BRINKLEY vs 2025 EAST WEST Ahara Fifth Wheels! Fair Comparison? 380FL

[@pennee365]

It’s not just fit and finish with Brinkley. It’s a solid frame and build and outstanding customer service. We’ve been in our Z3100 for about 8 months and have received 3 courtesy calls to just ask how things are going and if we were having any issues. They have a record of any issues addressed with our rig.

[@geminifox475]

@@pennee365 wow excellent

[@jamesm8965]

Brinkley is about the finish quality and hopefully the longevity. The whole industry should follow Brinkley not just cheap imitations. Things like dovetail drawers, lifetime roof, real hardwood doors, residential hardware. Higher quality floors.

[@johnboshky3711]

You mean like the particleboard brinkley uses in the floor and roof?

[@jamesm8965]

You mean OSB that is in the floors and roof of your house as well?

[@geminifox475]

We have been doing a lot of research, considering going to the plant in Indiana. A couple questions I have for you, are the sinks plastic ?? Also how’s your roof, any bubbling ? Thanks , we seriously haven’t found another RV we like better. 🤔😀

[@geminifox475]

@@jamesm8965HAHAHHA GOOD ANSWER

[@brianlykins6663]

This is a nice rig. Just what we've seen here, I would not turn my back on it. Difference might be if you're using to vacation or live in full time. Big difference.

[@mikewadams1]

I just purchased a Brinkley Z 3400and pick it up on Saturday. I have been researching for the last 2 years. I could be wrong, but in my opinion Brinkley has done it right. The fit and finish is top notch. I was amused how they are trying to cash in on Brinkleys innovation. That being said you get what you pay for. But not everyone can afford a Brinkley this would be a good option.

[@shanecapeheart]

We have owned our Z3400 for a few months and absolutely love it. My wife toured one of the East to West units while at the Jacksonville show. She said she felt like she was going to pull things off the walls when she pulled on stuff. Went immediately back to the Brinkley which was a solid unit. The patio is awesome if you have dogs. They just chill on the rear patio with you.

[@geminifox475]

I totally agree , we don’t have one yet , but I agree if you can afford it , we think that’s the way to go!! We are considering the Z2900

[@mikewadams1]

@@geminifox475 you won’t be sorry if you do.😉

[@judithberry9317]

I don't mind the plastic sinks, but stainless would be nice. I like this rig. I would much rather have the affordability over the highest high end things in a camper. Now if I was going to live in it full time, then a Brinkley would make much more sense.

[@mcunderw]

Not a great compare for many reasons. I think the RV industry needs a kick in the tow gear. Most RVs are built like a cheap date with a lot of room to improve. At least Brinkley is attempting to design out maintenance issues but there is a price for that, so time will tell if they are on the right path. We all deserve at any price, a RV that at least holds up a month after towing it off the lot. Now where is my duct tape 👀

[@jimwhalen6769]

This is laid out just like our 5th wheel, with a few differences! We do not have the powder room, which I would love to have in my next rv!

[@LittleMissKnow]

Brinkley is worth the Money to me. I’m going to purchase a Brinkley

[@geminifox475]

Us too !!!

[@SuperLaughingcrow]

Black, white and gray. Sick of it.

[@geminifox475]

@@SuperLaughingcrow get a colorful truck to tow it 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@jamesbass9797]

JD, how dare you! You didn't mention the coffee station. lol

[@macalewesp4082]

Or the CPAP machine.

[@axiomproductions]

Brinkley looks way better then this. Brinkleys look solid, this looks cheaper right down to the walls. I was never a Brinkley fan until I actually went into one. I've owned high end Jaycos and just the thought of dealing with their f service again, I'd spend more then the asking price on a Brinkley rather then deal with that company again. We purchased the Brinkley 3610 partly because it's solid, we love that layout, not to tall but tons of head room, fit and finish including build quality not to mention the attention paid to plumbing and wiring is beyond what anyone else is doing and the other part, the customer service and attention they pay to their customer. Brinkleys are built like a house, others are built like trailers.

[@kenhelmers2603]

This would be a nice vacation home on wheels.

[@chuckleslie2713]

This looks like our 3910 suite artic wolf except we have an outdoor kitchen that we use and it’s so much easier having a kitchen outside.

[@geminifox475]

We were considering an Arctic Wolf, they don’t sell in my area. So if we went NORTH WEST to get one , no one here services them. But they look very nice. We are going to get a Brinkley

[@robertburns5145]

Frankly I’m not on the Brinkley bandwagon. After touring one I felt like it looked like an overpriced Keystone Cougar. While the Brinkley had some nice features, they weren’t enough to keep us from buying an Alliance Paradigm.

