UNDERCOVER RV Tech reviews Grand Design, Brinkley & Alliance RVs

Who makes the best 5th Wheel? Grand Design, Brinkley or Alliance? In today's episode of "Undercover RV Tech" I review six 2023 5th Wheels - a "high-end" and "low-end" from each manufacturer - in an attempt to answer the question of who makes the best RV?

Things I reference in the video:

[MattsRVReviews]

As someone who reviews and sells All of these Brands I appreciate this video! I will send this to GD Alliance and Brinkley so they can ALL Improve! Thank you for the video!

[onlibo]

Brinkley's response - Adjusted "Rigor" score should now be 97 for both models

My wife and I are planning to purchase a 5th wheel in the not-too-distant future. Brinkley “Z” models have been at the top of our list. This video gave me pause. It is a very helpful video and the detailed, knowledgeable information is much appreciated. However, as a prospective buyer of a Brinkley, I wanted to get a response directly from Brinkley rather than secondhand.
The following are the 4 items noted as negative grades per the “Rigor scale” against Brinkley:
- Minus 10 points due to the flex plumbing hose connecting to brass fittings;
- Minus 2 points for the Furrion water heater sensor issue;
- Minus 1 for “fit and finish” lumber core use
- Minus 2 for Furrion vs. Norcold refrigerator
- = Minus 15 points

I did not bother to ask Brinkley about the use of lumber core, as that is a small issue and they have done a great job protecting and covering the core pieces in my personal opinion.
Brinkley’s responses to the other 3 items:

Add back 10 points: Flex plumbing hose connecting to brass fittings:
- Brinkley’s response and actual production line changes:

“We have had zero issues with our plumbing connections in the field (over 1, 600 units registered) or through our prototyping and testing. Everything we have done has been approved by our suppliers for the application they are used. We use PEX water lines wherever possible and brass plumbing connections throughout the entire unit. In a few specific locations, we are using an upgraded no kink flex tube that no one in the industry has previously used. It has a semi rigid inner lining with the flex mesh exterior. The quality of the hose is a HUGE factor in leading to problems that have been an issue with other manufacturers. It is recommended by the manufacturer of our water pump to use a flex tube coming off of the water pump to reduce vibration and noise.

In most units in the field, we have used a ribbed brass PEX fitting with the no kink flex hose and an oetiker clamp coming off of the water pump and under the sink on the Model Z 2900. Using a brass fitting (as opposed to plastic) allows to ensure the clamp is tight and the fitting itself will not have “flex” making it much less likely for a leak to develop.

Although we have had no issues with our connections, for customer peace of mind, we have eliminated all factory installed connections on flex supply lines. We have gone to a riser fitting hydraulicly preinstalled from the supplier on the water lines running to the water pump and below the sink in the 2900. Again, we have had no issue with the connection we are using and stand behind our product, but we are always looking for ways to improve and added peace of mind.

Add back 2 points: Furrion water heater sensor issue:

- Brinkley’s response:
“The issue he brought up with the Furrion water heater sensor was a concern in the first generation Furrion tankless water heaters but was resolved about two years ago. Every Furrion tankless water heater we have used has been the second-generation version and this is a non-issue.

No points regained. Furrion vs. Norcold refrigerator

- Brinkley’s response:
“The refrigerator we elected to use the Furrion 16 cubic foot 12V refrigerator based on its size and reliability. The Norcold refrigerator he mentions is a completely different size unit and would not be an option in our Model Z line. I do not know what criteria he used to determine one being superior to the other as he gives no data or rationale to his rating.
Final general quote from Brinkley:
“Know that we stand behind our product 100% and will take care of any issue that may arise (with this or anything else that we may have fallen short on). Our goal is to build the best RV on the market and something that will last for years to come.”


I hope this info helps folks who may have been turned off to Brinkley after watching the video. It would be great to have the video updated with the corrected scores.

[tammydoughertyreyes]

I would like to suggest doing an updated inspection of the 3 manufacturer's. I've seen many responses from potential buyers and the manufacturer that suggest they've addressed the issues that you have mentioned, and I believe in all fairness that you should do an updated inspection on those Brands to verify as your 4 month old video can impact decisions we are currently making.

[cjc]

Jacob tells it like it is! An excellent expose, that shows the soft underbelly of the RV industry. Cost is king, shove them out the door as fast as you can, for whatever you can get, and caveat emptor. If you've tried to get RV service and repairs lately, let me tell you it's like the plumber in "The Money Pit" movie, who shows up in a Cadillac, and laughs at you. I don't understand how they stay in business. At least Brinkley appears to have a lot better build quality. Maybe we need Jacob to start a "Consumer Reports" type channel for RVs. Things will only get better if the consumer demands changes.

[ScottDLR]

Very interesting video.
Next time you're underneath a Grand Design, Jayco or Coleman and perhaps Rockwood, check the underside of the slideouts. They stopped using any protective barrier and just have thinly painted OSB. Any amount of water that wicks under there will quickly start to rot the floor out - and it's happening.

