ajf87

I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on this:

https://www.briggs-riley.com/product...inner-qut228sp

I can get it through Costco Next at a $200 discount, with free shipping (for HI that's huge). The reviews have me hesitant though, and unless I want to spend well over a grand for Rimowa (I don't), nobody really makes trunk-style, 4-wheel checked luggage. I like the high capacity and smaller footprint for the hotel/rental car. I've looked at rolling duffels but none of them spin. TravelPro has one (the "Travel + Leisure" collection) but it's actually more expensive than the Briggs. It's either this or maybe the Platinum Elite hardside spinner. Anyone have any experience with either product or alternative recommendations?

cargueiro

It calls itself a Torq trunk. I have the large Torq suitcase which is rather similar. It does get some bad reviews and this is mainly due to cracking of the shell.

My Torq lasted well but it finally cracked on one trip in 2019 - just a small crack but the case was still usable. I am not based in US and the country where I live has no B&R shops, but I took it into a B&R shop in Santa Monica during a holiiday and they sent it off for repair and then quite impressively mailed it for free to me in Afghanistan! It arrived fine. I have had no cracks since. I now no longer transport it empty. If I am travelling with it empty or half full I fill it with extra blankets to protect it and I have had no cracking problem since. When it cracked, it was travelling empty.

Aside from the cracking concern, it is excellent. The wheels are very smooth, the inside is cavernous and they are rare so easy to spot on carousel. The lid is 80/20 which is good design and I like it in rental cars. I normally rent a saloon and just leave the Torq suitcase inside the car unless staying more than a night somewhere. I took a duffel on a recent trip as a change and cursed that I did not have my Torq.

E2A. I believe B&R pulled the Torq due to cracking. They now seem to be selling it again which might mean the new Torqs have a different plastic less prone to cracking. I hope this is the case. My one does look slightly different. They come with a lifelong warranty which is great, particularly if you are US based.

TPACjv

I've handled the new br torq trunk and it is well built with rigid corners but flexible sides, if memory serves. I ultimately chose the rimowa option because the new poly carb trunks are build with salsa air style construction which is way more flexible, and IMHO less prone to cracking as a result. Also, the packing plates make for a much nicer interior.

That said, if you like the br trunk don't be afraid to get it because the warranty has you covered and so does costco. I do think it has the second best trunk design I've seen.

ajf87

Thanks for the write-up. That's interesting that they stopped selling them for a while. I haven't utilized Costco Next and I would be a bit concerned that it's essentially an outlet that has old, dead stock and I would get the older ones. The warranty is one of the big selling points but I live in Hawaii - any major returns I would need to send it to the mainland, which costs a fortune. The only retailers are in Honolulu, and there's only one authorized repair center on Oahu (it can only do minor repairs, not cracks).

I would love Rimowa but I can't really justify the price. They never seem to go on sale either.

TPACjv

AFAIK, the trunk was part of the torq relaunch and so should be all new stock recently manufactured.

Though, if the polycarbonate scares you, then have a look at the ballistic version of the trunk. Imo, it has a better interior than the torq trunk.

The_Diamond_Z

I went through a similar exercise and I ended up getting the B&R Medium Upright Duffle, I agree the interior made it much more suitable (no pun intended)
I liked the Torq a lot, but I could see the polycarbonate breaking. If they made an aluminum one, I'd be all over it even if it had 4-wheels (I'm not a fan).

BTW: Local repair centers are a factor when luggage is this expensive. I expect to use this thing for decades and I also expect it will need repair.
If there isn't a local center, then I would treat it as disposable or something I expect to hack at.
I got the impression from my local retailer, if they couldn't repair they would send it off to B&R at no charge to me.
Fortunately, all of my repairs (zipper pulls) were handled locally.

ajf87

Thanks. That's not a bad bag but I really want a spinner. Tumi has a decent spinner duffel from one of their prior series available at Nordstrom Rack at a fairly steep discount over what's available now from Tumi, I think I'm going to go with that. Not quite the capacity of a true trunk but definitely functional and a bit bigger than the average "medium" checked bag.

ajf87

I ended up with this:

https://july.com/us/luggage/checked-trunk/?matte-black

This brand seems like the Australian version of Away. Also $445 with a lifetime warranty and free shipping is hard to beat. I have an extended trip (8 total flights) coming up in May so I'm excited to see how it holds up. It's cavernous, possibly too big. It's "80-20" with two dividers, one on the lid, not adjustable, the other one adjustable in the trunk portion. Both have zippers. Handle seems very sturdy (aluminum I think) and has tons of adjustment.

TPACjv

Let us know how it goes!

Global Adventurer

I have to say that's a nice looking suitcase considering it's made of polycarbonate. Good find👍

ffI

What is Costco Next?

Michael Yard

My recent experiences have changed my mind about the value of B&R's warranty. I've been an avid fan of the company for 30 years and have always had excellent service. Recently they seem to be searching for ways to avoid honoring the warranty. My local shop couldn't do repairs on a bag that was somehow burned and partially melted by the airline so they sent it back to B&R. I got a voicemail a couple of weeks later saying "We can either offer you a partial credit to use towards the new bag of your choice. It is a $250 credit towards any bag of your choice or we can send the bag back as the melted [fabric and wheel] on the bag I guess is not covered."

Not covered? How does this fit in with their "Simple as that" lifetime guarantee? They offered me a $250 credit for a bag that cost me $600!

I sent a bag in for repair in the past and was told they no longer carried that style (old original baseline) so they offered me some options for replacement of a similar style, which I considered very good customer service. And I've taken bags in several times for small repairs that were done in the shop and always had a great experience. After this one I did some online searches and found I'm not alone in my experience with the new B&R way of handling warranty service. This offer of a partial credit seems to be a pattern now.

They make excellent luggage! But their new policy of hedging on the guarantee means that, in my calculations, their high price is no longer justified.

fed planner

I had a similar issue pre-covid. Basically refused to fix the bag (it was soon to be discontinued, but was still available). I finally just gave up on them. Clear though that they were not honoring the warranty.

quan98

This is extremely disappointing to hear of BR’s change on its warranty! I’ve got about 15 pieces mainly because of their design and durability but certainly the warranty played not an insignificant role in my decision, esp. the check-in luggages. I do have some with issues e.g., broken/missing feet, broken shoulder strap swivel and couple pieces that I accidentally backed over that I’ve been meaning to take in but is it even worth trying if this is how they respond?

Flyloha

Curious to know how you like the trunk after a few uses? I'm debating between the July trunk and the Level8 trunk.