Brinkley Toy Hauler

[geotex1]

Problem is, Brinkley is in bed with Lippert, as Ron Fenech is on the board at Lippert.

If you look at all the "stuff" they are using, it's like the part's room at Lippert threw up.

Yep, which is why I think the road will be tough for them to rise above the rest or even gain a balancing market share with the uncertainty of the economy and a slew of pandemic owners dissatisfied with typical quality problems. Looks and style can only take it so far!

[Steven@147]

It kind of seems like Brinkley is just another "also" RV manufacturer. I would agree that in this day of RV manufacturing it would be kind of hard to stand out and be different than any other RV manufacturer, if your doing the same kind of thing and using the same kinds of LCI stuff. But then again it seems like "if" a new manufacturer can do better and gain a little bit of market share, they hope to get bought out by one of the big three, make a boat load of money on the take over and move on. Kind of like what happened to Grand Design.

The problem I see is that there's a wide gap between "also" manufacturers of 5ers and THer RV's, and the extreme custom RV manufacturers like SpaceCraft. It seems like there is nothing in between. I once thought that DVR, Luxe, or VanLeigh, for example, were at least a few manufacturers trying to do it better and fill that gap but still keep the list prices reasonable and in reach of most people. But eventually they got bought out and dumbed down to where the rest of the manufacturers are.

I don't think its as bad as lipstick on any pig yet, there are still some little differences in best better builds. Right at the moment though it does seem like the only differences in manufacturers trying to separate themselves from the crowd is by using "bling" instead of innovation and better build quality (thinking of electrical, plumbing systems and so forth here). For us I think we got it right in 02/2019 when we bought our RV and are still in love with it even though we have had to fix some plumbing and electrical stuff.

[Fsalmy]

It kind of seems like Brinkley is just another "also" RV manufacturer. I would agree that in this day of RV manufacturing it would be kind of hard to stand out and be different than any other RV manufacturer, if your doing the same kind of thing and using the same kinds of LCI stuff. But then again it seems like "if" a new manufacturer can do better and gain a little bit of market share, they hope to get bought out by one of the big three, make a boat load of money on the take over and move on. Kind of like what happened to Grand Design.

The problem I see is that there's a wide gap between "also" manufacturers of 5ers and THer RV's, and the extreme custom RV manufacturers like SpaceCraft. It seems like there is nothing in between. I once thought that DVR, Luxe, or VanLeigh, for example, were at least a few manufacturers trying to do it better and fill that gap but still keep the list prices reasonable and in reach of most people. But eventually they got bought out and dumbed down to where the rest of the manufacturers are.

.

Vanleigh lasted 9 years within their market "niche". Wonder how much of the decision to shut down was driven by Thor and not Tiffin?

We looked at Vanleigh's Beacon line in 2021. The materials (cabinets, etc.) they "controlled" were nice, but frame and suspension, appliances, and so on were all sourced from LCI and their subsidiaries. At the time we were looking, the MSRP was anywhere from $30-$50K higher than the Solitudes. We found it hard to justify that $ premium for some cabinets, a perceived higher-grade of furniture and a few other bling items. After watching several recent videos, the Beacon line appears to be suffering a lot of upper deck/side wall issues. And the repairs are failing, too, at least in a couple of cases.

Can Brinkley sufficiently distinguish itself with innovation and superior materials and construction? The (nearly) maintenance free roof is a start although some of these things might not be recognizably important to first time buyers. If they are in deep with Lippert, then I suspect the road ahead may be littered with potholes.

Speaking of Lippert, who is supplying the windows for Brinkley? I haven't seen any like that from LCI although could be a new offering. I can't recall the supplier of the windows on our 2013 Element, but they were of European origin and well made. (A rock thrown from a mower broke one window and it took forever to get a replacement. Then Evergreen went bankrupt, so that was our signal to sell.)

I think armless awnings (e.g. Girard) with wind sensors would be a way to distinguish, but perhaps the cost difference is too large. How about SeaLevel tank sensors?

In the end, I think I have just priced my new coach right out of the market. I could call it the Unobtainable, Model $$$$$

[traveldawg]

I went in the 2 Brinkleys today at the Tampa show. There seemed to be a lot of interest from a lot of the media folks there. I even saw Chad and Tara (Changing Lanes) walking through the toy hauler.

Grand Design has their work cut out for them. Say all you want about using Lippert stuff - they did a pretty good job. All except for the all white interior walls and ceiling. Really, I don't see what difference it makes whether it is Lippert, Suburban, Samsung, Atwood, Dometic or whatever.

Well see how this works out. It might be a tough time to get into the market but I'll bet they sell more than a few.

What they did with the window shades is pretty genius. If that's a Lippert 'thing' then hooray for some nice innovation. It's about time someone did.

[Fsalmy]

What they did with the window shades is pretty genius. If that's a Lippert 'thing' then hooray for some nice innovation. It's about time someone did.

Our 2013 Element had the same window shade system. Window manufacturer was European.

I hope Brinkley does well. Maybe it will have a pull-along effect on other manufacturers to truly innovate. Perhaps it will drive LCI to innovate, too. I guess the bottom line is, can Brinkley distinguish itself enough to gain market share and be profitable while using the same components everyone else does? Do they even have an alternate, cost-competitive option for frames, appliances, etc. ?

Would love to see any pics you may have gotten, Larry.

[Canyonlight]

I went in the 2 Brinkleys today at the Tampa show. There seemed to be a lot of interest from a lot of the media folks there. I even saw Chad and Tara (Changing Lanes) walking through the toy hauler.