[@TDub_ADV]

Same here i call them Grand Design 2.0.... Made from the same particle board and getting the same level of hype. They look pretty but that's about it in my opinion. After talking with multiple Brinkley owners that have had multiple trips back to the factory i feel like my opinion is warranted.

[@user-ktm890rider]

The selling point on this East to West is if it has a solid built frame so you’re not falling apart in 6 months Brinkley Supposedly is Solid Built 😎🍻

[@enz6312]

Good execution but why would you upgrade to solid surface counter tops and use cheap plastic sinks in the bathrooms. ??

[@pootmahgoots8482]

Cost savings?

[@MrMatthewgross]

You think they use a proper pex plumbing with brass connections? It's the things you can't see aside from visible fit and finish I would guess 😉

[@johnboshky3711]

They do

[@julieryan6453]

I agree. Do not like the shelves above the bed.

[@BigfootDadExploresMontana]

This is by far my favorite floorplan. They used a lot of the right materials too (like the Azdel). To complete the cycle, Brinkley just needs to copy them back and we're going to have a real winner. 🙃

[@texillini1]

It all comes down to affordability. The question is however, what would you personally do? Is a Brinkley in your future for your next big camper?

[@geminifox475]

Why can’t these RV companies/ manufacturers/ designers etc give some room along side the stove. That I need ,, this RV is Huge , and lacks space to cook. I DO LIKE THE BRINKLEY, will purchase the Brinkley. Z2900 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@DiverPea101]

Would have liked to hear of hear a ball park pricing on what it might listed for

[@johnboshky3711]

90k, same as the brinkley 3610.

[@440-6Pack]

ANY cable slide system is junk.

[@VitriolGeorge666]

Even Brinkley uses cable slides for the smaller slide outs 😊

[@bishopgeorge1333]

Yeah JD, liked the front living, and really this looked good, not bad at all, I will buy it in a heart beat but they don't carry this here in the PNW at least I don't think they do.

[@Dean-i4d]

JD why don’t you recommend towing behind the 5th wheel. When the manufacturer builds them for that. I never hear you say you don’t recommend using the micro wave when there is data that they are not as safe as other heating sources. Just curious?

[@murfrirhke4557]

Hmm, the Brinkley TTs do have a partial drop frame up front.

[@jeromemeyers7079]

I like it other than that there's only two usable drawers in the kitchen area and only one in the kitchen proper.

[@Spoolingturbski]

Honestly because my families company deals in Airstreams I have one of them. But I am in the market for a Fifthwheel and I’ll either try to find an Older DRV or maybe even a similar model to your brookstone.

[@donnajohnson2979]

Yes

[@annmitchell-scott7562]

No ceiling fans. More storage than gvwr can accommodate. Put a 12" ibeam and maybe you could really fill the storage bays.

[@terryhaynes1596]

You looked at the eye candy. What about the structure, frame, how the walls and every cabinet and ceiling fit together? I'd appreciate it if you concentrated more on the fine details of construction instead of the eye candy and a few features that most RVs have that don't really differentiate them from one another. Does East West have a great reliability record? I think Brinkley is too new to have any real data on their reliability. The Brinkley, given it doesn't have a dropped frame, is heavier than the E/W unit when compared foot to foot. I think the heavier weight "probably" means it has a better build, better materials, heavier frame, floor, roof, etc. Light weight is typically weaker and not meant for heavy use. And, No I do not have a Brinkley and I am not a Brinkley lover. But there are some simple items that help a buyer better understand the build quality and materials of an RV.

[@johnboshky3711]

The brinkley 3610 and ahara 380 fl are both the same weight. The 3610 is a bunk house, the 380 is a foot longer and 102 wide.

[@jamielancaster01]

Yeah, I’ll still take a Brinkley.

[@cookingsherry8784]

I prefer the Brinkley, or even the KZ Durango Gold, over this model.

[@johnboshky3711]

A fair comparison? You state that the ahara is 70 to 80 thousand less, less than what, the brinkley 3610 and ahara 380fl are both right at 90k. So your comparing the price of a couples coach to a toy hauler? You intentionally left so many things out that you would normally point out. Ahara is a wide body, full profile, it has electric gate valves, pex and brass fittings....I don't know how much brinkley paid you for this commercial but your credibility went right down the toilet.

[@aaronbritt2025]

The quality difference matters when you're full time.

[@Lumpschlevot]

How much? Thats the question. Whats the price difference? How can anyone make a decision without that piece of information.

[@johnboshky3711]

90k for ahara, 90k for a brinkley 3610. Don't know what he's campaigning prices on.

[@markmiller2659]

Looks like the Keystone Alpine 3701fl

[@krice24]

Just saw a 3 month old Brinkley, terrible quality. Decals were bubbling around the windows, with air pockets, and slide rubber on bedroom slide was already leaving black marks all over slide wall. Also, cable driven slides on bedroom look cheap for its crazy price. Roof doesn’t rap around the sides of rv far enough. Rv looks very cheap. Doesn’t stack up against a Montana, solitude, bighorn, etc. made with the same parts as all of those as well.

