve for these (dear The RV Industry, please copy this idea). That gate valve is a power-operated valve that’s enclosed in the underbelly. Yes, there’s a manual override, and the black tank valve is configured the same way. 

Brinkley Model Z AIR 310 - 2025

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What’s inside the Brinkley Model Z AIR 310

Brinkley has knocked it out of the park with their cabinet shop, to start with. Their cabinets are very well thought-out with things like paper towel holders and garbage cans built in. 

There is an enormous amount of storage in the front bedroom of this trailer, with the entire front wall having cabinets and drawers. You do get a choice of king or queen bed in here, but that front closet is the same in both cases. There’s a provision for a washer-dryer in there, if you choose. 

Another nifty thing is the flexible dining space. This can be a desk, a table for four, a breakfast bar, or two individual desks. 

I like that there’s a “bubble” in the ceiling of the bathroom so you get additional headroom, but that doesn’t extend to the exterior of the trailer. These skylights are a huge source of leaks as they expand and contract differently than the rest of the roof around them, which is a challenge for the sealants. 

But there are lights in the shower so it’s not dark. This works out even when it is dark outside. Like, you know, at night. 

Outside features of the Brinkley Model Z AIR 310

Brinkley didn’t just carry forward with its interior features—there are some nifty things outside, as well. 

For example, there’s a metal box on the tongue where the two 30-pound propane tanks and trailer house battery are stored. But you also have more storage in this box for the typical stuff you’d have for setting up, like wheel chocks and that sort of thing. 

The aluminum box is also configured so you can still attach a weight distribution/anti-sway hitch to the trailer. 

At the back, there’s sort of a “trunk” on this trailer—a cargo compartment that is below the rear couch. I have never seen anyone, besides Brinkley, take advantage of this space before. Another thing they’ve done with this space is provide heating, so you could have water-related stuff here.

There’s a two-inch receiver hitch back here which has a provision for towing with four-pin and safety chain connectors. However, I honestly cannot imagine towing something behind a trailer that’s almost 38 feet long. But, someone out there’s going to do it. 

This also features a full auto level—the BAL auto level system—which is in the tongue jack housing. You simply push a button and, bam, your trailer is leveled. 

There are also hot and cold showers on both sides of this trailer. There is a tankless water heater, so I bet it can keep up with dueling showers. 

Brinkley uses a different type of sealant around gaps in the roof of their trailers that requires much less maintenance. The roof, too, is a low-maintenance item (basically wash it now and then). So there is just less reason to get on the roof of this rig. 

However, if you want to add something like additional solar panels or something like Starlink, know that Brinkley has actually put a port up on the roof to enable this. So, no drilling or other fiddling around—you just open the port and feed your cables. 

Keeping your cool

One of the features I really like about this trailer is that it employs two of the new Furrion Chill Cube air conditioners. This is, quite possibly, the best new A/C unit in the RV industry. It uses newer technology to provide much, much more efficient and significantly quieter cooling. 

Right now this is only available as a “direct dump” air conditioner rather than supporting ducts, but this is how Brinkley cools their units, anyway. This system features a wireless remote and you can have the cold literally “follow” that remote. 

These also provide 18,000 BTU of cooling, whereas most RV air conditioners top out at 15,000 BTU. In fact, I am currently working with someone to test one of these units. In Phoenix, in 110°F conditions. Stay tuned. 

A word about towing in general

If you’re towing with a pickup truck, and I can’t imagine using anything but that or a railroad locomotive to haul this thing around, having a travel trailer means you’ve still got the bed of the truck to haul stuff like eBikes or lawn chairs.

But I always want all RVers to tow safely and know your numbers—know what the cargo carrying capacity of your tow vehicle is and then what the realistic weight of what you’re towing is. The unloaded tongue weight of this trailer is 1,086 pounds, and that’s with none of your luggage or liquids factored in. Since your truck carries this weight, you’ll need one that can do that plus whatever’s in the truck (you, your pets, your passengers, whatever’s in the back).

At a gross weight of 14,495 pounds, I wouldn’t tow this with anything other than a one-ton pickup. My own truck, a 3/4-ton Ram 2500, is rated to tow this with a 3,300-pound cargo carrying capacity—but I just wouldn’t.

What I would change in the Brinkley Model Z AIR 310

No RV is perfect, of course. Brinkley has absolutely shaken up the industry with their graphics but, quite frankly, there are a lot of black stickers on this RV. Having seen stickers fade on RVs, I wonder how long this great look is going to last?

I’m also no fan of lighting under RVs, and this one has them. I know I’ll be camping next to one of these where I wanted to see the stars but, instead, the campground is illuminated by their under-floor lighting. Bleh.

This is why I do so much boondocking, quite frankly.

Conclusions

Brinkley has absolutely shaken up the RV industry in so many ways. You see fewer and fewer RVs with the gaudy swishy-swirl graphics or, where they have them, they’re much nicer looking. Thank you, Brinkley. 

Interiors, too, are starting to step up, and I credit Brinkley with this, as well. I was very impressed by the Forest River Wildwood 27RK travel trailer, which has the same sliding dining arrangement as the Brinkley. (I suspect a supplier came out with this and you’ll see it more and more—I’m not so sure I credit Brinkley with the idea.) But the interior on that Wildwood really reflects that they felt compelled to improve, and I suspect this is happening within the entire industry. 

When I was at Open House last year, which is where the RV industry shows off their wares to dealers in the hopes that they’ll buy things, the word “Brinkley” was not one you said but one that was muttered. They have so shaken up the industry, and I think it’s a good thing. Possibly one of the worst things holding the RV industry back is the RV industry itself. 

Brinkley takes their rigs camping. They test and update their prototypes before you get to buy them. There’s so much that they do differently that I think it sets a good example for the RV industry. 

No. They’re not perfect. No manufactured product is. But they’re trying. 

Oh, and they’re expensive. Nothing good is ever cheap; cheap things are rarely all that good. Or, as I am known to say, buy the best and cry only once. 

Is Brinkley the best? I’m not saying that, but they’re certainly striving to be. And that’s what has the RV industry running back to their drawing boards. 

Perhaps they’ll even go camping. 😆

My thanks to Josh from Bish’s RV for the photos and video used in this article.

More Brinkley RV reviews:

• Sneak peek at the new Brinkley Model G 3250—Don’t call it a toy hauler
• Brinkley Model Z 2900—mini and mighty
• The Brinkley RV Model Z Air 285 is built right, including its top-notch plumbing
• Brinkley Model Z Air 295—a new travel trailer from Brinkley

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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