Grand Design has their work cut out for them. Say all you want about using Lippert stuff - they did a pretty good job. All except for the all white interior walls and ceiling. Really, I don't see what difference it makes whether it is Lippert, Suburban, Samsung, Atwood, Dometic or whatever.

Well see how this works out. It might be a tough time to get into the market but I'll bet they sell more than a few.

What they did with the window shades is pretty genius. If that's a Lippert 'thing' then hooray for some nice innovation. It's about time someone did.

Larry (and other posters) - good feedback. There are many other things going on behind the scenes to raise the bar on Brinkley direct customer (we RV owners) and service processes between dealers and Brinkley with the "systems" being used for too long in the industry. Yes, GDRV was better but problems have crept in here too. Too many have experienced and shared the problems when dealers are involved in warranty and other work items.

Yes, the RV product is quite nice and gaining considerable attention as it should. Carol and I plan to visit Brinkley in March not just to see these and other products in the works but learn more about the service improvement focus and I suspect many other things to improve the RV experience.

Again, as many of you know Carol and I are long time GDRV owners having built some good relationships where GDRV has treated us (and many many others) quite well over many years. We value this immensely and have been loyal. As a number of the these same folks are "Brinkley" with a vision, tools, strategy, and more to make things even better, our interest is learn more has certainly gained our attention.

Dan

[traveldawg]

Service is service for the most part. When we bought our GD they pushed the whole “independent” manufacturer ‘thing’, even tho W’bagel owned them. Costumer service was as good as a friend who had a Cardinal (Forest River). I still think dealer support is more important than manufacturer support. I have no complaints about GD service nor the other 6 brands I’ve owned since 1984. Tiffin was head and shoulders the best but that was when they were privately owned; and it’s hard to compare a $350k RV to a $100k Rv.

Alliance pushed that whole ‘customer input / focus’ thing. They had as many manufacturing issues as anyone else over the years.

So now we have Brinkley. Same customer song-and-dance. Same start-up talk, etc. We’ll see.

I didn’t take any photos. Most stuff is already on line. I left them 2 pieces of customer input: 1) put a real motorized electric reel in (like a Shorline horizontal brand) in practically the same space as that cheap motorized winder in the toy hauler that still requires unspooling a 35’ cord to go 6’; 2) reconsider the washer dryer closet to accommodate a combo unit rather than separate units as now designed. I told them to focus on those small things and then promote their differentiators.

[WhittleBurner]

Everybody will have differing bits of advise as people have their own ideas as to what makes the right camper. As far as service no matter who makes the trailer they are all sold and serviced by the same dealers. I think a big question for Brinkley is what will their position be for a customer who is having trouble getting warranty work done.

[Fsalmy]

Everybody will have differing bits of advise as people have their own ideas as to what makes the right camper. As far as service no matter who makes the trailer they are all sold and serviced by the same dealers. I think a big question for Brinkley is what will their position be for a customer who is having trouble getting warranty work done.

I just looked at the Brinkley dealer network within a 400 mile radius of me - 7 dealerships, including Meyer's, Beckley's and General RV. Based upon past experiences, the latter doesn't instill a lot of confidence. All but one of the dealerships listed are also GD dealers. I know its still early in the process for Brinkley, though.

For full disclosure, our coach is STILL at the dealer for warranty work. For this latest issue, we have been unable to use our coach for nearly 4 consecutive months. The number of warranty issues have exceeded 70, and lately, GD has been difficult to deal with. So, yeah my opinions are tainted. And unfortunately, our poor experiences with a GD-built coach have not just been limited to the Solitude. Our 2019 Reflection TT had ~50 warranty issues, a few of which were major. In the first year of the Reflection ownership, we lost 6 months of use due to it being in the shop for warranty repair after warranty repair after warranty repair. GD did extend our warranty 6 months which impacted our decision to strongly consider GD for our next coach. Maybe we just got two lemons but the Solitude was a "Covid-build" and maybe we should have known better. My in-laws have a 2021 Imagine. They lost 3 months of use due to warranty issues. I am more than eager to see if there is potentially a better owner experience out there, but I remain skeptical of the entire industry (see exception below).

Alliance was touting the same song and dance GD once did, and now Brinkley. We looked at Alliance rigs at the end of 2020 and in early 2021. Alliance rigs on the dealer lots showed lots of QC issues. Two Alliance units (a TH and a FW) had dozens of staples protruding through the ceiling throughout each unit. That put a very quick end to our consideration of Alliance despite its touted QC and customer experience. I don't know how those two rigs ever left the factory like that nor how the units passed the dealership's (General RV) initial cleanup/PDI. I pointed it out to the salesman and he just shook his head. But, I digress.

Will Brinkley do better? If so, will whatever sales gains they achieve push GD to do better? IDK and am certainly not holding my breath.

In the end, I guess I have Newell Coach expectations on a Solitude budget.

[WhittleBurner]

What they did with the window shades is pretty genius. If that's a Lippert 'thing' then hooray for some nice innovation. It's about time someone did.

We were there today for a bit and had a nice long chat with Bill Fenech while he showed us all around the model Z. (didn't have the energy to view the toy hauler too.
Actually we liked it and altho not a fan of white it was a softer white not stark. A livable white if thats all you can get . They do have some little clever use of space and features that are appealing. The table drawer blew away the one in our dinette table. Clean fit and finish as it should be for a show model. The stove is a new model (Furrion) so maybe they'll get it right or at least better than the current one everyone is using?? Tip out windows open wider than most which is a plus because I prefer the sliders for more fresh air. It appears they are going after the Reflection/S Class type . If they keep going all out like that GD will definately have competition.

Those widow shades are designed by Micah and the manufacture and believe Bill said they are pattented to the company, very slick shades. I really liked them too!
4 hours at the show tired me out!