[@RaaJra1992]

Brinkley does not have cable driven slides. The small bedroom is a slim rack style, larger ones are rack and pinion.

[@axiomproductions]

It's absolutely not worth it. In the end you want longevity not replacing your unit in 5 years.

[@Freedomisnotforsale2024]

I like the price point of East West but lack the build quality of Brinkley. EW is keeping the cost down using products known to fail like Everchill fridge, Coleman AC units, & plastic plumbing elbows known to split. Those are not cheap fixes.. Did you happen to see if the island rocks when you push against it? I was in a GD the other day & thought it was going to come apart.

[@krice24]

Brinkley is a rip off. Same crap out of Indiana just a different package, and theme to sell it. GD was like this in 2014 when they. Came out all the hype over the solitude, they had their own fan club and massive rallies, take over rv parks and the owners were pretty much like if it’s not a grand design you don’t have shit! Well that lead to massive fading caps, electrical issues, grand design fixed in around 2017, now frame failures and everyone wants to shit on them and rave on this over priced POS! This will be just like GD in a few years. They are all the same, just like buying a ford, Chevy, or ram. All have their issues. A new solitude would be better over this, more experience now in the industry and a lot of short coming will be fixed as they are 10 years old now. I wouldn’t touch one for 10 years a Brinkley!

[@RobertEdwards-q6t]

Looms $80k cheaper

[@KellyPhinney-ko2tr]

When the FR is in the shop for the first 6 months the Brinkley will be out on the road

[@barrytobias6921]

Brinkley is worth the extra money for the quality. In addition Forest River is another large manufacturer who has lacked in the customer service side

[@tishb62]

Honestly, I can’t take this RV seriously. Such a complete rip off of Brinkley, but without the quality. Perhaps if they had their own identity, they wouldn’t try to steal Brinkley’s look!

[@johnboshky3711]

Aside from the plastic sinks in the bath, what has brinkley done better?

[@Patricksmancave]

This is Brinkley on a diet! For a clone of a Brinkley it’s not bad though. It looks like a Brinkley 100%. The cabents look cheaper not going to lie. Like the floor plan. Wish Brinkley had this floor plan. Brinkley inside looks a lot better than this. This camper inside looks good but cheap. Love the living room. The storge is great. The bedroom is good. Love the open bathroom. Over all I would just buy a real Brinkley….

[@johnboshky3711]

We've looked at both. Thought the brinkley looked cheap

[@Patricksmancave]

@@johnboshky3711 what part of Brinkley look cheap to you?

[@axiomproductions]

Brinkley looks way better then this. Brinkleys look solid, this looks cheaper right down to the walls. I was never a Brinkley fan until I actually went into one. I've owned high end Jaycos and just the thought of dealing with their f service again, I'd spend more then the asking price on a Brinkley rather then deal with that company again. We purchased the Brinkley 3610 partly because it's solid, we love that layout, not to tall but tons of head room, fit and finish including build quality not to mention the attention paid to plumbing and wiring is beyond what anyone else is doing and the other part, the customer service and attention they pay to their customer. Brinkleys are built like a house, others are built like trailers.

[@iceman942]

You can put lipstick on a pig and unfortunately you will still have a pig!!! Brinkley has a model that is a new and much preferred full floor plan that isn't stuck in the early 90's. It will still be around while this model won't be livable!!!

[@MDean25]

White bland everything ugh

[@Hunterlewis675]

East west making things cheap(er). I can see it in the video. Lots of non quality items , especially the closet cooking area, no room for pan handles

[@tamaracota3884]

you need to learn how to be a cameraman if you insist on making youtube videos. you swing that thing around way to fast giving us all seasickness and whiplash. seriously. take a film class or four.

[@Itsa_Mea]

Hey give him a break, it's his first day & he's trying to build a channel here. 😂

[@wiliamowens]

Why not compare similar floor plans? They both make a 3100 that is the same floor plan, and the actual selling prices, the Brinkley is about $10-15k more, but the build quality is so much better, it’s also about 2000lbs heavier which to me is a good thing.

[@charlesklaus6290]

That big storage area closest to the rear on the camp side should have a mini fridge and a sink in it.

[@robertt8273]

​​@@Itsa_Meahe ain't going to build a channel with everyone running to the bathroom puking. First day? Of what the month. He's been around a while. I try to watch his material but end up shutting it off because of the motion sickness. I love his content. Wish I could watch it to the end.

[@Itsa_Mea]

@@robertt8273 sarcasm Robert. I actually get motion sickness, sorry but this video didn't phase me.