[RushSimonson]

Love the video! This is what the RV industry needs: accountability. My wife and I have a 2021 Rockwood Signature 8324SB that we purchased from a private buyer. I had a professional RV tech review and inspect before purchase. We love this RV. We have had very few issues and have owned it now for about a year and put over 10, 000 miles and 2 months of nights in it. I have also been very impressed with Rockwood's support. Even though I was not the original owner, they treated me very well when I asked questions. They have gone so far as to provide me with the drawings and schematics for wiring and plumbing so I could troubleshoot my own issues if needed. Way more than I expected. They also answer questions promptly. Regarding suspension, one of the reasons I purchased Rockwood was their use of the torsion suspension. I have torsion suspension on a large utility trailer, and it pulls and handles like a dream. The Rockwood is the same. When we arrive, almost nothing has moved inside, and it goes over bumps very well. I do not see why all RV trailers would not use torsion suspension. The build quality has been excellent, and we would buy another Rockwood in a minute. I did have another question. When we store the trailer, should we bring in the slides every time, we park it next to my office, so we do go out and fix lunch and spend the night in it maybe once a week if we are too tired to drive home? Love your segments and look forward to more.

[MattWahlstrom-fwsq]

I just forwarded this video to my Brinkley salesman with instructions to pass it on to his company rep. I’m disappointed they missed this.

[paulkaiser]

The manufacturing methods at Brinkley are really amazing; just took the factory tour and I was very impressed. I am definitely not an expert on PEX plumbing fixtures, or whether Furrion is any better or worse than a Norcold fridge. I’ve never even owned an RV, although I’ve owned many large sailboats over the years. But after working as a Manufacturing / Mechanical Engineer in automotive manufacturing plants around the world for over 20 years, I can tell when a company is building a car / truck / RV the right way. There’s no question in my mind that Brinkley knows how to design and build a quality machine. Every workstation in the Brinkley facility is set up the same way Porsche or Ferrari would do it, they really have fantastic manufacturing and assembly practices. This is why the fit and finish of their RV’s is as good as it is. You can see the intermediate Quality Control steps they are taking within the manufacture process, not just at the final inspection, and this method insures quality builds. I could see that the fabrication and installation employees on the line were using methods and tooling to produce templated parts to very exact specifications, they weren’t just stamping out templated parts and tossing them in a bin for installation later on. Everything in the plant is super organized, they keep track of every part they install so that if a customer has a problem a year later, they can find how the part was fabricated based on the VIN of the unit, help you troubleshoot yours, and Make Improvements for future units; this concept is referred to as Metrics. Just my guess, but that may be unheard of in the RV industry. 16:50 Talking to the plant people about the supply chain they are using, they really are talking the talk, and walking the walk, about producing a quality product. I now work part time in management for a nationwide RV dealership that’s carries many different brands (Alliance, GD, Brinkley, many others as well), and I speak with our own RV repair technicians all the time about which brand is best. Every mechanic, bar none, says, well we love working on the Brinkleys, they’re just better built. I’m not personally purchasing anything until 2025, but from what I’ve seen and heard in the factory and in the repair bays, I may just go with a 3110 for my needs. Cheers y’all.

[SuninSanDiego]

I really wish they'd extend lemon laws to the RV market. They aren't just protections for consumers but would also establish guidelines that RV manufacturers would have to live up to.

[alliancerv]

We greatly appreciate your objective evaluation of our product. One of our core values is to continuously strive for relentless improvement. If you ever find yourself in the Elkhart area, we would like to extend an invitation for a campus and factory tour.

[theartistjodievans]

I love what I learned about any RV just from watching this ONE video. I’m subscribing!

[biff]

I've been an RV tech for 18 years, and prior to that I also worked as a plumber. 10 years ago, I probably would have agreed with you about the plumbing quality. But speaking from experience in the field, we simply don't see issues arise from braided flex hose crimped to pex fittings. Remeber that the psi ratings in an RV differ greatly from household standards, and there are weaker points in an RV plumbing system that will.fail.before these connections. I absolutely agree that brass fittings should be standard. Pex or braided flex hose with brass fittings will usually even survive freezing.

[bobwaldron]

Great video. We ordered a 340RL Alliance in January of 21. Overall, we have been very happy.
Our biggest issue has been the slide skis. After many replacements under warranty, Alliance reworked our slide. That lasted only about 6 months. They have since then started using a different slide ski. It's a heavier & wider plastic. We had custom-made stainless steel skis made & installed for our unit. So far, so good.

[wgreenjr]

Hopefully you'll do some of the comparable legacy nameplates for Keystone and Jayco in similar price points to see how they stack against the new kids on the block

[br]

I have a grand design and have not had a single issue. Been a great rv. Have had it for 3 years and used over 50 weekends.

[jefflozes]

Your reviews are the most informative on the net. I am shopping for a towable and looked at the Rockwood. The incorrect plumbing was everywhere. I told the salesman and he called the manufacturer's rep who advised it was the most efficient way to do the plumbing and they have not had any complaints.
Contrary to that statement, there are complaints on the internet about these types of connections.
Keep up the good work and my prediction is you will have a very popular channel.

[RealQuickComics]

I watch a ton of rv videos and this has singlehandedly been by far the most informative ❤

[Turbo-D]

Thank you for this video. We almost bought a Brinkley but to me it just seemed like a mid-profile 5er ( shallow basement) with some very cool creature comforts on it. And then they charge the full-profile price for it. 100 plus. All of my research led us to the Alliance Paradigm 340 RL. We took delivery of our 2023 in mid August. Got it for 33% below MSRP. Fit and finish is excellent. We went through it with a fine tooth comb. Could not find one single thing wrong. I know there will be a shake down period but we are one trip in and so far perfect. 🤞 Thanks again for the review.

[gaddav]

Have you performed any reviews on Luxe RV’s? I would be very interested to hear your opinion concerning their 5th wheels.

[smorariu]

I also look underneath the pass through storage and under the bed storage to see if they used OSB for the floor and to check the welds.